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Here’s Why the TRX Body Saw Is Such an Effective Exercise—And How to Do it Right

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Here’s Why the TRX Body Saw Is Such an Effective Exercise—And How to Do it Right
Here’s Why the TRX Body Saw Is Such an Effective Exercise—And How to Do it Right

The TRX Body Saw hones your ability to brace, resist extension, and keep your spine locked in as you move.

It trains your core the way heavy squats, deadlifts, and overhead lifts demand: stiff, stable, and unbending under tension.

Opinions differ on core training, but everyone agrees that stability is its primary role.

Your midsection remains stable as you move. Some people think a one- or two-minute plank does the job, but they haven’t met the TRX Body Saw yet.

If planks feel easy or your “core work” needs an upgrade, this is your wake-up call.

What Is the TRX Body Saw?

The TRX Body Saw is a suspended plank variation in which your core remains still while your arms and legs move.

You set up in a forearm plank with your feet suspended in the straps, then glide your body backward and forward using your shoulders.

That sliding motion is where your core goes to work.

Instead of resisting gravity as in a standard plank, the body saw forces your core to fight extension the entire time.

It trains your core to stay rock-solid while your body moves around it. That’s the kind of strength that carries over to big lifts and athletic performance.

How To Do The TRX Body Saw

This exercise is all about tension, control, and positioning.

Here is how to do it right.

  1. Adjust the TRX straps to mid-calf height, place your feet in the foot cradles, and get your elbows directly under your shoulders, forearms parallel.
  2. Maintain a straight body line from your head to your heels.
  3. Engage your glutes, and press your forearms into the floor and lightly pull them back to engage your lats.
  4. Slowly glide your body backward by pushing through your forearms.
  5. Pull yourself back to the start with control, reset, and repeat.

TRX Body Saw Muscles Trained

The TRX Body Saw may look like “just a plank”, but there is more to it than meets the eye.

  • Transverse Abdominis: The TVA acts like a built-in weight belt, bracing your spine and resisting extension as your body glides back and forth.
  • Rectus Abdominis: The further you slide back, the harder the rectus abdominis has to work to resist lower back extension.
  • Obliques: These stabilise your torso and prevent unwanted rotation or side-to-side drift.
  • Glutes: The glutes lock the pelvis into a neutral position, shutting down excessive lower-back extension and keeping tension where it belongs.
  • Lats and Serratus Anterior: By pressing your forearms into the floor and pulling back, the lats and serratus fire to stabilise the shoulders and help transfer force through the torso.
  • Hip Flexors: The hip flexors help maintain body alignment as your centre of mass shifts.

TRX Body Saw Benefits

This exercise is no joke and is challenging from the get-go, but it comes with great benefits listed below.

Anti-Extension Strength

The Body Saw trains your entire core to resist extension while force is applied.

which happens during squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, and carries. A stronger brace here means better performance when it matters.

Enhanced Core Control

Standard planks reward endurance and tolerance. The TRX Body Saw rewards control because your core locks in while your centre of mass is shifting.

Ten clean reps here can do more than minutes of holding still.

Improved Total Body Tension

From your shoulders and forearms to your glutes, everything has to fire together.

This exercise trains the core as a link between the upper and lower body, rather than in isolation, as many other core exercises do.

Low Back Friendly

You experience high levels of tension without repeated spinal movement.

The body saw is an excellent option for lifters who want to strengthen their entire core without straining their lower back.

The TRX body saw common mistakes with fixes.

The TRX Body Saw is one of those exercises that provides immediate feedback.

Do it right, and your core lights up. Do it wrong, and your lower back tells you. Here are the most common mistakes and the best ways to fix them.

Sagging Hips

If you don’t lock in your glutes, or when fatigue hits, the hips drop, the lower back arches, and the pain begins.

Fix: Squeeze your glutes harder and perform the exercise with a controlled range of motion.

If you can’t maintain a straight line from head to heels, the range of motion is too great, which brings us to the next mistake.

Too Much Range

As beneficial as this exercise is, more is not necessarily better. Sliding too far back before you can handle it shifts the load from the abs to the lower back.

Fix: Start with small, controlled movements. Increase range only when you can own it without losing position.

Slow Your Roll

Driving too far forward dumps stress into the shoulder joint and often breaks ribcage–pelvis alignment, which is the point of the exercise.

Fix: Keep elbows under shoulders at the front of the stroke; use the cue, “nose just in front of thumbs, not past them.

Setup Issues

Foot cradles set higher than mid-calf or almost touching the floor change the line of pull and make maintaining a plank much harder or unstable.

Fix: Set handles to mid-calf, toes in the cradles, and start with feet directly under the anchor before moving.

Programming Suggestions

The TRX Body Saw is versatile, but it shines when treated as a strength exercise, not as filler at the end of a workout.

Here are a few programming suggestions to get the most out of this excellent core exercise.

Where It Fits: Use it as a warm-up exercise to groove bracing before squats, deadlifts, or overhead work.

Or pair it in a superset with heavy compound lifts to reinforce tension without frying your nervous system.

Sets and Reps: 2–4 sets of 6–12 reps, slow and controlled, resting 60-90 seconds between sets.

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Will Saudi Arabia succeed in turning its vast desert landscape green by planting 10 billion trees? | World News

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Will Saudi Arabia succeed in turning its vast desert landscape green by planting 10 billion trees? | World News
Will Saudi Arabia succeed in turning its vast desert landscape green by planting 10 billion trees? | World News
Will Saudi Arabia succeed in turning its vast desert landscape green by planting 10 billion trees?
 
Saudi Arabia plans to plant 10 billion trees, rehabilitating 74.8 million hectares across deserts under the Saudi Green Initiative nationwide. Image: earth.com

In a country where nearly 95 per cent of the land is desert, sand is not just terrain; it is culture.

Bedouin life, camel routes, oases and long crossings have shaped Saudi Arabia’s identity so deeply that it is difficult to separate the Kingdom from the desert itself. However, history presents a distinct perspective.

Long before oil, borders, and dunes dominated the map, large parts of what is now Saudi Arabia belonged to what scientists call “Green Arabia.”

a period when rainfall was higher, vegetation spread across the peninsula, and the land could support sustained life.

