Business

But the country's sole satellite service provider is confident it did nothing wrong and was in full compliance with state regulations.

It is also ready to comply with all conditions set by the government on the terms of contract if there is a fair and comprehensive solution, said chief executive Arak Chonlatanon.

'The European Union would like to state its well-known position that the death penalty has not been found to act as a deterrent and that any miscarriage of justice - which is inevitable in any legal system - is irreversible,' said a statement issued by the Swedish presidency of the EU on behalf of the bloc's 27 member states.

Several companies say the worst is over for a sector at the heart of emerging Asia's battered, export-reliant economies - from Thailand to Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Stocks on the move included:

TMB BANK TMB.BK JUMPS ON STAKE SALE TALKS

The gross domestic product in the second quarter should not be lower than the first quarter at negative 7.1 per cent, Fiscal Policy Office director-general Somchai Sujjapongse said on Wednesday.

There were signs indicating that the economy may start to recover in June, he said.

Market sentiment generally has turned cautious after gains

over the past two sessions.

'The trend is not strongly bullish and the SET Index probably

won't be able to get through resistance agt 624,' broker KGI

Securities said in a research note.

'The major driver remains oil prices, which are benefiting

from a soft U.S. dollar and better-than-expected U.S. residential data,' it said. 'Overall, the strength of the rally should slow but foreign inflows still provide support.'

South Korea's benchmark index gained modestly after news that Asia's fourth-largest economy grew at its fastest pace in nearly six years in the second quarter, adding to evidence the region is bouncing back.

Stronger-than-expected U.S. corporate earnings have added to the case for an economic turnaround while a jump in home sales propelled the Dow Jones industrials to its first close above 9,000 since January.

Tokyo shares were up nearly 1 percent while oil prices largely held onto the big gains made overnight amid signs the U.S. economy, the world's largest, is improving.

But there are still nagging doubts about whether the massive gains in world markets since March can be sustained.

"What is happening in the markets is quite irrational," said Peter Lai, investment manager at DBS Vickers in Hong Kong. "The global economic situation doesn't justify the rise in stock prices. The rally is driven by liquidity and hot money not by fundamentals," he said.

Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average was up 134.78 points, or 1.4 percent, to 9,927.72 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 92.25, or 0.5 percent, at 19,909.95.

South Korea's Kospi was 0.3 percent higher after figures showed the economy grew 2.3 percent in the second quarter as increased government spending and record low interest rates helped to insulate it from the global recession. Singapore and China have also released stronger growth figures in recent weeks.

In Seoul, shares of Samsung Electronics dropped 0.2 percent despite the world's biggest maker of memory chips and flat screen TVs reporting a 5.2 percent rise in second quarter profit.

Elsewhere, Australia's market gained 0.8 percent, Singapore was 1.2 percent higher while Taiwan's benchmark edged lower by 0.4 percent.

China's Shanghai market gained 1.8 percent, shrugging off fears that a construction company's massive share sale could weigh on stock prices. China State Construction Engineering Corp., the company that built the "Water Cube" swimming center for the Beijing Olympics, said Friday that it raised $7.3 billion in the world's biggest initial public offering this year.

The players touched down in the capital, Bangkok, at 3pm local time and headed to their hotel after the 10-hour flight from Vienna.

Despite heavy security, about 100 fans camped out in the foyer of the Grand Hyatt Hotel Grawan to catch a glimpse of their Kop idols.

Swathed in flags, banners and scarves, despite the soaring temperatures, the Thai supporters have underlined the depth of support for the club in the Far East.

A media frenzy last night saw about 100 press, broadcast and radio people quiz Rafael Benitez, Jamie Carragher and Ryan Babel at the team's first conference.

Benitez was probed on the future of Spanish midfield maestro Xabi Alonso, but refused to be drawn.

Liverpool Daily Post photographer Colin Lane, who is on Thailand, said: "Some of the fans pose a surreal sight with their LFC- branded Swine Flu masks.

According to the Thai Foreign Ministry's figure, Thailand currently ranks eleventh among foreign investors in Vietnam and second among those who are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

BANGKOK - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government sought Senate approval on Monday for plans to finance part of a 1.43 trillion baht ($61.2 billion) stimulus package to revive the recession-hit economy.

The upper house of Parliament will consider an executive decree plus a bill seeking to borrow a total 800 billion baht outside the normal fiscal process to help finance the three-year package.

The following is a breakdown of the programme: