UK races to contain meningitis outbreak
A 21-year-old student at the University of Kent and a teenage student at a school in the town of Faversham have died. It is also aware of a baby with a confirmed MenB infection who is not currently linked to the outbreak. Britain has offered a MenB vaccine to infants since 2015, meaning most current university students are unlikely to have received it. Symptoms of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia can include fever, headache, rapid breathing, drowsiness, shivering, vomiting, and cold hands and feet. “Targeted vaccination with 4CMenB is being offered as part of the outbreak response to help reduce further cases.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 19, 2026 15:06 UTC
Government urges Thai citizens to leave risk areas
(Photo: Reutes)The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged Thai nationals to leave risk areas in the Middle East, as fighting intensifies between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. "Due to the uncertainty, the Foreign Affairs Ministry is urging Thai citizens in affected areas to closely follow official updates and consider evacuation without delay," he said. He advised Thai nationals in Iran to monitor safety conditions closely and register with the Thai embassy if they plan to return home. Meanwhile, the Thai embassy in Tel Aviv warned of a likely escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, urging Thai citizens to remain vigilant and follow safety protocols, especially during air-raid sirens. The government reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safe evacuation of all affected citizens as quickly as possible, Mr Panidone said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 19, 2026 15:00 UTC
Dairy farmers decry school‑milk quota cut
Farmers fear the change would disrupt the entire supply chain — from raw‑milk producers and collection centres to dairy factories — and could push many small farmers out of business. Natee Dodsoongneon, president of the Progressive Dairy Association, said the new criteria appear to favour a particular group, while private processors and small‑scale farmers face unfair constraints. Excluding certain processors has led to a surplus of more than 769 tonnes of raw milk per day, according to Mr Natee. Other groups taking part in Thursday’s rally included the Association of Raw Milk Collectors, the Pasteurised Milk Producers Association and SME dairy processors. The groups also called for the abolition of the current classification system that ranks dairy processors and farmers.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 19, 2026 14:39 UTC
Trump demands halt to energy facility attacks
Trump said in a social media post that neither the US nor Qatar was involved in the Israeli operation targeting the South Pars field, calling on the Islamic Republic to act with restraint. “NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL,” Trump said on Truth Social late Wednesday. “South Pars is central to Iran’s gas supply and, by extension, to electricity generation and industrial activity,” Azizi said by email. Trump temporarily waived a century-old shipping mandate to lower the cost of transporting energy goods around the US in a bid to curb price rises. In parallel with the war in Iran, Israel has stepped up an offensive in Lebanon, where it’s fighting Tehran-backed Hezbollah.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 19, 2026 14:35 UTC
Philippines, North Korea qualify for women's World Cup
Philippines, North Korea qualify for women's World CupNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with the country's Under-20 women's football team, which won the Under-20 soccer World Cup in Colombia in 2024, at the ruling Workers' Party headquarters in Pyongyang, North Korea. (File photo via Korean Central News Agency)MANILA — The Philippines and North Korea secured their spots at next year's Women's World Cup in Brazil after emerging victorious in the Asian Cup playoffs on Thursday. Later on Thursday at the same venue, Hong Song-Ok bagged a hat-trick while Kim Kyong-yong also scored as North Korea thrashed three-times Asian Cup champions Taiwan 4-0 to set themselves up for a first World Cup appearance since 2011. Uzbekistan and Taiwan can still qualify for the World Cup despite their losses, with both teams moving into the inter-confederation play-offs for the quadrennial tournament. Japan take on hosts Australia in the women's Asian Cup final at Sydney's Stadium Australia on Saturday.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 19, 2026 14:31 UTC
Wild possum shelters with plush toys in Australian airport shop
Wild possum shelters with plush toys in Australian airport shopA video grab from Melissa Oddie shows a wild possum on a shelf among toys at Hobart Airport in Tasmania. (Photo: AFP)SYDNEY — A wild possum joined stuffed furry friends in an Australian airport gift shop this week, surprising travellers in an adorable case of hide and squeak. Staff at Hobart Airport in Australia's Tasmania state said the disoriented marsupial was spotted among the stuffed toys on Wednesday. Airport employees were quickly on-hand to return the animal to its rightful place in the great outdoors. "Only in Australia and only at Hobart Airport could a local possum pop in for a quick browse among the souvenirs," an airport spokesperson said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 19, 2026 14:29 UTC
New units at Chula to serve wider public
New units at Chula to serve wider publicProf Wilert Puriwat, president of Chulalongkorn University, showcases his vision during the 'President's Tea Room' media event on Tuesday, outlining the institution's role as a learning hub. (Photo: Wisuttipong Rodpai)Chulalongkorn University has created three new academic units, placing the public at the centre of its strategy of expanded access as it approaches its 109th anniversary. "We are advancing towards a model where education serves the public more directly and creates value for society," he said. The three new units include the College of Extension and Lifelong Learning for the People (Chula XL), the Faculty of Integrated Agriculture, and the College of Interdisciplinary and Integrative Studies. "Chula XL opens education beyond university students, positioning Chula as a university for the public," Prof Wilert said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 19, 2026 11:24 UTC
Fuel shortages persist despite adequate reserves
