Swine flu claims fifth fatality in Thailand

Thailand on Wednesday notched up its fifth flu death, a 15-year-old student of Chon Buri province.The student became the youngest victim of the influenza 2009The student had chronic illness including brain tumor and diabetes.

DFID - Cambodia office to close

30 June 2009
The Department for International Development will close its office in Phnom Penh in 2011, after ten years of work in Cambodia, and will gradually withdraw its support before then. We will honour all existing commitments, which include a health programme which runs until 2013.
Since we opened our office in Phnom Penh in 2001, Cambodia has made good progress rebuilding itself following decades of conflict and genocide.
During the last ten years of our programme, DFID has made significant impact in Cambodia. An improved health care system, reduced rural poverty and better management of public finances means that Cambodia is in a stronger position than it was a decade ago.
DFID’s work in Cambodia has:
Improved access to decent health services, saving many lives. In particular, improving medical care for children has seen child and infant deaths fall by almost a third since 2000.
Improved access to HIV treatment which means 92 percent of sufferers can now get the anti-viral drugs they need. At the same time, marketing HIV prevention and promoting the use of condoms means that HIV rates among the vulnerable 15-19 year old age group has fallen to less than 1 per cent.
Built proper robust infrastructure which means one in three Cambodians in all 24 provinces benefit from better roads, schools, wells and basic infrastructure
At the same time, with DFID’s support to improve public financial management, Government tax revenues have grown significantly in recent years (by 19 percent in 2008) - meaning it is much better placed to provide vital public services such as health and education in coordination with existing donors.
In deciding to gradually withdraw DFID’s support to Cambodia, we took into account the large number of donors present in Cambodia and the growing levels of aid that Cambodia receives. Following extensive consultation over the last six months, it was felt UK aid could have a larger impact on reducing poverty elsewhere in the world, where there are greater numbers of poor people and fewer international donors.

Cambodia-Thailand talks on border issue "fruitful": Cambodian PM

PHNOM PENH, June 30 -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday that the talks he had made with Thai Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban and Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Saturday were "fruitful and honest."
He said the meeting, which was held in a private and close-door form.
Elaborating the content of the talks, Hun Sen said the Thai delegation, upon his prior warning, did not raise Preah Vihear issue, but many other topics such as those related to joint development projects between the two nations.
Attributing to the points, he said, "We talked about developments of overlapping maritime areas that aimed at exploiting oil and gas, among others development projects."
The premier, however, said he did reiterate how to ease border tension in general and to avoid further armed clashes and urged Thailand to withdraw their troops from the area near Preah Vihear Temple.
He said Cambodian troops will never withdraw unless 30 Thai troops deployed near Preah Vihear temple first withdraw.
Also, during the talks, Hun Sen said he had warned Thai side not to fly their military aircraft over Cambodian territory, saying his armed forces have been newly equipped with modern ground-to-air missiles.
Hun Sen, however, said his statement meant nothing to show off his country's armament or any will to have warfare, but they were stocked and would be used only for self-defense purposes.
Cambodia and Thailand have had border dispute after Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple was listed as World Heritage site in July last year.

Cambodia gets more time to submit Preah Vihear plans

Cambodia has until February next year to submit its plan for safeguarding and developing the Preah Vihear temple, Natural Resource and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti said yesterday.

The World Heritage Committee's decision initially obligated Cambodia to submit its plan by February this year, following the temple's heritage inscription last July.
However, Phnom Penh has not been able to submit many details of the plan, including a map of buffer zones around the site, owing to its boundary conflict with Thailand.
Fortunately, the delay has given Thailand a chance to campaign for a joint nomination of the Hindu temple with Cambodia, Suwit said.
The controversial Preah Vihear attracted renewed international attention after Thailand maintained its objection to the temple's inscription, which resulted in an angry outburst from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and tension at the border.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva did not discuss the campaign for a joint nomination. However, he did say that since Cambodia has more time to submit its plan, it would have an opportunity to follow the World Heritage Committee's decisions and clear up any difficulties along the border.
"We have expressed our concerns to the World Heritage Committee over several sensitive issues because we don't want to have problems or any tension with Cambodia," Abhisit said.
However, acting government spokesman Panitan Watanayagorn interpreted the delay as a victory for Thailand, following Suwit's heavy campaign during the committee's meeting in Spain from June 23 to 30.
He said the delay would give Thailand a chance to seek better understanding from members of the World Heritage Committee.
"The government hoped the World Heritage Committee would allow the two countries to jointly run the temple," Panitan told reporters.
Army chief General Anupong Paochinda said he would redeploy troops to border areas adjacent to the Hindu temple in accordance with the government's policy to pave the way for a peaceful solution.
"We don't have a timeframe, but it depends on the satisfaction of both countries. We have a common intention not to use force," he said.

National Bank of Cambodia to implement Oracle Flexcube

National Bank of Cambodia is to implement Oracle's Flexcube core banking package as it bids to modernise the country's antiquated financial system.