That lost landscape is no longer just a footnote in climate history; it is the reference point behind Saudi Arabia’s attempt to make the desert work differently this time.

That contrast between past and present helps explain why Saudi Arabia’s environmental push is not about aesthetics or symbolism.

The kingdom learnt long ago how to endure extreme conditions, and oil later transformed that endurance into economic power.

But oil did not change the land itself, and it will not define the future forever.

Long-term stability in a country where desert still dominates the map hinges on whether vegetation can enhance the landscape’s resilience.

water management and land restoration rather than reliance on a non-renewable source of energy alone.

Saudi treeee

Saudi Arabia’s Green Initiative aims to plant 10 billion trees, restore 74.8 million hectares,

combat desertification, improve ecosystems, and support long-term environmental resilience. Image: Red Sea Corporate

That is the logic behind the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI), launched in 2021 under the patronage of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

At its core is one of the most ambitious environmental pledges ever made: to plant 10 billion trees across Saudi Arabia.

rehabilitating nearly 74.8 million hectares of land and reversing decades of desertification.

A landscape defined by sand

Saudi Arabia contains the Rub’ al Khali, the largest continuous sand desert on Earth.

Covering roughly 650,000 square kilometers—more than twice as much as the UK—it forms the heart of the wider Arabian Desert, stretching into neighbouring Gulf states.

Sand dunes, gravel plains and rocky escarpments dominate much of the kingdom’s geography. These natural conditions make large-scale greening uniquely difficult.

Rainfall, arable land and current forest cover are all well below global averages. Yet this context is precisely what makes Saudi Arabia’s afforestation targets stand out.

Planting 10 billion trees would represent about one per cent of the global greening goal and fully 20 per cent of the Middle East Green Initiative’s wider target of 50 billion trees across the region.

Saudi Arabia trees

Growing 10 billion trees across Saudi Arabia is equivalent to rehabilitating over 74 million hectares of land.

By July 2025, the Kingdom had planted well over 151 million trees and rehabilitated around 500,000 hectares of land.

according to Environment, Water and Agriculture Minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadley,

There will be steady progress toward the target of more than 600 million trees by 2030 and 10 billion over the longer term. Importantly,

This momentum did not begin with the formal launch of the Saudi Green Initiative in 2021:

 

Between 2017 and 2023 alone, some 41 million trees were planted, showing that greening efforts had already been underway well before SGI was officially announced.

Science before scale: How the plan was built

Planting trees at this scale in one of the world’s most arid environments is easier to announce than to execute.

Much of Saudi Arabia has been desert for centuries, with limited rainfall, fragile soils and extreme heat. Making trees survive, not just grow, requires careful scientific calibration:

choosing the right species, matching them to precise locations, and ensuring long-term water support rather than short-term visual greening.

That is why, before the target was formally announced, a two-year feasibility study led by the Ministry of Environment,

Water and Agriculture (MEWA) and the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC),

In collaboration with global and local experts, they mapped where vegetation could realistically thrive. More than 1,150 field surveys were conducted across the Kingdom.

using geospatial analysis that factored in soil composition, water availability, temperature ranges, wind patterns and elevation.

Native species were prioritised to restore ecological balance rather than introduce water-intensive or inappropriate plants.

Inspect tree

Ahmad al-Anazi (left) of the National Center for Vegetation Cover and park director Suleiman al-Saoub inspect trees and shrubs at the Al Ghat National Park in Al Ghat in central Saudi Arabia on Feb. 8, 2023. / image:

The Christian Science Monitor

The resulting roadmap, unveiled in October 2023 at MENA Climate Week in Riyadh, divides implementation into two phases.

Between 2024 and 2030, the focus is on nature-based restoration across habitat zones, from cities and highways to rangelands, valleys and protected areas.

supported by sustainable irrigation, urban water reuse, and rainwater harvesting. From 2030 on, a second phase will introduce more comprehensive, managed interventions.

The approach builds on the Kingdom’s existing biodiversity, which spans more than 2,000 plant species across mangroves, inland marshes,

mountain forests and national parks, and aims to deliver measurable benefits, including lower urban temperatures by at least 2.2°C, improved air quality and reduced heat-related health risks.

The phrase “From cities to carbon” illustrates the broader goals of the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI).

Tree planting sits at the heart of the Saudi Green Initiative, but it is not the whole story.

SGI is designed as a systems-level reset, tying land restoration to emissions, water, energy and public health in the wider context of Vision 2030.

The initiative is built around three clear pillars: cutting emissions, expanding vegetation, and protecting land and sea.

Saudi Arabia has set itself a series of concrete targets by the end of this decade. By 2030,

Saudi Arabia expects to plant more than 600 million trees, restoring roughly 3.8 million hectares of degraded land.

At the same time, the Kingdom plans to place more than 30 per cent of its land and marine territory under protection while reducing carbon emissions by 278 million tonnes each year.

Half of Saudi Arabia’s electricity is targeted to come from renewable sources by 2030.

Beyond that milestone lies a longer horizon. By 2060,

The Kingdom aims to reach net-zero emissions through a circular carbon economy approach, which balances emissions reduction with reuse, recycling and removal rather than relying on offsets alone.

The idea is not abrupt decarbonisation but a managed transition that reshapes how energy, land, and water systems interact in a country that will remain energy-producing for decades.

That ambition is already reshaping environmental infrastructure. Protected terrestrial areas have expanded sharply, from just 4.5 per cent of Saudi territory to 18.1 per cent today.

while the number of national parks has grown from 18 to 500. Marine protection has followed a similar trajectory.

with more than 8,000 endangered species reintroduced into coastal and offshore habitats as protected zones expanded by 260 per cent.

Monitoring capacity has grown alongside protection. Saudi Arabia now operates 240 air-quality monitoring stations nationwide.

backed by advanced meteorological sensing and marine spill-response systems. These additions are not merely symbolic;

They serve as the foundation for tracking, correcting, and scaling greening efforts. Water, inevitably, remains the hardest constraint.

Saudi Arabia is now the world’s largest producer of desalinated water, with daily capacity reaching 16.6 million cubic metres by late 2024.

nearly double 2016 levels. Reused water accounts for 32 per cent of total consumption, and strategic water storage capacity has increased by 600 per cent, extending average urban supply coverage from one day to three.

