reuters Republicans scored big victories on Tuesday and edged closer to taking control of the US Senate in midterms elections that could tip the balance of power away from President Barack Obama for his remaining two years in office.

bangkokpost.com Editorial: When the National Reform Council gets to work on legal matters, one hopes it will confront abuses of laws concerning defamation, as well as lese majeste. The current system provides too much opportunity to silence valid and needed criticism.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/441490/abusing-the-libel-laws


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



bangkokpost.com The ''sea gypsies'' of Phuket's Rawai area won a major legal battle when the Justice Ministry officially threw off land developers seeking to evict Moken people from land they have used for generations
http://bangkokpost.com/news/general/441449/panel-upholds-sea-gypsy-claim

scmp.com Smog caused by coal consumption killed an estimated 670,000 people in China in 2012, according to a study by researchers that tries to put a price tag on the environmental and social costs of the heavy reliance on the fuel.

bangkokpost.com The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has closed Mu Ko Similan National Park and the Tachai islands in the southern province of Phangna from Tuesday until Friday due to stormy seas.



bangkokpost.com The Myanmar embassy has requested that police reopen the investigation into the murder of two British tourists on Koh Tao. Lawyer Aung Myo Thant told Democrat Voice of Burma (DVB) that the embassy made the request to the Justice Ministry on Monday evening, on the basis that confessions by Myanmar suspects Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were made under duress of torture.



nationmultimedia.com Provinces like Phuket, for example, should be able to decide whether a foreign tourist entry charge should be introduced to raise money for local development. There are 4.4 million foreign visitors to the island province each year and charging Bt100 a head would automatically raise Bt440 million.

bangkokpost.com Bangkok police arrested two northeastern men for the alleged assault and attempted rape of a French woman in Phra Nakhon district Tuesday morning.

channelnewsasia Thai authorities have distributed hundreds of assault rifles to village volunteers in the south, in a move seemingly at odds with a pledge to find peace to a decade-long conflict within a year, AFP reported.

cnn.com Hong Kong can break you as a person. That scene in Wan Chai with these girly bars everywhere, getting cocaine whenever you need it, being able to stay up and drink all night, you end up believing that that's the norm. Leaving Hong Kong saved my life.
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/11/03/world/asia/hong-kong-banker-drugs/index.html?hpt=ias_c1

dailymail.co.uk British 'psycho'' banker Rurik Jutting's astonishing private life included a four-year relationship with a London glamor model who calls herself 'Sonya Milkshake'.

independent.co.uk Police said Jutting called officers to his flat early on Saturday, days after quitting his job at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and leaving an out-of-office email describing himself as an ''insane psychopath''.

thailand-business-news.com Thailand has once again been recognised as a premier travel destination by Conde Nast Traveller's readers, who voted Bangkok and Chiang Mai among the Top 25 Cities in the World in the prestigious magazine's Readers' Choice Awards 2014.



radioaustralia.net.au Indonesia's Air Force says a private jet that violated Indonesian airspace was en route to the G20 Leaders' Summit in Brisbane. Six crew and four passengers were onboard the Gulfstream jet when it was forced to land in Kupang, West Timor.

news.com.au Police have arrested two more of the suspects in the grisly Bali murder of Australian businessman Robert Ellis after a dramatic two-hour chase during which the suspects were both shot in the leg after firing poison arrows at police. The drama unfolded on southwest Sumba, an island east of Bali.

dvb.no As persecution and discrimination continues for the Rohingya Muslims in Burma, rights advocates say statelessness is one of the root causes of their plight.



bbc.com A much-changed Liverpool fought hard but came up short against Real Madrid as Karim Benzema scored the only goal in their Champions League match.

afp Germany's Protectionist won Australia's biggest race, the Aus$6.2 million Melbourne Cup, but the event was marred by the deaths of two horses, including Japanese favorite Admire Rakti who came last.



bangkokpost.com Entrance fees to all 147 national parks will be waived on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day as part of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's ''happiness'' campaign.

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