Row over report saying strychnine found in inmate. The commander of the police’s Institute of Forensic Medicine (IFM) was transferred yesterday to an inactive post, reportedly as a result of an autopsy report that was ambiguous about a prisoner’s cause of death.

Flash-flood alerts for North

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department yesterday warned 19 provinces to prepare for possible flash floods, as inundation in the North has already killed seven and left nine others missing. “If more heavy downpours occur, flash floods and mudslides are possible in low-lying areas,” Sunthorn Riewluang, the department’s director-general, said yesterday.

AUDITOR-GENERAL: Issue of Jaruvan’s status coming to a head in Senate

Speaker Suchon to be pressed on whether Visut has royal endorsement

Suspended jail term for widow of activist

The widow of an activist murdered for his campaign against a power-plant project in Prachuap Khiri Khan and three of her neighbours were yesterday given suspended jail terms for obstructing construction of the controversial project.

Envoys to seek out alternative fuel sources

Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon yesterday led 89 Thai ambassadors and consuls in a brainstorming session to seek foreign know-how on alternative energy sources, as oil prices spiral on global markets.

Queen helps victim’s family

Her Majesty the Queen yesterday handed over Bt50,000 to the family of a defence volunteer killed in an explosion at a temple on Tuesday night.

Seal hailed as the world’s most therapeutic robot

Lying sick in a hospital bed is definitely boring and maybe stressful too, unless you have a friend named Paro to cuddle up to and chat with about this and that.

Disabled children now total over 1m

The number of “special” children with learning disabilities, Down’s syndrome and autism in Thailand is on the rise, recently surpassing the one million mark, a Thai expert said yesterday.

Top graduate thesis ‘decodes myth of rape’

Media coverage of rape cases gives society the wrong impression that victims who dress sexily provoke the assaults, while vivid descriptions of sexual assaults incites copycats, according to Thammasat University’s outstanding thesis of the year.

Bumrungrad visa bureau

The Immigration Bureau yesterday opened its new visa-extension unit on the third floor of Bumrungrad International Hospital, which treats as many as 360,000 international patients annually.

METRO BRIEFS: URBAN PLANNING: Trees to beautify 4 roads in capital

Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin yesterday promised to deliver four “green roads” to city residents by the end of this month.

PM: Govt not involved in free-TV plan

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday rebutted a statement by the Interior Ministry that the plan to install free cable television in the deep South was a government initiative.

Nation editor takes stand for Supinya

Thepchai Yong, group editor of the Nation Multimedia Group, told the Criminal Court yesterday that he believed media-reform campaigner Supinya Klangnarong had a right to express her opinion about Shin Corp’s business in an article published in the Thai Post newspaper in July last year.

Dam land-deal check ordered

Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan yesterday ordered the Irrigation Department to look into land deals related to the construction of Pasak Jolasid Dam to make sure there were no irregularities.

Water crisis hits 13,000 Rayong families

Some 13,000 families in Rayong spent a fourth day without water yesterday as a result of the water-shortage crisis gripping the province.

Brainstorming English

The Education Ministry will invite 100 experts to a brainstorming session on August 27-28, with the aim of finding strategies to improve the standard of English education in schools across the country.

Arrest warrant

An arrest warrant has been approved for Romali Uttrasin in connection with last year’s raid on a southern Army camp, a Criminal Court official said yesterday.

BURNING ISSUE: NCCC members selection starts today

Possibility of political interference has many concerned about outcome

Govt urged to show humility by revising emergency decree

Opposition chief whip Sathit Wongnongtoey yesterday urged the government to revise its emergency-powers decree in order to demonstrate its humility - instead of flaunting its overwhelming majority.

IN BRIEF: POLL FRAUD: Accused MPs lobby Election Commission

Certain MPs have lobbied the Election Commission (EC) in a bid to avoid punishment for alleged poll fraud in the February elections, the EC chairman said yesterday.