France calls Olympic gender test ‘a step backwards’
Test is banned under French law but most countries support IOC for providing ‘clarity’The International Olympic Committee’s new policy on gender testing will bar transgender athletes from women’s competition. (Photo: AFP)PARIS - France on Friday called the International Olympic Committee’s new policy on gender testing to determine eligibility to compete in women’s events a “step backwards”, but other countries welcomed the move. “France regrets this step backwards,” Ferrari added, recalling that the IOC scrapped a similar test in 1999 “due to strong reservations from the scientific community regarding their usefulness”. IOC President Kirsty Coventry said on Thursday that athletes from countries where the gender test was banned would have to be tested in other countries. So we have time to walk through this process with everyone.”The sport of athletics introduced the gender test last year.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 27, 2026 15:10 UTC
Ministry rolls out festival travel safety plan nationwide
Ministry rolls out festival travel safety plan nationwideThe Ministry of Transport has unveiled its comprehensive plan to manage traffic and ensure safety during the upcoming Songkran festival, with an estimated 26.54 million vehicles travelling across the country between April 10–19. Mr Phiphat also said the ministry has launched the plan "Smart Travel Songkran 2569", a seven-point plan for traffic management. Traffic laws will be strictly observed to ensure road safety, including alcohol and substance tests. Mr Phiphat said the ministry had waived toll fees on some motorways between April 10 and 19, with the exact dates varying by route. Mr Phiphat urged the public to plan their journeys in advance and consider the efficient and economical use of fuel and other forms of energy.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 27, 2026 14:26 UTC
‘Humanitarian catastrophe’ risk rising in Lebanon
(Photo: AFP)GENEVA - Nearly a month into the Middle East war, Lebanon is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis that now risks teetering over into a catastrophe, the United Nations refugee agency warned Friday. With the numbers continuing to rise, “it is really a deepening humanitarian crisis that we here on the ground are seeing in Lebanon,” said Karolina Lindholm Billing, the agency’s representative in the country. “The situation remains extremely worrying and the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe … is real,” she told reporters in Geneva, speaking from Beirut. UNHCR is appealing for more than $60 million to scale up its response, and warned that needs were rising faster than resources. “Lebanon was already facing multiple crises, and this massive displacement is adding immense pressure on families and services,” Lindholm Billing said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 27, 2026 14:13 UTC
Tehran accuses US of ‘calculated’ assault on school
Graves are prepared for the victims following a strike on a school in Minab, Iran, on March 2, 2026. (Photo: Iranian Foreign Media Department/West Asia News Agency via AFP)GENEVA - Iran’s foreign minister on Friday branded a deadly strike on an Iranian school on the first day of the Middle East war as a “calculated” US assault. Abbas Araghchi said “more than 175 students and teachers were slaughtered in cold blood” in a “calculated, phased assault” in the February 28 strike on an Iranian elementary school in Minab. No draft resolution was discussed during Friday’s debate, but countries lined up to condemn the school strike and the Middle East war more broadly. Cuban ambassador Rodolfo Benitez Verson called for “an independent and impartial investigation” into the school strike, which he labelled a “war crime”.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 27, 2026 14:13 UTC
Joint funding backs conservation efforts
Songkhla Lake now home to just 14 endangered Irrawaddy dolphins, writes Anucha Charoenpo in SongkhlaAn aerial photograph shows a pod of Irrawaddy dolphins swimming in Songkhla Lake. The initiative follows the cabinet's approval of a five‑year conservation plan for the Irrawaddy dolphin in Songkhla Lake (2024–2028), with a budget of 402 million baht. Early this week, Mr Chakkaphan attended an orientation programme for the Irrawaddy Dolphin conservation plan in the Songkhla Lake Basin. It encompasses the Small Sea in Phatthalung province, the Large Sea in Phatthalung and Songkhla provinces and Songkhla Lake itself. TSRI also supports studies on the conservation and restoration of Irrawaddy dolphins and the Songkhla Lake ecosystem in a sustainable way, she said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 27, 2026 13:15 UTC
Long queues continue for fuel
Long queues continue for fuelA long queue of vehicles waits to buy fuel at a petrol station in Ban Kraut district of Buri Ram on Thursday morning after pump prices jumped by another 6 baht per litre. Many are wasting hours in line when they could be working, as stations are still rationing fuel amid continuing problems with hoarding and distribution bottlenecks. The frustrated drivers asked the government to suspend fuel exports to neighbouring countries to ease the domestic crisis of shortages and soaring prices. Even after the adjustment, long queues were still seen at stations across the district bordering Cambodia. Many also want to keep extra fuel in case border clashes with Cambodia erupt again, so they can evacuate in time.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 27, 2026 13:12 UTC
Iran Guards issue warning after Trump pushes deadline
The Guards’ warning came after Trump again extended a deadline for Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face the destruction of its energy assets, pushing it from Friday to April 6. Trump said he did so at Tehran’s request, insisting the Islamic republic wanted “to make a deal” to end the war engulfing the region since the United States and Israel first attacked Iran on February 28. Accusing “cowardly American-Zionist forces” of resorting to “human shields”, the country’s powerful Guards issued a stark warning to civilians. The warning came as Kuwait said its main commercial port was damaged in a drone attack at dawn. Iran’s Tasnim news agency said Tehran was demanding war reparations and respect for its “sovereignty” over the Strait of Hormuz.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 27, 2026 12:55 UTC
G7 allies press Rubio on US plans for Iran
