IN BRIEF (Page 24)

Thailand

Army searches for helicopter

The Thai army said it was searching for a military helicopter that went missing on Sunday in northern Thailand with five people on board, including a major general. The UH-72 light helicopter disappeared from radar at around 10.30 am about 30 minutes into its flight, said Lieutenant General Somsak Ninbanjerdkun, Third Area Army commander overseeing Thailand's north. Among those on board was Major General Nopporn Ruanchan, commander of the army's 4th Infantry Division, he said. "The helicopter is still missing," government spokesman Winthai Suvaree said on Sunday.