Suicidal planet seems on death spiral into star

WASHINGTON – Astronomers have found what appears to be a gigantic suicidal planet.
The odd, fiery planet is so close to its star and so large that it is triggering tremendous plasma tides on the star. Those powerful tides are in turn warping the planet's zippy less-than-a-day orbit around its star.
The result: an ever-closer tango of death, with the planet eventually spiraling into the star.
It's a slow death. The planet WASP-18b has maybe a million years to live, said planet discoverer Coel Hellier, a professor of astrophysics at the Keele University in England. Hellier's report on the suicidal planet is in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.
"It's causing its own destruction by creating these tides," Hellier said.
The star is called WASP-18 and the planet is WASP-18b because of the Wide Angle Search for Planets team that found them.
The planet circles a star that is in the constellation Phoenix and is about 325 light-years away from Earth, which means it is in our galactic neighborhood. A light-year is about 5.8 trillion miles.
The planet is 1.9 million miles from its star, 1/50th of the distance between Earth and the sun, our star. And because of that the temperature is about 3,800 degrees.
Its size — 10 times bigger than Jupiter — and its proximity to its star make it likely to die, Hellier said.
Think of how the distant moon pulls Earth's oceans to form twice-daily tides. The effect the odd planet has on its star is thousands of times stronger, Hellier said. The star's tidal bulge of plasma may extend hundreds of miles, he said.
Like most planets outside our solar system, this planet was not seen directly by a telescope. Astronomers found it by seeing dips in light from the star every time the planet came between the star and Earth.
So far astronomers have found more than 370 planets outside the solar system. This one is "yet another weird one in the exoplanet menagerie," said planet specialist Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution of Washington.
It's so unusual to find a suicidal planet that University of Maryland astronomer Douglas Hamilton questioned whether there was another explanation. While it is likely that this is a suicidal planet, Hamilton said it is also possible that some basic physics calculations that all astronomers rely on could be dead wrong.
The answer will become apparent in less than a decade if the planet seems to be further in a death spiral, he said.

Source: Yahoo News

Cambodia to crack down young gangsters

With an aim to keep good social order in the Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh Municipality has advised relevant authorities to crack down and trace both male and female Cambodian gangsters including those are under 16 years of age.
Touch Narouth, chief of Phnom Penh Police said on Thursday that until recently, his authorities had arrested more than 200 young Cambodian gangsters and they were educated before being released.
In a meeting held Wednesday, the Governor Kep Chutema, advised all local competent authorities including the police and the court in Phnom Penh to help curb with gangsters so as to reduce the social disorder and to avoid their disturbance to all residents in the capital.
He said Phnom Penh must be a safe and clean place for both local and foreigners as it is the heart of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Among the new orders, he also stressed that young girl who is under 16 years old must be banned from entering into night clubs, karoke, bars, guest houses or hotels after 8 p.m., especially to those who are not accompanied by their parents.
According to Kep Chutema, most of the young Cambodian gangsters are the children of the powerful and rich people.
In June this year, Prime Minister Hun Sen issued a directive asking his relevant authorities across the nation to warm up their efforts and prevention against the juvenile groups who are involved in public disturbances and drug use.
Keat Chantharith, spokesman of the National Police said the police has recorded the name list of about 7,000 delinquents around the country and each or in group of the individuals are being targeted. 　