US President Donald Trump had repeatedly declared talks are in progress with Iran but details remain murky. While all G7 nations are close US allies, none have unambiguously offered support for the assault on Iran, angering Trump. ‘For the world’British foreign minister Yvette Cooper on Friday urged a “swift resolution to this conflict that restores regional stability”. With Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in attendance, European ministers are keen to emphasise support for Kyiv must not be forgotten over four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion. But French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Kenya — rather than South Africa — had been invited and “we did not give in to any pressure”.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 27, 2026 12:55 UTC
‘I’ll never be the same’: Iranians coping through war
‘I’ll never be the same’: Iranians coping through warA backhoe operator works to clear rubble after an airstrike in Tehran. Here is a collection of interviews conducted with Iranians, mostly people in Tehran, who shared their experiences with AFP journalists outside the country. Economic pressuresIran was already suffering economically before the war, but the conflict has sparked even higher inflation and brought many industries to a standstill. Many people have come here to stay longer, waiting to see what happens with the war,” he said. CrackdownSince the war started, Iranians have reported heavy security in the streets, with limited anti-government demonstrations quickly quelled, while crowds of Islamic republic supporters regularly rally.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 27, 2026 12:54 UTC
Japan approves plan for overtourism measures in 100 areas by 2030
Japan approves plan for overtourism measures in 100 areas by 2030Visitors ride a boat and take a selfie with cherry blossoms at Chidorigafuchi Park in Tokyo on Thursday. (Photo: Reuters)The Japanese government on Friday approved its next basic tourism plan including steps to bring the number of areas with measures against overtourism to 100 by 2030, the first time it has set a target on the issue. It also says the government will consider drawing up guidelines for public tourism facilities on dual pricing for residents and inbound visitors. Foreign visitors to Japan in 2025 hit an estimated record of 42.7 million, with their spending also at a new all-time high of 9.5 trillion yen. February set a monthly record of around 3.47 million inbound tourists, government estimates show.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 27, 2026 12:51 UTC
Your horoscope for Mar 27 - April 2
Your spot-on horoscope for work, money and relationship from Guru by the Bangkok Post's famously accurate fortune teller. ♉ TaurusApr 20 – May 20(⏰) Expect sudden changes, difficult people and office drama but you'll adapt and slay every situation effortlessly. (♥) Talking money with your honey won't be easy but you’ll get on the same page financially. (₿) An off-the-books side gig or under-the-radar work may pop up, pay nicely and allow you to flex your skills. ♓ PiscesFeb 19 – Mar 20(⏰) Chaos and crisis turn into your springboard to shine and diversify your network.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 27, 2026 12:08 UTC
Dhammajayo case dropped as statute of limitations expires
(File photo)The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has formally dropped criminal proceedings against Phra Dhammajayo, the former abbot of Wat Phra Dhammakaya, after the statute of limitations in the high‑profile money‑laundering case expired earlier this month. According to the agency, the case carried a 15‑year statute of limitations counted from the last cheque issued in 2011. With investigators unable to bring the monk before the court within that timeframe, the criminal case expired by law and can no longer proceed. Attempts by officers to enter Wat Phra Dhammakaya in Pathum Thani province were met with mass sit‑ins by followers, blocking access. Some remaining properties — including meditation centres in other provinces and the well‑known “globe-shaped building” inside Wat Phra Dhammakaya — are still undergoing auction procedures.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 27, 2026 11:58 UTC
Teerasil turns down recall offer
Teerasil turns down recall offerMembers of the Thailand U23 national football team celebrate after scoring a goal against China. Veteran striker Teerasil Dangda has declined an invitation to rejoin the Thailand national team, citing injury concerns. Davis, 24, will now be part of the squad preparing for a crucial AFC Asian Cup qualifying Group D clash against Turkmenistan at Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium next Tuesday. The 19th edition of the Asian Cup is scheduled to run from Jan 7 to Feb 5 next year, with matches staged in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar. Thailand U23 head coach Thawatchai Damrong‑ongtrakul praised his players' spirit despite surrendering a two‑goal lead.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 27, 2026 09:51 UTC
Retailers feel pinch as fuel prices spike
Retailers feel pinch as fuel prices spikeShoppers mingle at the entrance of Chaisaeng Superstore in Sing Buri. A fuel shortage and a recent surge in prices have caused logistics chaos for provincial retail and wholesale operators, sparking concerns it will reduce foot traffic during the upcoming Songkran festival in April. "Fuel prices should rise gradually, giving business operators time to adjust," said Ms Showsiri. She said it is absorbing the increased costs caused by rising fuel prices. SONGKRAN VIBESRising fuel prices could make the Songkran festival quieter than last year, she said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 27, 2026 09:43 UTC
New canal aims to curb floods
New canal aims to curb floodsThe Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) plans to begin construction of the Chai Nat-Gulf of Thailand Flood Diversion Canal in 2027, in an effort to tackle chronic flooding across the lower Chao Phraya River basin -- one of the country's most economically vital regions. They inspected critical infrastructure points, including the Chai Nat–Pa Sak canal gate and the Manorom water gate in Chai Nat, before continuing to the Rama VI Dam in Ayutthaya. Mr Chayan emphasised the urgency of addressing persistent flooding in the Chao Phraya basin, where seasonal water surges often exceed the river's capacity. The diversion canal project has already been approved by the National Water Resources Committee and passed its Environmental Impact Assessment, thus clearing key regulatory hurdles. It is also a central component of a broader nine-part flood mitigation master plan for the lower basin.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 27, 2026 09:06 UTC