reuters Fifteen foreign tourists are missing after a boat sank, an Indonesian search-and-rescue official said. A tourist boat with 25 people on board capsized while sailing from Lombok island to Komodo island.

latimes.com An unidentified male was in critical condition in Ferguson early Sunday after being shot during protests that broke out after a curfew imposed to quell continuing unrest over the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown.


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 eggs used in the artificial fertilisation in Thailand of 21 surrogacy babies, said to be fathered by a Japanese man, all came from foreign women of different nationalities: nine of the babies were born from eggs donated by Spanish women, three of them from Israeli women, two each from Swedish, Brazilian, and Australian women, and one each from Malaysian, Chinese and American women. Japanese man Mitsutoki Shigeta is wanted by the authorities.

bangkokpost.com Who exactly is Mitsutoki Shigeta? He is also believed to have engaged surrogates in India. The 24-year-old is rumored to be the son of Japanese billionaire Yasumitsu Shigeta. Surrogacy agents who dealt with Mr Shigeta describe an unusual man who was persistent with his demands for more babies.

cnn.com Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and implemented a midnight to 5am curfew in Ferguson, where the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager sparked a week of protests and sporadic looting.

bangkokpost.com Thirty global investors with a combined 500 billion baht in the Thai capital market are satisfied with the junta's economic roadmap and time frame.

foxnews.com The Sultan of Brunei is reportedly the favorite among bidders to purchase New York's landmark Plaza Hotel. As part of an estimated $2.2 billion deal, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who hailed his country's controversial Islamic Shariah criminal law as a ''great achievement,'' would also purchase New York's Dream Hotel and London's Grosvenor House Hotel.

cambodiadaily.com Foreigners will have to pay additional costs to enter Cambodia following a government announcement earlier this week that visa fees will increase by $10 starting in October. Tourists will have to pay $30 for a one-month entry visa and business visitors $35, up from the $20 and $25, respectively, that is currently charged.



afp Kenya is closing its borders to travellers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the three countries worst hit by the Ebola epidemic, officials said.



bangkokpost.com Martial law won't go away as long as incidents such as the distribution of anti-coup leaflets under the army's nose continue, says a senior officer.

afp Details emerged of a ''massacre'' carried out by jihadists in a northern Iraq village, as world powers ramped up efforts to cut their funding, arm Kurds battling them and assist those they displaced.

bangkokpost.com A 36-year-old Taiwanese tour guide died on Saturday after jumping from a slowing train and falling onto the rails below as it pulled into a station in Kanchanaburi.

news.com.au Vibrators and other pleasure products have hit the shelves of family chemists across the Australian state of Queensland to cater for a new breed of shopper - women who are not game to visit a sex store.

cnn.com Thousands of anti-government supporters led by two of Pakistan's most influential figures have joined a march to Islamabad to demand the resignation of the country's prime minister, prompting a major security operation.



cambodiadaily.com Australia is soon to send its rejected refugee boats to Cambodia instead: ''The person from Australia who's going to be in charge of all this started work at the embassy the day before yesterday. So it looks as if some things are fairly imminent. The Australian government is paying money, and the Cambodian government wants to take it.''

9news.com.au Cambodia and Australia have reportedly conducted negotiations in secrecy in an effort to avoid criticism from human rights groups and Opposition MPs in both countries.

news.com.au Malaysian police have arrested a bank officer and her husband over allegations they stole more than $30,000 from the accounts of four passengers aboard missing flight MH370, an official said.

afp An FBI agent has arrived on the Indonesian resort island of Bali to assist in an investigation into the killing of a US woman found stuffed in a suitcase at an exclusive hotel, police said.

hiphopwired.com An Illinois teen and her boyfriend, a struggle rapper, were charged Friday with murdering her mother in Bali. If found guilty, they face death - by firing squad.

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usatoday.com Before Saturday, Manchester United had not lost a league opener at home since 1972 and Swansea had never won a league game at Old Trafford, but the Swans stunned Louis van Gaal and Manchester United 2-1 to (temporarily) move to the top of the league.

afp FA Cup winners Arsenal opened their campaign with victory after a last-gasp 2-1 success at home to Crystal Palace, who are without a manager following Tony Pulis's shock departure.

theguardian.com City are a better team than Chelsea. I do not understand why people think the west London club are title favorites. Jose Mourinho has been on edge since his return. Bringing Didier Drogba back was a strange decision and moves like that often end in tears.

theaustralian.com.au Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has backed captain Michael Hooper's decision to turn down three attempts at penalty goal in their 12-all draw with the All Blacks in the opening Bledisloe Cup rugby union Test.

nationmultimedia.com Excellent teamwork, gutsy show and boisterous fans were the highlights of a hotly-contested clash between Thailand and world No 2 the United States. The fired-up visitors narrowly beat the Asian champions in five hard-fought games 25-19 19-25 20-25 25-12 15-10 in their second FIVB World Grand Prix Pool G encounter.



August 30 Thailand vs Burma football 6.30pm

September 3 Thailand vs Qatar football 6pm

September 7 Thailand vs Phuket mixed team 4pm

September 7 Qatar vs Australia football 6.30pm

September 24-October 2 Vegetarian Festival, Phuket

October 23 Chulalongkorn Memorial Day

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