afp At least 82 people died when a cooking gas cylinder exploded in a packed restaurant in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

edp.co.uk Thai police are now being urged to expand the rape and murder enquiry mid-trial as no DNA from the two accused men was found on the alleged murder weapon used to kill Hannah Witherdige and fellow British tourist David Miller.

bangkokpost.com Malaysian police have informed their Thai counterparts that they have arrested two suspects in connection with the Erawan shrine and Sathon pier bombings.

reuters World No.1 Novak Djokovic has crushed stricken defending champion Marin Cilic in straights set to storm into his sixth US Open final at Flushing Meadows. His old rival Roger Federer continued his near-flawless campaign with a 6-4 6-3 6-1 rout of Swiss countryman Stan Wawrinka

theaustra.ian.com.au The president of Kiribati has hit out at Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton's ''vulgar'' joke about rising sea levels in the Pacific, saying it was ''quite unbecoming of leadership''.


PHUKET: The daily wrap of Thailand news, with a Phuket perspective, plus relevant reports from national and international media. Beware of inconsistent imitations.



reuters At least 107 people were killed when a crane toppled over at Mecca's Grand Mosque, Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence head said, less than two weeks before Islam's annual haj pilgrimage. General Suleiman al-Amr, director general of the Civil Defence Authority, told al-Ikhbariya television 183 people were injured.

Phuket Update A Royal Thai Police rescue helicopter will be stationed on Phuket to help boost tourists' confidence in safety while visiting Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi. The new Police Region 8 Headquarters officially opened on a 159 rai plot of land close to Phuket's main checkpoint in Mai Khao.

Phuket Update American pop rock crew Maroon 5 are relaxing on Phuket before a big show in Bangkok later this month. Photos of Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael and James Valentine with Thai fans spread across social networks.



bangkokpost.com Money totalling 1.4 million baht was transferred between February 2014 and March 2015 to suspects and others believed connected to the Erawan shrine bombing.

reuters The suspected mastermind of last month's Erawan shine bombing left for China from Bangladesh 12 days ago, and efforts in Malaysia to track the man suspected of planting the explosives have been unsuccessful, police said.



asiancorrespondent.com The growing influence of ultra-nationalists who claim to have been instrumental in excluding Muslims from the upcoming elections is a serious cause for concern. If local political parties who share the ultra-nationalists' ideologies gain power in Rakhine state, there is genuine reason to fear that a mass atrocity will soon take place in Burma.

bangkokpost.com Lawyers are the latest group in Myanmar to don ribbons in protest against the dominance of the military in public service despite the reforms of recent years.

bangkokpost.com The recent arrest of a group of Syrian refugees who are waiting to be resettled in a third country is yet another policy blunder that further taints the country's reputation and underscores the need for Thailand to formally recognise refugees and asylum seekers. That the deadly Erawan bomb blast might also be linked to human-trafficking rings should serve as a wake-up call for Thailand to urgently review its refugee policy.



bangkokpost.com Police hauled in a jet ski renter who had demanded 4000 baht for ''damages'' from two Italian tourists as a new crackdown began in Pattaya. Visitors to Thailand have complained for years about extortion by jet ski renters, sometimes backed by threats of violence, in Pattaya and Phuket.

khaosodenglish.com More than 30 people have been placed on watchlist in the latest police effort to combat the notorious '''jet-ski scams''' which have plagued the resort town of Pattaya for years. A combined force of officers from Bangkok's Crime Suppression Division, Marine Police, Tourism Police and Pattaya City Police Station visited Pattaya Beach to canvas and question operators.

bangkokpost.com During the sweep led by Crime Suppression Division chief Akradej Pimolsri, authorities collected data on 58 operators and employees with 127 jet skis. Among them were eight illegal immigrants and three unlicensed jet skis.

cnn.com It should come as no surprise that the top hotel in the world according to Trave and Leisure readers, The Oberoi Udaivilas, is from the top hotel brand in the world. We list the top 10 brands. [Most of them have yet to be seen on Phuket.]

washingtonpost.com The Hungarian camerawoman who sparked outrage by tripping a refugee and his child as they fled police has apologised in a letter to a Hungarian newspaper. Petra Laszlo said she was ''truly sorry'' about what happened and shocked by her own actions.

bangkokpost.com Gen Prayut insists he has no problem stepping aside for an elected government as long as it is accountable and won't repeat past mistakes that harmed the country.

theguardian.com Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood rode a white tank through David Cameron's Witney constituency in Oxfordshire to his home in Chadlington in a protest against fracking. The 74-year-old is demonstrating against new fracking licenses being pushed through parts of northern England

bangkokpost.com With two weeks left on Europe's yellow card, activists say the campaign against illegal fishing has made only a bit of progress, but maybe not enough.

theaustralian.com.au Southern Thailand's Aleenta Phuket has unveiled 34 pool villas, the final phase of a $12 million update; each villa features an 8m pool accessed via a sliding wall that seamlessly combines indoor and outdoor living areas; overnight rates from about $355 for two.



nationmultimedia.com China and Asean countries including Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are making a determined bid to woo tourist traffic from India with focus on adventure, weddings, honeymoons, health and wellness, and family and single-woman travel.



cnn.com Twenty-six times, Serena Williams had played a grand slam match in 2015. And all 26 times she emerged triumphant. But in her 27th encounter, the world No. 1 came unstuck against a stubborn Italian, Roberta Vinci, who wasn't even seeded at the US Open.



September Quicksilver surf carnival at Patong beach

October 15-23 Phuket Vegetarian Festival

November Patong Festival

November 20 Laguna Phuket Triathlon

November 25 Loy Kratong festival

November 29 Challenge Laguna Phuket 2015

November 29 Phuket King's Cup Regatta

December 5 HM The King's Birthday

December 26 Tsunami memorial ceremonies



January 7-10 Phuket International Boat Show