The ministries recently announced school safety measures requiring at least 85% of teachers and staff to be vaccinated. The authorities also require schools to randomly conduct Covid-rapid tests on staff and students by using antigen test kits every two weeks. The schools will limit the number of students in classes by half to allow social distancing. Some ISAT member schools conducted a survey asking if parents wanted their kids to return to school. "We ask that the government allow schools to open under strict safety conditions as soon as possible."

Ciggie tax needs careNext week, the cabinet will decide on a new excise tax structure for cigarettes that will be implemented from Oct 1. Under the current rate, a 20% tax rate is applied to the retail price for packs costing up to 60 baht, and 40% for more expensive retail packs. Indeed, a flat tax rate of 40% was scheduled to be applied in October 2019. The Finance Ministry previously requested the cabinet extend the two-tier tobacco tax rate to the end of September 2020. While several countries use tax measures to reduce cigarette smoking, local tax has played far too many roles and has hardly accomplished anything.

'Joe Ferrari' case lifts lid on police corruptionThe case of 'Joe Ferrari' has spotlighted police corruption that experts say infects almost every level of society in Thailand. The case of Thitisan Utthanaphon, a former police station chief in a rural province -- nicknamed "Joe Ferrari" for his extravagant lifestyle -- has fired up calls for reform. The footage went viral, shocking the kingdom and prompting police to arrest Pol Col Thitisan and several other officers. Pol Col Thitisan denies all the charges against him. Seven years on, the Joe Ferrari case shows how little has been achieved in stamping out police malpractice, and observers hold out little hope of serious change.

SCB, AIS shares jump over online lending JVShares in Thailand's third largest lender, Siam Commercial Bank Plc (SCB) jumped in morning trading on Wednesday, following its announcement of a joint venture with the country's top mobile network, Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS). SCB and AIS late on Tuesday announced the creation of AISCB, to provide online lending via online platforms. AIS shares rose nearly 3% against a benchmark index gain of 0.1%. AIS, which has 43 million mobile subscribers in Thailand, will hold equal shares in the venture. Rival lender Kasikornbank Plc began a digital lending push with Japanese mobile chat app operator Line Corp and launched services last year.

Mathayom 6 student hangs himselfMedics with the wrapped body of the 18-year-old boy who hanged himself at his grandparents' house in Bua Yai district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, on Tuesday night, ready to take him to Bua Yai Hospital for postmortem examination. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)NAKHON RATCHASIMA: An 18-year-old Mathayomsuksa 6 student hanged himself in his room at his grandparents' house in Bua Yai district on Tuesday night, leaving a suicide note, police said. Police and medics from Bua Yai Hospital rushed to the house at Non Kaphi village in tambon Non Thong Lang on being informed. Dew lived in the house with his grandparents because his father and mother were away working in Bangkok. Dew's body was sent to Bua Yai Hospital for a postmortem examination.

Personal data of 106m travellers exposed onlinePeople wait to clear immigration outside the arrivals hall at Suvarnabhumi airport in 2017. Their personal information, along with that of millions of other travellers over the past decade, could be among the details exposed online. He said the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), which will be fully enforced in June next year, was an instrumental tool in dealing with such violations. Fines could be levied on those who leak personal data. The public must also do a better job of protecting their personal information, such as using two-factor authentication.

Prawit insists ties with Prayut, Anupong remain solidDeputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, left, and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha sit side by side in the parliament during the recent no-confidence debate. (Parliament photo)Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has affirmed that his ties with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda are still solid and unbreakable. Gen Prayut led his entourage to Phetchaburi while Gen Prawit, accompanied by a large number of Palang Pracharath Party MPs, visited Ayutthaya. Gen Prawit said he and Gen Prayut never had problems with each other, but the media had tried to drive a wedge between them. Gen Prawit said the only reason he did not accompany Gen Prayut was that he could not walk as quickly as the prime minister.

