ft.com The mass demonstrations on the streets of Hong Kong present China with its biggest political challenge since the pro-democracy movement was crushed in and around Tiananmen Square in 1989.

straitstimes.com According to the National News Bureau of Thailand, a team of doctors from Siriraj Hospital has reportedly developed a formula that will trigger antibodies to fight the ebola virus, for which there is currently no known cure.

bangkokpost.com Police investigators say they believe three people were involved in the murder of two British tourists on Koh Tao on September 15: "Two of the suspects raped and killed [Hannah] Witheridge while another one witnessed the murder."

bbc.com Thousands of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong defied fresh volleys of tear gas early on Monday as authorities tried to quell spreading unrest.

LIVE: Severe disruption expected as day dawns on 'occupied' Hong Kong
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1603762/live-severe-disruption-expected-day-dawns-occupied-hong-kong


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



scmp.com Politicians, democracy advocates, lawmakers, senior citizens and young students - all converged on the Hong Kong harbourfront in Admiralty to defend a site where the city's political landscape could be reshaped forever.

reuters Riot police advanced on Hong Kong democracy protesters in the early hours of Monday, firing volleys of tear gas after launching a baton-charge in the worst unrest there since China took back control of the former British colony two decades ago.

scmp.com The streets of Hong Kong resembled a battleground in the early hours of Monday morning, with police in full riot gear and gas masks firing tear gas on students wearing makeshift masks and wielding umbrellas.

independent.co.uk The democracy movement was dealt a major blow when it was announced that only three candidates could stand for election as Hong Kong's new Chief Executive in 2017, all chosen by Beijing.

cnn.com Beijing has so far refused to cede ground on its stance, setting the scene for growing, and more intense, clashes. Distrust of China's central government in Beijing is at its highest level since the handover.

nationmultimedia.com A survey found that 53.6 percent were ''quite satisfied'' with the junta's performance while 39 percent said they are ''very satisfied'' - this added up to 91.6 percent who are at least ''satisfied'' with the performance over the past four months.



wsj.com More than 3000 people have died from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the World Health Organisation said, as the deadly virus showed signs of spreading in the region.



abc.net.au Authorities are still trying to confirm the whereabouts of 45 people after a volcanic explosion on Mt Ontake in Japan. It was not clear whether those 45 included the 31 people said to have been found ''in cardiopulmonary arrest.''

csmonitor.com A shooting sent terrified patrons scrambling from a Miami nightclub called The Spot and left 15 people wounded, including an 11-year-old child, authorities said.

nydailynews.com In a statement, President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton said they are ''blessed, grateful and so happy to be the grandparents of a beautiful girl,'' named Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky.

usatoday.com Air France's leading pilots union announced an end to its 14-day strike that grounded roughly half of the airline's flights, stranded passengers worldwide and led to stern shows of frustration by the French prime minister.

smh.com.au The online magazine 'Slate' published a story headlined, 'The Saudi Arabia of the Pacific, How Australia became the dirtiest polluter in the developed world'. ''Let's hope that the rapacious policies of the current government represent only a temporary bout of insanity,'' Slate concluded.

reuters A new breast cancer drug from Roche has shown ''unprecedented'' benefits in extending lives in a clinical trial and experts urged its widespread use for women with an aggressive form of the disease.

news.com.au A diver has spent a record 53 hours recovering inside a hyperbaric chamber after completing a 45 minute ascent in just two minutes. Terry Begnoche's bloodstream was flooded with nitrogen bubbles, cutting off blood to his spinal cord and other body parts

theguardian.com Coconut water doesn't taste anything like normal water. The moment you finally learn to like the stuff feels as if it's a genuine breakthrough, like the first time you could drink beer without screwing up your face.

sunshinecoastdaily.com.au If I am cooking my show-stopping spicy chicken with cashews I reach for my Phuket tea towels and relive my lovely time there lying on the beach looking at the lady boys trying to conceal their bits in tiny bikinis.

theguardian.com Britain is losing its libido. That is the striking conclusion of an Observer survey - published in the new Sex Uncovered supplement - which reveals that the average British adult has sex only four times a month, less than once a week. Our previous survey, in 2008, recorded a figure of seven times a month.



amnesty.org A new low in Australia's deplorable and inhumane treatment of asylum seekers has been reached with a deal to apparently ship refugees to Cambodia, where respect for their human rights cannot be guaranteed, said Amnesty International.

theage.com.au Letters: Surely the $40 million [paid by Australia] is nothing more than a bribe for the Cambodian government to accept the secret deal, since the details have been withheld from the Australian people. Australia's plans to send refugees from Nauru, which is bankrupt, to Cambodia is the last straw in the actions of a desperate and immoral government.

inquisitr.com A full seven minutes of audio from the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 cockpit is now available for listening by the public, and while the audio may not reveal new clues, it provides a chilling look inside the doomed flight in the moments leading up to the otherwise routine flight's bizarre and baffling disappearance.

nytimes.com Sectarian violence, both against Muslims and the Rohingya minority, is growing worse in other parts of Myanmar (Burma), particularly in the states of Rakhine, on the country's west coast, and Kachin, in the northeast.



news.com.au The Melbourne Cricket Club has launched an investigation into the hiring of a stripper who performed for guests in a corporate box at Saturday's Australian Rules Football Grand Final. In a major embarrassment for the AFL, Scottish model Heather McCartney shocked fans with an explicit post-match show shortly after the final siren.

eurosport.yahoo.com The RFU has confirmed it has been sounded out about the prospect of the Premier League club using the 82,000-capacity home of English rugby while Stamford Bridge is redeveloped.



September 24-October 2 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket

October 23 Chulalongkorn Memorial Day

November 1-3 Patong Carnival

November 6 Loy Kratong

November 14-21 Fourth Asia Beach Games, Phuket

December 5 King's Birthday

December 10 Constitution Day

December 25 Christmas Day

December 26 10th Anniversary, 2004 Tsunami

December 31 New Year's Eve



February 13-15 Phuket Yacht Show