I'm Phillip Hong. The time is 1200 UTC on the 2nd of April 2006, and this is Audio Wikinews: News Briefs.
Thais head to the polls for snap-election
Today sees the Thai snap election for the lower house of the country's parliament. With only one of the parties with seats contesting the election it is seen more as a an attempt by current caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to shore up his position in the face of mass protests and accusations of malfeasance. The snap election was called on February 24 by the beleagured PM, approximately one year after the previous election where his Thai Rak Thai party took 377 of the 500 seats in the lower house making it the first party to have been able to form a government without entering into a coalition.

Iraq war vet claims atrocities by U.S. soldiers
Joshua Key, a 27-year-old U.S. war deserter, alleged to a Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board yesterday that American soldiers had been kicking the severed head of an Iraqi in Ramadi "like a soccer ball." Key now works as a welder in British Columbia where he and his wife have four children under six years of age. There were no representations made at this hearing to dispute the claims made by Key; but Key also did not provide any proof to substantiate his allegations.

The Simpsons movie to be released into theatres in 2007
In Entertainment News, The Simpsons, a major hit animated television show, is set to appear in movie theatres. It has been confirmed that The Simpsons Movie will appear in theatres July 27, 2007.
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Wikinews:Briefs/April 2, 2006