Source: Xinhua

Cambodia pulls back troops from disputed temple

Cambodia began a partial withdrawal of troops from its disputed border with Thailand on Thursday, a move likely to ease tensions between the two over a 900-year-old Hindu temple.
"This shows the positive position of Cambodia, that we want to live in peace, and is something the two nations will benefit from," said General Chea Dara, deputy commander in chief of Cambodia's armed forces.
"At the same time, we still have enough troops to defend our own territory," he told Reuters by telephone from the border.
The regional commander on the Thai side of the border said there were no plans to follow suit.
"There will be no withdrawal from this side," Major-General Chawalit Chunprasan told Reuters.
The Preah Vihear temple, which is perched on an escarpment that forms a natural border between the two Southeast Asian neighbours, has for decades been a source of tension and nationalist fervour.
The two countries have been embroiled in a series of standoffs over the temple in the past year, resulting in border skirmishes that claimed the lives of seven troops.
Thailand is challenging a United Nations decision to make the temple a world heritage site under Cambodia's sole jurisdiction.
Cambodia was awarded Preah Vihear in a 1962 international court ruling, but the court did not determine the ownership of 1.8 square miles (4.6 sq km) of scrub next to the ruins.
Thailand wants joint development and supervision of the temple, which could one day become a lucrative tourist site.
The two countries are also in dispute over parts of the Gulf of Thailand, where oil and gas deposits have been found.
Military representatives from both sides agreed on Monday to exercise restraint at the border. The Cambodian pull-back is due to end on Sunday.

Source: Reuters

Cambodia withdraws tanks from frontier with Thailand

Cambodia has withdrawn several tanks from the frontier with Thailand, the local media reported Thursday
"The withdrawal of the military tanks was ordered by Prime Minister Hun Sen last Sunday and those tanks have to go back to their strongholds," Chea Dara, deputy commander-in-chief of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces quoted by the Khmer language newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea as saying.
"We want to see border with full security, safety, good development without arm confrontation with neighboring countries," he added.
"We withdrew our tanks starting on August 26," he said, adding that "those tanks moved back to their headquarters but if the situation is changed, we still enable to mobilize as quickly as possible to the border."
Cambodian and Thai troops have confronted with heavy weapons at the border particularly at areas near 11th century khmer Preah Viheat temple since July 15, 2008 and it caused casualties on both sides when armed clashes occurred.
After negotiations including top level meeting of Prime Ministers, Foreign ministers and commanders at regions, they agreed to reduce troops and withdrew subsequently to pave the way for the joint border committees from both sides to measure the land at the areas and plant the border markers.

Source: Xinhua

Japan to provide Cambodia over $ 10 mln for building sea fish reproduction center

Japan has promised the Cambodian government over 10 million U.S. dollars for the creation of a sea fish reproduction center in Preah Sihanouk province, DAP News reported on its website on Wednesday.
The planned fish center will be in the Tom Nop Rolok region, DAP News quoted the Fishery Administrative Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) Nauv Sam as saying.
"The Center for Development of Sea-Fishing Water Research will be the first such facility in Cambodia and will help support the nascent aquaculture and well-established sea fishing industry," Nauv Sam said in a national seminar on Cambodian Fishing For Food Security on Tuesday.
Those involved said they hope the project will help provide fish and shrimp for the local market and eventually for export.
"It is a chance for Cambodia to become self-reliant, no need to go to Thailand or other anywhere else to buy fish," Nauv Sam added.
Cambodians eat over 50 kg of fish each year, though most are fresh water.

Source: Xinhua

Thailand-Tough measures await red shirts

Internal Security Act invoked to pre-empt violence: PM

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva plans to impose stringent measures under the Internal Security Act from Saturday to Tuesday in order to safeguard se-curity within Bangkok following the red-shirt protesters' threat to stage a rally to bring down the government.
Abhisit said he would appoint Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban to be in charge of the enforcement of the internal-security law.
The core leaders of the red shirts have vowed to stage an anti-government rally on Sunday at the Royal Plaza. The government has estimated several tens of thousands will likely participate.
Abhisit said unlike an emer-gency decree, the enforcement of the Internal Security Act was aimed at pre-empting any violence. An emergency decree is normally invoked after violence has taken place.
The enforcement of this law, in which the police and the military authorities as well as top policy-makers from the government will work as a team, will be limited to Dusit district, where the rally is expected to take place.
"Although the protesters have said the rally will not be violent like during Songkran, we cannot remain complacent. A 'third party' might step in to take advantage of the situation. Accidents can happen," said Abhisit.
He insisted the government respected the right to stage a demonstration, but it also had a duty to ensure law and order.
TURMOIL FEARS
Abhisit is afraid the red shirts' rally, staged in support of ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his return to Thailand, might damage confidence at a time when the economy is improving and expected to register positive growth in the fourth quarter.
PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey said the rally was aimed at creating political turmoil leading to a sudden change in government.
"Some members of the red shirts do not want the same kind of violence as in April to happen again. But other members would like to resort to violence to bring about a sudden change in government," he said.
Satit said while the red shirts had the right to stage a demonstration and exercise free speech, if they were to shut down traffic or create violence, that would be a different matter.
"They [some elements of the anti-government movement] want to create violence and then lay the blame on the government, so that it loses its legitimacy to continue to run the country," said Panithan Wattanayagorn, acting government spokesman.
During yesterday's Cabinet discussion of the Internal Security Act, Chumpol Silapa-archa, the tourism and sports minister, asked the prime minister whether en-forcing this tough law would af-fect confidence in the tourism industry.
"I don't know, because I do not belong to the red-shirt group. But if there is a threat of an unusual situation, we must step in to manage things," Abhisit replied.
Chumpol also asked whether the government planned to invoke the Internal Security Act but not actually enforce it.
Abhisit replied: "Once we have declared the Internal Security Act, we have to implement it."

Source: The Nation

Flu vaccine testing makes ready for new pandemic

The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) has its first samples of typeA (H1N1) influenza nasal spray vaccine and has begun tests with animals to study its safety and toxicity, GPO director Dr Vitthit Attavejchakul said yesterday.

We have made the decision to step forward and produce the new vaccine. Nothing has changed the of vaccine's production procedure," he insisted.
The move comes after GPO scientists succeeded in culturing the virus in specific pathogen free eggs imported from Germany.
The German eggs have produced low yields of the vaccine but,Vitthit said,World Health Organisation experts had suggested GPO continue testing the vaccine in animals for 10 days to check safety and toxicity before trying it out on volunteers.
The GPO has already inoculated the virus seed vaccine into 1,500 specific pathogen free eggs and the results will be released soon. "I hope we'll have good news on this Friday," he said.
Because the German eggs had produced a low yield of the new flu vaccine, GPO decided to turn to other countries and placed orders for the same type of eggs from the Charles River company, a US supplier in Massachusetts.
But the first batch of these US eggs was damaged during transportation, resulting in a further delay to the vaccine testing process in Thailand. The next shipment of US eggs will arrive here on September 15, Vitthit said.
The eggs will be cultured for seven days, then another seven days are needed to test the vaccines in animals before being given to humans.
Based on the GPO's schedule, the first 20 million vaccine doses should be available in December when a second wave of the flu pandemic is likely in Thailand.
To date, only Silpakorn University's Faculty of Pharmacy is contracted to produce 10 million doses of the newflu vaccine, so the GPO is negotiating with other parties to supply the remaining volume.
Dr Thirawat Hemajutha of Chulalongkorn University cited a report from Mahidol University's Faculty of Science which has decoded the virus gene and found that the virus seed vaccine GPO imported from Russia has changed slightly and might have mutated.
" I was surprised when I read this report. The virus might be stronger than its current strain," he said. "If GPO still uses this virus seed to produce vaccine it might cause errors," he added.
He said he did not intend to panic the public over his warning but he wanted people to be aware of a likely second pandemic wave.
He said pregnant women should be the first group to receive the new flu virus vaccine as their risk of mortality is fourtimes higher than of other people. Medical workers will be the second group, followed by those people who are in the high risk categories.
To meet a second pandemic, he suggested pregnant women stay at home, while educational agencies should tell students to send addresses and contact numbers to their institutions in case they fall ill.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Higher Education Commission's secretarygeneral Sumeth Yamnun has urged schools upcountry to prepare measures to fight the pandemic expected in two or three months.

Source: The Nation

Psychiatrist says Khmer Rouge trial can help heal

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - A psychiatrist testified Tuesday that prosecuting the former leaders of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge can help ease the mental trauma of hundreds of thousands of victims who suffered under the brutal communist regime three decades ago.

Dr. Chhim Sotheara of the Transcultural Psychosocial Organization _ which promotes community mental health programs _ testified at the trial of Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, who commanded a Khmer Rouge torture center when the group was in power from 1975-79.
A U.N.-assisted genocide tribunal is seeking justice for the estimated 1.7 million people who died in Cambodia from execution, overwork, disease and malnutrition as a result of the regime's radical policies.
Chhim Sotheara said according to his research, 14 percent of Cambodians, or about 800,000 people, suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder related to the Khmer Rouge's rule. The destruction of families and communities deprived people of their traditional pillars of psychological support, he said.
"The trial of the former Khmer Rouge leaders is an opportunity for the victims who had suffered and who have been traumatized for many years to overcome their trauma through justice," Chhim Sotheara told the tribunal.
He said the government should also hold public reconciliation forums to help heal the victims' pain.
Asked for comment by the judges, Duch (pronounced DOIK) agreed that people's psychological damage remained a problem.
"The consequences are tremendous and extensive and long-lasting. Even at this time, the consequences are still ongoing," Duch told the tribunal.
Duch is the first of five senior Khmer Rouge figures scheduled to face long-delayed trials and the only one to acknowledge responsibility for his actions. His trial, which started in March, is expected to finish before the end of the year.
He could face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Cambodia has no death penalty.

Source: AP

Promoting Vietnamese goods at the Cambodian border

Now that demand from Western customers is depressed by the global economic crisis, Vietnamese businesses have been eyeing Cambodia, a neighbouring market to which they have paid little attention in the past.

Fifty Vietnamese businesses joined an ‘export-on-the-spot’ fair on August 23 at the newly-opened Tinh Bien Border Economic Zone (BEZ). The new facility is at a border crossing between Vietnam’s delta province of An Giang and Cambodia’s Takeo province, south of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

The export fair was jointly organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the An Giang province People’s Committee.

Boosting export through bonded zone

A bonded zone has been established, to which businesses can bring goods and contact many prospective buyers from Cambodia, from petty merchants to big distributors. The Vietnamese businesses will not have to pay taxes (VAT and export tariff) on their sales, and they can take advantage of simplified export procedures. Meanwhile, Cambodian distributors will be able to take ownership of goods right on the other side of the border.

Many businesses have expressed their interest in this model of selling goods. Vu Quoc Dung, representing the footware maker, Bita, said that the company had sent 100,000 sample pairs of shoes to distributors in Cambodia a month earlier, and now he had come to Tinh Bien to make direct contacts with partners. Phu An Sinh Company is striving to sell frozen and processed food to Cambodia, while Kem Nghia Company aims to sell low-priced beauticians’ tools.

Many enterprises have successfully contacted Cambodian distributors, while Sacombank has helped businesses in payment procedures.

Setting up direct distribution systems

To boost exports to Cambodia, My Hao Cosmetics Company has decided to recruit a Cambodian sales director. My Hao General Director Luong Van Vinh said that because Cambodian people’s income remains low, they are interested in low cost products. This has prompted My Hao to make products suitable to that market.

The Duy Tan Plastics Company has concluded that Vietnam-made household plasticwares can compete well with Thai products in the Cambodian market, said a representative of that firm. The company’s sales in Cambodia have increased steadily. Vinamit, a farm products processor, has also decided to set up a direct distribution network in Cambodia to boost sales instead of selling goods though agents. Nutifo od said that dairy products for old people and for children will be its key products in Cambodian market.

Exports to Cambodia have been increasing so smoothly that export revenues of HCMC businesses to Cambodia in the first seven months of 2009 increased by 44 percent over the same period of 2008, even though the city’s export revenues in general decreased by 13.9 percent. Medicines, fertilizer, steel, construction materials, cosmetics, fruit, seafood and apparel are in particularly high demand.

The HCM City Trade and Investment Promotion Centre has been tasked with coordination of the export offensive. Four big corporations are expected to support the plan’s implementation: the Saigon Trade Corporation, Saigon Co-op, the Saigon Industry Corporation and Saigon Agricultural Corporation. Another large scale Vietnamese products fair is planned to be held soon in the western Cambodian city of Battambang.

