A senior transport official also warned of likely increases in sea freight charges and cargo container availability as ships avoid the war in the Mideast, taking the much longer route around the southern tip of Africa. In the United Arab Emirates, flights were limited to transporting stranded travellers. Turkey and Saudi Arabia remained open and ready for use by repatriation flights, he said. Riyadh-Bangkok flights remained operational and could be increased to serve Thai evacuees, as needed, Mr Panidone said. He also warned that sea freight between Thailand and Europe would take an additional 15 days because vessels were avoiding the war zone and rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope,This would affect freight charges and the availability of cargo containers.

A Nida poll released on Sunday shows mixed voter opinions on whether the formation of a new government should be put on hold until the court rules in the ballot barcodes case, with a slight majority agreeing the coalition's formation should wait. The survey, conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) on March 2-4, questioned 1,310 respondents aged 18 and over across all regions. It reported on Sunday that 44.81% want the formation of the next government paused until the court delivers a ruling on the barcode and QR code issue. Asked whether the barcodes dispute would ignite a new round of political unrest, 36.56% said it would not lead to turmoil. However, 19.08% were quite worried, 18.55% very worried, and 14.27% not very worried.

Iran says can fight for months as Israel strikes Beirut hotelIran's president says that Tehran will be forced to respond if its neighbours attackedTEHRAN - Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Sunday that the country's forces could fight an intense war for six months against the United States and Israel, which said it struck Tehran's commanders at a seaside hotel in the heart of Beirut. Lebanon's health ministry said the strike killed at least four people at the hotel, where an AFP photographer saw shattered windows and charred walls. UAE forces were intercepting incoming missile and drones from Iran, the defence ministry said in a post on X. Trump struck a similarly defiant tone, repeating the claim that Iran had been close to developing a nuclear weapon. Neither the US nor Israel has claimed responsibility for the attack and AFP could not independently verify the circumstances.

LONDON - Japanese entertainment giant Sony face a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) class action lawsuit starting on Tuesday in London, accused of breaching competition law by overcharging millions of UK PlayStation users. The claimants' website accuses Sony of "exploiting its UK customers" for nearly a decade by charging them "too much for PlayStation digital games and in-game content". Sony's prices "are out of all proportion to the costs of Sony providing these services to its customers", they said. Last year, Apple lost a lawsuit in London for abusing its dominant position and charging excessive commissions on its in-house App Store. The US tech giant, which has said it intends to appeal the decision, could be liable to reimburse millions of users.

Cosmic edge for Men in Blue over Black Caps in Ahmedabad(Photo: AFP)Cricket, widely considered the world's second most popular sport after football, commands a global following of more than 2.5 billion people. With the final featuring India and New Zealand, an astrological perspective offers an intriguing lens through which to view the contest. The New Zealand perspectiveNew Zealand's head coach, Rob Walter (born Sept 16, 1975), possesses a horoscope that appears broadly balanced. Santner's horoscope contains several strong planetary alignments associated with strong planets such as Shiva, Vishnu and Saturn but weaker influences from Jupiter, Brahma and Laxmi. When combining traditional astrological indicators with current cricketing dynamics, India appears to hold a slight astrological and structural advantage heading into the final.

But for the dramatic pursuit that brings the Oscar-nominated "One Battle After Another" to its conclusion, director Paul Thomas Anderson wanted something a little bit different, his location manager Michael Glaser told AFP. The film's final sequence sees Bob desperately searching for his daughter as she tries to outrun Lockjaw in the desert. The crew also filmed on another stretch of road in Borrego Springs called "The Texas Dip," one of the around 200 locations Glaser offered for the movie. - Subconscious characters -Location managers are among the first to join a project and among the last to leave, says Glaser. They "create a mood, create a palette, create a feeling for characters, the places they inhabit."

First Thai evacuees from Iran reach TurkeyThai evacuees arrive in Turkey from Iran on Saturday. (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)The first 62 Thai evacuees from Iran crossed the border into Turkey on Saturday night and will board flights back to Thailand on Sunday and Monday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday the group, led by Thai embassy counseller Shayanid Prasertpol, safely departed Iran through the Razi border crossing and entered Turkey through the Kapikoy checkpoint. A delegation from the Department of Consular Affairs led by deputy director-general Bancha Yuenyongchongcharoen greeted the evacuees, who were taken to Van city, Turkey, and would board repatriation flights home on Sunday and Monday, the ministry announcement said. The consular delegation reached the Kapikoy checkpoint at 6.40pm on Saturday local time, which is four hours behind Thailand.

Philippines' 'Cockroach Lord' goes to bat for misunderstood bugsCristian Lucanas, an entomologist from the University of the Philippines Los Banos, shows preserved specimens of cockroaches in Los Banos town, (Photo: afp)LOS BANOS, Philippines - A thin band of light from Cristian Lucanas's headlamp pierces the blackness of a Philippine rainforest as he digs through the underbrush before gently scooping up a cockroach with his bare hands. The massively biodiverse Philippines has about 130 known species, three-fourths of which are found nowhere else on earth. While some cockroach species do carry disease-spreading microbes, a world without them would slow the process of decomposition crucial for sustaining ecosystems, he said. When his biology class adviser was unable to identify the species, Lucanas knew he had found his niche. He laments that most science funding in his country "goes to research that will directly affect humans", worrying that at best he will only be able to catalog and explain the Philippines' cockroaches.

