Canada: Strikes on Iran ‘inconsistent with international law’
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at Sydney Airport on March 3, 2026. (AFP)SYDNEY - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday that US-Israeli strikes on Iran had been “inconsistent with international law”, calling for a rapid de-escalation of the conflict. But, he said, the action “would appear, prima facie, not to be consistent, or to be inconsistent with international law”. And he noted that “the United States and Israel have acted without engaging the United Nations or consulting with allies, including Canada”. On Thursday Carney will meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and address parliament in the capital Canberra.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 04, 2026 09:15 UTC
Myanmar to restrict private vehicle use as fuel shortages emerge
Myanmar to restrict private vehicle use as fuel shortages emergePeople ride a bus as they travel in Yangon, Myanmar, on Jan 14, 2017. (File photo: Reuters)NAY PYI TAW — Myanmar’s military government will impose limits on private vehicles starting Saturday to conserve fuel as disruptions to Middle East shipping routes threaten the country’s energy supplies. Myanmar relies heavily on imported fuel, leaving it vulnerable to disruptions in global oil supply routes as tensions in the Middle East threaten shipments. It is unclear how much fuel Myanmar currently has in reserve. Fuel shortages have already emerged in parts of the country.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 04, 2026 09:12 UTC
'Narrative war': disinformation surges as conflict roils Middle East
'Narrative war': disinformation surges as conflict roils Middle EastAn online information war is unfolding in parallel with the regional conflict in the Middle East. AFP's fact-checkers have debunked a series of claims by pro-Iranian accounts posting old videos to exaggerate the damage from Tehran's missile strikes on Israel and Gulf states including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. "There is definitely a narrative war unfolding online," Moustafa Ayad, from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), told AFP. Meanwhile, video game clips repurposed as Iranian missile strikes and AI-generated images of US warships being sunk, including the USS Abraham Lincoln, have garnered millions of views across major platforms. The policy change targets what the company described as a threat to information authenticity amid the ongoing war against Iran.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 04, 2026 08:27 UTC
Stock trading halted after sharp index plunge
Stock trading halted after sharp index plungeThe graph from the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) shows the temporary trading halt just before the end of the morning trading session on Wednesday. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) halted trading on the SET, mai and Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX) at 12.18pm on Wednesday when the SET index plunged 117.52 points, and expected to resume trading at 2.30pm. The Thai bourse said it temporarily halted trading between 12.18pm and 12.30pm after the index fell 117.52 points, or 8.01% from the prior close (Circuit Breaker Level 1). At that time trading value stood at 95.19 billion baht and the SET index was 1,348.99. All brokers are temporarily prohibited from using program trading from the resumption of trading until market close on Wednesday.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 04, 2026 08:24 UTC
Operators warned against unjustified price hikes
Farmers in Phichit province arrive with pickup trucks carrying fuel tanks on Tuesday night, queuing to buy diesel at a petrol station, amid concerns about possible fuel shortages caused by tensions in the Middle East. (Photo: Sitthipoj Kebui)Businesses have been cautioned not to exploit the uncertainty of the Middle East conflict by raising goods prices without justification. Ms Airin said that retailers and business operators must not take advantage of the situation and strictly comply with the Price of Goods and Services Act, which prohibits unfair price increases, hoarding of goods or any conduct that exploits consumers. Baseless price increases carry a maximum penalty of up to seven years in prison and/or a fine of up to 140,000 baht under the act. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Energy announced it will spend the state Oil Fuel Fund to maintain diesel and petrol prices for 15 days amid rising global oil prices due to the Middle East situation.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 04, 2026 08:01 UTC
Thai massage industry set for overhaul
The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) says it is working on a comprehensive upgrade of the country's traditional Thai massage industry. He said although Thailand's massage and wellness industry is valued at around 200 billion baht annually, regulatory gaps and unequal service quality are key challenges. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, between 30,000 and 50,000 massage and spa workers left the industry, while the therapeutic practitioner segment faces a shortfall of about 20,000 professionals. Another key reform is the development of digital IDs for Thai massage practitioners, along with a centralised database for verifying identity and qualifications. It is expected to attract wellness industry leaders from more than 70 countries and showcase Thai traditional medicine, massage, herbal products and health tourism on a global stage.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 04, 2026 07:08 UTC
Beirut explosion, Qatar busts spy cells: Latest developments in Mideast war
Beirut explosion, Qatar busts spy cells: Latest developments in Mideast warRescuers carry a victim of an Israeli airstrike in the town of Aramoun, south of Beirut. - Explosion rocks Beirut -A loud explosion was heard by an AFP journalist in the Lebanese capital Beirut shortly after midnight on Wednesday, as Israel and Hezbollah traded strikes and rocket fire. - Charter flights to help Americans leave -The United States said that it had arranged charter flights to help Americans leave the Middle East. "If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible. No matter what, the United States will ensure the free flow of energy to the world," he said on his Truth Social platform.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 04, 2026 06:54 UTC
Netanyahu's war, Trump's big gamble
Mr Trump has a helpless fascination for decisive political strongmen like North Korea's Kim Jong-un and Russia's Vladimir Putin, but only Mr Netanyahu has persuaded Mr Trump to go to war for him -- not once, but twice. But if neither Mr Netanyahu nor Mr Trump will put "boots on the ground" (they won't), it can hang on indefinitely. Mr Trump clings to the delusion that he can get a quick win and change the regime. However, Mr Trump was upset enough by the genocide in Gaza to force Mr Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire there in October. Mr Netanyahu dared not defy Mr Trump's ban, and only 618 Palestinians have been killed by the IDF since the "ceasefire".
