Flu death toll rises to 3, total cases 1,330

Latest victim was naval conscript at Sattahib Base, total cases in Thailand rise to 1,330A naval conscript succumbed to the type-A (H1N1) influenza infection Monday morning, raising to three the number of the flu fatalities, the director-general of the Medical Department said.
Doctor Rewat Wisarutwej, the director-general of the Medical Department, also reported 41 new cases of type-A (H1N1) influenza, raising the accumulated number of the cases in Thailand to 1,330.
The naval conscript suffered from bleeding in lungs and his heart beating stopped several times Sunday night.
Doctors put him on respiratory system but he succumbed to the disease at 9 am Monday, Rewat said.

Leader to invest US$150mil in new Cambodia power plant

GEORGE TOWN: Leader Universal Holdings Bhd will invest in a new power plant worth US$150mil to US$160mil in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, which is expected to commence operations in 2012.
Group managing director and chief executive officer Sean H’ng Chun Hsiang said the power-purchase agreement for the 100MW coal-fired power plant, which would replace the earlier agreement executed for the 200MW project, would be inked soon.
“We are also in talks with banks now and expect to finalise the financing for the project before the end of this year. We hope to start construction work on the plant soon,” he told StarBiz.

In February 2007, the group announced its winning bid to develop a 200MW coal-fired power plant in Sihanoukville with a local Cambodian partner on a 50:50 joint venture.
However, on Feb 1, 2009, it announced that the Cambodian government had approved to split the 200MW plant into two projects of 100MW each, allowing each original shareholder to develop its own project.
On June 11, Leader said it had formed a joint venture with Cambodian International Investment Development Group Co Ltd to develop the plant.
Leader owns 80% of the joint-venture company, which is also planning to develop another 700MW coal-fired power plant in Sihanoukville.
“This project will be progressively developed after the completion of the 100MW plant in 2012.
“The 700MW plant will be carried out in various phases, with each phase having the capacity to generate 100MW-200MW of power supply, to gradually meet the energy needs of Cambodia,” H’ng added.
Presently, the capacity of the power plants in Cambodia was around 410MW, compared with the forecast demand of 808MW by Electricite du Cambodge (the local state-owned power company), H’ng said.
“The demand is expected to increase to 1,915MW in 2015, eventually hitting 3,867MW in 2020.
“There are vast business opportunities for the power business in Cambodia. We have been building some power distribution lines there. We hope to also explore opportunities in the area of power transmission,” he added.
Leader’s first power plant, using heavy fuel oil, is located in Phnom Penh, catering to its one million population.
For the first quarter 2009, the power business contributed 8% to the group’s total revenue of RM444.7mil and 35% of its total operating profit of RM26.6mil.
On the group’s cable business, Leader’s order book as at end-March stood at about RM700mil, excluding some major recurring orders.
“Almost 40% of the group’s total revenue in the first quarter was from export orders. The group exports to over 20 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Oceania.
“We will continue to look at new opportunities in the overseas markets. The group is confident of the near-term prospects, given the implementation of the Government’s stimulus packages and also the demand arising from the implementation of the Bakun power transmission projects,” he added.
On the group’s revenue for 2009, H’ng said that although the prices of both aluminium and copper had increased recently, they were unlikely to hit the peak seen in 2008.
“Thus, we expect the group’s revenue to be correspondingly lower this year. The cost of aluminium and copper are mostly passed through to our customers.
“So although the movement of prices of aluminium and copper will impact our revenue, it will not materially impact our bottom line,” he said.
For the group’s first quarter ended March 31, revenue dropped by 31% compared with the previous corresponding quarter due to lower aluminium and copper prices.
The average London Metal Exchange price of copper was US$7,796 per tonne for the first quarter 2008 compared with US$3,428 for the first quarter of 2009. Similarly, the average price of aluminium dropped from US$2,742 per tonne in the first quarter 2008 to US$1,360 in the 2009 quarter.

