RANGOON : At least 351 people were killed and nearly 100,000 left homeless when Cyclone Nargis tore through Burma, razing thousands of buildings and smashing up streets, it was reported late last night.
OPINION SURVEY
The government's popularity has taken a battering with Bangkok residents unhappy with its performance over the last three months, an opinion survey has found.
''Our push for the charter amendments did not begin just recently,'' Sutin Klangsang, deputy spokesman of the ruling People Power party, said. In fact, it was the party's main election policy platform, suggesting that the outcome of the general election would decide whether the constitution should be revised, he said.
The government should stall its plan to amend the 2007 charter, Seri Suwanpanont, who was deputy chairman of the Constitution Drafting Assembly, said yesterday. ''Currently there is a plan to impose the 1997 charter in the amendment process because its content is better than that of the 2007 constitution,'' he said.
SOUTH
SONGKHLA : A man injured when a Sungai Kolok-Phatthalung train was derailed on Saturday evening has died, while 17 other victims are still being treated at a hospital in Songkhla's Hat Yai district. Doctors at Hat Yai hospital said they failed to save Supot Ruengsanga, a resident of Hat Yai, who succumbed to severe injuries.
Vicha Mahakun, deputy president of the Constitution Drafting Committee and member of the National Counter Corruption Commission, brushed aside doubts about the legitimacy of the 2007 charter. ''Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's charge that the charter is written to get rid of his [People Power] party is not true,'' he said.
LABOUR
AYUTTHAYA : The provincial industrial council wants a review of the eight baht increase in the daily minimum wage for workers in the province, which is seen as insufficient to offset the rising cost of living. Council president Tossapol Wangsilabut said the issue will be discussed at talks this week with employers, labour unions and the Labour Ministry.
AYUTTHAYA : A taxi driver says he was robbed by a passenger who took all the money he had saved for his daughter's school fees. Ronachai Ratapachai, 53, told police he picked up the man in the Rat Burana area of Bangkok late on Saturday night and agreed to drive him to Ayutthaya for 1,400 baht.
SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT
Two security guards at a construction site in Suvarnabhumi airport were beaten to death by thieves who made off with 1.5 tonnes of steel sheets yesterday. The guards were identified as Aying sae Fang, 18, and Long Choktanawimon, 20.
EDUCATION
The central university admission scoring system will be altered in 2010 to give the cumulative grade point average (GPAX) and the Ordinary National Educational Test (O-Net) results an equal 50% weighting as the aptitude test. The Council of University Rectors met in Ubon Ratchathani on Saturday to review the weighting for 2010.
POLITICS
The prosecution is hopeful that a court decision on May 14 will resolve a conflict it has with the Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC) over power to arraign defendants. The court will decide whether it will accept the indictment sought by the ASC of most cabinet ministers under the Thaksin Shinawatra administration, who are charged with illegally approving the multi-digit lottery scheme.
POLITICS
Former and active politicians in Buri Ram have teamed up to free the province from the political influence of one influential family and monitor state projects to ensure transparency. About 30 former and active politicians from both the national and local level yesterday met in Buri Ram to form a group called ''Pitak Muang Buri Ram'', or Protecting Buri Ram.
POLITICS
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej says he won't change his style and will continue to take a tough line with the media. He also says he will continue with his regular Sunday broadcast.
POLITICS
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has apologised to the Thai public for the first time over a Thai national flag bearing his name which was displayed by English football fans, who he said ''made it in good will''. He was bombarded with questions from reporters when he arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday afternoon.
POLITICS
Itthipol Khunpluem yesterday appeared to have succeeded in defending his family turf as unofficial results showed him topping the mayoral election in Pattaya and beating his two rivals by thousands of votes. A new group also filled the most seats in the Pattaya city council.
EDITORIAL
With reason seemingly abandoned, the country now must simply hope that the government will abandon its attempt to form an increasingly awful cartel to set world rice or food prices. Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was unwilling to take the pointed hint of India, currently the world's number three rice producer, on what a bad idea it is. Mr Samak seems blinded by the populism of it all. He sees Thai rice farmers exchanging bags of rice for bags of gold and cash. He must slow down and consider the ramifications of what he is doing and decide, like most countries, what a bad idea it is.
COMMENTARY
After two years away from the public limelight as a result of the five-year political ban imposed by the Constitution Tribunal, many of the 111 former executives of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai party (TRT) turned out in force for the launch of the 111 Foundation at a Bangkok hotel on Friday.
SPOTLIGHT
Thongchai Pathumvit and Kanissorn Tongsub had already worked more than eight hours handling telegram message slips, but people continued to line up at the General Post Office to send their final telegram last Wednesday.
In Media
The resignation of Yongyuth Tiyapairat as House Speaker has touched off a scramble for his replacement among key figures of the ruling People Power party (PPP).
POSTBAG
As the far more powerful, far more experienced party, Tesco Lotus should ''stoop to conquer'', as Shakespeare would put it, and seek to understand where the moms and pops, and the journalists who Tesco Lotus is suing for their opinions about social damage that mega-retailers are wreaking on Thai society, are coming from.