Source: Vietnam Net

Civic Group Opposes House Discussion on Preah Vihear Temple

Yesterday a civic group observing the dispute on Preah Vihear Temple between Thailand and Cambodia petitioned to halt the discussion about a settlement with Cambodia, scheduled for a Parliament meeting this Friday .The civic group who follows the dispute on Preah Vihear temple, led by Mom Luang Valwipa Jaroonroj์, Thepmontri Limpapayom and Veera Somkwamkid, submitted a petition calling for a postponement of the house discussion about a temporary agreement between Thai and Cambodia over the disputed ruins and land.The group urged the House to call off the discussion until a transparent public hearing on this issue was held. They feel that the temporary bilateral settlement will eventually lead to the listing of the Preah Vihear temple as a Cambodian World Heritage site with Thai endorsement. If it happens, the groupsays Thailand will lose its sovereignty in the 4.6 square kilometer overlapping border area. Today at the Parliament, there will be a seminar about the overlapping border area with a presentation of evidence that shows the Foreign Affairs Ministry supporting the listing of Preah Vihear Temple as Cambodia's World Heritage.On the other issues at the upper House meeting yesterday, the Senate resolved yesterday to extend the discussion about the borrowing act that would enable the Finance Ministry to pull in 400 billion baht for another thirty days after the Senate earlier endorsed its draft. The senators also grilled the Prime Minister over the relocation of operations at Don Muang Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airports, tax collection, management of funds generated from the government bond issuance, political reform and the decentralization of power to local administrative bodies.

Source: Thai Asean News Network

Cambodian man spends four years awaiting trial for petty theft

Phnom Penh - A 31-year-old man has spent nearly four years in a Cambodia prison awaiting trial on charges of stealing a mobile phone worth 15 dollars, national media reported. Roeun Moeun was arrested in October 2005 along with three other men on suspicion of committing the crime, the Cambodia Daily newspaper reported on Tuesday. The other men have since been convicted or released by the provincial court in Kandal outside Phnom Penh.
His defence attorney said when the judge ruled on the original case last year, he omitted Roeun Moeun's name from the ruling. For that reason he was not released.
"It is a serious violation of the rights of the accused," the lawyer said. "Why couldn't he receive justice from the court?"
The case appears to have been forgotten in the country's chaotic and inefficient court system. Court officials responsible for investigating the case over the years have been transferred to other provinces, with the result that Roeun Moeun's case was ignored.
Judge Leang Sour, who issued the original ruling last year, told the newspaper that he had been unable to release Roeun Moeun since he did not appear to be facing any charges.
"I returned his case to the prosecutor for further investigation and I never heard about it again," he said.
In recent months several cases have emerged where suspects have been held for years before facing trial. In August a suspected drug smuggler was sentenced to 38 months in prison after she had spent all but five days of that time awaiting trial.
In response the government's human rights committee is reviewing the number of detainees in pre-trial detention in the nation's 25 prisons.
Under Cambodian law, pre-trial detention is limited to four months in the case of a misdemeanour if the potential sentence carries a term of more than a year.

Source: The Earth Times

Cambodian Network Looking for New Investors

Cambodia based CDMA operator, GT-Tell says that it is seeking an investor to fund its nationwide network expansion. Currently GT-Tell, operating under "Excell" brandname offers services both voice and data, including EVDO (3G) Mobile Broadband services in Phnom Penh and surrounding province.
Commercial operations of the company started last July and has signed up some 40,000 subscribers.
Japan's DoCoMo recently expressed an interest in buying a stake in a Cambodian mobile network without specifying any details. Millicom International recently existed the country by selling its 58.4% stake in CamGSM and associated companies for US$346 million.
Figures from the Mobile World notes that the country ended Q1 '09 with an estimated 4.4 million mobile phone users - representing a population penetration level of 30%. The country has eight mobile networks.
On the web: Excell - Mobile World

