The European Union extended its sanctions against Myanmar until at least May 2027, according to Reuters reporting on April 28, in an effort to pressure the military government more than five years after the coup that toppled the civilian administration in 2021.

The measures include asset freezes, travel bans, and weapons embargoes targeting 105 individuals and 22 entities. "The European Union reiterates its strongest condemnation of Myanmar's military actions since the 2021 coup," the statement said, citing continued human rights abuses and widespread restrictions on fundamental freedoms.

The EU also suspended direct financial assistance to the government and halted any aid that could be seen as legitimizing military rule.

The statement called on the military government to end all forms of violence and release those held in arbitrary detention. In April, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the coup leader, was elected president of Myanmar following elections that Western governments view as fraudulent attempts to legitimize extended military rule.

The United Nations reports at least 3.6 million people have been displaced since the coup, while the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners confirms nearly 8,000 deaths, approximately 31,000 arrests, with over 22,000 still in detention.

Work has been suspended following a brawl between Thai and Chinese construction workers at a major project site in Rayong province, leaving seven people injured. Police are currently gathering evidence and have scheduled witness interrogations before proceeding with legal charges.

On April 28, 2025, Nakhon district chief Prathan Phutanapibuul, accompanied by local administration, integrated forces working with Nakhon Phanom police, labor authorities, and security officials, investigated the violent dispute at a major construction project within the CPGC industrial zone in Mab Kha subdistrict, Nakhon Phanom district, Rayong province. The investigation was triggered by video footage of the incident circulating on social media.

Investigators determined that the incident occurred on April 26 at a data center construction site operated by a major multinational technology company. The clash involved workers from two separate contracting companies, resulting in a total of seven injuries: four Thai workers and three Chinese nationals. Documentation checks confirmed that all foreign workers possessed valid work permits in compliance with Thai law.

Initial findings indicate the brawl resulted from personal disputes rather than corporate disagreements between the two contracting companies. Nakhon Phanom police continue collecting evidence and have scheduled both parties for witness interrogations to proceed with legal action.

At the time of the inspection, no workers were present at the site as managers from both companies were in discussions to resolve the matter. Work has been temporarily halted following the incident to prevent further escalation. Local administrative officials confirmed they will monitor the situation closely and have instructed business operators to strengthen worker safety measures to prevent future incidents and maintain security standards in Rayong province's industrial zone.

PTT Public Company Limited has notified the stock exchange of eight management measures to minimize impacts from the Hormuz Strait closure and Middle East tensions that began February 28, 2025, and continue to disrupt global crude oil and refined product supply chains. As Thailand's primary energy operator, PTT prioritizes ensuring the country maintains adequate and equitable energy access while maintaining transparency and refusing to hoard supplies.

1. Business Continuity Management (BCM): PTT established an Incident Command System and has conducted emergency management meetings daily, totaling over 37 sessions, to coordinate with government and relevant agencies both domestically and internationally, ensuring efficient energy supply throughout the supply chain.

2. Crude Oil Supply System: PTT diversifies crude oil sourcing from multiple global sources, reducing Middle East dependence by importing from the United States, West Africa, Latin America, and Malaysia through the P1 project and PTT Trading networks. During March-May 2025, PTT secured over 70 shipments, sourcing approximately 30% from the Middle East and 70% from other regions. This required extending procurement lead times from 45-60 days to 90 days.

3. Refinery Efficiency: PTT's three refineries received over 110 billion baht in investments from 2021-2025 to enhance flexibility and energy security. During the crisis, refineries operated at over 105% capacity, enabling immediate crude source switching without impacting production volume or national energy security.

The statement addresses concerns about potential oversupply once the Strait reopens and emphasizes PTT's commitment to transparent operations aligned with government policy.

On April 28, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives revealed that following Cabinet approval, two senior civil servants have been reassigned in a routine rotation. Withaya Kaewmee, inspector-general at the Office of the Permanent Secretary, will become director-general of the Royal Rainfall and Agricultural Aviation Department, while incumbent director Rachan Silparajaya will move into the inspector-general position at the office of the permanent secretary. The Cabinet also approved extending the tenure of Raphibat Chantharisrivoung, director-general of the Agricultural Extension Department, for an additional year through February 22, 2570, with approval from Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Wongsuwan. The reshuffle took effect on April 28, 2569. Sources close to Rachan indicate he was surprised by the transfer and questioned its rationale, noting he has less than six months of service remaining before his scheduled retirement on September 30, 2569.

WIENER NEUSTADT, Austria (AP) — A man accused of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group and plotting to attack one of superstar singer Taylor Swift's concerts in Vienna nearly two years ago pleaded guilty as his trial began on Tuesday, Austria media reported.

The plot was thwarted, but Austrian authorities still canceled Swift's three performances in August 2024. The singer's fans, known as Swifties, who had flown to Austria from across the globe to attend a performance of her record-setting Eras Tour were devastated, but rallied to turn Vienna into a citywide trading post for friendship bracelets and singalongs.

The defendant, a 21-year-old Austrian citizen known only as Beran A. in line with Austrian privacy rules, faced charges including terrorist offenses and membership in a terrorist organization. He could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, and has been in custody since August 2024.

The Vienna plot drew comparisons to a 2017 attack by a suicide bomber at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, that killed 22 people. The bomb detonated at the end of Grande's concert as thousands of young fans were leaving, becoming the deadliest extremist attack in the United Kingdom in recent years.

Defendant regrets his actions

Anna Mair, his defense attorney, said her client pleaded guilty to the charges related to the concert plot.

"Of course, he deeply regrets it all," Mair said outside the court. "It is also due to the long period of detention that he says it was the biggest mistake of his life."

He is facing trial alongside Arda K., whose full name also has not been made public. They, along with a third man, planned to carry out simultaneous attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan in 2024 in the name of the Islamic State group. Beran A. and Arda K. never carried out their attacks.

Only Beran A. was charged in connection with the Taylor Swift plot. He pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the plot for simultaneous attacks.

Defendant Beran A. is hiding his face when he is escorted into the courtroom in the District Court in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, where he stands trial for plotting to carry out an attack on one of superstar singer Taylor Swift's concerts in Vienna in August 2024 and pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

He allegedly planned to target onlookers gathered outside Ernst Happel Stadium — up to 30,000 each night, with another 65,000 inside the venue — with knives or homemade explosives. The suspect hoped to "kill as many people as possible," authorities said in 2024. The U.S. provided intelligence that fed into the decision to cancel the concerts.

Beran A. also allegedly networked with other members of the Islamic State group ahead of the planned attack. Prosecutors say they discussed purchasing weapons and making bombs, and that the defendant also sought to illegally buy weapons in the days ahead of the performance.

On April 28, 2025, Rayong MP Passin Pituttecha and the Democrat Party's deputy spokesman addressed the case of Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachee Suthermphand collaborating with a famous influencer to create content selling durians at 100 baht per fruit, which has drawn extensive criticism from durian farmers nationwide.

The deputy spokesman stated he initially welcomed national-level leadership visiting affected areas to listen to concerns about falling fruit prices, noting he had submitted a motion to establish a special parliamentary committee to address the fruit price crisis.

"What concerns me more is how the pricing communication creates psychological damage to market mechanisms and misleads consumers about market pricing. Eastern region durians are premium-grade products with high production costs and actual market prices around 100-200 baht per kilogram. Presenting unrealistically low prices through online media misleads buyers and harms farmers long-term," the spokesman said.

He emphasized that durian farmers care for their orchards like children, working hard each year, and that when they hear the 100-baht-per-fruit campaign, they're troubled because fertilizer, pesticide, and labor costs alone barely break even.

Regarding Supachee's denial that the sales were the influencer's initiative, Passin stated she cannot deny responsibility since she directly participated in the 100-baht-per-fruit sales livestream.

Passin called on ministers and the government to communicate with genuine understanding of workers' concerns and recommended the Commerce Ministry focus on three structural solutions: (1) strict quality control through GAP and GMP standards to maintain Thai durian global market standards, (2) resource management including water management and land title documentation, and (3) cost reduction through controlling fertilizer and production factor prices.

"While promoting sales imagery is good, it must be based on the reality of premium agricultural products to encourage durian farmers to continue producing quality fruit," Passin concluded.