In parallel to producing its own original slate of films and series, Night Edge Pictures will start with what it calls “future cult favorites”, starting with You are not my Mother, Official Selection at Midnight Madness in the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival. Ingeniously marketed in Thailand with a Mother’s Day release date during the August 11 weekend, this directorial debut from Kate Dolan, award-winning Dublin International Film Festival and Gérardmer Film Festival writer-director, seamlessly blends Irish folklore and psychological illness in a deliciously baked cake. For the rest of 2022, Night Edge Pictures is set to release XYZ Films’ Nocebo starring Eva Green and Mark Strong as well as Official Fantasia Festival Selection Moloch, and Trustnordisk’s multi-awarded thriller Speak No Evil. With a combined tenure of almost two decades in advertising, marketing, film, TV, PR and luxury retail, Hans hails from the independent film scene. For more information about Night Edge Pictures, visit nightedgepictures.com or follow @nightedgepictures on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Flash floods kill over 500 people in PakistanAn army doctor checks a woman at a makeshift hospital in the flood-affected Rajanpur district, in the Punjab province of Pakistan, on Tuesday. (Photo: AFP)ISLAMABAD: Flash floods caused by abnormally heavy monsoon rains killed at least 549 people in Pakistan over the past month, with remote communities in the impoverished southwestern province of Balochistan among the worst hit, a government agency said. Aside from the fatalities, the flooding had damaged more than 46,200 houses, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Friday. The past month was the wettest in three decades, with 133% more rain than the average for the past 30 years, the NDMA said. Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, received 305% more rain than the annual average, the disaster agency said.

The company aims to play a leading role in steering the country towards the global mega-trend of being environmentally friendly. The disclosure at Thursday's online press conference also comes at a time when the company is preparing to list on the Stock Exchange of Thailand and launch its first initial public offering (IPO) next week. The firm's earnings at present are derived from three biomass power generation plants in Surat Thani province. To generate electricity, the plants burned agricultural waste such as palm leaves and wood chips from rubber farms. The biomass power plants have a total capacity of 29.7 megawatts.

The Ministry of Digital Economy and the National Cyber Security Agency has jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cybersecurity cooperation with Huawei Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd., the leading global ICT infrastructure and IT solutions provider. Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, Minister of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), spoke on Thailand's current cybersecurity situation and the cooperation with Huawei: "As data breaches and cyberattacks get increasingly more sophisticated and frequent, gaps in knowledge and cyber skills are impacting organizations more acutely than ever before. That is why the MDES is collaborating with Huawei, a leading digital innovator, to address this challenge by sharing their knowledge on cybersecurity and best practices across industries in order to upskill overall digital capabilities and offer improved educational resources. This collaboration will further encourage public and private organizations to adopt and implement key principles, with the aim of laying a robust talent foundation for Thailand, helping drive Thailand towards a safe and secure digital future."

"We still need to closely monitor whether the tensions will intensify, but each party is believed to see the serious impact to the world's economy from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis," he said. He added that the tensions may prompt Taiwanese firms to relocate their electronics production bases to other countries to stave off risks. GOOD AND BAD EFFECTSThough Thailand may gain some economic benefits from the China-Taiwan crisis, the problem may worsen the ongoing global shortage of semiconductors, said Kriengkrai Thiennukul, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). He echoed the belief that the tensions may also benefit Thailand's exports of agricultural products and food to China. Beijing has decided to ban the import of some fruits and fish products from Taiwan, according to media reports.

PTTEP to bid for new licences in the GulfThe Erawan gas field in the Gulf of Thailand. PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP) is preparing to join a new auction for petroleum exploration and production licences in the Gulf of Thailand, part of the government's efforts to increase the domestic gas supply. The licences, to be granted under the 24th round of auctions covering three offshore areas, does not include the Erawan and Bongkot gas blocks, currently operated by PTTEP. The largest portion of the money will go to ongoing development of oil and gas production projects across Asia and the Middle East. In another development, PTTEP is investigating a leakage at an onshore gas pipeline from the Zawtika gas field in Myanmar.

Zipmex had announced that its clients who deposited coins in partner Zipmex Global’s ZipUp+ saw their deposits frozen because Zipmex Global lost the coins to two crypto lenders that were hit by losses. But Zipmex Thailand said it would gradually return the coins to its clients once it received fresh funds. BAY pointed out that the investment in Zipmex Thailand constituted only 3 per cent of all investments by Krungsri Finnovate. As of June 30, the value of Krungsri Finnovate’s investment in Zipmex Thailand was a mere 0.0028 per cent of BAY’s total assets, the bank added.

Half budget approved for 2 US F-35 fightersThe House committee vetting the 2023 budget bill on Wednesday approved 369 million baht out of 738 million baht sought by the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) for its planned purchase of two F-35A fighter jets from the US. The air force lodged an appeal but agreed to have the budget slashed by 50%. "If the US Congress doesn't approve the sale, the air force will return the sum to the state coffers," said ACM Napadej. The House committee voted 45:22 with one abstention to approve 369 million baht for the scheme which would cost about 7.4 billion baht with funds to be allocated over the next four fiscal years. Pheu Thai Party MP Yuttapong Charasathien said minority members would raise their objection to the fighter jet purchase programme again during the second and third readings of the budget bill.

Worachat Luxkanalode, Executive Director of Grab Thailand, said, "Access to knowledge, education, and essential skill development are keys to the growth and betterment of our society. At the core of our GrabForGood mission, we strive to utilise technology to make a positive impact on people. Grab Thailand has started a number of initiatives to promote and support all partners in the ecosystem such as 'GrabAcademy' – to upskill and enhance knowledge of Grab driver- and merchant partners as well as 'Grab The Future' – to provide scholarships to the children of our partners. "To continue our commitment to creating a wider impact, this year we have launched GrabCampus – a new initiative aimed to support and enhance the potential of university students. The young generation is the main driving force in bettering our society and we are proud to be able to provide a platform and opportunity for them to showcase their talent, get hands-on experience with the team of professionals, and guide them on how to cultivate shared values when conducting business in the society."

MNRE plans to defend park chiefChaiwat: Glad for grace periodThe Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) plans to appeal a court decision to remove the former chief of Kaeng Krachan National Park from his post due to the forceful removal of Karen villagers a decade ago. But MNRE permanent secretary Jatuporn Buruspat said the Phetchaburi Provincial Court gave Mr Chaiwat a stay of execution on July 27. Mr Chaiwat said he was glad to have been granted the grace period. The court also ruled that his offence was related to an alleged dispute against the Karen villagers in the park, rather than being a case of corruption. The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) had recommended the MNRE dismiss Mr Chaiwat and five other park officials due to the burning of about 100 Karen residential homes there in 2011.

Trairat said the NBTC on Wednesday considered the request for the merger by the second and third-largest mobile phone operators in terms of number of customers. He said the five commissioners on Wednesday considered five categories of information:- Studies by four subcommittees on the merger deal- Results of public hearings of three focus groups- A report on possible economic impact from the merger from the NBTC Office- A study by Chulalongkorn University on the impact of the merger- Opinion from an independent adviser, Finansa Securities Ltd.

Andrew Naylor, regional CEO, Asia Pacific (ex-China) of the council, said during an online press conference on Wednesday morning that due to the economic slowdown and uncertainty factors, gold remains a preferable alternative for Thai people. He said consumer demand for gold during the second quarter this year had already increased 14 per cent, from 7.5 tons in the same quarter last year to 8.5 tons this year. The council pointed out that the demand was supported by a 10 per cent year-on-year increase in demand for jewellery from 1.7 tons in the second quarter of 2021 to 1.9 tons in the second quarter of this year and a 15 per cent year-on-year increase in bar and coin demand. Jewellery consumption has been supported by the economic recovery, emergence from Covid restrictions and a rebound in tourism. “This is the sixth consecutive quarter that we’ve seen a year-on-year rise in jewellery consumption in Thailand, owing to lower gold prices as well as higher safe-haven demand for gold amid a weaker local currency and inflationary concerns," Naylor saidHowever, global jewellery fabrication outperformed consumption as demand remains well below pre-pandemic levels, he added.

NHSO secretary-general Jadet Thammathataree said Covid patients have been allowed to request antiviral drugs via the office’s 1330 call centre since July 23. The NHSO delivered Favipiravir to 1,941 eligible patients from July 23 to 30, he said. “However, the NHSO had failed to deliver antiviral drugs to 25 patients because their houses or companies were closed, officials failed to contact recipients or the recipients refused to take delivery,” Jadet said.

Arbitral tribunal delays rulingChatree, a gold mine previously operated by Akara Resources Plc in Phichit province. (Photo: Sitthipoj Kebui)The international arbitral tribunal has postponed till Dec 31 its decision on a dispute between the government and Australia's Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd over the Chatree gold mines, during which time negotiations between the two parties are expected to have wrapped up. "Considering all these developments, the mines are expected to restart between late this year and early next year,'' the source added. The company has demanded 30 billion baht in compensation. The tribunal completed its arbitration hearings on Feb 12, 2020, but has yet to make its decision known while urging both parties to negotiate.

PTT sells coal business to Indonesia's Astrindo for $471mThe Sebuku coal mine operated by PTT Mining in Indonesia. (Photo: PTT)State-owned energy firm PTT Plc said on Tuesday it had agreed to sell its coal unit to Indonesia's PT Astrindo Nusantara Infrastruktur Tbk for $471 million, as the company moves out of the coal business entirely. The announcement came as global coal demand is set to match a record high reached nearly a decade ago. Astrindo said the deal, which includes coal concessions in Brunei Darussalam, Madagascar and three mines in Kalimantan, Indonesia, will have a "substantial" impact for the company. "Our financial performance in 2022 will show a significant jump given the current price of coal," Astrindo Director Michael Wong said.