Prince of Songkla University's Faculty of Science is collaborating with the Asia-Pacific Phycological Association (APPA) to organize the 2026 APPA Regional Forum under the theme "Seaweed Blue Carbon for Climate Mitigation." The regional academic conference will facilitate knowledge exchange on seaweed and blue carbon while promoting sustainable approaches to using marine resources for greenhouse gas reduction.

The forum takes place amid climate change challenges impacting ecosystems, economies, and global quality of life, particularly affecting marine and coastal resources that play a vital role in carbon sequestration and storage. Blue carbon research and knowledge development represent a critical mechanism for achieving greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and advancing toward Net Zero.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Professor Dr. Sanit Aksonkaew, joined by Associate Professor Dr. Udompol Poonpaibuul, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and Special Affairs at Prince of Songkla University; Professor Jeong Ha Kim, APPA President; and Professor Dr. Anchana Prathep, Dean of the Faculty of Science at Prince of Songkla University.

Professor Dr. Anchana Prathep emphasized that the 2026 APPA Regional Forum serves as a crucial platform connecting researchers, experts, government agencies, and partners from multiple countries to exchange knowledge and experience on seaweed, blue carbon, and marine resource management. This collaboration will advance research and policy recommendations addressing regional climate change impacts.

A key highlight was the "Blue Carbon Policy and Government" session featuring Dr. Pinsak Surasawadee, Director-General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, who shared Thailand's marine resource management perspectives and the marine ecosystem's role in carbon storage. He emphasized coordination between government, research, and communities to support the transition to a low-carbon society.

Research presentations reflected field-based perspectives, including a study on local community understanding of seagrass ecosystem and blue carbon changes in Ko Libong, Trang Province by Mr. Dzaki Satrio Widanto. The findings underscore that sustainable marine and coastal conservation requires community participation, knowledge, and awareness.

The forum provided a platform for international experts to share seaweed blue carbon knowledge, including Associate Professor Mohammad Rozaimi Jamaludin from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Dr. Liu Zhengyi from Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research in China. They presented research on seaweed's carbon storage potential and its role as a critical resource for mitigating climate crisis impacts.

The 2026 APPA Regional Forum reflects Prince of Songkla University's Faculty of Science commitment to advancing marine science and environmental research to international levels while building academic collaboration networks for developing knowledge, innovation, and approaches to address climate challenges.

An 80-year-old Chinese man with cognitive impairment accidentally shredded his pension savings, prompting his family to seek help from the bank. His grandson, Mr. Sui, discovered numerous banknote fragments filling containers while organizing household items and rushed them to the bank for assistance.

Given the massive volume of shredded currency, the bank assembled staff from multiple nearby branches to help. The branch manager revealed that the damaged banknotes totaled over 200,000 yuan, torn into more than 10,000 pieces, with some notes divided into 5-6 fragments each, making reconstruction extremely difficult.

The greatest challenge was sorting through over 10,000 fragments to identify matching pieces from individual banknotes and reassemble them—like finding a needle in an ocean. Initially, staff could reconstruct only about 9 notes per day, but as they developed patterns, productivity gradually increased. After more than 20 days of work, they successfully reconstructed and exchanged the notes, totaling 266,000 yuan, or approximately 1.3 million baht.

Following the story's release, some online users suggested using weighing scales or AI to sort damaged banknotes in future cases. However, the bank clarified that damaged note exchanges follow strict regulations requiring verification of both authenticity and completeness before processing. Weighing alone cannot confirm whether notes are genuine or their exchange value, and this approach would violate legal requirements. The bank emphasized that despite the time, patience, and labor involved in currency recovery, every step must follow proper procedure and law to fully protect the rights of money owners.

Akkanee's Chain concludes the 4 ELEMENTS series featuring Naam Nueng and Noi as childhood rivals Fai and Kraphao whose relationship transforms from bitter enemies to lovers. Fai, the formidable heiress of the Watinvanicha mining dynasty, grew up scarred by her mother's early death and became a hardened, hot-tempered woman who rejected the concept of love. She never forgave her father Akkanee for bringing Vanna, an ordinary village girl, into their home after her mother's death. When Fai discovered that Kraphao, a miner's daughter whom her father had taken under his wing, was treated with affection while she was neglected, Fai unleashed merciless psychological torment on the girl, forcing her father to send Kraphao away to boarding school and sever contact with the Watinvanicha household.

Fifteen years pass. Kraphao returns as Akkanee's assistant, rekindling the old flames of anger in Fai's heart and bringing unresolved misunderstandings back to the surface. This time, Fai is determined not to let "humble Kraphao" become her father's favorite again. But what Fai doesn't know is that the Kraphao who has returned is not the girl she once tormented—and this return carries not only debt and obligation but also hidden truths Fai has never discovered.

Meanwhile, Nontakarn, or Nt, Kraphao's closest friend, becomes a crucial ally in protecting her from Fai. Yet the growing closeness between Kraphao and Fai stirs unexpected emotions in both their hearts. A mining accident later becomes a critical turning point that transforms everything. Everyone begins to question: "Who is orchestrating the destruction?" As Fai struggles to distinguish between hatred and concern, Kraphao begins to wonder if Fai might not be as cruel as she always believed.

Who is behind the mine collapse and the fire that nearly claimed Kraphao's life? Is the changing relationship between Fai and Kraphao truly love, or merely a bond forged by "chains of the past"? When truth is revealed, who will be burned beyond recognition? Some people we love because they are kind. But some people we love despite their cruelty toward us, almost unbearably. Prepare for intense drama woven with past trauma, love, revenge, and forgiveness—a story you'll both hate and love, impossible to stop watching. Akkanee's Chain, the final installment of the 4 ELEMENTS Watinvanicha series, airs every Saturday at 8:30 PM, beginning July 11 on Channel 7HD and BUGABOO.TV.

At 4:07 p.m. on July 8, 2025, emergency dispatch received a report of a truck fire on the Bromrachachonnee parallel road (inbound) in Talad Noi district, Bangkok. Firefighters from Bang Khun Non station rushed to the scene and found an 18-wheeled container truck engulfed in flames on the Chimpli elevated expressway heading toward Rama 2 Road. The vehicle, registered in Nakhon Sawan (license 70-8322), had completely blocked traffic. Firefighters deployed two water jets and controlled the fire within 20 minutes. The driver sustained a minor head injury with slight bleeding and received immediate first aid from rescue volunteers. Authorities are now working to remove the damaged truck from the scene and restore normal traffic flow before investigating the cause of the fire.

A secondary school in Dongying, Shandong Province, eastern China has become the focus of intense online criticism after distributing forms to newly admitted students that required parents to provide detailed personal information including names, workplaces, job titles, phone numbers, and detailed vehicle information—car make, license plate number, and purchase price.

The school stated the information would be used for internal operations only and asked parents to provide accurate details with confidence. However, this explanation failed to ease privacy concerns when the form circulated online. Many netizens questioned the school's true intent, with some suggesting the school might use socioeconomic data as a factor in how it treats students. One commenter asked, "If teachers don't discriminate based on family status, why collect this data?" Another worried, "If I say I'm unemployed, will my child be seated at the back of the classroom?" Critics argued the school was abandoning its educational mission by linking students' learning to family financial circumstances.

The intense backlash prompted the Dongying Municipal Education Bureau to issue a statement on June 30, confirming it had investigated and ordering the school to immediately stop collecting such data and delete all gathered information. The bureau also announced plans to inspect other schools in the area to prevent similar incidents and pledged to "prioritize protecting students' and parents' personal data."

A school alumnus revealed that years earlier, incoming students were asked for similar information. The school justified it then as a security measure to facilitate safe student pickup and drop-off within campus. The school spokesperson later clarified that asking for car prices was not intended to discriminate but to help determine which students qualified for financial aid for low-income families. However, this explanation did little to satisfy public concerns, as many argued that "family status assessments should rely on official government documents or income verification, not car prices."

This incident reflects broader problems in China's education system. Recently, an elementary school in Hubei Province faced similar criticism for distributing questionnaires asking students about parents' occupations, workplace locations, and daily working hours.

Bangkok University's Master of Communication Arts program in Brand Management and Strategic Communication is hosting a Strategic Communication Campaign competition. Assistant Professor Dr. Arichay Arrkudom, Dean of the Faculty of Communication Arts at Bangkok University, explained that the program emphasizes Project-Based Learning methodology. Beyond classroom instruction, students must develop strategic communication projects on topics of their choice and present their work to the public. The competition, framed around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), combines practical learning experience with the vision of a sustainable future, aiming to benefit society and develop students to national standards. The initiative gives students a chance to demonstrate their strategic communication planning skills while promoting learning through real-world projects that create tangible social benefits. The Faculty of Communication Arts at Bangkok University is honored to have prominent communication experts from SCB, OMG Ogilvy, and five partner organizations—the Thai Insurance Association, Tourism Authority of Thailand, UNICEF Thailand, Thai PBS, and Thai Airways International—serving as judges and providing feedback to students. The event was held on Saturday, July 4, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Communication Arts Complex of Bangkok University's main campus. During the competition, master's students in Brand Management and Strategic Communication showcased projects they developed over four months with expert coaches, demonstrating how strategy and creativity can create positive social impact and sustainable change under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework.