Bangkok Post

Re: "Trump 'not a big fan' of Leo" (World, April 14). The (indirect) interactions between US President Donald Trump and His Holiness Pope Leo XIV make for an apt 21st-century morality play. Medieval morality dramas portrayed biblical themes in dramatic form, most often pitting good against evil. Their aim was to instruct through entertainment, with plot twists that inevitably saw good prevail and lessons made clear to audiences.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered what the International Monetary Fund calls a "global yet asymmetric" rupture, disrupting the flow of roughly one-quarter of oil, one-fifth of liquefied natural gas, and one-third of fertiliser supplies. Energy and fertiliser prices have risen, supply chains have rerouted, and financial conditions have tightened unevenly around the world. Import-dependent economies in Asia, Africa, and parts of Europe have been hit hardest.

Visitor numbers in Mae Hong Son backpacker haven down by 90%, says local resident PUBLISHED : 17 Apr 2026 at 20:56 Fine dust and worsening haze from hundreds of forest fires persist in Chiang Mai and other northern provinces. (Photo: Panumet Tanraksa) Tourist arrivals in Pai have plunged by nearly 90% as hazardous air pollution continues to grip northern Thailand, officials and residents of the town in Mae Hong Son province say.

Owner admits to buying fuel at sea, agrees to pay fine of 5 times the tax imposed Large drums containing 3,800 litres of untaxed diesel are seen on a fishing boat at a pier in Khlong Yai district of Trat province on Friday. (Photo: Jakkrit Waewkraihong) TRAT - Authorities seized a fishing vessel carrying 3,800 litres of untaxed diesel at a pier in Khlong Yai district of this eastern province early on Friday.

PUBLISHED : 17 Apr 2026 at 12:49 Revellers enjoy water fights as pickup trucks carrying water and people roam around Bang Kruay-Sai Noi Road in Nonthaburi province during the Songkran celebration on Wednesday. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu) There were a total of 5,806 drink-driving cases, accounting for 93% of all traffic-related cases entering the probation system during the seven-day Songkran road safety campaign, with Chiang Mai recording the highest number.

Displaced residents travel back to their homes via the bombed Qasmiyeh bridge over the Litani River in southern Lebanon. (Photo: AFP) BEIRUT - Thousands of displaced Lebanese civilians took to the road on Friday, hoping that a 10-day ceasefire with Israel would allow them to return to their homes in southern Beirut and the country’s war-torn south.

PUBLISHED : 17 Apr 2026 at 17:49 Southeast Asia is further consolidating its position as one of the most exciting markets in the world of online trading. From Singapore to Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, the number of active traders in the region is steadily rising. In 2026, the big change in the region will not be in the number of traders but in the way in which traders approach the market.

PUBLISHED : 17 Apr 2026 at 15:45 WRITER: AFP Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer is once again facing anger over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington despite his close ties to Jeffrey Epstein. (Photo: AFP) LONDON - UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced mounting pressure to quit on Friday over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as envoy to Washington, after it emerged the veteran politician had failed security vetting.

Your spot-on horoscope for work, money and relationship from Guru by the Bangkok Post's famously accurate fortune teller. Let's see how you will fare this week and beyond. (⏰) is for work, (₿) is for money, (♥) is for coupled life and (⚤) is for single life Previous ones: https://www.bangkokpost.com/topics/1702300/horoscope ♈ Aries Mar 21 – Apr 19 (⏰) You’re about to clear the decks. Backlogged tasks will be cleared, giving you sharper control over workflows and resources.

Displaced residents returning to their homes in southern Lebanon on Friday. (Photo: AFP) PARIS (FRANCE) — The latest developments in the Middle East war: Lebanese return Agence France-Presse (AFP) images showed packed cars heading southwards along Lebanon's coastal highway before dawn, and crossing at sunrise what was left of a bridge bombed by Israel during the war. The returns came despite Lebanese army warnings that advised residents of southern Lebanon not to return.