His Majesty the King has given royal approval to a request for an extraordinary parliamentary session beginning on Tuesday, Cabinet secretary-general Rongphol Charoenphanthu said yesterday.

During the extraordinary session, the Senate will convene to select five Election Commission (EC) members from the 10 nominees proposed by a Supreme Court general meeting on Thursday.

The upper house will also select nine members of the National Counter Corruption Commission from the 18 people nominated by a selection committee. In May 2005, the nine corruption-busters resigned after the Supreme Court found them guilty of raising their own salaries without parliamentary scrutiny.

PM's radio address : PAD wants broadcast dropped

The anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) yesterday called on the Public Relations Department (PRD) to drop its weekly radio broadcast of caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's address to the nation.

About 30 representatives of the group submitted a letter addressed to the department's director-general Dussadee Sinchirmsiri, calling for the "PM Thaksin Meets the People" programme to be dropped.

Kanchanee Walayasevi, a PAD representative, said the group wanted the programme removed because it was "causing a rift in Thai society". She said the PRD should serve the public interest rather than certain politicians. She said that if the show remained, his critics and groups against him should be allowed air time to ensure fairness.

Teachers under fire : Apirak orders probe into school rape

Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin yesterday ordered an investigation into a claim that two teachers raped an eight-year-old girl.

The girl's mother lodged a complaint with police with the help of the Pavena Hongsakul Foundation for Children and Women.

"I am shocked," Apirak said yesterday after hearing of the allegation. He said the accused teachers - Pimon Sunsri and Lon Sorakanit - had been suspended while the matter was investigated.

"We are also checking whether the teachers have abused other students," Apirak said.

Apirak's deputy Puttipong Punnakan said a medical team had already been instructed to take care of the girl's mental health while the investigation was ongoing. The parents of three other girls yesterday came forward with complaints that the two teachers had also sexually abused their children.

Some staff from the school, however, were quick to defend the accused teachers, who were released on bail yesterday.

Eucalyptus scandal : FIO agent denies any involvement

An agent of the Forestry Industry Organisation (FIO) yesterday denied he was involved in the alleged illegal sale of a 3,500-rai eucalyptus plantation from a government forest in Mukdahan.

Sneh Bunohen visited the Crime Suppression Division police to deny the accusation. His name had been mentioned by Democrat Party deputy leader Alongkorn Pollabutr during an explanation to caretaker Natural Resources and Environment Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat on Thursday.