Eighty five people suffocated after being arrested and packed into military trucks to be taken to Narathiwat’s Tak Bai district. (Bangkok Post file photo)Human rights defender Angkhana Neelaphaijit on Monday called for improvements in the country's justice system and for the political willpower to hold to account those responsible for the deaths of more than 80 Muslim protesters in Tak Bai in 2004. The Tak Bai incident took place on Oct 25, 2004, when 85 Muslim protesters died, mostly from suffocation, while being transported on military trucks. "The families of the victims and the Tak Bai residents filed lawsuits to seek justice but it turned out all the cases were dropped by the prosecutors who were supposed to administer justice," she said. "In this Tak Bai case, we have three years to bring the case to court to have the truth revealed and established, to return justice to the victims."

Recovery to dominate Asean talksPrime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will press to promote and strengthen Asean's response to the Covid-19 pandemic and build a sustainable post-pandemic future at the 38th and 39th Asean and related summits this week. Gen Prayut will participate in 14 meetings under the Asean framework via teleconference from today until Thursday, according to government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana. According to Mr Thanakorn, Thailand will also provide support on promoting cooperation to address the pandemic and its impacts between Asean and its dialogue partners. This also included peace and security building to help the region keep up with geopolitical challenges. In addition to attending the 38th and 39th Asean summits, the PM will participate in meetings with Asean's dialogue partners, such as China and Japan and the 13th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle meeting.

Four biggest wins at the T20 World CupScotland's Mark Watt (R) was one of five batters to fall to the spin of Mujeeb Ur RahmanSHARJAH: Afghanistan thrashed Scotland by 130 runs in a Super 12s match at the Twenty20 World Cup on Monday. 130, South Africa v Scotland, 2009An unbeaten 79 by batting superstar AB de Villiers steered South Africa to 211 for five in a group encounter at the Oval. 130, Afghanistan v Scotland, 2021Hazratullah Zazai (44) and Najibullah Zadran (59) smashed six sixes between them to pummel the Scotland attack and guide the team to 190 for four in 20 overs. 116, England v Afghanistan, 2012Luke Wright's unbeaten 99 fired England to 196 for five as they took apart the Afghan bowlers. Pace bowler Stuart Broad returned figures of 2-10 as England skittled out Afghanistan for 80 in 17.2 overs.

Biden to be first US president to join Asean summit in four yearsUS President Joe Biden speaks during a town hall about his infrastructure investment proposals at the Baltimore Center Stage Pearlstone Theater in Baltimore on Thursday. The US embassy in Brunei told Reuters that Biden will lead the US delegation for the Asean-United States summit, part of a series of Asean leaders' meetings this week. They expect Biden to focus on collaboration on Covid-19 vaccine distribution, climate change, supply chains and infrastructure. And, meanwhile, all of us have got economic relationships growing with China.’"The Asean meetings will take place without Myanmar military leader Min Aung Hlaing, who overthrew a civilian government on Feb 1 - a rare exclusion for a grouping usually known for non-interference. Kagan called this a significant step but said more needed to be done to address the challenges Myanmar is facing.

44 Covid deaths, 8,675 new casesShoppers return to Talad Rod Fai on Srinakarin Road, in Bangkok, on Sunday, when the market reopened. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)Thailand logged 44 new Covid-19 fatalities and 8,675 new cases during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Monday morning. On Sunday, 9,589 Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovering from the coronavirus. The compares with the daily figures of 9,351 new Covid-19 cases and 56 fatalities reported on Sunday morning. Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 1,859,157 Covid-19 cases, with 1,740,316 complete recoveries so far.

Permafrost: a ticking carbon time bombIn Sweden's far north, permafrost beneath the Stordalen mire is thousands of years old. Between carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane, permafrost contains some 1,700 billion tonnes of organic carbon, almost twice the amount of carbon already present in the atmosphere. Thawing permafrost is a carbon "time bomb", scientists have warned. In Alaska, where permafrost is found beneath nearly 85 percent of the land, thawing permafrost is causing roads to warp. Many climate models currently don't take permafrost into account because it is difficult to project the net effects of the permafrost thawing, Hugelius says.

(Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)The Excise Department has the authority to not approve cigarette importers from setting the product at an unusually low retail price, according to a department source. Packs are also subject to an additional tax of 1.25 baht per cigarette, regardless of the retail price. If the cigarette importers set the imported product at a very low retail prices to woo smokers, the department can opt to not approve their prices, the source said. The department has information on the price structure of all cigarette brands, their previous retail prices, and their net profit margin, the source added. The department expects additional cigarette excise revenue from the current cigarette tax structure of 3.5 billion baht, on top of the existing 62-billion-baht cigarette excise revenue.

