A daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media.

myfoxatlanta.com The UK's Home Office, the government department responsible for crime and security, confirmed to Fox News Channel that [Phuket murder suspect Lee Aldhouse] was back in the UK. It did not reveal if the suspect was in police custody, Fox said.

afp Terrified passengers flying from London to Hong Kong braced for a possible crash into the sea after a pilot mistakenly played an emergency broadcast. According to The Sun, the 275 passengers on the British Airways Boeing 747 heard the message: ''This is an emergency. We may shortly need to make an emergency landing on water.'' The passengers prepared for the worst as they headed over the North Sea, until cabin crew ran down the aisles of the plane to reassure them the message had been played in error, the report said.

nymag.com Nicole John, 17, fell from the 22nd floor of a Herald Square luxury apartment building early this morning and died instantly, according to police. The young woman is the daughter of the US ambassador to Thailand, Eric John.

680news.com A 17-year-old girl slipped off her shoes and stepped out onto the ledge of a Manhattan high-rise apartment with a camera before plummeting more than 20 stories to her death, police said. John was believed to have been drinking, and 25-year-old Ilan Nassimi, who rents the apartment, was arrested on charges of unlawful dealing with a minor, police said. John had a fake ID from Brazil that gave her age as 23 or 24. The camera was found with her body.

abcnews.go.com ''There was a party,'' a police official told ABC News. ''We are discussing what happened that night with that gentleman,'' another police official said. Nicole John had attended high school in Bangkok, according to the ambassador's website. It is believed she was soon to start college in the US.

cnn.com Russian businessman Viktor Bout proclaimed his innocence, accusing the US of wrongfully portraying him as a billionaire arms dealer with ties to a Colombian guerrilla group. Bout's wife, Alla, read a statement from her husband - jailed in Thailand and awaiting extradition to the US - in which he denied involvement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). He said he believed ''justice will prevail.''

msnbc.msn.com It's a dirty little secret in the airfare search business, but consumers around the world waste millions of dollars by overspending on airfares. There are thousands of route combinations where buying two separate fares will save you money. Flying to Asia? You might find a web-only deal on Singaporeair.com to Singapore then hop on a next-to-nothing flight to Phuket via AirAsia.com (at this writing, flights from Singapore to Thailand are running 49 Singapore dollars, or about $36 USD).

dow jones Tourist arrivals to Singapore rose 24.1 percent on year in July to 1.1 million, the government said. It was the first time tourist arrivals exceeded a million in a single month, the Singapore Tourism Board said, attributing the increase to improved travel sentiment and the draw of the two casino resorts that opened earlier this year. As many as 12 of the 15 top markets logged growth in arrivals in July, led by a 62.8 percent on year increase in Chinese visitors and a 52.6 percent rise in those from Malaysia.

bloomberg.com Sahaviriya Steel Industries Public Co., Thailand's largest steel producer, plans to buy Tata Steel Ltd.'s Teesside Cast Products unit in the UK for about $500 million as it seeks to turn around the unprofitable business.

todayonline.com A driver who was asked to open his car boot for routine inspection at the Tuas Checkpoint claimed its mechanism was faulty. When Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers checked the boot through the rear passenger seats, they found two Indian illegal immigrants hiding. The 21-year-old driver said he was offered RM800 to help transport the illegal immigrants out of Singapore. Those convicted of overstaying or illegal entry can be jailed up to six months and be given a minimum of three strokes of the cane.

guardian.co.uk Burma's reclusive and ailing dictator, Than Shwe, has resigned his military post, exiled Burmese media have reported, paving the way for him to become president in Burma's government after the elections. Shwe, the despot who has brutally ruled south-east Asia's poorest country as commander-in-chief of the armed forces since 1992, handed control of the army to his adjutant general. However, the 77-year-old will remain head of the Burmese government.

independent.co.uk For all its boasting that elections due to be held on November 7 will usher in a new era of democracy for Burma, it appears the military junta that controls the country is keen to ensure there are few independent observers on hand as possible when the election is actually held.

afp A Singapore company has banned its management from the country's two new casinos following reports a local businessman lost a fortune at the gaming tables, its founder said. Mohamed Salleh, chief executive officer of retail and property firm Second Chance, said he had applied for casino exclusion orders for himself and six of his top personnel using a system designed to keep gambling addicts out.

channelnewsasia.com As the year-end travel rush approaches, Singaporeans are staying away from places that have been hit by trouble and violence. Bangkok and Manila are top on the list. Alicia Seah, senior vice-president, Marketing & PR, CTC Holidays, said: ''I think it's a short-term impact. We think that bookings will decrease significantly for about one to two weeks. But in the long term, recovery will take place. If they are travelling out of Bangkok, like Phuket or Chiang Mai, and not staying in Bangkok, they will still proceed with their tour bookings.''

bangkokpost.com Berli Jucker Plc (BJC), the SET-listed trading company, may seek partners to join in the bidding for Carrefour's business operation in Thailand. The company is considering using bank loans, raising equity or business partnerships to support the bid, said corporate finance manager Dusanee Therteppitak.

cnn.com Doctors at a Sri Lankan hospital operated for three hours to remove 18 nails and metal particles allegedly hammered into the arms, legs and forehead of a maid by her Saudi employer. Sri Lankan officials, meanwhile, met with Saudi diplomats in Colombo to urge an investigation into the incident.

hindustantimes.com France deported hundreds more Roma in defiance of growing domestic and international criticism of its crackdown on travelling minorities. The French government said 283 Roma were being sent back on Friday, bringing the total number of Romanian and Bulgarian Roma deported so far this year to 8313, against 7875 expelled throughout last year. A UN panel this month warned of mounting racism and xenophobia in France.

marketwatch.com With the opening of four new hotels across the globe, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.'s Four Points by Sheraton brand has topped a milestone 150 hotels. Later in the year, the brand will expand into Libya and Thailand making the Four Points brand accessible in 28 countries around the world.

booshnews.com Want to break free from the stresses of the busy life in this modern world? Want to reconnect with nature and forget all the worries of everyday life? Perhaps you also just want to break off the boredom of stale life? Phuket, Thailand has it all for people who want to spend their vacations in paradise. It is a God-woven haven waiting to be enjoyed by tourists and locals alike. The endless number of activities to do and places to see will make every hour of the stay memorable, exhilarating and the most fun anyone will ever have.



August 29 Patong Rotary Golf Scrambles and fun dinner for charity at Laguna. Details: 081 8929207
September 4 Rip Curl Hunt for Young Surfers, Kata beach
Until September 9 Ramadan
September 11 Phuket Surf Lifesaving Carnival, Loma Park, Patong
September 16-17 Celebration of the 114th birthday of Luang Pu Supha at the Chalong temple named in his honor.
September 18 Rip Curl Hunt for Young Surfers, Surin beach
October 1-3 Asian Hospitality and Travel Show, Central Festival Phuket Convention and Exhibition Center, Phuket City
October 8-16 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket
November 2-7 Phuket womens' beach volleyball, Karon beach
November 28 Laguna Phuket triathlon
December 4-11 Phuket King's Cup Regatta
December 5 Laguna Ironman title
2011
January 6-9 PIMEX boat show, Royal Phuket Marina
February 9-13 The Bay Regatta - Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi