Iris Mittenaere of France  // is crowned as the 65th Miss Universe // by last year's pageant winner Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach // from the Philippines in suburban Manila Monday morning. (EPA photo)

MANILA - A 23-year-old dental student from France // has won the Miss Universe crown in the annual pageant // held this year in the Philippines.

Iris Mittenaere // from the small town of Lille in northern France // said Monday // in reply to a final question from pageant host Steve Harvey  // that she would be honoured //  if she just landed among the three finalists, // but was visibly stunned  //  when she was announced // the winner among the field of 86 contestants.

Miss Haiti, Raquel Pelissier,  // a 25-year-old survivor of the devastating 2010 earthquake  // that destroyed her hometown,  // was named first runner up // while Miss Colombia, 23-year-old, Andrea Tovar,  // was second runner up.

Miss Thailand, Chalita "Namtan" Suansane, // reached the semi-finals of the pageant, // the last six women. //  It was the highest placing  // for a Thai in many years.

Nong Namtan, // a 21-year-old native of Samut Prakan, // won the world's votes in internet balloting.

The Maha Sarakham University microbiology student  // was following in the footsteps  // of the two previous Miss Universe winners from Thailand // - Apasra Hongsakula in 1965, // and Porntip Nakhirunkanok (now Porntip Bui Simon) in 1988.

The contest among the final six contestants // was answering a random question. //  Ms Chalita was asked  // who was the person she admired most, // and she answered through an interpreter that  // it was King Bhumibol, // for his work with the people.

Miss Myanmar Htet Htet Htun // won the best national costume  // depicting "Burmese Puppetry".

Miss Universe candidate from Myanmar Htet Htet Htun // wears a costume depicting "Burmese Puppetry" as she competes // during a national costume preliminary competition //  in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, // on Jan 26, 2017. (Reuters photo)

Newly appointed Education Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin yesterday vowed to solve the chronic shortage of teachers and instructional materials in schools nationwide within five years.

Mr Teerakiat said the ministry, under his era, will focus on fixing inequality in the education system which is in line with the guideline initiated by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, as part of the education reform plan.

"His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn told the ministry to follow in his father's footsteps in developing education during the oath-taking ceremony on Monday. Therefore, I and all officials will fully adhere to His Majesty's suggestion," Mr Teerakiat said.

Mr Teerakiat said he already handed over policies and guidelines to regional offices of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) to find solutions for the shortage of teachers and instructional materials in schools.

"Obec will have to find out the root cause of the lack of teachers and instructional materials in rural schools and how many schools it must help each year," he said. He said his goal is to ensure there are no schools that lack adequate teachers and instructional materials within five years.

Mr Teerakiat said he had been instructed by the prime minister during the cabinet meeting to set up both short-term and long-term plans in reforming the education system as the government has only about one year left before a general election.

The ministry will have one-year and five-year plans, he said, adding they will link with the 20-year national strategy, which consists of six areas -- security, competitiveness enhancement, human resource development, social equality, green growth, and rebalancing and public sector development.

However, Mr Teerakiat affirmed the ministry would adhere to the former minister's policies such as the policy to cut class hours in state schools by two hours a day, the policy to promote vocational education among Thai youth and the policy to boost the country's English competency.

"All policies by the former minister will continue. I will only improve them. There will be no immediate change," he said.

The minister also vowed to eliminate corruption in the ministry, saying severe legal action will be taken against corrupt officials.

CHIANG MAI -- A 6-year-old girl playing with her father's handgun shot and killed her 7-year-old sister at their home on Tuesday, deputy provincial police chief Pol Col Piyapan Pattarapongsin said.

He said that according to Pol Col Atthapol Meesiang, acting chief of Mae Taeng district police station, the incident occurred at about 6pm on Tuesday at Vichai Sinlee's house in tambon Ban Chang, Daily News online reported.

Mr Vichai left his house to attend a village party, leaving his two daughters, aged 6 and 7, at home.

The younger sister apparenty went into Mr Vichai's room, took her father's .38 Colt pistol from his wardrobe and began playing with it.

She accidentally fired a shot, and the bullet hit her elder sister in the head.

The girl was pronounced dead on arrival at the district hospital.

Authorities examine motorcycles believed to be used by debt collectors of the country's biggest loan shark in Pathum Thani province on Wednesday. (Photo by Pongpat Wongyala)

Law enforcement authorities swept through scores of properties in Pathum Thani on Wednesday as the hunt continued for assets connected to the country's biggest loan shark network.

The dismantling of the network resumed on Wednesday afternoon when soldiers, police and officials of the Department of Special Investigation swooped on numerous houses in Ratanakosin 200 Years housing estate in Thanyaburi district. The houses were said to have been rented to debt collectors of Wichai Panngern who is accused of being the country's biggest loan shark.

They impounded 50 Honda CBR motorcycles, four passenger cars and a number of safes. No one was found in the houses. Officials believe the occupiers escaped just before the raid on the loan shark network started on Tuesday.

Authorities have warrants for the arrest of Mr Wichai, 46, and suspected associate Chaiwut Wiwatana-areekul, 30. Both are Pathumi Thani residents.

On Tuesday officials raided about 20 locations believed to belong to their nationwide illegal lending network, including the two suspects' houses and an apartment building in Thanyaburi and Lam Luk Ka districts in Pathum Thani.

In the raids, authorities found no suspects, only belongings which indicated that they had just escaped.

Air-conditioners at the places were still operating, and there were signs of the suspects climbing out of the residences and racing through the backyards.

Local people said gang members were seen fleeing from the expensively decorated places with various objects including computers about an hour before the raid on Tuesday. Authorities seized about 10 luxury vehicles and a dozen safes on Tuesday.

Impounded assets were estimated at hundreds of millions of baht. Officials are giving out little information about the case as the two prime suspects remain at large.

Searches on Tuesday (photos by Pongpat Wongyala)

Monks walk past the Grand Palace in Bangkok. A system is now in place to prevent rogue monks or those disrobed because of criminal offences from returning to monastic life. (Bangkok Post file photo)

The Sangha Supreme Council on Wednesday said it has completed an upgrade of its database to prevent monks who have been disrobed because of misconduct or criminal offences from re-entering the monkhood.

The system would be developed further to link with the Royal Thai Police’s criminal database, Boonchert Kittithara, director of the secretariat of the SSC, said. 

In recent years there had been evidence of monks having been disrobed for committing a serious breach of monastic rules or being disrobed for other reasons being re-ordained in Buddhist temples in remote rural areas. 

The Phra Upatcha, who conducts ordinations, at these remote temples would approve the requests to enter the monkhood because they had no effective way of checking personal histories of the petitioners.  

The system would help the Phra Upatcha across the country, who have the final say in accepting or rejecting requests from men wishing to enter the monkhood, to better screen qualifications. 

Mr Boonchert urged the Phra Upatcha to contact the Office of Buddhism in their provinces and submit each prospective monk’s 13-digit ID card number. The record-screening would proceed immediately.

“We will develop a database system to include police criminal records so that we can screen criminal fugitives who want to hide behind monk’s robes,” Mr Boonchert said.