A sign reading “no diesel available” is posted at a service station in Nakhon Phanom province on Thursday. (Photo: Pattanapong Sripiachai)Fuel remains scarce at many service stations across Thailand, even though reserves are more than adequate, amid continuing problems with delivery bottlenecks and unusually high demand, officials said on Thursday. As of Thursday, Thailand had 5.06 billion litres of oil which was enough for 41 days’ use, he said. Around the clock operationsFuel supplies to petrol stations are continuing and delivery hours have been extended. Authorities also aim to keep fuel prices at refineries and petrol stations at the same levels to maintain normal fuel availability for industrial and construction sectors, Mr Anutin said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 19, 2026 09:51 UTC
Trump nominee for Homeland Security chief grilled at fiery Senate hearing
Trump nominee for Homeland Security chief grilled at fiery Senate hearingSenator Markwayne Mullin being sworn in for his Senate confirmation hearingWASHINGTON (UNITED STATES) - Markwayne Mullin, US President Donald Trump's pick for Homeland Security chief, distanced himself from his fired predecessor Kristi Noem as he was grilled over immigration policy at a contentious Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Mullin, a senator from Oklahoma, clashed repeatedly during his appearance before the Senate Homeland Security Committee with Senator Rand Paul, the committee chairman and a fellow Republican. Republicans hold an 8-7 majority on the Senate panel and a simple majority is needed to advance Mullin's nomination to the full Senate for a confirmation vote. "I want to protect the homeland," Mullin said. Mullin, a staunch Trump supporter, was elected to the Senate from Oklahoma in 2022 after serving 10 years in the US House of Representatives.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 19, 2026 09:40 UTC
World’s largest LNG plant suffers extensive damage
(Photo: Reuters)WASHINGTON — A Qatari complex housing the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant suffered “extensive damage” amid a sharp escalation of attacks on energy facilities across the Persian Gulf. QatarEnergy said in a statement that several of its LNG facilities were hit, causing sizable fires and extensive further damage. The attack on Wednesday also resulted in extensive damage to Shell Plc’s gas—to-liquids plant at Ras Laffan, QatarEnergy said. The United States would retaliate if Qatar’s LNG facilities were attacked again, President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “If there is damage to the LNG plant, this is obviously more consequential, particularly given the limited inventories or stocks of LNG,” said Neil Beveridge, managing director of research at Bernstein.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 19, 2026 08:01 UTC
Anutin returns to power with broad backing
“I promise to you all that I will safeguard Thailand with my life,” the 59-year-old prime minister said. “Nationalism is in the heart of everybody in the Bhumjaithai party,” he told reporters as the results trickled in last month. Three years later, Thaksin’s populist Thai Rak Thai party was dissolved by a court order. Mr Anutin was also given a five-year ban from politics. And no democratically elected Thai prime minister has completed a full term since Thaksin in 2005.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 19, 2026 07:52 UTC
Child porn creators arrested in nationwide raids
(Photo: Cyber Crime police)Four men have been arrested for selling child pornography after cybercrime police raided four locations nationwide, the Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children unit (TICAC) said on Thursday. He admitted to filming child pornography found on his devices and sharing it on the platform. Police in Chon Buri arrested a man identified as Kriangsak, 30, who had been selling child porn through a Telegram app using the name “Peter Oozet”. In Bang Pa‑in district of Ayutthaya, a 23‑year‑old man identified as Phanuphong was arrested with a mobile phone containing obscene material. The suspects face charges of importing pornographic content into a computer system, possessing child pornography and distributing it for commercial purposes, Pol Col Theeranon said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 19, 2026 07:49 UTC
Trump threatens to destroy Iran's largest gas field
Trump threatens to destroy Iran's largest gas fieldUS President Donald Trump has threatened to destroy Iran's vast South Pars gas fieldDOHA - US President Donald Trump threatened to "massively blow up" a vast Iranian gas field unless Tehran stops striking Qatari energy facilities, which sustained extensive damage Thursday. Tehran has carried out a series of attacks on Gulf energy sites, including on Qatar's huge Ras Laffan LNG facility, in retaliation for an Israeli strike on Iran's South Pars gas field -- part of the world's largest natural gas reservoir. Trump called in a social media post for strikes on both Iranian and Qatari energy sites to halt. Washington "knew nothing" of Israel's earlier attack on Iran's South Pars gas field, he said, vowing that "NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL" on the site if Tehran stops attacking Qatar. But if Iran did not comply, the United States would "massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field", Trump warned.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 19, 2026 07:37 UTC
PM Vote Live: Anutin confirmed
Bhumjaithai Party leader and prime ministerial candidate Anutin Charnvirakul attends a voting session for a new prime minister at parliament in Bangkok on Thursday. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul was confirmed on Thursday as Thailand’s prime minister in a parliamentary vote that could usher in a rare period of stability for a country long plagued by political drama and turmoil. Mr Anutin also serves as interior minister, and thousands of staff from that ministry are usually seconded to help oversee polling. (Story continues below)Pheu Thai Party leader Julapun Amornvivat speaks prior to the voting session for the new prime minister. (Photo: Bangkok Post)‘No dissent’ in Pheu ThaiPheu Thai Party leader Julapun Amornvivat confirmed that the party would unanimously support Mr Anutin as prime minister, insisting there would be no internal dissent.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 19, 2026 07:20 UTC
Grab, Bolt and Lalamove gear up for rising oil prices
Grab, Bolt and Lalamove gear up for rising oil pricesA Grab delivery driver operates in Bangkok. (Bangkok Post file photo)Online ride-hailing services have launched measures to deal with rising oil prices. Chantsuda Thananitayaudom, country head of Grab Thailand, said the Middle East war has ramped up oil prices, causing the company to assess the impact on its business. According to a statement from Bolt Thailand, the company is monitoring the impact of rising fuel prices and the effect on driver earnings. We consistently provide various benefits to our driver partners from initiatives such as fuel vouchers and incentives to help ease driver partners’ operating pressure."
Source:Bangkok Post
March 19, 2026 06:37 UTC