WIMBLEDON, Packing a punch

WIMBLEDON

Packing a punch

Venus serves thunderbolts to end Tamarine's dream run in quarters

Defending champion Venus Williams moved a step closer to her fifth Wimbledon singles title yesterday, beating Tamarine Tanasugarn in straight sets to reach the semi-finals and close in on another potential championship match-up with sister Serena.

Williams downed the 31-year-old Tamarine 6-4 6-3 on Court 1 to extend her career record over the Thai player

to 7-0.

The seventh-seeded American, who has not dropped a set all tournament, was limping slightly at the end of the match with a hamstring problem.

Feeling a little pain

"It feels a little bit tight," she said. "I'll be fine. I'm a big girl. I can deal with it."

The Williams sisters are in opposite halves of the draw and could meet in Saturday's final. The two have been twice before in the Wimbledon final, with Serena winning both in 2003 and '04.

"That would be amazing if we both were in the final," Venus said. "I have to take it one more step and keep playing power tennis."

The 60th-ranked Tamarine, playing in her first Grand Slam quarter-final, pushed Williams as hard as she could but did not have enough energy to cope with her power game.

Williams served eight aces and had one serve at 204kph, while Tamarine had no aces and had an average first-serve speed of just 145kph.

Tamarine fashioned 10 break points, but converted only once. The key game was the sixth of the first set, when Williams saved six break points - mostly on Tamarine errors - and finished with a 203kph service winner to hold for 4-2.

With top seed Ana Ivanovic and No 3 Maria Sharapova eliminated last week, none of the top four seeded women reached the quarter-finals - the first time that has happened at Wimbledon and also the first time at any Grand Slam tournament in the 40-year history of the Open era.

The men's quarter-finals are set for today, with five-time champion Roger Federer and two-time runner-up Rafael Nadal seemingly headed toward a third straight championship showdown.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/07/02/headlines/headlines_30077070.php

PTTEP signs deal to drill for gas in gulf of Mataban

PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) has signed a heads of agreement (HoA) with Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, paving the way for the drilling and supply of natural gas from offshore Block 9 to PTT, which could entail an investment of US$2 billion (Bt67 billion).

Under the HoA, a non-binding document outlining the main issues relevant to a tentative partnership, PTTEP's wholly owned subsidiary PTTEP International would drill natural gas from Block 9, so-called M9, in the Gulf of Mataban, Burma.

"This contract is of mutual interest and vital for Thailand's gas sourcing in response to increasing gas demand and an attempt to establish long-term energy security," said Energy Minister Poonpirom Liptapanlop.

The Energy Ministry estimated that Thailand's gas demand would expand from 3,600 million cubic feet per day (mcfpd) to 5,350 mcfpd in 2012 and over 7,300 mcfpd in 2021.

The signing marks two years of negotiation for Block 9 exploration. Under the HoA, average sales volume of natural gas from M9 will be 300 mcfpd. Around 240 mcfpd will be exported to Thailand and 60 mcfpd supplied to Burma. The gas price will be based on the existing price under the current Gas Sales Agreement between Burma and Thailand.

The conditions in the HoA will be the essence of the Gas Sales Agreement, expected to be concluded this year.

Thanatthep Chantakarn, an analyst at Bualuang Securities, said the M9 project would require an investment of around US$2 billion for the drilling and pipeline. The work is expected to be complete in the next three years and the company will start to realise revenue in 2012.

He also said that PTTEP told securities houses recently that it may seek partners for the subsidiary as the investment in the M9 project is huge. This could lead to a share dilution in PTT International.

"As the additional gas will be supplied to PTT, this will allow PTT to maintain retail gas prices in the future," he said.

Kitichan Sirisukarcha, an analyst at Kim Eng Securities (Thailand), said PTTEP would not realise revenue from the new investment until 2012.

By Sucheera Pinijparakarn
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/06/25/headlines/headlines_30076440.php

"You're a traitor" : Foreign minister told

Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama came under verbal assault from a marathon runner who called him a "traitor" just has he was taking off from the starting block.

Noppadon was standing next to US Ambassador Eric John at the starting point of the race, witnesses said. The two men co-chaired the opening ceremony of the marathon commemorating the 35th anniversary celebration of the Thai-US relationship.

According to witnesses, the runner shouted "Noppadon, you're a traitor" three time as he ran pass the minister.

The embarassed minister reportedly told Ambassador John, "This can happen in the democratic system."

Noppadon and the government have been strongly criticised by the opposition and the protesters led by People's Alliance for Democracy of having hidden agenda in endorsing Cambodia's bid to list Preah Vihear Temple as a Unesco Heritage Site.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/06/29/regional/regional_30076808.php

Thaksin denies involvement in lawyer's bribery case

Thaksin denies involvement in lawyer's bribery case

BANGKOK, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's ousted Premier Thaksin Shinawatra denied involvement in an attempted bribery case in which three lawyers working on his corruption charge had been convicted for sending a cash-filled pastry box to court officials.

    Thaksin's personal spokesman Pongthep Thepkanchana on Thursday read a statement on behalf of the ex-premier at a press conference, which said Thaksin feels sorry that his lawyers were found guilty of contempt of court and were each sentenced to six month jail term by the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

    The press conference took place Thursday afternoon at the 111 Foundation, set up by the 111 former executives of the now dissolved Thai Rak Thai Party founded by Thaksin.

    The trio -- lawyer Pichit Chuenban, his assistants Suppasri Srisawasdi and Thana Tansiri represented Thaksin and his wife Pojaman in a case in which the ex-premier was charged of abusing power to help his wife purchase a Bangkok downtown land plot in a government audition in 2003.

    In his statement, Thaksin insisted on his innocence in the case, vowing to fight the case under the justice system.

    Earlier reports about the "Pastry Gate" incident, as branded by local media, gained much spotlight in the country, as it was revealed that a lawyer, then referred to as one who worked for some former politician, on June 10 walked into the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders, filed a writ and handed a pastry box containing 2 million baht (about 61,000 U.S. dollars) in cash to court officials.

    The trio on the day concerned were present at the Court to hand legal documents about Thaksin's case, but Pichit had earlier denied his involvement.

    The Supreme Court on Wednesday handed down the verdict, which convicted the three of violating the court's authority. The verdict could not be appealed.

    Pichit and Suppasri (female) were arrested immediately, while the other convicted Thana was absent from Wednesday's trial and still at large by now, as the Court has issued an arrest warrant for him.

    The Court has also sought criminal charges of attempted bribery against the three lawyers with the police on Thursday.

    Opposition Democrat party spokesman Ong-art Klampaiboon has called on the government to assign the National Counter Corruption Commission to trace where the lawyers get the money from.

Ref: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/26/content_8445027.htm

My Take: Thaksin had a history of concealing assets before he became PM by transfering his assets to his servants. Majority of court panel ruled out 9 to 8 it was unintentional. Was money involved then?

http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?Itemid=31&id=1074&option=com_content&task=view
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C06E2DA1038F934A15751C1A9669C8B63

Thaksin's Lawyers in "Pastry Gate" sentenced to jail

The Supreme Court sentenced to six months in jail a legal team of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra over what is called "the Pastry Gate," in which a supreme court official was given a pastry box filled with Bt2 million in cash.

The team members who each face six months in jail for violating the court's authority are lawyer Pichit Chuenban, coordinator Thana Tansiri and clerk Supasri Srisawat.

Pichit is lawyer of Thaksin on the case that he is alleged of abusing of power in purchasing a plot of land in Ratchadapisek area.

Supreme Court Vice President Mongkol Thapthiang, who heads a panel comprising Supreme Court judge Weeraphol Tangsuwan and Issaret Chairat, investigating the case, said Wednesday the panel found the three guilty of the charge.

"The action by the three shows the intention to persuade court officials to commit wrongdoing," the judge said.

"This action is serious and the court sentences each to six months in jail," it said.

Another man, Thana Tansiri, alleged to have delivered the parcel, failed to appear in court and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

 Further legal action on a separate charge of criminal bribery is expected.

