washingtonpost.com Gunman Aaron Alexis was learning the Thai language, visited Thailand for a month,and studying for an online degree in aeronautical engineering.

agencies Cheers and the sound of a ship's horn rings out as salvage crews complete raising the wreck of the Costa Concordia in the early hours.


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

washingtonpost.com At least 13 people are dead and several others wounded after a gunman opened fire at the Washington Navy Yard, police said, spreading fear and chaos across the region as authorities sought to contain the panic.

abcnews.go.com The gunman who killed 12 people before being shot and killed was identified as Aaron Alexis, 34, a former sailor. Officials said at least a dozen others were injured.

bangkokpost.com Serious clashes saw shots fired as protesting rubber farmers injured at least 70 policemen, assaulted the media and burnt around 10 police vehicles - leaving the government to declare a curfew and consider emergency measures at the highway roadblock in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.

nationmultimedia.com More than 10 vehicles were smashed and set ablaze and people injured when clashes broke out between hundreds of rubber growers and security officials at the Kuan Nong Hong Intersection. Officials used tear gas to disperse the crowd, while the protesters used stones or sticks to hit back.

bangkokpost.com Metered taxi operators will resume services at Chiang Mai airport after a 12-day strike over a plan to hike monthly parking fees by 26 percent. The strike was sparked by a concession firm's plan to raise fees for taxi drivers from 7500 baht to 9500 baht a month.

reuters Turkey said its warplanes shot down a Syrian helicopter after it crossed into Turkish airspace and the government warned it had taken all necessary measures to defend itself against any further such violations.

bangkokpost.com Forget about the sluggish economy and the concern over inflation and stock markets in Asia for a little while, because the news on the travel and tourism front is good, especially in India. The number of Indians travelling abroad is forecast to rise to 50 million by 2020.

thephuketinsider.com Hospitality circles are buzzing over the announcement that the global hotel chain Hilton has filed for a IPO which is valued at close to $1.2 billion.

AP Typhoon Man-yi lashed Japan, leaving one dead and dumping torrential rains, damaging homes and flooding parts of the country's popular tourist destination of Kyoto, where 260,000 people in city centre were ordered to evacuate to shelters.

bbc.co.uk Chin Peng, a Malaysian guerrilla who led a fierce Communist insurgency against British forces after World War Two, has died, Thai officials say. The 90-year-old died in a Bangkok hospital after years living in exile.

nixonmalaya1953.com Chin Peng and his rebel guerilla bands operated in northern Malaya not far from the long southern border of Thailand. They could, and did, cross readily into Thailand for sanctuary.Eventually, in December 1989 a peace treaty was formally signed on Phuket by representatives of the new nation of Malaysia, Thailand and Chin Peng's MCP.

ft.com The Malay Emergency cost an estimated 10,000 lives and helped immortalise the notion of winning local ''hearts and minds.''

wsj.com Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding prime minister, marked his 90th birthday in what was a relatively muted affair, marked by few public celebrations of his storied political career.

bangkokpost.com Thai security authorities hailed Malaysia's plan to prevent cross-border crime by building a fence along the Sungai Kolok River, which separates Kelantan state from the southern province of Narathiwat.

foxnews.com More than 6200 people were evacuated from their villages following the eruption of Mount Sinabung in western Indonesia, an official said. No damage was reported.

ft.com Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's flag carrier, has become embroiled in an increasingly public dogfight with Qantas Airways and China Eastern Airlines about their plans to launch a budget airline in the Chinese territory. John Slosar, Cathay's chief executive, said Hong Kong should not grant Jetstar Hong Kong a licence.

PA A Muslim woman will be allowed to stand trial while wearing a full-face veil, however she must remove it while giving evidence, a British judge has ruled.

ft.com Magazines are thinning and news websites with vast traffic lose money. In these straitened times, it is harder for a brilliant, capricious, high-spending, old-school editor to thrive.

bbc.co.uk Comedian and actor Billy Connolly has had successful surgery for prostate cancer and has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.



reuters Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League with a 2-2 draw at Swansea City. Jonjo Shelvey scored Swansea's opener and created their second but his two shocking passes set up both goals for Liverpool who moved a point clear of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the table.

nationmultimedia.com In-form Thailand put in a flawless performance to stun world No 3 Japan 3-1 and keep alive their hopes of advancing to the semi-finals in the 17th Asian Senior Women's Volleyball Championship. The victory over Olympic bronze medallists Japan, who were fourth at the recent World Grand Prix, was sweet revenge for Thailand, after two defeats against the Japanese this year.

bbc.co.uk World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn has said the sport is ''sending out a positive message'' after Stephen Lee was found guilty of match fixing. The former world number five faces a career-ending ban following the verdict at an independent tribunal.

afp Croatia's world number 24-ranked tennis star, Marin Cilic, has been handed a nine-month doping ban. The 24-year-old has had the ban back-dated to May 1 this year.

theage.com.au Shane Watson scoring 143 ensured Australia finished their tour of England in style as they clinched the one-day series 2-1 with a 49-run win over the hosts at Southampton.



September 18-21 Moon Festival, local food and products, Queen Sirikit Park, Phuket City

September 20-21 Quiksilver Surf Titles, Patong beach

September 20-22 Clean Up Phuket vounteer program

September 21 Phuket FC v Trat FC

September 28 Krabi FC v Phuket FC

September 29 First weekly Sunday walking street, Thalang Road and Soi Romanee, Old Phuket Town, 4pm-10pm

October 5-13 Phuket Vegetarian Festival

October 12 Phuket Soi Dogs Foundation 10th anniversary party, Andara

October 23 Chulalongkorn Memorial Day

October 29-November 3 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, Karon

October 31 Halloween

November 5 Melbourne Cup Day

November 17 Loy Kratong Day

November 24-December 1 Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest. Laguna Phuket

December 5 HM The King's birthday

December 26 Commemoration of 2004 Asian Tsunami



January 9-12 Phuket International Boat Show, Royal Phuket Marina

November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket