bbc.com Sir Richard Branson has vowed to continue his space tourism venture despite the fatal crash of one of his craft in the California desert. One pilot died and the other was badly injured when Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo craft exploded.


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



afp Burma's president, Thein Sein, has opened unprecedented talks with Aung San Suu Kyi and other political rivals as Barack Obama called for ''inclusive and credible'' elections in the country in 2015.

cnn.com One person dies and another is seriously injured after a Virgin Galactic test flight crashes - a tragedy that poses questions about the future of space tourism.

bangkokpost.com Deputy PM Pridiyathorn Devakula is the richest cabinet minister with 1.38 billion baht, while Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has 128 million baht.

nationmultimedia.com More than 90 percent of complaints filed by members of the public after the coup in May have been sorted out satisfactorily, the prime minister said.



AP A new UN draft resolution takes aim at Myanmar's aggressive campaign to have its Rohingya Muslims identify as a term they reject, urging ''access to full citizenship on an equal basis.''



bangkokpost.com The first test result on DNA from the son of a local leader on Koh Tao shows no match with samples from the scene of the murder of two British tourists in September, with reports still to come from three other hospitals.



scmp.com A deputy mayor of Guangzhou has sought to allay fears over Ebola disease, saying yesterday that 16,000 African people live in the city, contrary to rumors there were nearly half a million.



news.com.au Thailand's fun police are likely to throw the plans of thousands of Australian backpackers into turmoil after banning three of the four main monthly ''moon'' parties. Half and Quarter Moon shindigs - along with some supplementary jungle parties - will no longer be staged on the islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, near Koh Samui, for ''drug and alcohol'' reasons.

nationmultimedia.com The United Nations Human Rights Office for Southeast Asia (OHCHR) expressed grave concerns over the use of criminal defamation lawsuits as a means to pressure human-rights defenders. The statement was issued following the October 29 decision of the Phuket Court to go ahead with a criminal defamation suit filed by mining firm, Tungkum Ltd, against Loei-native Surapan Rujichaiwat. The mining company has also brought a number of other civil and criminal cases against members of the Khon Rak Ban Koed Group (KRBK), including Porntip Hongchai, who is due to appear in court on Monday on defamation charges.

nypost.com Our kids have both had passports since they were 3 months old, and we're excited to show them the world, especially the little Thai island where we fell in love. Looking back, maybe kissing that frog wasn't such a bad idea after all.
http://nypost.com/2014/10/31/after-kissing-a-frog-this-woman-met-her-prince-in-thailand/

scmp.com Investigators found more than 200 million yuan (HK$252 million) in local and foreign currency at the home of a mainland energy official - the biggest haul of corrupt cash since the establishment of the People's Republic.

afp More than 4000 people have been killed in fighting in eastern Ukraine between the army and pro-Russian separatists, the UN said, as the Ukrainian president took steps to ''unite'' the country after elections.

pattayamail.com Pattaya police again swept Beach Road of transgenders suspected of both prostitution and petty thefts, but released them in time for them to go back to work.

bbc.com The UK government is not doing enough to tackle ''petty corruption'' in countries to which it gives aid, a report by a scrutiny body says. The Department for International Development ''has little understanding of what is and is not working'' in its anti-corruption efforts, according to the report.

ttrweeklycom Outrigger has just completed construction of a 1,000 sqm ballroom at its Thailand flagship property on Phuket island in the Phuket Laguna complex. Phuket is home to the group???s Asia/Pacific headquarters, while its corporate head office remains in Hawaii.

macaubusinessdaily.com Forget Thailand. Macau residents are skipping the Land of Smiles for South Korea. The new destination is hot. Last month, the Hermit Kingdom attracted more than double the normal number of Macau visitors.



washingtonpost.com The family of two young boys whose father disappeared along with 239 people aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 have sued the airline and the Malaysian government in what is believed to be the first lawsuit associated with the plane's mysterious disappearance on March 8.

rfa.org US President Barack Obama held talks over the telephone with Myanmar President Thein Sein and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, stressing the need to address communal tensions, forge a nationwide cease-fire pact, and hold credible general elections next year.

antaranews.com The Search and Rescue Team of Denpasar, Bali, has been looking for 71-year-old German tourist, Bernhard Manfred Erich Lubke, who went missing while snorkeling at Nusa Dua Beach.



November 1-3 Patong Carnival

November 6 Loy Kratong

November 14-23 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