To supplement supply, the Kingdom has also turned to atmospheric and natural capture. Officials report that 711 cloud-seeding flights have been conducted across regions.

adding an estimated 6.4 million cubic metres of rainfall to support vegetation and groundwater. At the same time, 1,000 rainwater-harvesting dams are under construction.

with a combined annual capacity of 4 million cubic metres.

These efforts led the UN Water Committee to select Saudi Arabia as a global model for water sustainability, a notable endorsement for one of the driest countries on Earth.

Greening as economic and social policy

The Saudi Green Initiative is not framed solely as an environmental programme.

It is also a labour strategy, an urban policy and a quality-of-life intervention.

Over the coming decades, greening efforts are expected to generate jobs across seed collection,

nursery management, land preparation, irrigation systems, park development, water reuse networks; and environmental technologies.

That intent is most visible in cities, where trees are expected to deliver immediate, lived benefits. Increased canopy cover in urban centres is projected to reduce temperatures by at least 2.2°C.

improve air quality, and lower the risk of heat-related illnesses, particularly respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Riyadh has become the testing ground. Through Green Riyadh, the capital aims to increase green space coverage to nine per cent and plant 7.5 million trees by 2030.

alongside wider greening projects, spanning more than 437 square kilometres.

At the heart of this transformation is King Salman Park, the world’s largest urban park.

where more than a million trees will eventually cover 11 square kilometres of its planned 16.6-square-kilometre footprint.

Green Riyadh

Image: Green Riyadh

Greening has also been extended deliberately to religious and cultural spaces. In Makkah,

The Green Qibla initiative targets the planting of 15 million trees by 2036.

reshaping the urban environment of one of the most visited cities on the planet while improving thermal comfort for pilgrims.

Altogether, 77 initiatives have been activated under the SGI umbrella, representing investments exceeding $186 billion.

The scale is intentional. Saudi Arabia is not trying to erase its desert identity or romanticise its distant past. It is an attempt at something more pragmatic:

to stabilise an extreme environment, reduce risks, and make daily life more resilient in a future where oil alone can no longer define national security.

The desert will not disappear.

The Kingdom is attempting to make one of the world’s driest landscapes sustainably liveable through science-led restoration.

large-scale water management, and long-term planning, ensuring it is not just greener on paper but also measurably healthier on the ground.



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Heated Rivalry author Rachel Reid says the TV show’s success helped her with Parkinson’s disease.

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Heated Rivalry author Rachel Reid says the TV show’s success helped her with Parkinson’s disease.

Steven McIntosh, Entertainment Reporter

Getty Images Rachel Reid attends the premiere of Getty Images
Rachel Reid published the first installment of her six-book Game Changers series in 2018.

The author of Heated Rivalry has revealed the success of the TV adaptation has resulted in her receiving specialist help with her Parkinson’s disease.

Rachel Reid, 45, was diagnosed with the condition in the summer of 2023, around the same time she was approached about adapting her book series for the screen.

Heated Rivalry, which centres on an illicit same-sex relationship between two ice hockey players, has become one of the most talked-about new TV shows in recent weeks.

In an interview with Variety, the Canadian author explained that a Parkinson’s expert contacted her after hearing about her diagnosis in a publicity interview for the series.

The subsequent appointment she has secured with a neurologist, Reid said, “could change things for me, because I’m not really getting the treatment that I should be getting.”

Reid published her first book in the Game Changers series in 2018.

Five further books followed, and the TV version soon created a stir after launching in North America in late November.

The show, which is adapted and directed by Jacob Tierney, is set to launch in the UK on January 10 on Sky and the streaming service Now.

Speaking to Variety, Reid said an “amazing thing” had come out of the attention the show has received.

“Jacob was on CNN a few weeks ago. For whatever reason, the interviewer asked him about my Parkinson’s diagnosis,” she recalled.

“I thought it was odd, but then the next day, one of the top Parkinson’s experts in the world reached out to me and asked if he could help me.”

Reid explained, “I’ve never gotten to talk to a Parkinson’s expert. I’ve been on a five-year waiting list here because I live in a tiny place.

“Now he’s found me a Parkinson’s expert, a neurologist, and I have an appointment in a couple of weeks.” That could change things for me because I’m not really getting the treatment that I should be getting.

He also advised me on how to adjust my medication to improve my sleep, as I had been unable to sleep at all. That change made me sleep through the night, which really helps with writing.”

Sky Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams star in Heated RivalrySky
Heated Rivalry has been a huge hit internationally, and is due to launch in the UK in January

Reid said her Parkinson’s made it hard for her to write, “Because I can barely control a mouse.”

“I can’t type for very long,” she continued. “It’s challenging for me to sit in a chair for very long. I need to figure out new ways to write.

“I don’t know if that will be voice-to-text. I’m not sure if I can write that way. It doesn’t feel natural, but I need to figure out something because it is taking me a very long time to write now.”

Heated Rivalry follows rival hockey players Shane and Ilya, played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie.

The pair are bound by rivalry and ambition but begin a secret affair which evolves into a years-long relationship.

What is Parkinson’s disease?

Parkinson’s is a progressive condition that worsens over time.

The disease causes nerve cells that make dopamine to stop working, so there is too little of it in the brain.

  • Symptoms include:
  • involuntary shaking of parts of the body
  • slow movement
  • stiff and inflexible muscles

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Thailand releases 18 Cambodian prisoners of war under a ceasefire agreement.

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Thailand releases 18 Cambodian prisoners of war under a ceasefire agreement.

Bangkok—Thailand released 18 Cambodian prisoners of war held for five months on Wednesday, meeting the conditions. Both countries signed the armistice agreement to end the bitter fighting along their border.

The release was stipulated in the ceasefire agreement signed by the defence ministers of the two countries at the same border post on Saturday from Thailand’s Chanthaburi Province and Cambodia’s Pailin Province, where the soldiers were released.

“The repatriation of the 18 Cambodian soldiers was done as a demonstration of goodwill and confidence-building, as well as in adherence to international humanitarian principles,” Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Cambodia’s Defence Ministry said the release “

an environment conducive to peace, stability and full normalisation of relations for the benefit of both countries and their people in the near future.”

After two rounds of devastating fighting over competing territorial claims, the release of the troops removes a major hurdle toward that goal.

Thailand had insisted that it was allowed to keep the men under the provisions of the Geneva Convention governing the laws of war, which stated that they could be detained until the end of hostilities. Thai authorities said the prisoners were allowed visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross and other rights covered by international humanitarian law.

The Cambodian government effectively used his continued detention to galvanise nationalist sentiment in the fight against Thailand.

Cambodia’s Defence Ministry statement Wednesday said the government “stands by the promise it made to the families of the 18 soldiers and to the Cambodian people: that no soldier will be left behind.”

A video distributed by Cambodia’s Information Ministry showed crowds cheering and waving small flags on the road from the border post to Pailin town while a bus carrying freed people passed by as a motorcade passed by. They were expected to take the capital, Phnom Penh, on Wednesday.

The ceasefire agreement states that the troops will be freed if the fighting ends within 72 hours of the ceasefire taking effect on Saturday afternoon. 72 hours passed on Tuesday, but Thai officials said they needed to evaluate the situation, claiming that 250 Cambodian drones were active along the border.

Both countries gave different details about the circumstances of the possession of men, which happened on the same day that the initial ceasefire came into effect in late July.

Cambodian officials say

Cambodian officials say that their troops came to the Thai position with friendly intentions to congratulate them after the battle, while Thai officials say that the Cambodians had hostile intentions and that they entered what Thailand considered its territory and were later taken captive.

Originally 20 Cambodian soldiers were taken prisoner, but two were returned within days for medical reasons.

The original July ceasefire was brokered by Malaysia and extended due to pressure from US President Donald Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges unless Thailand and Cambodia agreed. It was formalised in more detail at a regional meeting in Malaysia in October, which Trump attended.

Despite those deals, the countries continued a bitter propaganda war and minor cross-border violence that escalated into widespread heavy fighting in early December.

According to officials, Thailand has lost 26 soldiers and one civilian as a direct result of the fighting since December 7. Thailand also reported 44 civilian deaths.

,

Sopheng Chiang reported from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

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Why Europe’s online regulations irritate the Trump administration | Science, Climate, and Tech News

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Why Europe’s online regulations irritate the Trump administration | Science, Climate, and Tech News
Why Europe’s online regulations irritate the Trump administration | Science, Climate, and Tech News

The row between Europe and Washington about what you can do online just ramped up.

On Christmas Eve, the White House imposed visa bans on five public figures in Europe.

It’s all about what European officials describe as the regulation of online harm and what America’s authorities consider censorship.

“If you spend your career fomenting censorship of American speech, you’re unwelcome on American soil,” said Sarah Rogers, the US under secretary of state for public diplomacy, as the bans were announced.

The highest-profile figure facing travel restrictions is Thierry Breton, a former EU commissioner responsible for regulating social media and a key architect of the Digital Services Act (DSA)—a piece of legislation that is very unpopular in the White House.

The Trump administration has accused the EU of placing “undue” restrictions on freedom of expression in its efforts to combat hate speech, misinformation and disinformation.

The administration contends that the DSA unjustly singles out US companies and cities, which it lacks the authority to represent.

Mr Breton has already had some fiery spats with Elon Musk, the owner of X and former Trump adviser.

File pic: AP
Image:
File pic: AP

Musk referred to him as a “tyrant of Europe” earlier this year, and Mr Breton accused Musk of deceiving him about the online restrictions he was subject to.

“Is McCarthy’s witch hunt back?” he posted on X after the bans were announced.

The other four people facing visa bans are from the UK and Germany, and they work in disinformation organisations.

They are the UK’s Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate and Clare Melford, who runs the Global Disinformation Index and Germany’s Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg from HateAid.

Although this is the first time Washington has put visa bans in place, it is an argument that’s been brewing for years.

Europe and the UK have much stricter controls over what you can do online compared to America.

In Europe, there is the Digital Services Act, which regulates online activity. In the UK, we now have the Online Safety Act that began being fully enforced in July.

We also have a number of other laws that govern what you can say and can lead to jail time if you breach them.

Joey Barton avoids jail over X posts

Just this month, ex-footballer Joey Barton was given a six-month suspended prison sentence for “grossly offensive” posts he sent on X.

Under both of those acts, platforms hosting harmful content can be fined significant amounts, even if they’re based in the US.

Musk’s platform X, for example, was recently fined €120m (£104m) by the EU over issues relating to transparency.

Fines like that are what annoy the Trump administration so much. It sees rules like the Digital Services Act as governments in Europe undermining Americans’ right to freedom of speech.

 

 

Ironically, that’s exactly what European leaders are now accusing Washington of – overreach.

The EU Commission has strongly condemned the visa bans and the UK government said it “supports the laws and institutions which are working to keep the internet free from the most harmful content”.

The politician who replaced Breton in his EU commissioner role, Stephane Sejourne, said, “No sanction will silence the sovereignty of the European peoples. Total solidarity with him and all the people of Europe affected by this.”



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New Year Honours: Idris Elba, Torvill and Dean, and Lionesses among those recognised | UK News

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New Year Honours: Idris Elba, Torvill and Dean, and Lionesses among those recognised | UK News

Idris Elba, ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, and England’s victorious women’s football and rugby teams are among the 1,157 people recognised on the New Year’s Honours list.

Sir Idris, 53, who is known for his roles in The Wire and Luther,

is knighted for services to young people, having founded the Elba Hope Foundation.

He said, “I receive this honour on behalf of the many young people whose talent, ambition and resilience have driven the work of the Elba Hope Foundation.

“I hope we can do more to draw attention to the importance of sustained, practical support for young people and to the responsibility we all share to help them find an alternative to violence.”

Torvill and Dean say honour is ‘wonderful and humbling’

Dame Jayne Torvill and Sir Christopher Dean reveal how they found out they were recognised in the New Year Honours List.

Dame Jayne and Sir Christopher, who took home the Olympic gold at the 1984 Winter Games and saw success at the World,

European and British Championships, and was made a Dame and Sir for services to ice skating and to voluntary service. They said the honour is “wonderful and humbling at the same time”.

They are joined by Paul Elliott, one half of the Chuckle Brothers, who is made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), and Matt Lucas.

half of the Little Britain comedy duo with David Walliams, who becomes an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Lionesses and Red Roses

The Lionesses feature heavily on the list after their Euros win in the summer. Captain Leah Williamson is made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), while Alex Greenwood, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone become MBEs.

The team’s Dutch manager, Sarina Wiegman, who has won the Euros twice with England and once with the Netherlands, is awarded an honorary damehood, the Cabinet Office said.

Wiegman said, “I would like to express my sincere gratitude for this honour.

When I first arrived in England, I could never have imagined the respect and warmth I’ve experienced from the English people. I deeply thank the fans for their support.”

England manager Sarina Wiegman. Pic: PA
Image:
England manager Sarina Wiegman. Pic: PA

Marlie Packer, Zoe Aldcroft, and coach John Mitchell, members of the England Women’s Rugby World Cup-winning squad, also receive OBEs. Their teammates, Ellie Kildunne, Sadia Kabeya, and Megan Jones, have been made MBEs after the Red Roses defeated Canada in the final in September.

Three-time London Marathon winner Paula Radcliffe, who held the women’s marathon record for 16 years, is made an OBE.

Paula Radcliffe. Pic: PA
Image:
Paula Radcliffe. Pic: PA

‘The best thing that’s ever happened to me – and I’ve been in Star Wars.’

Also among the OBEs are presenter and author Richard Osman, actor Warwick Davis, and broadcaster Gabby Logan. In The Kumars at No. 42 actress Meera Syal, 64, becomes a Dame.

Richard Osman. Pic: PA
Image:
Richard Osman. Pic: PA

Osman, 55, the author of The Thursday Murder Club book series, said he was “absolutely thrilled” with the honour, while Davis, also 55, said, “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’ve been in Star Wars.”

Warwick Davis. Pic: PA
Image:
Warwick Davis. Pic: PA

Wicked star Cynthia Erivo is made an MBE for services to music and drama, while football commentator Clive Tyldesley becomes an OBE for services to sports broadcasting and to charity.

Writer Roy Clarke, who created the sitcoms Last Of The Summer Wine, Open All Hours and Keeping Up Appearances, becomes a knight.

Cynthia Erivo. Pic: PA
Image:
Cynthia Erivo. Pic: PA

The oldest Horizon IT scandal victim and D-Day veteran is honoured.

A woman thought to be the oldest victim of the Horizon IT scandal, 92-year-old Betty Brown, has said it was a “shocker” to have been made an OBE for seeking justice for subpostmasters.

D-Day veteran Mervyn Kersh, 101, said it was a “wonderful thing” to be awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to Holocaust remembrance and education.

Mervyn Kersh. Pic: PA
Image:
Mervyn Kersh. Pic: PA

The oldest person on the list is 102-year-old John Hearn, one of four centenarians included, who receives a BEM for services to Judo and to the community in northeast England.

The youngest recipient is 20-year-old Olympic gold medal-winning sports climber Toby Roberts, from Elstead in Surrey, who becomes an MBE.

‘The very best of Britain’

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said, “This year’s Honours List celebrates the very best of Britain – people who put the common good ahead of themselves to strengthen communities and change lives.

“Their quiet dedication speaks to the decent, compassionate country we are proud to be. On behalf of the whole nation, thank you – and congratulations to everyone recognised today.”



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Measles Alert: Cases Detected at Newark and Logan Airports Amid Holiday Travel Surge

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Measles Alert: Cases Detected at Newark and Logan Airports Amid Holiday Travel Surge
Measles Alert: Cases Detected at Newark and Logan Airports Amid Holiday Travel Surge

Health officials are issuing urgent alerts after measles was detected at Newark Airport (EWR) and Boston’s Logan International Airport (BOS) during one of the busiest holiday travel periods of the year.

This development has raised significant public health concerns due to the virus’s extreme contagiousness and the high volume of travellers passing through these major hubs.

What We Know About the Cases

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed an individual with a confirmed case of measles was present in Terminal B at Logan Airport on the afternoon of December 23rd.

Separately, New Jersey health officials alerted the public that an infected traveller was at Newark Airport’s Terminal C on the morning of December 24th.

Authorities are actively identifying and directly notifying individuals who may have come into contact. However, given the nature of airport terminals—enclosed spaces with thousands of moving people—they are also issuing broad public warnings.

Why This Situation is a Serious Public Health Concern

Measles is not a mild illness. It is one of the most contagious viruses; an infected person can leave the virus suspended in the air for up to two hours.

Key Facts:

  • Transmission: Spreads through the air via coughing and sneezing.
  • Contagious Period: An infected person can spread the virus from four days before the signature rash appears to four days after.
  • Complications: Can lead to pneumonia, encephalitis (brain swelling), and hospitalisation. In rare cases, it can be fatal.

The timing of these exposures is particularly alarming, coinciding with peak holiday travel when Newark Airport and Logan Airport were at maximum capacity, increasing the potential for a wider outbreak.

Locations and Times of Potential Exposure

If you or your family travelled through these airports on these dates, please be aware of the specific details:

  • Boston Logan International Airport (BOS):
    • Location: Terminal B (which includes numerous airline gates and the international arrivals facility).
    • Time: Tuesday, December 23rd, from approximately 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
  • Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR):
    • Location: Terminal C.
    • Time: Sunday, December 24th, from approximately 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM.

Steps to Protect Yourself and Your Family

  1. Check Your Vaccination Status: The MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine is highly effective. Two doses are about 97% effective at preventing measles. If you are unsure of your status, check with your doctor. Those born before 1957 are generally considered immune due to prior exposure.
  2. Monitor for Symptoms (Especially if You Were There): Symptoms typically appear 7 to 14 days after exposure and include:
    • High fever (may spike to over 104°F)
    • Cough, runny nose, and red/watery eyes
    • A red, blotchy rash typically begins on the face and spreads downward 2-4 days after the fever commences.
  3. If You Develop Symptoms:
    • Call Ahead: Do not visit a clinic, hospital, or doctor’s office without calling first. Tell them about your possible measles exposure and symptoms so they can stop the virus from spreading.
    • Isolate: Stay home and avoid contact with others, especially unvaccinated individuals, infants, and those with compromised immune systems.

The Bottom Line for Travelers

The detection of measles at Newark Airport and Logan Airport serves as a critical reminder that vaccine-preventable diseases remain a threat, especially in international travel hubs.

It points out the need for community immunity (herd immunity) to protect those who cannot be vaccinated, such as infants and the immunocompromised.

If you were at these locations during the specified times, stay vigilant for symptoms. For everyone else, this is an ideal time to verify your family’s immunisation records.

As we move through the respiratory virus season, staying up-to-date on vaccinations is our best defence against serious outbreaks.

“Great white sharks face extinction in the Mediterranean,” say researchers.

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“Great white sharks face extinction in the Mediterranean,” say researchers.
“Great white sharks face extinction in the Mediterranean,” say researchers.

Getty Images A great white shark moves towards the camera through clear, blue water. A shoal of small fish surround the large predator and its rows of pointed teeth are clearly visible Getty Images

Great white sharks in the Mediterranean Sea are in danger of disappearing, with illegal fishing contributing to their decline.

This is according to research by US scientists, working in partnership with UK charity Blue Marine Foundation. They say some of the most threatened species – including great white sharks – are being sold in North African fish markets.

Great whites are one of more than 20 Mediterranean shark species protected under international law, meaning it is illegal to fish for them or to sell them.

By monitoring fishing ports on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, however, researchers discovered that at least 40 enormous white sharks have been killed there in 2025 alone.

James Glancy/Blue Marine A white shark's head sits on a table in a fish market. It is surrounded by other fish and appears to be for sale. James Glancy/Blue Marine
Conservationists and scientists say they have seen protected species for sale in fish markets in North Africa

The BBC has also found, and independently verified, footage from social media of protected sharks being brought dead into North African ports.

One video showed a large great white being hauled ashore from a fishing boat in Algeria. Another, filmed in Tunisia, shows heads and fins of what appears to be a short-finned mako shark, which is also a threatened and protected species, being prepared for sale.

Last shark stronghold

James Glancy/Martin Stalker The image is captured by a drone and is looking directly down upon a research vessel - with crew and equipment visible on deck - and two smaller dinghies close by. The picture is taken at dusk and the sea surrounding the vessel looks dark, inky blueJames Glancy/Martin Stalker
The researchers worked from a vessel in the Strait of Sicily

Lead researcher, Dr Francesco Ferretti from the US university Virginia Tech, explained that many shark populations – white sharks in particular – had declined dramatically in the Mediterranean in recent decades.

“No other stretch of water is fished like the Mediterranean Sea,” he said, speaking to the BBC News science team while working on a research vessel off the coast of Sicily in late 2025.

“Industrial fishing is intensifying its impact, potentially leading to their extinction in the near future.”

The Mediterranean white shark population is now classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

In their latest attempt to find and study the predators, Dr Ferretti and his team worked in the Strait of Sicily – an area between Sicily and North Africa that has been identified as a “last stronghold” in the Mediterranean for several threatened shark species.

One key aim of their mission was to fit a satellite tracking tag onto a white shark – something that has never been done in the Mediterranean Sea.

To attempt this, the researchers brought more than three tonnes of fish bait – a shipping container packed with frozen mackerel and tuna scraps, as well as 500 litres of tuna oil to create a “fat slick” that many sharks would be able to smell from hundreds of metres away.

Despite working for two weeks – baiting the ocean, taking samples of seawater to search for shark DNA and using underwater cameras – the researchers did not manage to find any animals to tag.

They captured only a brief glimpse of one blue shark on their submarine cameras.

“It’s disheartening,” Dr Ferretti told us. “It just shows how degraded this ecosystem is.”

While the team was searching for surviving sharks, they also received reports that a juvenile great white had been caught and killed in a North African fishery – just 20 nautical miles from where they were working.

It is not clear whether that animal was accidentally caught in fishing gear, or if it was targeted.

Dr Ferretti and his team, though, estimate that more than 40 enormous white sharks have been caught around that coast. “This is a lot for a critically endangered population,” he said.

Sharks for sale

James Glancy/Blue Marine A conservationist, James Glancy, is pictured with two dead white sharks in the foreground. The image is posed by steps leading up to the doorway of a building. The sharks have been cut into several pieces and appear to be partially frozen James Glancy/Blue Marine
In 2023, James Glancy from Blue Marine conducted a visit to fish markets in Tunisia, where he observed the sale of protected sharks.

The researchers, with their colleagues in North Africa are monitoring several fishing ports in the region. Our collaboration with the BBC Forensics team reveals that countries such as Tunisia and Algeria catch, land, and sell protected sharks.

We found footage – posted on social media – of a great white being landed in a fishing port in Algeria and another large shark that appears to be a protected short-finned mako, being prepared for sale on a trolly in a fish market in Tunisia.

The rules that protect sharks are complicated. Currently, 24 threatened species have international legal protection – including mako, angel, threshers and hammerheads.

The EU and 23 nations around the Mediterranean have signed an agreement, which states that those species cannot be “retained on board, transhipped, landed, transferred, stored, sold or displayed or offered for sale”.

The international agreement states “they must be released unharmed and alive [where] possible”. Those rules do not tackle accidental bycatch and enforcement is variable from country to country.

Virginia Tech/Blue Marine The underwater image shows a mako shark swimming towards the camera in clear blue water. A bright yellow cylinder in the foreground is a container of fish bait to attract sharks Virginia Tech/Blue Marine
The researchers used baited underwater cameras to search the area for sharks

James Glancy from Blue Marine told BBC News that his investigation found multiple white sharks on sale in Tunisian fishing markets. But, he said, there was a paradoxical element of hope in the fact that white sharks were turning up for sale.

“It indicates that there is wildlife left,” he told BBC News. “And if we can preserve this, there is a chance of recovery.”

What can be done?

In poorer communities in North Africa, fishers who catch sharks might face the choice of whether to feed their family, or return a threatened species to the ocean.

Sara Almabruk from the Libyan Marine Biology Society says that most of the catches happening in North African waters are accidental, but adds: “Why would they throw sharks back into the sea when they need food for their children?

“If you train them in sustainable fishing, they won’t catch white sharks or any sharks.”

James Glancy from Blue Marine added that if countries around the Mediterranean worked together, “there is hope.

“But, he added, “we’ve got to act very quickly.”

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Labor criticizes the Tory shadow minister for representing Roman Abramovich.

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Labor criticizes the Tory shadow minister for representing Roman Abramovich.

Getty Images Roman Abramovichgetty images
The UK government sanctioned Roman Abramovich in March 2022.