The central bank will use the system to automate operations across deposits, loans, foreign exchange, money markets, securities, funds transfer and asset management.
Thai Saphear, head of the governor's office, National Bank of Cambodia, says: "We see technology as a key enabler in the modernisation of our financial system and are taking steps to deploy a core banking system that provides a platform for effectively and efficiently managing growth."
Supported by the Asian Development Bank, the implemenation project will be led by Oracle in association with local companies interFlex and Neeka.
InterFlex will provide National Bank of Cambodia with environmental software and implementation services for the core banking implementation. Neeka, part of the Thakral Group of Companies, will provide the hardware infrastructure and support services for the project.

Jackso death "drives fans suicidal"

Nearly a dozen of Michael Jackson's fans have reportedly committed suicide following the King Of Pop's sudden death.
Australians fans are said to be seeking help from a suicide prevention hotline, US media reported Tuesday.
At least 50 callers seeking help from suicide prevention hotline Lifeline Australia have told counsellors that Jackson's death on June 26 has left them distressed.
Gary Taylor from London, who owns Jackson's's online fan club has said that he was aware of about 12 suicides following the performer's death.
"It is a serious situation that these people are going through but Michael Jackson would never want this," News.com.au quoted Taylor as saying. "He would want them to live," he added.
Lifeline CEO Dawn O'Neil said that while there has not been 'a dramatic increase' in calls to counsellors, people have spoken about how Jackson's death has affected them.
"We have had some calls related to this," said O'Neil. "In some cases, (a celebrity's death) can be very distressing," O'Neil added.
The calls came as a friend to the famous family, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, urged fans not to "self-destruct."
"This is a time when hearts are heavy," Jackson said. "There is great pain but great cause to celebrate Michael's life. It made Michael happy saying 'We Are The World'. Don't self destruct," he added.

ASIAN MINISTERIAL MEETING - Cabinet to consider Internal Security Act on Phuket

The Cabinet will today consider a proposal to enforce Internal Security Act on Phuket during upcoming Asian ministerial meeting which will be attended by US Secretary of State.

An informed source said Tuesday that the Act, if approved, will give authority to Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc), which is chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, to be responsible for the regional meeting's security.
The imposing will put Phuket under the act from July 10 to 24.
The Asian foreign ministers' meeting is scheduled to be held from July 16 to 23. It was postponed twice after red shirted protesters broke into the meeting's nearby building in Pattaya in April.
The Phuket meeting will be attended by ministers of 26 countries including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Phuket will host the 42nd Asean Ministerial Meeting, Post Ministerial Conferences (PMC) and the 16th Asean Regional Forum (ARF) on Phuket.

The Isoc reasoned that the imposing of the Act is necessary following the Pattaya chaos which it said tarnished the country's images and reputations as well as the economy.
The authority also said in the proposal that its intelligence report showed that some ill-intentioned group, from both inside and outside the country, may again try to stage unrest during the meeting, similar to that in Pattaya.
The imposing will cover the Phuket island as well as a radius of five kilometers on the sea of the island.

TYPE-A (H1N1) INFLUENZA - Naval conscript third fatality

Thailand yesterday reported its third fatality resulting from type-A (H1N1) influenza as 41 new cases were added, bringing the accumulated number of infections to 1,330.
The latest casualty was a 21-year-old naval conscript at Sattahip Naval Base in Chon Buri province.
Of all the 1,330 accumulated cases, 1,309 have recovered with only 18 now in hospital.
Of the new cases, 29 are students and 4 were people who recently returned abroad.
The director-general of the Medical Service Department, Dr Rewat Wisarutwej, said the naval conscript was admitted to hospital on June 22 with high fever and breathing difficulty.
The unnamed victim's both lungs were infected, resulting in the respiratory failure.
Department of Medical Service's deputy director general, Dr Boonreun Triruenworarat said another unnamed 47-year-old, who is a cleaner, is also in critical condition due to the H1N1 infection.
This person, suspected to have contracted the flu virus from his workplace, is a smoker and drinker who reportedly had little rest before falling ill.
"The severity of this new flu also depends on a person's immunity," Public Health Ministry's permanent secretary, Dr Prat Boonyawongvirot said.
In the wake of the type-A(H1N1) influenza fatality in Thailand, Public Health Minster, Witthaya Kaewparadai has assigned the Medical Service Department to send health experts to support medical team in hospitals where patients with influenza A (H1N1) had been admitted.
Dr Tawee Chotepitayasunon, chairman of the ministry's influenza academic team, also has urged medical workers to prepare for a further spread of the influenza A (H1N1) across across the country.
The ministry will also set up a call center to provide update information about the treatment of influenza A (H1N1) for all medical workers.
There will also be a study on risk factors affecting the severity of type A (H1N1) so that doctors could provide better treatment to patients.
At present, data shows that 70 percent of high-risk patients are people with chronic disease, children age under five year old and elderly people age over 65 year old.
However, Rawat suggested that patient with flu-like symptom and having trouble breathing should undergo treatment and receive antiviral drug immediately before patient progress to severe symptom such as pneumonia and die later.