Thai general election this year, says DPM

BANGKOK • Thai Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday a general election will be held this year, after doubts were raised by a member of the national legislative assembly. The assembly member said on Monday the election would have to be delayed until next year to allow time to pass laws needed to hold it.

REUTERS

4 Taiwanese deported to China; Taipei protests

TAIPEI • Taiwan has strongly objected to the deportation from Vietnam to China of four Taiwan nationals suspected of telecommunications fraud, saying the move was carried out under pressure from Beijing. The latest deportation follows a series of similar cases last year where Taiwan nationals in Kenya, Malaysia, Armenia and Cambodia were arrested for alleged involvement in telecom scams and sent to China.

REUTERS

Sichuan shooting: Govt official a suspect

BEIJING • A government official was suspected of carrying out a rare shooting rampage in China yesterday in which two officials were wounded when a gunman burst into a meeting and opened fire, Xinhua news agency reported. The shooting happened at an exhibition centre in Panzhihua city in Sichuan province.

The gunman fired multiple shots at city leaders assembled there before fleeing. The shooter was suspected to be the chief of the city's Land and Resources Bureau, who was found dead after committing suicide on the second floor of the building, it said.

REUTERS