The Labour Party has criticised Conservative Shadow Attorney General Lord Wolfson for acting as a lawyer for sanctioned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

Justice Minister Jack Richards said it was “inexcusable” for him to retain his position on the Tory frontbench while representing Mr Abramovich, arguing it risked a conflict of interest.

The Conservatives said the comments were “pure politics” and a “baseless smear”, adding that “barristers work for clients, not for causes”.

Lord Wolfson is part of the legal team representing the former owner of Chelsea Football Club in his court battle with the Jersey government.

The UK government banned Mr Abramovich in March 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The accusation against the oligarch, who made his fortune in oil and gas, is that he has strong ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, a claim he denies.

More than £5.3 billion worth of assets linked to Mr Abramovich have been banned by the Jersey courts since their approval.

The Government of Jersey initiated an investigation in April 2022 to ascertain the origin of the funds, leading to a protracted legal dispute.

The Justice Minister claimed the case was blocking the transfer of funds from the sale of Mr Abramovich’s Chelsea FC, which the government wants to give to victims of the war in Ukraine.

In 2022, Mr. Abramovich said the £2.5 billion raised from the sale should be used for “all victims of the war”—meaning the Russians could also benefit.

In a letter to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, Richards said, “Mr Abramovich’s position is that the transfer of funds cannot be completed until the end of the court case in Jersey in which Lord Wolfson is representing him.

“As Shadow Attorney General,

Lord Wolfson has a key role in setting Conservative Party policy.

“As a salaried representative of Mr Abramovich, he has a financial interest in the question of whether and when Mr Abramovich’s assets are transferred to benefit the people of Ukraine.”

In his letter, the minister raised a number of questions, including whether Lord Wolfson played a role in formulating the party’s position on transferring funds from the sale of Chelsea FC and whether he had declared an interest in it or recused himself from the process.

Richards said that the “cab rank rule”—the principle that a barrister must take any case within his area of expertise, regardless of the client—”should always be respected, but it cannot remove conflicts of interest or eliminate the responsibility of politicians to avoid such conflicts.”

He added, “Lord Wolfson’s ability to advise you in relation to this matter is clearly compromised by the fact that he is being paid to act on Mr Abramovich’s behalf.

“If he wishes to continue to represent clients whose interests are directly linked to the policies of the Government and HM the Opposition, then that is a matter for him – but he cannot do that while serving in your shadow cabinet.”

A Conservative Party spokesman responded by saying, “We have instructed Lord Wolfson in the ongoing legal proceedings in Jersey.” He has not been instructed on the Chelsea FC matter.

“Jake Richards’ comments are pure politics, and they show Labour still doesn’t understand how the bar works. Barristers work for clients, not causes.”

The spokesman accused Labor of “rank hypocrisy,” pointing out that Attorney General Lord Harmer, the government’s chief legal adviser, represented former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams before becoming a minister.

He added, “The Conservative Party has led the way in supporting Ukraine and we remain committed to its cause. Suggesting otherwise would represent a new low for the Labour Party.

PA media Lord Wolfson speaking into the microphone. He is a bald man wearing glasses and a gray coat with a striped scarf.pa media
Lord Wolfson has served as Shadow Attorney General since November 2024.

There has been a delay in releasing the funds received from the sale of Chelsea FC, which are currently deposited in a British bank account, due to a standoff over how they should be used.

Under UK sanctions, Mr Abramovich cannot access the money, but the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea remain legally his.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged the oligarch to “pay up now” or face court action.

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The hidden, grim reality of British drug mules is exposed as the Thai cannabis boom surges.

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The hidden, grim reality of British drug mules is exposed as the Thai cannabis boom surges.

Thailand’s “wild weed waste” has added fuel to the fire today as a Mirror investigation reveals a boom in Thai cannabis farms has led to a large number of drug mules being snared by UK authorities.

recovery of ganja

Official figures obtained by the Mirror show that at least 23 tonnes of cannabis were seized at UK airports between January and November (Image: NCA)

Today, one of Britain’s most senior officials urged Britons seeking free holidays not to resort to drug trafficking to finance their trips.

The Mirror can today reveal that hundreds of smugglers coming to the UK this year alone have been busted – with Thailand’s “wild weed waste” fuelling the problem. Clear data shows that at least 800 smugglers were caught at airports until mid-November this year – that means police caught two mules every day.

This total is much more than the whole of 2024, when 750 smugglers were caught. About 640 of those arrested were travelling from Thailand.

where relaxed drug laws have led to a boom in cannabis production. Last year only 460 were arrested after arriving from Thailand.

Drug seizures at UK airports

Large quantities of drugs have been seized at UK airports in the past year, partly due to a boom in cannabis production in Thailand. (Image: NCA)

Criminal gangs lured gullible Britons with the promise of luxury holidays in exchange for the transportation of “packages”.

Several drug gangs have been caught around the world, including pregnant 19-year-old Bella Mae Cooley, 24-year-old young mother Cameron Bradford and 21-year-old former air hostess Charlotte Mae Lee.

But today Becky Wright, head of the NCA’s Borders Threat Team, warned, “Don’t risk your life for a free holiday.”

She told the Mirror: “Couriers are risking potentially life-changing penalties and prison sentences and we continue to target them as part of our ongoing efforts to break the supply chain.

“We continue to warn anyone who is tempted by a quick payday or free holiday in exchange for smuggling drugs such as cannabis:

The risks are too great and the chances of getting caught are too high. It is not worth it. The NCA works with law enforcement partners, such as border forces at home and those abroad,

to attack high-risk routes, seize drug shipments and disrupt the organised crime groups involved, impacting their profits. Works together.”

bella me coolie

Bella May Cooley, 18, said she was tricked into carrying drugs from Thailand to Georgia but eventually made a deal to return to the UK. (Image: Facebook)

Official data obtained by this paper shows that at least 23 tonnes of cannabis were seized at UK airports between January and November in 2025. The authorities seized approximately 17 tonnes of cannabis at Heathrow and at least 3.8 tonnes at Manchester airports.

The National Crime Agency said at least 800 couriers have been arrested at UK airports so far in 2025, with around 530 at Heathrow, 120 at Manchester Airport and around 30 at Gatwick, and smaller numbers elsewhere.

