THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Opposition and Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Tuesday charged that the government was bent on misleading the public by distorting information over the Preah Vihear temple.
Mr Abhisit also called on fellow MPs to cast votes of no-confidence against Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama in a bid to preserve Thailand's sovereignty, which he said had virtually been given up when the cabinet on June 17 endorsed Cambodia's map of the ancient temple and the joint statement over it.
The documents will be used by Phnom Penh to have World Heritage Committee members under the United Nations Educational, Scientific,and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) consider its bid for the temple to gain World Heritage Site status.
The committee meeting starts on July 2 in Quebec.
Mr Noppadon on June 18 signed the joint statement with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sok An. Mr Noppadon and Foreign Ministry legal experts have argued that the joint statement did not need parliament's endorsement because it will have no effect on Thai sovereignty or territory.
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Japanese somewhat concerned
Japanese investors admit that concerns over Thailand's political instability are growing amid ongoing anti-government demonstrations, but that any real impact has yet to be felt.
"Political stability is the key fundamental for the government's economic management and administration," said Yoichi Kato, chairman of the Economic Research Committee of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Bangkok.
"We see the PM's office still failing in its effort to mobilise co-operation between the six deputies of the premier in handling economic management and administration more effectively."
Mr Kato, also president of the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) in Bangkok, urged the authorities to manage economic and social issues more wisely.
"The [protest] rallies may affect the smooth execution of the government's policies and affect certain businesses to some extent, but we have not envisaged any serious impact on Japanese businesses and investment plans," he said.
Mr Kato also ruled out any possible adverse impact on Japanese investment even if the government were to bow to anti-government protesters' pressure and shake up the cabinet or dissolve the House, saying that the democratic system was still functioning.
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PM denies he's mentally ill
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej fiercely defended his mental and physical health on Wednesday, insisting he is fit and capable of leading the government. His assertion came after Democrat MP Malinee Sukvejworakij, who is a doctor of medicine, told the House Mr Samak showed symptoms of a mental deficiency and behavioural disorder. He should take leave and get treatment for the sake of the country, she said.
She held aloft a book, Phu Puay Pok Krong Loke (Sick People who Ruled the World), as the Democrats attacked Mr Samak for his "aggressive behaviour and bad temper".
Mr Samak fought back strongly. "You can ask the cabinet whether I am fit to administer the country.
"Would you like to compete with me in a brain game, like a memory test?" he said.
Dr Malinee said there was medical evidence to confirm that his glaring at reporters and ordering cake and red cordial drinks like a child reflected a low IQ and low emotional quotient.
She referred to Mr Samak's moody look prior to a luncheon with coalition partners early this month.
Mr Samak countered by saying her medical licence should be reviewed. "It's the first time I've seen a doctor diagnose a patient on the floor of parliament.... If I am crazy because I glare at reporters, then all actors in soap operas will have gone mad, they glare at each other all the time. And there's no point worrying about my liking red drinks."
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Bribery complaint against jailed Thaksin lawyers
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked police to charge three lawyers for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra with trying to bribe court officials with a gift of a snack box containing two million baht. Mr Thaksin promptly issued a statement denying any involvement in the alleged offence.
The complaint was filed at Wat Chanasongkhram police station against Pichit Chuenban, the lead lawyer, legal assistant Supasri Srisawat (a woman), and the coordinator of the legal team, Thana Tansiri.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday sentenced each of the three lawyers to six months in jail for contempt of court within the precincts of the court.
The two million baht was found in a box given to a court official by one of the lawyers on June 10. The legal team was due in court that day to report that Mr Thaksin and his wife had returned from a business trip abroad.
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PM Samak turns against Mingkwan
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej turned against Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan in the House censure debate, taking him to task for mishandling the government's rice policy.
Mr Samak's reaction added to speculation Mr Mingkwan could be dropped from the cabinet along with Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama, who is facing the opposition's wrath over the Preah Vihear issue.
Mr Mingkwan was questioned by the Democrat party on Thursday, but its claims about the failure of the government's rice policy were mostly answered by the prime minister. Mr Samak told parliament he had to step in to manage the rice policy himself while Mr Mingkwan was attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Peru early this month.