Rocket blast injures soldiers near Samdach PM Hun Sen's home

Rockets exploded on Sunday at a Cambodian military base near the prime minister's residence, state-run television said, and military officials said the incident was an accident.
Military and police officials said the explosion was caused by a fire started accidentally by a mechanic working on a truck at the base on the southern outskirts of the capital, Phnom Penh.
"A truck driver and his assistant were wounded, one of them seriously," TVK television said in a statement issued by the office of Prime Minister Hun Sen.
At least nine trucks were damaged in the fire.
"A number of rockets were accidentally fired from the truck," a military security guard told Reuters.
It was not known if the prime minister was at home when the explosions occurred.

Elated Thaksin invites campaign teams to Dubai

The Phue Thai Party's landslide victory in the by-election in Si Sa Ket yesterday, following hot on the heels of its by-election conquest in Sakhon Nakhon, proves the solid allegiance that northeasterners still hold for ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Pheu Thai chairman Chalerm Yoobamrung said.
Thaksin's popularity has brought Surachart Charnpradit his polling triumph, Chalerm said in congratulating the Pheu Thai candidate during a press conference.
Thaksin called Pornsak Charoenprasert, an MP for Si Sa Ket, asking him about the results.
When Thaksin was told that the Pheu Thai candidate beat his rival handily, he responded with a cheer and told both the Si Sa Ket and Sakhon Nakhon campaign teams to visit him in Dubai, Pornsak said.
They are expected to see Thaksin in two weeks after the Election Commission endorses them.
As of 7.30pm, the count showed the Pheu Thai candidate with 106,915 votes against just 68,560 votes for Sakulthip Angsakulkiat of the Chart Thai Pattana Party.
Somsak Prissanananthakul, a core leader of the Chart Thai Pattana Party, conceded defeat.
Some polling stations in nine districts witnessed a higher turnout than others.
EC chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said the EC accepted five election complaints about political bias by government officials, solicitation of voters by trucking them to balloting stations and mudslinging against candidates.
He said he expects the voter turnout would reach 60 per cent, higher than Sakhon Nakhon's 58 per cent.
Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit questioned the use of funds by the Internal Security Operations Command, which held a secret meeting at a Bangkok hotel.
He suspected that the agency was mapping out tactics to block the growth of the Pheu Thai Party.
He said 11 MPs from government coalition parties and former People Power Party MPs from northern and northeastern provinces expressed interest in joining Pheu Thai because they sensed that the party's popularity remained strong.

INFLUENZA 2009 - Team to study first fatalities

Doctors need to know more about risk factors

A Public Health Ministry academic team will today consider the risk factors behind the first two deaths linked to type A (H1N1) influenza that have been reported since the virus hit Thailand on late April.
The move came after the Ministry's Bureau of Epidemiology reported a 42-year-old-man, who had not been categorised as a high risk patient of influenza A (H1N1), died on Saturday morning. Citing information from the United States and Mexico, Dr Tawee Chotepitayasunon, chairman of the ministry's influenza academic team, said high risk patients of influenza A (H1N1) - children under five, pregnant women and elderly people with chronic conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes - would be tested. But this victim, who recently returned from abroad, had no congenital disease. He fell ill on June 18 with fever and a running nose. He had gone to a pub in Bangkok with friends before developing flu-like symptoms.He was admitted to hospital on June 23 with a high fever, coughing and pneumonia. He was also given oseltamivir, but his condition worsened, and he died on Saturday morning. The other victim, a 40-year old woman, a heart patient, died on June 20 after five days of treatment." We need to know how people with mild symptoms progress to severe symptoms and die. We need more research to find out the other risk factors indicating a change in health conditions when the virus infects humans," he said. " We hope we will come up with new information that helps us know clearly about this new flu virus as we now only know about its spread and severity," he said.Yesterday the Public Health Ministry reported 80 new cases of Type-A (H1N1) influenza cases, lifting the confirmed cases in Thailand to 774. Of the new cases, 68 are students and three from the general public, he said, adding that 20 patients are still hospital. Another three cases were under the close watch of doctors, including two navy conscripts in Chonburi province. Department of Medical Service's director-general, Dr Rawat Vitruthvej said one navy conscript is in critical condition with difficulty breathing. His condition has improved slightly and he is being supported by a medical team from Rajavithi hospital. A-57-year-old woman, admitted to private hospital, is gradually recovering but remains in intensive care unit.Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai urged provincial health officers and medical workers at hospitals nationwide to be ready for the type-A (H1N1)influenza. " Medical teams should be prepared to respond immediately for cases in critical condition," he said. He also expressed concern over seasonal flu infection among students as the virus has already spread and infected 10,000 people across country. However, he was certain the Public Health Ministry could handle the pandemic and contain the spread of the virus, despite the death at the weekend.However former deputy health minister Vicharn Meenchainant said the government has failed to control the spread of disease, charging it had hidden information and delayed treatment for patients with the new flu virus."The government is trying to inform the public the disease has no severity, but it is still spreading and has a virulence higher than seasonal flu. Moreover, it is not clear use of the current antiviral drug can control the disease," he said."More and more people will die if the government does not take action for this situation seriously," he said. Witthaya said the Public Health Ministry did not hide any information over the spread of disease. " We should not politicise this issue as it is one of the life and death of people," he said.