About 80% of those arrested travelled from Thailand, with notable ones coming from the US, Canada and South Africa. And about two-thirds of those arrested were British, with notable numbers from the US, Malaysia and Canada.

Cameron Bradford, 21

Cameron Bradford, 21, of Knebworth, Herts, was detained at Munich Airport on April 21 as she tried to collect her luggage.

Earlier this year Thai authorities said British influencers and backpackers were being lured by a ruthless drug mule gang using the Telegram messaging app.

Police Lieutenant General Phanurat Lukboon, secretary general of Thailand’s Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) office, said young travellers were being offered a free trip to Thailand, alcohol and up to £2,000 in spending money.

They agreed to smuggle the cannabis into the United Kingdom in return. Lieutenant Lukboon said, “These people recruited to the UK are not deceived.”

They are lured with free tours, accommodation, and food in Thailand, as well as pocket money in exchange for an agreement to bring cannabis back to the UK.”

Image of Charlotte May Lee during the holidays

Charlotte May Lee, 21, was jailed in a terrifying Sri Lankan prison after allegedly trying to smuggle drugs worth £1.2 million from Thailand to Sri Lanka. (Image: instagram.com/charlottemaylee)

Today Chris Hobbs, a former Special Branch officer for border control, said he was “shocked” by the scale of cannabis smuggling into Britain, where it remains a Class B drug.

In 2002 he led Operation Airbridge, which deployed UK police and customs agents to Jamaican airports to stop smugglers from ingesting cocaine and supplying the drug to Britain.

Mr. Hobbs said, “It is interesting to find out whether these young travellers are being recruited in the UK or overseas.”

They will probably have to hand over their drugs to a named contact or someone who recruited them in the first place in order to get some items back.

They may have been recruited abroad, with gangs seeking naive Britons who they thought could pass through Heathrow or Gatwick.

Often mules will be told that customs in the UK are not really interested in cannabis coming through, which, quite honestly, was true until a few years ago.

Sophie Bannister and Levi-April Whaley

In 2022 glamorous pals Sophie Bannister and Levi-April Whalley, both from Blackburn, were found with cannabis in bags (Image: male)

They falsely claim that if you get caught, nothing serious will happen and you won’t go to jail because the prisons are full. So if you get caught, it’s no big deal. And if you don’t get caught, you’ve got away, and you’ll make a lot of money from it.”

This summer there has been a spate of cases in Britain, such as that of 18-year-old Bella Cooley, who was tricked into carrying drugs from Thailand to Georgia.

She claimed her luggage containing 31 pounds of cannabis was taken to the airport and placed in the hold of the plane when she was flying from Bangkok in May.

Gangs tortured Bella, from County Durham, into smuggling £200,000 worth of cannabis, a court heard.

Dan Warburton at Cannabis Farm

Earlier this year Mirror reporter Dan Warburton gained access to one of the dozens of cannabis farms growing on Koh Samui. (Image: Phil Harris)

Elsewhere, a British couple claiming to be tourists from Thailand were caught at an airport in Spain with more than 33 kilograms of cannabis in their suitcase.

The pair were caught by suspicious policemen at Valencia airport after showing a “nervous and evasive attitude” and are now behind bars on drug trafficking charges.

Meanwhile, young mother Cameron Bradford, 21, from Knebworth, was detained at Munich Airport in Germany for smuggling cannabis in her bag while flying from Thailand.

And 21-year-old rising travel influencer Charlotte May Lee was caught carrying £1.2 million of drugs from Thailand to Sri Lanka.

The former air hostess’s suitcase was said to be filled with 46 kilograms of a synthetic cannabis strain known as Kush.

Previously glamorous friends Sophie Bannister and Levi-April Whalley, both from Blackburn, were found with cannabis in their bags when they were flying back to the UK from New York in 2022.

Sophie and Levi claim that a girl in Marseille reached out to them online, offering them an all-expenses-paid trip in exchange for returning with two suitcases.

Earlier this year the Mirror travelled to the luxury island of Koh Samui, Thailand, to expose how drug-trafficking Britons were being raked in by cannabis worth millions after drug laws were relaxed.

The lucrative smuggling network is so vast that National Crime Agency detectives and Home Office officers were deployed to Thailand for weeks to tackle the problem.

And a group of Britons were stuck with heavy luggage in their luggage while leaving the popular tourist destination of Koh Samui, where the latest Emmy Award-winning HBO show White Lotus was filmed.

The Mirror visited a farm just minutes from the luxurious Four Seasons resort where Patrick Schwarzenegger, 31, and Charlotte Le Bon, 38, filmed the hit drama.

There we found a hemp farm, made up of hundreds of plants growing row after row just metres away from a busy road.

Cared for by hand by an elderly shop employee, the flower buds had to be cut and dried before being sold to British tourists and backpackers. Inside the store, jars of products including Lemon Haze, Purple Oreo, and Blackberry were available.

Meanwhile, an industrial-sized cannabis factory next to a military post has highlighted the dangers of cannabis cultivation in Koh Samui.

On the fence, beneath the razor wire, were signs warning that the owners would use firearms on trespassers before alerting the police.

Sensible “laboratories” even offer tours of their products to curious Britons as they produce high-grade cannabis in giant quantities.

A farmer told us, “This is big business. The demand is high; we have no problem selling the product.”

In 2022, Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalise cannabis for medical purposes, but in practice, the market is virtually unregulated.

Neon weed signs have become ubiquitous in the busy tourist areas of Bangkok and Koh Samui, with dispensaries popping up on every corner.

Hundreds of food and beverage vendors advertise cannabis-infused menus. Private recreational use of cannabis is legal if the THC content is less than 0.2% by weight, but use of cannabis in public places is illegal.

However, regulations already exist to restrict the use of cannabis. Smoking or vaping is not allowed in public places. Causing a “public nuisance” – which includes the smell of weed – can result in a fine of 25,000 baht (£560).

Since cannabis was legalised, more than 1.1 million Thais have registered for licences to grow it, and more than 6,000 weed dispensaries have opened across the country.

The Health Ministry has reported an increase in the number of people seeking treatment for cannabis-related psychological problems.

This increases from more than 37,000 patients in 2022 to more than 63,000 in 2023. Other studies have shown that more young people are using the drug.

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