Rubio tells Europe to join Trump's fight, says it belongs with USUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke at the 62nd Munich Security ConferenceMUNICH (GERMANY) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to reassure a nervous Europe on Saturday, saying Washington wanted to recharge the transatlantic alliance so a strong Europe could help the United States on its mission of global "renewal". "We want Europe to be strong," Rubio said, adding that the continent and the United States "belong together." Rubio was on Sunday due to travel to Slovakia and Hungary, European countries run by nationalist leaders endorsed by Trump. - European security -European leaders at the Munich Security Conference have pledged to shoulder more of the burden of shared NATO defences, saying this was essential for Europe to counter a hostile Russia. - Ukraine war -The high-powered Munich meeting of government leaders, diplomats, defence and intelligence chiefs comes shortly before Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine is set to enter its fifth gruelling year.

UK to deploy aircraft carrier group to Arctic this year: PMStarmer told the Munich conference that Britain must be 'ready to fight'MUNICH (GERMANY) - Britain will deploy its aircraft carrier group to the North Atlantic this year in a "powerful show of force" against Russian threats in the Arctic, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday. The group will include warships, F-35 jets and helicopters in what has been dubbed "Operation Firecrest," the ministry of defence said in a statement. HMS Prince of Wales is the Royal Navy's largest warship and US aircraft are also expected to operate from its deck. France has also announced that it will deploy its aircraft carrier group in the region in 2026. US President Donald Trump has unnerved European countries by saying Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory in the Arctic, should come under US control.

Zhang Peimian celeberates his unanimous decision win over Ellis Barboza at ONE Friday Fights 142Zhang Peimian walked out of Lumpinee Stadium on Friday night with more than just a unanimous decision win. In 2022, Zhang challenged Jonathan Di Bella for the vacant strawweight kickboxing title in Kuala Lumpur. Zhang Peimian heads to the ring at ONE Friday Fights 142“I will let ONE Championship arrange everything for me,” he said. “I have recovered from all my old injuries and I’m ready to fight anyone,” he said. But with back-to-back wins and Tokyo looming on the calendar, Zhang Peimian has quietly placed himself back in the title conversation.

If so, mark March 28 on your calendar for the return of Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok's Chilli Fest. Southern Thai heat takes centre stage at Dongang with Master Don, a fictional outlaw chef born under the Krabi sun, at its helm. Competitive Chilli ChewersMoreover, the legendary Chilli Eating Contest returns to Chilli Fest 2026, daring the brave (and slightly unhinged) to prove their tolerance for pain. Chilli Fest 2026 takes place on Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 2pm to 9pm at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok's Urban Oasis. Chilli and charity also meet at Chilli Fest 2026 as a portion of the festival’s proceeds will support Bangkok Community Help Foundation and its ongoing work for communities in need.

Google has confirmed that it will soon release Android 17 Beta 1 to Google Pixel devices, marking the first public testing phase of its next-generation mobile operating system, reportedly codenamed “Cinnamon Bun”. Android 17 Beta 1 is built on Android 16 QPR, with a focus on bug fixes, stability improvements and overall system optimisation, the company said. Users who are already enrolled in the Android Beta programme will automatically receive the update without needing to re-register or take additional steps. Those who do not wish to participate in beta testing are advised to opt out of the programme before the rollout begins. Google warned that beta software may carry risks, including system instability or applications that may not function properly.

Police say ‘Uncle Sanom’ may have molested and defrauded as many as 10 womenInside Wat Khian in Ang Thong, where “Uncle Sanom” allegedly performs his rituals. “Uncle Sanom” is a well-known undertaker and exorcist in Ang Thong. One of the women interviewed by police reported her encounters with “Uncle Sanom” did not go as expected. She had gone to see Uncle Sanom because her husband had been chronically ill for 2 years and conventional medical treatments had not been effective, making her lose faith in science. The victim admitted to feeling distraught during the ritual, but her fear of black magic made her comply with Uncle Sanom, she said.

(Photo: Pheu Thai Party)Yodchanan Wongsawat, a prime ministerial candidate of the Pheu Thai Party, has apologised to any supporters who may feel uneasy about the party’s decision to join a coalition government led by the Bhumjaithai Party. After internal deliberations, consultations and consideration of views from party members, the majority within the party concluded that Pheu Thai should join the coalition government, he said. The Pheu Thai legal team is also pursuing the matter and will monitor progress until a conclusion is reached, he added. They are the Economic Party, New Democracy Party, New Party, Ruam Jai Thai Party, Thaisubthawee Party, People’s Power Party and New Dimension Party. Unofficially, Bhumjaithai, Pheu Thai and three microparties that have formally agreed to join the coalition have 272 seats in total, enough for a majority in the 500-seat House.