Source: Cellular-news

Top army leaders of Cambodia, Thailand meet in Phnom Penh

The top army leaders of Cambodia and Thailand met in Cambodia's capital of Phnom Penh on Monday to reiterate their good cooperation and to strengthen their relationship. Cambodia's military sources said during the meeting Gen. Pol Saroeun, commander-in-chief of Cambodian Royal Armed Forces, and Songkitti Jaggabatara, supreme commander of the Thai army, reiterated their statements of making good cooperation and relations, especially, between the armies of the two nations. Both Pol Saroeun and Songkitti affirmed that good cooperation and relations are of common interest for both nations, the sourcessaid. The two sides, however, did not talk on redeployment of troops stationed near khmer Preak Vihear temple, saying the issue shall be left for decision by the two countries' regional commanders there. It is the first time for Gen. Songkitti Jaggabatara to make a visit to Cambodia and it is also the first time to hold such top army leaders' meeting. But since the border dispute between the two countries occurred last year that resulted in the deaths of a number of soldiers, and several others injured, many round of talks at different levels were held including prime ministers, defense and foreign ministerial level down to regional commanders. Songkitti Jaggabatara who arrived in Cambodia late Monday will return to Thailand on Tuesday after a planned brief sightseeing visit to Angkor Wat in Siem Reap province.

Source: Xinhua

Thaksin picks up the tab

Former PM announces launch of his radio station over lunch in Bangkok

Thaksin Shinawatra chatted with his supporters over lunch in Bangkok yesterday. The fugitive former PM treated 200 of his fans, most of them wearing red, to a meal at T Phochana Dong Moon Lek Noodle restaurant on Rama VII road, where he spoke to them via a video link.


Tweets directed Twitter users who couldn't make it to the live broadcast at www.ustream.tv/channel/thaksinlive.


Supporters also talked to their host on mobile phones provided by red-shirt staff.


Thaksin organised the lunch date to promote his Internet radio station, scheduled for launch on September 1, saying he would use it to broadcast hope to Thais and talk about his experience and recipe for success.

Life saving's frozen


"If the government is not biased, it might see [my words] as food for thought," he said.


He also explained that his travel for business meant he would be phoning in his talks for the station's programmes. His recent trips to Africa, he said, were forced on him because his life's savings had been frozen. He complained that allegations of corruption against him suggested he had taken the government's money, while in fact the government had taken his money, adding that he was waiting for justice to take its course.


"Some of us were born to struggle. Sometimes karma means you have to fight. But [I] believe everything will be brighter soon. After this period I foresee paths to happiness," he said through the video link.


"Time to enjoy lunch," he continued. "If I keep talking, things will turn sad. Please enjoy your noodles and satay pork. Eat up! Jae Ta [shop owner], please fill everyone's plates!"

Twitter hacked


A few hours after the virtual get-together with his supporters, Thaksin announced a temporary halt to his posts on Twitter, claiming his account had been hacked.


"Somebody tried to get into my login," he said, responding to a comment posted under his user name, @thaksinlive, that read "@sugree has reached a stage of madness". The comment was later deleted. Twitter guru Sugree Phatanapherom denies all knowledge of the posting.

Source: The Nation

RALLY ON SUNDAY -Govt may have to invoke security law

Suthep, Abhisit fear red shirts plan to blockade Govt House, incite unrest
The government had no choice but to invoke the Internal Security Act to maintain peace during the red-shirt rally on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said yesterday.
Cabinet is expected to debate the move today and approve enforcement of the draconian security measure under which the military plays a key role in crowd control.
"I have spoken to the prime minister about security concerns and measures to prevent riots because I don't think society will tolerate any more mayhem," Suthep said, following a meeting with PM Abhisit Vejjajiva.
He said he wanted every contingency measure to be put in place to handle unruly crowds.
Judging by remarks made by certain red-shirt leaders, he said, the protests were being organised as a pretext to cause disturbances instead of making genuine demands.
So far, the government had not ignored any demands, and yet the red shirts were determined to carry on protesting, he added. Suthep also voiced suspicion that the red shirts might try to repeat a blockade of Government House because they planned to gather at the Royal Plaza nearby.
He said he did not wish to cast doubts by saying the red shirts sought to incite riots, but it was his job to brace for all eventualities.
With regard to ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra's attempt to bring the red shirts together for a beef-noodle lunch, which he meant to host via a video linkup, Suthep said all Thais wanted to see unity in society.
Abhisit, meanwhile, said he was concerned about the upcoming rally because certain red shirts were determined to instigate violence.
He said he had instructed Suthep and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan to have measures ready to rein-in disruptive crowds.
Though the PM would not go into details about security measures, he said his bottom line was that the protesters should in no way be allowed to disrupt work at Government House. The government would not impose a deadline on how long the protest could last, but a repeat of the mayhem in April would not be allowed, he said.
He reminded red-shirt rally organisers that a number of them were obligated to abide by their bail conditions.
Senate Speaker Prasobsook Boondech said the government should not invoke security measures ahead of the rally because it would become a pre-condition for the red shirts to mobilise mobs.
However, the government should be ready to invoke the security law should violence erupt, he said.
He said rival camps should have learnt a lesson from the Songkran mayhem. He did not expect the red shirts to provoke another riot.

Source: The Nation

Venezuela repeats at Miss Universe contest

NASSAU, Bahamas – Miss Venezuela was the fairest of them all once again, winning the 2009 Miss Universe crown for the second year straight and the sixth time since the pageant's creation.
Dressed in a flowing red gown, 18-year-old Stefania Fernandez hugged the runner-up from the Dominican Republic and danced in joy as her victory was announced Sunday.
The crown briefly fell to the floor as it passed from one Venezuelan beauty to the next.
But Fernandez said there was time for outgoing Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza to whisper in her ear that she must have worked hard for Venezuela to win consecutive crowns.
"What do we Venezuelans have?" Fernandez, an international relations student, told reporters after the pageant. "That we are ourselves." Read more...............

Vietnamese firm to build fertilizer plant in Cambodia

The Vietnam Five Star International Group on Friday said it will start work on a joint-venture fertilizer plant in Cambodia later this year.
The group will put up 90 percent of the chartered capital in a joint venture with the Investment and Development Joint Stock Company of Cambodia (IDCC) holding the remaining 10 percent.
Construction of the plant, located in Kean Svay District’s Somrongthom Commune, is expected to be completed within 20 months.
Once completed, the US$65-million plant will produce 350,000 tons of fertilizer a year.

Reported by Quang Thuan

Border trade zone draws thousands

AN GIANG — The official opening of the Tinh Bien Commercial Zone in An Giang Province today coincides with a festival to promote high quality Vietnamese goods in the Tinh Bien area that borders Cambodia.
The 10ha commercial zone with duty-free businesses attract 1,500 visitors every day.
Forty-three companies have registered to conduct business in the zone, representing a total of more than VND350 billion (US$19.5 million) in registered capital. Twenty-four of them have begun operations.
Domestic and international tourists are allowed to buy imported products at the supermarket in the Tinh Bien Commercial Zone, and are exempt from import taxes, value-added tax and special consumption taxes for the first VND500,000 of purchases.
The two-day festival of Vietnamese goods attracted 60 Vietnamese businesses to display high quality goods, including textiles and garments, footwear, handicrafts, chemicals, foodstuff and construction materials.
The festival is part of Viet Nam’s efforts to enhance exports and duty-free sales to Cambodia, according to organisers.
Participating enterprises could take the opportunity to promote trade and explore distribution channels, said the An Giang People’s Committee chairman, Lam Minh Chieu.
Cambodian distributors can also sign import deals at the event.
Nguyen Minh Tri, head of the zone’s management board, said the fair played a significant role in the export of Vietnamese goods to Cambodia.
During the fair, Hau Giang Pharmaceutical Joint-Stock Company and An Giang Province’s General Hospital will provide free health check-ups for 400 poor residents living in Cambodia’s border area.
The organisers will also take preventive measures against swine flu during the event.
An Giang, sharing a 94-km-long frontier with Cambodia, is home to five international and national border gates, including Tinh Bien, Vinh Xuong, Khanh Binh, Bac Dai and Vinh Hoi Dong.
The province said total export turnover of commodities transported via the five border gates in the first eight months of 2009 was US$438 million.

Source: VNS