abc.net.au US health authorities say as many as 80 people were in contact in some way with an Ebola patient in Texas, marking a significant jump from the 18 said may have been exposed to the deadly virus a day earlier.

watoday.com.au A man in his 20s has been taken to hospital in Western Australia after he reportedly lost part of both arms in a shark attack a beach at Wylie Bay.

bbc.com Leading charity Save the Children has warned that a rate of five new Ebola cases an hour in Sierra Leone means healthcare demands are far outstripping supply.

reuters Not only is Beijing unwilling to reconsider the August decision to allow only Communist Party-approved candidates to run for Hong Kong's highest office, but Hong Kongers who continue to participate in the protests should expect dire consequences, an editorial in the People's Daily newspaper warned today.

theguardian.com.au Joshua Wong is too young to drive or buy a drink in a bar - let alone vote - yet has become the face of the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and an inspiration to citizens three times his age.

caat.org.uk Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has called on the UK government to end the sale of tear-gas to the government in 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.



nationmultimedia.com The number of international arrivals this year is expected to drop by 15-20 percent, judging from slow bookings for high season as foreigners are avoiding a country still under martial law. Meanwhile, revenue from foreign tourists is forecast to plummet by 20-30 percent compared with last year.

reuters Thailand's military government approved plans for stimulus measures worth a combined 364 billion baht ($11.2 billion) in a bid to revive an economy laid low by months of political unrest.

bbc.com The family of a man murdered in Thailand said they have been ''overwhelmed'' by support. David Miller, 24, was found dead with Hannah Witheridge, 23, on the island of Koh Tao on 15 September. A full inquest will take place on January 6.

bangkokpost.com Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen, the southern Region 8 police division commander who took over as assistant national police chief today, said Wednesday that authorities have short-listed ten potential suspects.

scmp.com Protests are expected to ramp up in Hong Kong tonight after student leaders set CY Leung a deadline of tomorrow to resign before they start occupying government buildings.



reuters Texas health officials said that up to 18 people, including five children, had contact with the Ebola patient after he traveled to the US from Liberia in late September. The children had gone to school early this week but have since been sent home and are being monitored for symptoms.



nationmultimedia.com Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha denied rumors shared on social media that the government would extend the New Year public holiday to nine days. He pointed out that no country enjoyed such a long public holiday.

news.nationalpost.com Striking factory workers in France have threatened to blow up their place of employment in the latest round of hostile industrial action stalling President Francois Hollande's economic reforms.

wsj.com Thai full-service carrier Bangkok Airways PCL plans to start testing investors' appetite for a $500 million initial public offering, which would be the country's biggest share sale this year, people with knowledge of the deal said.

nytimes.com Julia Pierson, the director of the Secret Service, is resigning in the wake of several security breaches. On September 19, an intruder jumped over the fence around the White House and made it deep into the mansion.

businessinsider.com First class can be plenty luxurious, but it's nothing like Singapore Airline's iconic Suites Class. Travel blogger Derek Low recently cashed in his frequent flyer miles to purchase a $18,125.30 round trip ticket.

nbcnews.com Weeks after telling hundreds of drag queens that they must change their Facebook profile to reflect their real name or be denied access, the social network has relented, saying it was all an honest mistake. "I want to apologise to the affected community of drag queens, drag kings, transgender, and extensive community of our friends, neighbors, and members of the LGBT community for the hardship that we've put you through in dealing with your Facebook accounts over the past few weeks," chief product officer Chris Cox wrote in a blog post.

thetimes.co.uk A failing sense of smell could be an early warning that death is approaching, according to a study. Older adults who were unable to pick out five distinct odors - peppermint, fish, orange, rose and leather - were almost four times as likely to die within five years as those with a healthy sense of smell.

nymag.com The New York Times announced a new round of layoffs this morning intended to ''safeguard the newspaper's long-term profitability.'' About 100 newsroom jobs will be eliminated, as well as a number of editorial and business-side positions.



irrawaddy.org The US Embassy in Rangoon issued a warning to its citizens traveling in eastern Burma after clashes between the military and ethnic minority rebels.

thedailystar.net Under the new arrangement the community members would be required to identify themselves as 'Bengalis' (and not as 'Rohingyas') or face detention. Plans are underway to ''construct temporary camps in required numbers for those who refuse to be registered and those without adequate documents.''

news.com.au Search vessels towing sonar equipment and video cameras are now just days away from reaching the site in the Indian Ocean where MH370 is thought to have crashed seven months ago. After months of painstaking technical analysis and seabed surveys, the underwater search for the missing Malaysia Airlines' Boeing 777 is expected to start on Sunday.



usatoday.com Michael Phelps had a blood-alcohol content of .14 when he was arrested early Tuesday, nearly double the legal limit in Maryland, according to a court document. Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time with 22 medals, 18 of them gold.

marca.com Atletico are still very much alive and kicking in the Champions League. The 'Rojiblancos' haven't loosened their grip in Europe and beat Juventus thanks to an Arda goal.



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