cnn.com Brussels, the Belgian capital, is on the country's highest terrorism alert level. The warning, from the Crisis Centre of the Belgian Interior Ministry, cites ''a serious and imminent threat that requires taking specific security measures as well as specific recommendations for the population.''

nytimes.com Three senior executives of a Chinese state-owned rail construction company were killed by gunmen at the start of the deadly hotel siege in the capital of the West African nation of Mali, the company said.

PA Seven people, six of them tourists, are feared dead after a commercial helicopter crashed on a scenic glacier in New Zealand.

tvnz.co.nz Police say two of the victims were Australians and four were from the United Kingdom, although formal identification will take some time.

Phuket Update Volunteer divers and officials are to meet at the southern end of Karon beach from 8.40am on Monday to clear a cache of trash from the ocean floor. Environmentalists have warned that dumping in the sea must be halted to protect nature and tourism.


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



independent.co.uk The terrorist attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali, that turned into a day-long siege ended, US officials reported, with at least 21 dead during the ordeal. One US citizen was killed in the attack.

bangkokpost.com Editorial: International opinion has condemned Thailand's deportation of two Chinese dissidents, an act out of balance with repaying Beijing for recognising the coup.

AP Ten Southeast Asian heads of state and nine world leaders, including President Barack Obama, are meeting in Malaysia to discuss trade and economic issues. Terrorism and disputes over the South China Sea are also on the agenda.



AP President Barack Obama is planning to visit a refugee center in Malaysia, casting a spotlight on the plight of those fleeing violence and persecution from Myanmar to Syria. Many of the refugees living in Malaysia are Rohingya, an unrecognised Myanmar ethnic group.



Phuket Update A ban on Phuket beach weddings, first reported by Phuketwan in September last year and enforced spasmodically since, has been lifted at all beaches, according to one report. It's not clear whether the lifting of the ban also applies to surfboard hire, the other activity that appears harmless when compared to the jet-ski and speedboat takeover of the island's Patong beach.

Phuket Update Phuket Marine Office is offering 10,000 baht reward for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for the mass dumping of trash off Phuket's Karon beach. A Facebook poster revealed a large cache of trash on the bottom of the sea, 50 metres off the popular tourist beach.

nationmultimedia.com Coal plants in Thailand cause an estimated 1550 premature deaths every year, according to new research by Harvard University and Greenpeace Southeast Asia. A proposed ''clean coal'' power plant in Krabi could cause 1800 premature deaths over an operating life of 40 years, according to the report.

bangkokpost.com A freak storm toppled 100 power poles in Ayutthaya, where local residents could face up to 24 hours without electricity.

afp Chinese police shot dead 28 members of a ''terrorist group'' in the mainly Muslim region of Xinjiang, state media said, citing police.

theguardian.com A British teenager who made a graveside pledge has been convicted of intending to join the proscribed Kurdish terrorist organisation to fight Islamic State. Silhan Ozcelik, 18, from north London, ran away from home, took a train to Brussels, and left behind letters and a video for her distraught family telling them she wanted to be a guerrilla fighter and was joining the Kurdistan Workers' party's women's militia.

bbc.com She was found guilty of engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts and jailed for 21 months.

bangkokpost.com A monumental buffet fit for 264 elephants was organised in downtown Surin as a highlight of the province's annual elephant festival.

IBT A procession of 250 elephants in the Thailand north-eastern province entered the Asia Book of Records for the ''largest elephant parade and food serving in Thailand and Asia,'' the organisation's editor-in-chief said

reuters Justin Bieber stormed the British singles charts with three singles from his new album in the top five, a feat no other artist has managed since John Lennon, posthumously, in 1981.

huffingtonpost.co.uk A mere 40km outside of the madness of Phuket town, sits the Aleenta Resort and Spa. Aleenta is perched on Natai Beach, one of the few undeveloped and unspoiled coastlines in Thailand. The white sandy Natai beach has been awarded copious amount of stars for it's cleanliness and water quality, that's something to be proud of.



afp The United Nations slammed Thailand's deportation of two Chinese refugees, and Vietnam's reported transfer of nine North Korean nationals to China, warning they were at risk of ''grave human rights violations''. Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN human rights agency, told reporters that Thai authorities had, for unknown reasons, deported two recognised Chinese refugees who had been due for resettlement in a third country.



reuters Australian Eddie Jones has been appointed as the first foreign coach of the England rugby team on a contract taking him through the 2019 World Cup, the Rugby Football Union said. The 55-year-old former Australia and Japan coach replaces Stuart Lancaster, who stepped down in the wake of the hosts' pool-stage exit from the World Cup.

theguardian.com Richie McCaw's rugby career is over after the New Zealand captain confirmed his retirement from the game. McCaw leaves the game as the most capped Test player in rugby history, having represented New Zealand 148 times in an international career spanning 14 years. He is the only captain to have led a side to two World Cup victories.



Phuket Update The first Food and Hotelex 2015 is underway on Phuket at Royal Phuket Marina, with more than 3000 visitors expected and more than 120 million baht in trade deals anticipated.

November 22 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