The UAE experienced severe weather on Friday (March 8) night and Saturday (March 9), with heavy rain and thunderstorms hitting parts of the country.

The Fine Arts Department organised a masked dance of the Ramakien epic at Wat Chaiwatthanaram in Ayutthaya province on Saturday and Sunday. The ancient Buddhist temple stands in the Historic City of Ayutthaya, a World Heritage site listed by Unesco. (Video: Jetjaras Na Ranong)

Some 56 million years ago the earth underwent an extreme climate change event. A surge of carbon dioxide levels sent already warm global temperatures soaring. With sea levels 220 feet higher than now and temperatures 5-9 degrees warmer than during the peak greenhouse (Paleocene) period, a freshwater sea formed around the north pole. The nitrogen-fixing capability of Azolla and its symbiont Anabaena has led to its widespread use as a fertiliser, especially in parts of Southeast Asia. The plant has bolstered agricultural productivity in China for over 1,000 years and helps Thai farmers improve their rice production today.

Woman arrested for alleged '3XL' sex serviceA police officer reads a charge during the arrest of Sopang Thongdonmuean at a hotel in Bang Khen district on Saturday night. (Photo supplied)Bangkok police arrested an overweight woman for alleged prostitution in a sting operation after seeing an online advertisement for sex services by overweight women. According to the commander, arrested in the sting operation was Sopang Thongdonmuean, 49. It offered unlimited sex services in a party with overweight women with a 1,800-baht fee for each woman. She brought seven overweight women with her on Saturday.

Monkeys enjoy the annual buffet festival staged for them at Phra Prang Sam Yot in Lop Buri. A macaque attacked and injured local woman Arikanta Kanchanasinmetha, in Lop Buri, on March 6, as it attempted to take her food. Atthapol Charoenchansa, the DNP director-general, told officials to visit the injured woman in Lop Buri to assess her injuries. The macaque population in Lop Buri was 5,709 at the end of last year, Mr Atthapol said recently, including 2,206 in the municipality. She was sent to Lop Buri Hospital by rescue volunteers and discharged.

Xi's got bigger problemsChinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a press conference on the sidelines of the National People's Congress in Beijing on Thursday. Mr Wang may bring a steady hand, but he's also quick to call Washington out over its policies, particularly around China's access to advanced chips. The episode highlighted the secretive nature of the party's inner workings but also shone a glaring spotlight on Mr Xi's personnel choices, given Mr Qin was his pick. A new foreign minister would go a long way to help explain Beijing's global viewpoint. The fact that he was not announced should tell you that the focus for Mr Xi is what's going on at home, not overseas.

Airlines contend high fares are justifiedThai AirAsia and Thai Lion Air jets sit at a terminal at Don Mueang airport. As consumers cry foul over expensive domestic airfares, Thai AirAsia says ceiling prices should not be slashed as airlines have carried a higher cost burden since the pandemic. However, airlines can help by increasing flights during Songkran to reduce average fares, said Santisuk Klongchaiya, chief executive of Thai AirAsia. He said Thai AirAsia will maintain appropriate prices, differing on each route based on seasonality and passenger demand. Thai AirAsia is targeting 15-20% revenue growth this year as it expands its fleet to 60 aircraft with a seat capacity of 23.3 million.

Govt touts Land Bridge to top French firmsThe government was due to meet with top-tier companies in France yesterday as part of its Land Bridge Road Show to draw firms to invest in logistics infrastructure in the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC). The environmental and health impact assessment (EHIA) for the Land Bridge megaproject is being conducted by the OTP, he said. Anan Phonimdang, SRT deputy governor, said rail routes along the Land Bridge are divided into two sections. The Land Bridge megaproject development consists of four phases. A route linking the two ports will cost 195 billion baht, with 6.2 billion baht in compensation for land expropriation.

It begs the question of the credibility of the Western news sources and their intentions. One example is The New York Times, which is facing questions about a sweeping investigative story it published on the Israel-Hamas war back in December. While the New York Times fired staff photojournalist Hosam Salam for being pro-Palestinian, three Jewish reporters were allowed to team up and write an article about Hamas. The last Chinese weather balloon article was published one week before the Pentagon stated that it held no spying equipment. As shown in many of the opinions from PostBag's contributors, these Western news sources are taken to be the Gospel truth.

Meet Kanamol Chuvol, an eraser buff since her academic years. Not being the brightest student meant she made mistakes, and erasers became her indispensable companion. Check out her extensive collection. Many pieces have a unique story.

B.Grimm Power (BGRIM) is expanding its renewable energy business through investments in Nakwol Wind and Hanbit Wind, two offshore wind power plants in South Korea which have a combined installed capacity of 740 megawatts. Nakwol Wind is responsible for the Yeonggwang Nakwol offshore wind power generation project, which has an installed capacity of roughly 365MW. BGRIM has also invested $25.2 million in Hanbit Wind Power Co (Hanbit Wind), acquiring 49% of the company's issued shares. Mr Link said BGRIM is gradually expanding its investment in South Korea. As outlined in the Framework Act on low-carbon green growth, South Korea is poised to deploy up to 20GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.

The roles of women have changed significantly in recent years,In honor of International Women's Day on March 8, we proudly unveil the outstanding women who have left an indelible mark across diverse fields, achieving remarkable milestones and making transformative contributions through their unwavering pursuit of excellence. These exceptional individuals have been bestowed with the title of Bangkok Post's Women of the Year 2024.

Analysts predict policy rate cut next monthThe Bank of Thailand is expected to tweak the policy rate as early as its next meeting in April, reducing the rate 0.25 percentage points as inflation continues to decline as a result of the government's electricity price subsidies and stalled economic growth, say analysts. Last month was the 10th consecutive one where CPI inflation was below the target range of 1% to 3%. "Even if the decision is not unanimous, we expect the Bank of Thailand to tweak its policy rate with a 25-basis-point cut to 2.25% at its next meeting on April 10, largely to bring the real policy rate to levels more congruent with weaker growth and lower inflation," said the group. BofA, a unit of Bank of America, said the notable dip in inflation expectations and lower growth potential would call for a lower neutral interest rate. "As a result, we maintain our view that there will be two rate cuts in 2024, as the Bank of Thailand recalibrates its policy stance," he said.

Joe Biden and Donald Trump swept to victory in party polls across the U.S. on Super Tuesday (March 5), the biggest day of primaries in the 2024 presidential election cycle. With the news first reported by the Wall Street Journal that Nikki Haley plans to end her campaign on Wednesday, the scene is now set for an historic Biden-Trump rematch in November.

Haadthip to launch range of alcoholic drinks in ThailandAn aerial view of a Haadthip factory. Haadthip Plc plans to manufacture alcoholic beverages in Thailand, encouraged by the tourism boom in the southern region. Maj Gen Patchara Rattakul, chief executive of Haadthip, said the company is planning to introduce licensed alcoholic beverage brands under the Coca-Cola Company in Thailand. In 2023, Haadthip recorded total revenue of 7.8 billion baht, a high for the past five years and up 13.6% from 2022. Maj Gen Patchara said that Haadthip recorded total revenue of 7.8 billion baht in 2023.