Israeli researchers have developed a new treatment for HIV that kills human cells infected with the virus and could lead to a breakthrough in treating AIDS, the Haaretz newspaper said on Friday.

SET index closed at 929.90, up 9.36 or 1.02% in trade worth 52.54 billion baht on Friday.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is ready for talks with Thai counterpart Abhisit Vejjajiva during the United Nations General Assembly in New York this month, Prime Minister's Office Minister Ong-art Klampaiboon said on Friday on returning from Cambodia.

The 74 industrial projects in the Map Ta Phut estate which were allowed to go head by Administrative Court's order on Thursday will be able to resume operations within two weeks, Buddhipongse Punnakanta, an adviser to Industry Minister Chaiwuti Bannawat, said on Friday.

The Senate has set Sept 6-7 for deliberation of the 2.07-trillion-baht 2011 Budget Bill, Senate Speaker Prasobsuk Boondej said on Friday.

A Puea Thai MP has come up with a grim prediction that there would definitely be a military coup in October.

Prices of PTT and its affiliate firms’ shares on Friday morning sky-rocketed as investors welcomed the ruling of Administrative Court to allow 72 investment projects in Map Ta Phut industrial estate, including those of PTT group, to go ahead, reports said.

Dictatorship is so deeply rooted in Thai politics it is not easy for the country to free itself from it, ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra said in an interview posted on the Thai Rath website.

The court ruling ending the environmental impasse in Rayong’s Map Ta Phut industrial estate would help boost the country’s investment climate and investment could grow by about 9.3 per cent in 2011, Kasikorn Research Centre said on Friday.

Police will seek court approval for the arrest of six more people in connection with the fatal shooting of 9-year-old schoolboy on a bus on Wednesday morning by a gang of tech school students, police said.

Government House and the surrounding area will be declared a "restricted zone" from Friday night, Pol Lt-Gen Santan Chayanon said.

SET index closed at 875.07, up 0.15 or 0.02% in trade worth 42.30 billion baht on Friday.

Saudi Arabia suspended BlackBerry messaging services on Friday, users said as concerns spread across the Middle East and parts of Asia over security issues with the popular smartphones.

The Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation concluded at its meeting on Friday that the planned Bangkok rally by the Thailand Patriot Network over Preah Vihear temple on Satuday would risk violating the emergency decree, Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said.

The Appeal Court on Friday ordered the Criminal Court to examine witnesses for both Weng Tojirakarn, a United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship leader charged with terrorism, and the Department of Special Investigation on Monday, Aug 9.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has again warned the Thailand Patriot Network not to rally at Government House, because they could be arrested.

The best way to settle the border dispute near Preah Vihear temple between Thailand and Cambodia is holding talks, defence permanent secretary Apichart Penkitti said on Friday.

The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) on Friday passed a resolution to support the planned rally of the Thailand Patriot Network led by Veera Somkwamkid at Government House on Saturday to demand that a border agreement with Cambodia be revoked.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will meet with leaders of the Thailand Patriot Network on Friday evening to discuss the Preah Vihear temple issue, following their announcement confirming a planned rally in front of Government House on Saturday.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) composite index went up 2.00 points or 0.23% to close at 876.92 points at the end of trading session on Friday morning. The trade value was 22.27 billion baht.