Source:Bangkok Post
March 04, 2026 05:59 UTC
Why food waste composting may fail
Why food waste composting may failA photo shows leftover food. The process of how leftover food -- often called "food waste" -- decomposes is chemical. Indeed, policymakers have high confidence in Thailand Voluntary Emission Reduction Program (T-VER) projects, particularly organic waste composting and decentralised processing schemes. Why composting projects may failWaste composting has clear and instant advantages. In reality, many communities, particularly in agricultural areas, already divert food waste for animal feed or other uses.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 04, 2026 05:57 UTC
Local fuel prices capped for 15 days
(Photo: Panumet Tanraksa)Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Wednesday that people do not need to stockpile fuel as prices would be capped for the next 15 days. He made the comment after the Ministry of Energy announced that it would use the Oil Fuel Fund to hold diesel and petrol prices steady amid rising global oil prices due to the Middle East war. The Oil Fuel Fund board said that subsidies would also cover petrol prices to keep them at the current levels, according to Mr Auttapol. PTT, Bangchak and PT said earlier on Tuesday that they would not raise fuel prices as they had sufficient stocks. World oil prices have jumped more than 15% since the US and Israeli strikes on Iran began on Saturday.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 04, 2026 05:53 UTC
Investors urged to buy gold and oil
In this scenario, investors are advised to hold gold and oil as hedges while selectively accumulating equities on market weakness, noted the asset manager. Portfolio strategy under this scenario favours higher allocations to gold and oil, reduced equity exposure, and a focus on quality and defensive stocks, noted the asset manager. "In this scenario, investors are advised to significantly reduce equity holdings and increase allocations to gold, energy assets, and high-quality bonds to preserve capital," said the firm. Gold and oil remain key hedging instruments amid geopolitical uncertainty. Pornanong Budsaratragoon, secretary-general of the SEC, said the SET, Market for Alternative Investment, Thailand Futures Exchange, LiVEx and the Thai Digital Asset Exchange continue to operate normally.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 04, 2026 05:52 UTC
EC boss walks tightrope of trust amid MP endorsements
(Photo: Election Commission Office)As the Election Commission (EC) prepares to endorse party-list MPs on Wednesday, its chairman Narong Klunwarin stands at the centre of intensifying scrutiny over the recent general election. The latter failed to secure any votes amid scrutiny over perceived political associations, leaving Mr Narong to assume the leadership at a time when institutional credibility was paramount. A career jurist, Mr Narong built his reputation within the judiciary over several decades. He served as chief justice of the Central Bankruptcy Court, justice of the Supreme Court and head of a panel in the Supreme Court. For Mr Narong, the challenge extends beyond strict legal compliance.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 04, 2026 05:29 UTC
Two rescued from hot air balloon stuck over 900 feet in the air
Dramatic drone video captured emergency crews rescuing people aboard a hot air balloon that had hit a cell phone tower in Longview, Texas on Saturday (February 28). Emergency crews were deployed to bring the two people on board the balloon to safety.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 04, 2026 04:35 UTC
US sanctions Rwanda as Congo accuses rebel group of massacres
The United States imposed sanctions on Monday (March 2) on Rwanda's military forces over its role in supporting the AFC/M23 rebel group in the ongoing conflict in east Congo. It came as Congolese authorities accused the rebels of massacring citizens, after finding mass graves in the eastern city of Uvira. Rwanda and the rebel group separately deny the accusations.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 04, 2026 03:52 UTC
Sugar tycoons branch into hotel investments
The Heritage Grand Khon Kaen, formerly known as Pullman Khon Kaen, is one of the hotels owned by the Arunanondchai family. The second-generation owners of Rajburi Sugar Group have diversified into hotel investments, spending more than 1.5 billion baht to acquire and renovate Impiana Resort Chaweng Noi in Samui and Pullman Khon Kaen. "We are selecting a European international hotel chain to manage the 96-room Samui hotel as the island is popular among European travellers," she said. Since December, the Samui hotel has recorded an average occupancy rate of 90%, with room rates starting at 3,000 baht a night. When the owner announced the sale, we became interested in acquiring it," said Sunthorn Arunanondchai, chairman of Rajburi Sugar Group.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 04, 2026 03:50 UTC