Lisa, Andrea to star at Phuket NYEK-pop sensation ''Lisa'' Manobal of Blackpink, and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli are to receive 100 million baht to perform at the New Year countdown in Phuket, according to the Tourism and Sports Ministry. Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said the two stars have confirmed their bookings for which the ministry has set a budget of US$3 million (about 100 million baht) to hire them. Lisa was originally set to perform in Phuket and Andrea in Bangkok. However, they both will now perform in Phuket.

Two academics sat down with the Bangkok Post to discuss what they think is the best course of action in Myanmar. "Without a clear position on the crisis, Thailand is upholding the principle of non-interference. However, since the Feb 1 coup, the Myanmar junta has not granted the special envoy access to carry out his task. "Like a good friend, Thailand should warn Myanmar to follow the Asean five-point consensus, otherwise it would be in further trouble," ML Pinitbhand said. Many Myanmar citizens are having problems accessing basic services, and an outbreak there will threaten Thailand.

Development of the electric vehicle (EV) industry is gaining momentum as state and private sectors are working to translate plans to make Thailand a major EV production hub into actions. The state and private sectors efforts to build the EV industry are taking shape, bringing Thailand closer to the goal of being an EV production hub. PTT subsidiaries unveiled "G-Box", a 150 kilowatt-hour battery energy storage system developed to work in tandem with EV charging outlets. BRIGHT EXPORT PROSPECTSThe net-zero campaigns in many countries will help bolster EV exports while higher levels of EV production will reduce car prices. Echoing Mr Yossapong's positive view, Ms Payouw believes the goal to become an EV production hub is possible.

Verstappen holds off Hamilton to win US Grand Prix thrillerSide-by-side: Max Verstappen (left) and Lewis Hamilton fight for the lead. AUSTIN: Max Verstappen held off a charging Lewis Hamilton to win the United States Grand Prix on Sunday and extend his Formula One world championship lead to 12 points. Verstappen, in a Red Bull, claimed his first victory at the Circuit of the Americas in front of 140,000 fans. Hamilton, second on the grid, stunned pole-sitter Vertsappen at the start. On lap 37, Hamilton pitted for the second time as Verstappen again inherited the lead with an 8.45sec advantage.

(Reuters photo)Hospitals are planning to start administering the 560,000 Moderna Covid-19 vaccine doses which arrive next week to those who have pre-ordered by Nov 8, pending the required clearance process. In total, the PHA has ordered more than 8.6 million Moderna vaccine doses, about 1.9 million of which will be delivered in December. He said one dose of the Moderna vaccine contains 100 microgrammes and the imported jabs are of the 1273 type, which can prevent the Delta variant of Covid-19. Previously, ZP Therapeutics, a division of Zuellig Pharma and the official partner of Moderna in Thailand, confirmed the first shipment of 560,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine will arrive in Thailand by Nov 5. Previously, it only said the jabs will arrive in the next quarter.

Israel to build over new 1,300 W.Bank settler homesA Palestinian man waves his flag next to the Israeli outpost of Evitar in the occupied West Bank on October 10JERUSALEM - Israel on Sunday announced plans to build more residences for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, drawing immediate condemnation from Palestinians, peace activists and neighbouring Jordan. Those new homes add to the more than 2,000 residences which defence sources have said in August would be authorised for West Bank settlers. Jordanian foreign ministry spokesman Haitham Abu Al-Ful blasted settlement construction and general "confiscation" of Palestinian land as "illegitimate." The new Jewish homes are to be built in seven settlements, according to the statement from the Housing and Construction Ministry. Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem has continued under every Israeli government since 1967.

Pakistan look to end India losing streak in T20 World Cup blockbusterRivals: Pakistan's Mohammad Amir and Babar Azam speak with India captain Virat Kohli and Vijay Shankar at the 2019 World Cup in ManchesterDUBAI - India and Pakistan renew their high-profile but one-sided cricket rivalry on Sunday in a T20 World Cup blockbuster watched by hundreds of millions of fans across the globe. Virat Kohli's India have beaten Pakistan in all of their 12 matches at the T20 and 50-over World Cups. It will be the first time the two nations have clashed since the 50-over World Cup in 2019. Of the 12 World Cup losses for Pakistan, five have been at the T20 tournament. Kohli, who steps down as India T20 skipper at the end of the World Cup, described Pakistan as being "very strong".

Turkey's Erdogan orders expulsion of 10 ambassadorsOsman Kavala has become a symbol for Erdogan's intolerance of dissent. "I have ordered our foreign minister to declare these 10 ambassadors as persona non grata as soon as possible," Erdogan said, using a diplomatic term meaning the first step before expulsion. "Our ambassador has not done anything that would justify the expulsion," Norwegian foreign ministry spokeswoman Trude Maseide told media in her home country. Kavala's supporters see him as a symbol of the sweeping crackdown Erdogan unleashed after surviving a 2016 coup attempt. Erdogan is in danger of "dragging the Turkish economy into a president-made crisis", Eurasia Group said.