The incident is considered grave because it was happened in the high court of the country. Any lawyer who is convicted of the charge cannot cannot work as a lawyer in any court again. The Law Society of Thailand will also have to take legal action against the lawyers.

Earlier reports said that a lawyer who used to represent a politician walked into the office of the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders, which handles the administrative affairs for the graft tribunal, a special court for corruption, early June.

The lawyer filed a writ and then handed a bag of pastries to court officials. A clerk looked into the bag and noticed the cash. He then asked the lawyer about the money. The reply was: "Divide the money up among yourselves."

The officials were utterly shocked by the incident. As they were trying to alert their superiors and supervising judges, a senior judge happened to pass by the room and asked what had happened.

After hearing the incident, the senior judge instructed that the money be counted and photographed. The cash was returned to the lawyer, who was present throughout the checking process.

The photograph was considered sufficient evidence for a bribery case. The cash was returned in order to dispel a counter argument that money already changed hands.

Earlier Pichit denied he was the lawyer who tried to bribe court officials by offering a box of pastries containing Bt2 million in cash.

"Our team of lawyers was not involved in the attempt to influence the panel of judges. We feel the Supreme Court will give us justice," Pichit said.

"We don't need to do that. It was not even in our thoughts. I'm confident the fact-finding panel will find out [the truth] about the attempted-bribery allegation," he said.

Pichit admitted that he and other lawyers had gone to the court on Tuesday, having been assigned by Thaksin and his wife, Pojaman, to file a request to report to the Supreme Court. He said they were there no longer than 30 minutes and did not take any gifts for court officials.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/06/25/headlines/headlines_30076484.php

POLITICAL CRISIS,Point of no return: Anand

POLITICAL CRISIS

Point of no return: Anand

Ex-prime minister says PAD, rivals are irreconcilable; rejects idea for mediation effort by ex-premiers

Former prime minister Anand Panyarachun believes Thai politics has become so polarised that it is beyond reconciliation.

He also played down the idea of having four former prime ministers act as mediators to defuse the political conflict.

Speaking at the Royal Navy Auditorium yesterday after presiding over a seminar on public television, Anand said he was very concerned about the situation because there were two opposing forces who did not seem able to reach reconciliation.

"Every society has differences [in ideas]. But there must be some grounds to work out the differences so that it will not lead to physical violence. At present, Thai politics is clearly divided into two. And I think it has reached a point beyond reconciliation," Anand said.

The People's Alliance for Democracy has continued its street demonstration for the second week. It initially set forth its demand that the government must not amend the 2007 Constitution to help bail out former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from his corruption cases. Now it has added another condition - for the Samak government to resign altogether because it is acting as a nominee for Thaksin and it has failed to tackle the problems of the country.

Thaksin's supporters have also been hitting back at the PAD in a tit-for-tat political battle that has created an atmosphere of instability and spooked investors.

Anand said both sides could not reach any mutual understanding because they were not speaking the same language. When one party raises one point, the other party answers another question.

"They not only need to speak the same language but also the same subject in order to reach an understanding. If they keep on speaking against each other, they will never be able to achieve reconciliation," Anand said.

Respected social critic Dr Praves Wasi suggested that one way to defuse the political conflict is for four former prime ministers to act as mediators between the two sides. This, he said, would help resolve the conflict.

But Anand said mediators could not speak on anybody's behalf and that at best they could only facilitate talks.

"Now I am getting old. I need to have a rest. Let's get the young men and women to do the job," Anand said.

Speaking on his weekly radio talk show, Samak opposed the idea to have four former premiers act as mediators.

"If you bring four former prime ministers to join a talk, what then can they do?" Samak said.

"They can't issue orders. They can only talk. But what happens after that? Under the current situation, the present prime minister, which is me, is assuming responsibility. If there is any mistake, we all can see. And is there any mistake? No, there is not. I am not working alone. I work as a team with 35 other Cabinet members."

The Nation
http://nationmultimedia.com/2008/06/09/headlines/headlines_30075056.php