Mogul has teamed with New World to become Skytrain’s majority shareholders

FIGHTING CRIME: Safety zones declared in 71 Bangkok districts

Shop owners and community leaders using cameras, guards to deter criminal acts

In Brief:

DROUGHT RELIEF: Cabinet knocks back Korat’s request for Bt3.8 billion

Cross-border movie, TV talk

Movie and television representatives from Thailand and Cambodia met yesterday for the first time in two years to discuss creative cooperation and plans to jointly produce films and television programmes.

Probe won’t be taken away from Suriya

Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya yesterday dismissed news reports that a government-level panel would investigate the bribery allegation relating to the purchase of 26 machines to screen baggage for explosives at the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Sanan voted new Mahachon Party leader

Sanan Kachornprasart was yesterday unanimously elected leader of the Mahachon Party at its annual convention.

Surakiart shuns US lobbying

Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai yesterday denied that American lobbyists had been hired to campaign in the United States for his UN secretary-general bid.

Phyathai Hospital libel suit thrown out

The Criminal Court yesterday dismissed a libel suit filed by Phyathai Hospital 1 against a former patient and media repre-

Dairy farmers want action on milk surplus

With schools in recess for the summer holidays, 1,500 dairy farmers in the North are facing a surplus of fresh cow’s milk, Northern Dairy Farmers Association chairman Prawit Boonphaephol said yesterday.

Chiang Mai, Lamphun join to fight garbage

Chiang Mai and Lamphun are pooling their resources to tackle the growing mountains of trash in the provinces.

Ricky Martin helps victims as promised

The international singing star, Ricky Martin, is to fund the construction of 224 houses in Phang Nga to aid local people, particularly children, displaced by the December 26 tsunami.

Man suing actress ‘Annita’ over accident that killed wife

It’s more than a year since the accident that threw Danai Boonpitanon’s life into turmoil, killing his wife and badly injuring his baby daughter.

Fire sparks terror at Baiyoke Building

Fire broke out yesterday at a skyscraper in the heart of Bangkok, emitting thick fumes of smoke and terrifying the building’s occupants and people in the near vicinity.

Rattana demands developer, ‘colluding officials’ be punished

A woman who unwittingly bought a townhouse doomed for demolition more than a decade ago, demanded yesterday that the real-estate developer and officials who allegedly sided with the businesswoman be punished.

Similan coral rescue going strong

Four months after the tsunami struck the Andaman coast, operations to survey and rescue underwater species at Similan Islands are continuing. Now that corals have been cleaned, teams hit the water over the weekend to revive the kalabangha, or sea fan.

50 maggots removed from man’s ears

Doctors found about 50 fly larvae inside the ears of an 84-year-old man after he complained about his ears itching.

‘Abductions’ to be probed

Chidchai seeking respected figures for govt’s new investigative panel

NTC backs plan to check ID of prepaid mobile-phone users

The telecom regulator said yesterday the government could immediately make it mandatory that all prepaid phone users must prove their identity to mobile-service operators.

Attacks expected to mark Krue Se

Provincial Police Region 9 yesterday started to tighten security in the three southernmost provinces as a precaution for possible retaliatory attacks by militants to mark the first anniversary of Krue Se Mosque incident in Pattani.

Cabinet agrees to support victims of Hat Yai blast

As a family lamented the lack of government help for the Hat Yai blast victims, Cabinet yesterday agreed in principle that they would receive the same assistance as those affected by violence in the deep South.

‘Queen made speech on South on her own initiative’

Privy Councillor Surayud Chulanont said yesterday that Her Majesty the Queen had delivered her speech on violence in the deep South on her own initiative and was not asked to give the speech on behalf of His Majesty the King, as was reported in an English-language newspaper.