Mr Samak said the commerce minister had made a mistake by trusting government officials too much.
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15 tonnes of illegal drugs destroyed
Armed police commandos were deployed to secure the destruction of 15 tonnes of drugs worth over 10 billion baht on Thursday at Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate. The drugs were incinerated to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking,
They served as evidence in 2,915 cases which had been decided by the courts, and were kept at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warehouses in the province.
Among the illicit drugs were 32 million methamphetamine pills, weighing around three tonnes.
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INTERNATIONAL
World must manage water carefully
The world's water resources must be carefully managed to meet the needs of billions of people flocking to urban centres, experts said Tuesday at a conference on sustainable development.
Advances in water technology will play a key role in increasing supplies, but simple steps such as plugging leaks and conserving water at home are important, they said.
Tony Tan, chairman of Singapore's National Research Foundation, said the world was witnessing the biggest migration from urban to rural areas in human history, surpassing that in Europe and North America in the 18th century.
"Most of the growth in urban areas has been and will be in developing countries, particularly in Asia," he told the conference.
The shift was expected to strain transportation systems, housing and water supplies, and make it tougher to meet health and sanitation needs, Tan and other experts said.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said water was increasingly seen as a potential global flashpoint, with the pace and scale of urbanisation intensifying the challenge of providing safe, reliable and affordable water.
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Iran condemns European sanctions
Iran said new sanctions imposed by the European Union over its nuclear plans could hurt diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute. On Monday, the European Union agreed on punitive measures aimed at businesses and individuals the West says are linked to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The sanctions include an asset freeze on Iran's largest bank, Bank Melli, and visa bans on some officials. A Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mohammad Ali Hosseini, called the move illegal and made clear it would not slow Iran's nuclear work.
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World rebuke of Mugabe grows
President Robert Mugabe faced deeper international isolation on Wednesday, with African states demanding that a discredited runoff election be postponed and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela rebuking the Zimbabwe leader for the first time.
Tougher sanctions, sporting bans and economic boycotts called on Wednesday for talks on power sharing.
Regional heads of state from southern Africa met in Swaziland and said Friday's runoff should have been postponed until conditions permitted a free and fair vote.
President Bush said the runoff election appears to be a "sham".
In London, Mr Mandela made a carefully worded but pointed attack on Mr Mugabe, saying there has been a "tragic failure of leadership in our neighboring Zimbabwe."
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Scientists think big impact caused two-faced Mars
Why is Mars two-faced? Scientists say fresh evidence supports the theory that a monster impact punched the red planet, leaving behind perhaps the largest gash on any heavenly body in the solar system.
Today, the Martian surface has a split personality. The southern hemisphere of Mars is pockmarked and filled with ancient rugged highlands. By contrast, the northern hemisphere is smoother and covered by low-lying plains.
Three papers in the journal Nature provide the most convincing evidence yet that an outside force was responsible.
According to the researchers, an asteroid or comet whacked a young Mars some 4 billion years ago, blasting away much of its northern crust and creating a giant hole over 40 percent of the surface.
New calculations reveal the crater known as the Borealis basin measures 5,300 miles across and 6,600 miles long the size of Asia, Europe and Australia combined. It's believed to be four times bigger than the current titleholder, the South Pole-Aitken basin on Earth's moon.
Astronomers have long puzzled over Mars' landscape ever since images beamed back in the 1970s showed different-looking halves. An orbiting spacecraft later observed the northern lowlands were on average 2 miles lower than the southern highlands and had a thinner crust.
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North Korea hands over nuclear report
North Korea handed over a long-delayed account of its nuclear activities on Thursday, the White House said, a step that will bring the North relief from US sanctions but still leave questions about its atomic ambitions.
The United States said it would act to remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice earlier told reporters in the Japanese city of Kyoto there was still work to do in verifying that North Korea had given up the pursuit of atomic weapons. She also underscored Washington's continued wariness.
"But still it must be asked: What if North Korea cheats?" Rice said in a commentary in the Wall Street Journal.
"The answer is simple: We will hold North Korea accountable. We will reimpose any applicable sanctions that we have waived - plus add new ones."
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