US court voids mass layoffs at Voice of America parentKari Lake was hired by Trump to oversee layoffs at US Agency for Global MediaWASHINGTON (UNITED STATES) - A federal judge ruled Saturday that President Donald Trump's pick to oversee mass layoffs at Voice of America and other government-funded media was unlawfully appointed, rendering the job cuts invalid. Kari Lake, a former TV anchor, was hired by Trump to head the US Agency for Global Media, part of his administration's efforts to clamp down on what he considers unfriendly journalism. She soon announced funding and job cuts, including the dismissal of more than 500 employees of Voice of America, created in the wake of World War II as a key instrument of American soft power worldwide. The Agency for Global Media is an independent agency tasked with promoting democracy and countering propaganda overseas through entities that include VOA, Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting. Trump frequently attacks media outlets and denounced the editorial firewall at VOA that prevents the government from intervening in its coverage.

Alcaraz cruises into Indian Wells third round as Djokovic fights throughFive-time champion Novak Djokovic is through to the third round at Indian Wells after a three-set victory over Kamil Majchrzak of PolandINDIAN WELLS (UNITED STATES) - World number one Carlos Alcaraz swept past Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-4 to reach the third round of the Indian Wells ATP Masters on Saturday as Novak Djokovic battled back for a three-set victory over Kamil Majchrzak. Djokovic, a five-time Indian Wells champion who has struggled in recent years, had to grind for two hours and 12 minutes to subdue 57th ranked Kamil Majchrzak of Poland 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. He added the Qatar Open title before heading Stateside to chase a third Indian Wells crown. Although he shares the record for most Indian Wells ATP titles with Swiss great Roger Federer, Djokovic has found the early going in California anything but relaxing in recent years. Draper halted Alcaraz's bid for a rare Indian Wells three-peat in the semi-finals last year before beating Holger Rune in the final.

Public transport drivers finedAuthorities have stepped up efforts to organise public transport services in a busy Bangkok shopping district after inspectors found multiple violations by drivers. The Department of Land Transport deployed inspection teams between Feb 27 and March 4 to check public transport operations near CentralWorld and Big C Ratchadamri on Ratchadamri Road. Inspectors found 14 drivers violating the law. Offences included six drivers wearing improper uniforms, three failing to submit vehicles for fare-meter inspections, two using vehicles without annual tax payment, one refusing passengers, one installing illegal lighting equipment and one failing to display a driving licence. Officials issued penalties and warnings while reminding drivers to obey regulations, use fare meters and avoid rejecting passengers to maintain Thailand's tourism image.

Explosion at US embassy in Oslo, only minor damage police sayPolice vehicles outside the US embassy in Oslo after an explosion was reported there about 1am on March 8, 2026. (Photo: Javad Parsa/NTB/Reuters)OSLO - An explosion at the US embassy in ​Oslo early Sunday morning caused minor damage but no injuries, Norwegian police said. A loud blast was heard near ​the ⁠embassy compound in western Oslo around 1am (7am Thai time) and smoke was seen ‌rising from the area, eyewitnesses told local media. The embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of ⁠regular business hours. The US State ​Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump tells Britain he does not need its help to win Iran warU.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth behind, speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on a flight from Dover, Delaware, to Miami, Florida, U.S., March 7, 2026. REUTERSPresident Donald Trump said on Saturday that ​Britain is giving "serious thought" ‌to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East, but added that the U.S. does not need them to win the war with Iran, in the latest clash between the military allies. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he "will remember" the lack of British support during the conflict with Iran. But no final decision ​has ⁠been taken about whether to deploy the aircraft carrier to the Middle East, a British official said. He later granted U.S. forces permission ​to use British bases for what he called defensive strikes against Iranian missiles in storage depots or launchers.

Vessels in the Middle East -- here, a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz -- are battling difficulties with their outdated GPS systems. But "many ships only listen to the original civilian GPS signal, which is called the L1 C/A signal. - Spoofing -Jamming a GPS signal is "not that complicated," said Katherine Dunn, the author of an upcoming book of the history of GPS, "Little Blue Dot." - Clocks -Today, GPS signals are not just used to determine location; they also power onboard clocks, radar systems and speed logs, Dunn said. - Defensive jamming -Signal jamming is undoubtedly being used both offensively and defensively.

Lebanon says four killed in Israeli strike on hotel in BeirutA general view of Beirut's southern suburbs appearing without electricity, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 7, 2026. REUTERSBEIRUT: At least four ​people were killed ‌when an Israeli strike hit an apartment in the Ramada hotel building in central Beirut, Lebanon's ​health ⁠ministry said, the first strike to hit the heart of the capital ‌since Israel-Hezbollah hostilities resumed last week. Ten people were also injured in the strike in ⁠Beirut's Raouche area, the health ministry said in a statement. The hotel was housing displaced people fleeing the war in southern Lebanon ​and Beirut's southern suburbs, and some were seen leaving the ​building ‌for fear of further airstrikes. Israel responded with heavy strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon and near Beirut.