Carlos the Jackal seeks shorter jail term at French trialThe 71-year-old Venezuelan militant, whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, has been behind bars in France sinc 1994PARIS - Carlos the Jackal, who was behind some of the biggest terror attacks of the 1970s and 1980s, will attempt to have one of his three life sentences cut at a trial starting Wednesday in Paris. "I am a professional revolutionary; revolution is my job," the left-winger who fought alongside radicalised Palestinians, Germany's Red Army Faction and the Japanese Red Army, told a French appeals court in 2018. Carlos has always denied responsibility for the attack at the Publicis Drugstore at Saint-Germain-des-Pres in the heart of Paris's Left Bank. He became one of the world's most-wanted men after leading a brazen attack on a meeting of the OPEC oil cartel in Vienna in 1975. Carlos and five other gunmen took 11 oil ministers and dozens of others hostage.

August exports up, says ministerExports increased in August but at a slower pace than in July as coronavirus restrictions hit manufacturing and logistics, the commerce minister said on Wednesday. Exports should remain positive for the rest of the year, Jurin Laksanawisit told a seminar. The ministry is due to release August trade data on Thursday. A Reuters poll forecast an annual 13.5% increase in exports in August, versus July's 20.27% rise.

The board did not announce any immediate decision and said it would meet again "soon." The board had already met with Georgieva, who denies the charges, last Thursday and Friday, immediately after the investigation was made public. The independent investigation found that during her time as World Bank CEO, Georgieva and then World Bank President Jim Yong Kim pressured staff to change their methodology to allow China not to dip in the closely watched rankings. US voices weigh heaviest in the IMF executive board, which chooses the organization's managing director, and the country also has a right of veto. The World Bank immediately announced that it would stop publishing the report.

ADB cuts Asia growth forecast on slow Covid vaccine rolloutWorkers build a bridge in Ghaziabad, India. The Asian Development Bank has cut its growth forecast for developing Asia. MANILA: The Asian Development Bank warned of "lasting scars" from the coronavirus pandemic as it cut its 2021 growth forecast for developing Asia on slow vaccination rates, surging infections and crippling lockdowns. The Philippines-based ADB forecast growth of 7.1% -- compared with its previous prediction in April of 7.3% and a slight contraction in 2020 -- but said the recovery "remains fragile". Progress on reducing poverty in developing Asia had been set back "at least two years", and prolonged school closures would lead to higher-than-expected learning and earning losses.

11,252 new Covid cases, 141 more deathsYoungsters wait for injection with the Pfizer vaccine at Vajira Hospital in Bangkok on Tuesday. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)Thailand logged 11,252 new Covid-19 cases and 141 more fatalities during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Wednesday morning. Four southern border provinces had 1,309 new cases and 10 new fatalities, while 67 other provinces recorded 6,039 new cases and 57 new deaths. Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 1,511,357 Covid-19 cases, with 1,366,533 complete recoveries so far. Global Covid-19 cases rose by 456,457 in 24 hours to 230.31 million.

Amnesty demands two billion Covid jabs for poorer worldAmnesty claims vaccine manufacturers are not living up to their commitments to provide the Covid jab to poorer nations. LONDON: Covid vaccine manufacturers are putting profit before lives, Amnesty International said on Wednesday, as it demanded two billion doses for poorer nations by the end of the year. The group said AstraZeneca, BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Novavax and Pfizer had all refused to share doses or technology to enable more of the world to get Covid jabs. Out of 5.76 billion doses administered worldwide, only 0.3 percent have gone to low-income countries with over 79 percent heading to upper-middle and high-income countries, it said. AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson were selling their doses at cost price, it noted.

US actor Tom Hanks serves as a trustee for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles is finally getting a museum for movies -- and it's about time, said Tom Hanks, as he welcomed journalists to a special pre-opening event Tuesday. After decades of delays, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opens to the public next week. "It matters for Los Angeles to have this film museum," said double-Oscar winner Hanks, who serves as a trustee. After a star-studded opening gala Saturday, the museum opens to the public on September 30.

WeTV forecasts strong business growthMs Kanokporn delivers a keynote presentation at the live press conference for 'WeTV Always More 2022'. "Thailand's over-the-top [OTT] market sees intense competition with more than 20 players involved," said Kanokporn Prachayaset, chief commercial and country manager of WeTV Thailand. Kanokporn Prachayaset, chief commercial officer and country manager of WeTV Thailand, Tencent (Thailand) Co, gives a keynote presentation at the live press conference for 'WeTV Always More 2022.' In 2021, 50% of WeTV content is from China and the rest from local productions and elsewhere. Kaichen Li, head of WeTV and iFlix for Southeast Asia, said there are 180 million OTT users in Asean.