Thailand reports 78 new Type-A (H1N1) flu cases, raising total to 1,132

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said Friday that 78 new cases of Type-A (H1N10 influenza cases were registered, adding the total cases in Thailand to 1,132.
Of the new cases, 71 are students, he said.
Of the accumulated cases, 1,110 patients have been cured and discharged from hospitals, he said, adding that 22 patients are still in hospitals.

Flu death toll rises to 2

A-40-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man in Bangkok have become the country's first two fatalities linked to the type-A (H1N1) influenza virus, Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai announced Saturday.Witthaya told a press conference that the woman fell ill on June 8 and wa admitted to a private hospital seven days later with high fever and pneumonia.
She was given oseltamivir anti-viral drug for five days but she her condition worsened and she died on June 20.
The second victim fell ill on June 18 with fever and running nose.
He was admitted to a hospital on June 23 with high fever, coughing and pneumonia.
He was also given oseltamivir anti-viral drug but his condition worsened and he died on Friday.
Despite the deaths, Witthaya pleaded the public not to panic.
He said so far 1,209 type-A (H1N1) flu cases have been reported in Thailand. Of these, 1,190 patients have been cured and 16 are still inside hospitals.
He said 90 per cent of the cases recovered by themselves.
Witthaya said the type-A (H1N1) influenza has much lower fatality rate than normal influenza which killed about 30 to 40 per cent of patients.

Former K.Rouge foreign minister denied release

Judges on Friday rejected the former Khmer Rouge foreign minister's appeal for release from jail before his trial at Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes court.
Ieng Sary, 83, is charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes but asked to be released into house arrest on the grounds that his life in jail at the tribunal is making him ill.
"The request for release or modification of conditions of detention is rejected," said pre-trial chamber judge Prak Kimsan in a formal reading of the decision.
Detention was necessary to protect the former leader's safety, keep him from fleeing Cambodia and to preserve public order, Prak Kimsan told the court.
Ieng Sary, who has been rushed to hospital at least nine times since he was detained by the court in November 2007, shuffled in and out of the courtroom with the help of a cane.
His trial is expected to begin sometime next year.
Ieng Sary is one of five top regime cadres detained by the joint Cambodia-UN tribunal that was established in 2006, after nearly a decade of haggling over how to deliver justice for one of the 20th century's bloodiest episodes.
The court's long-awaited first trial has seen Kaing Guek Eav, better known by the alias Duch, accept responsibility for overseeing the execution of more than 15,000 people at the main Khmer Rouge prison.
Up to two million people died of starvation and overwork, or were executed, as the 1975-1979 regime emptied Cambodia's cities in its drive to create a communist utopia.
As the top Khmer Rouge diplomat, Ieng Sary was frequently the only point of contact between Cambodia's secretive communist rulers and the outside world.
He has denied any involvement in past atrocities but he was also one of the biggest public supporters of the regime's mass purges, researchers say.
Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot died in 1998 before facing justice, and fears over the health of ageing suspects hang over the court.