Anutin vows deeper Japan tiesThailand is seeking to deepen its longstanding partnership with Japan as both nations prepare to mark 140 years of diplomatic relations, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said at a reception celebrating the 66th birthday of Japanese Emperor Naruhito. In his remarks, Mr Anutin underscored the "firm and strong" ties between the two countries, rooted in mutual trust and people-to-people connections. Mr Anutin also congratulated Japan's newly elected prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, expressing hope for an early meeting to advance the Thailand-Japan Strategic Partnership. Amid growing global uncertainty, Mr Anutin said Thailand and Japan remain united in supporting an open, rules-based regional order and a stable Indo-Pacific. Economically, Japan remains one of Thailand's largest investors, with around 6,000 Japanese companies operating in the kingdom and cumulative investment totalling roughly four trillion baht.

A polling unit staffer holds up a party-list ballot during the vote count at a station in Bangkok on Feb 8. (Photo: Reuters)The People’s Party is preparing to take the Election Commission (EC) to court over its use of ballot barcodes that could violate the principle of secret voting, be used to intimidate voters and pose a harmful risk of data leaks. Secondly, there was a major loophole that could allow parties or candidates to exploit codes to track votes, Mr Parit said. When reporters on Friday pressed EC officials on whether barcodes on ballots could be matched with counterfoils to identify how an individual voted, they were told it would be “highly impracticable”. Mr Parit said the long-term risk of voting data leaks was also a potential problem.

Police officers search the luggage of an Israeli suspect at his restaurant on Koh Phangan, where they found a variety of illicit drugs on Friday. (Photo: supplied/Assawin Pakkawan)SURAT THANI - A major Israeli drug dealer, who operated out of the restaurant he owned on Koh Phangan, was arrested on Friday with narcotics worth over 50 million baht seized, authorities said. Mr Alfasi was the owner of the Lola bar and restaurant in the Hat Hin Kong area of the southern tourist island, Pol Lt Gen Saksira said. Their estimated value was over 50 million baht, Pol Lt Gen Saksira said. A crackdown on the island since Monday had netted six drug suspects, he said, with Mr Alfasi considered the biggest figure arrested there so far.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairman Tarique Rahman speaks with reporters after voting at a polling station in Dhaka on Feb 12, 2026. The opposition Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies won 77 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, or House of the Nation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ​and ‌the US ambassador to Bangladesh, Brent Christensen, were among the first to congratulate Rahman on the BNP’s victory. “It is an opportunity for Bangladesh … it has these ​major powers around ⁠it that are vying for influence. The party won a record 68 seats in its first election since a 2013 ​ban on it was lifted after Hasina’s ouster.

Thailand has reaffirmed that recently approved spending on weapons procurement and border fencing is preventive, non-provocative and fully in line with international law, amid heightened scrutiny of developments along the Thai–Cambodian border and adjacent waters. The measures are not directed at any specific country and fall within Thailand's sovereign rights, the statement said. Planned fencing along selected sections of the land border aims to improve border management and deter illegal crossings, human trafficking and transnational crime -- an approach widely adopted by many countries, the centre said. The agency also dismissed rumours that Thailand might sever diplomatic ties with Cambodia as unfounded. The public has been urged to rely on official information and refrain from sharing unverified reports that could cause unnecessary alarm.

(Photo: Reuters)PREAH VIHEAR, Cambodia - Six weeks after ⁠a ceasefire ended ⁠fighting at the Thai-Cambodian border, thousands ​of displaced Cambodians still hope to return home, despite an election victory in Thailand by nationalists who want to wall off the ​disputed frontier. In Banteay Meanchey province, Proeung Sopheap, 59, was visiting her ‌abandoned home in the border village of Prey Chan for the first time since the December clashes to collect some personal belongings and cooking utensils. Pich Vorn, displaced from the neighbouring village of Chouk Chey, said he just ‌wanted his house and land back. The border clashes killed at least 149 people and displaced hundreds of thousands along the 817-kilometre border before Thailand and Cambodia agreed to a second ceasefire in late ​December, ‌after an earlier truce from July collapsed. Demining manager Ean Sothea said Cambodian authorities had shut more than 40 schools across Preah Vihear province and prioritised clearance at hospitals, pagodas and homes of returning residents.

Nabil Anane heads to the ring behind brother Yonis Anane at ONE Friday Fights 142Nabil Anane had one eye on the ring – and one on the rankings. “Maybe Rambolek,” Nabil told the Bangkok Post backstage at Lumpinee Stadium. Yonis Anane celebrates his unanimous decision win over Riamu Matsumoto at ONE Friday Fights 142“Fighting with Jonathan Haggerty, I don’t know,” he said. Nabil Anane and coach Mehdi Zatout speak to Yonis Anane in between rounds at ONE Friday Fights 142“I did good but I can do better,” he said. Yonis Anane lands a punch on Riamu Matsumoto at ONE Friday Fights 142“It would be great,” Nabil said.

(Photo: People’s Party)The People’s Party has reaffirmed its role as leader of the opposition and ruled out joining the government, according to party spokesman Parit Wacharasindhu. Mr Parit was responding on Saturday to speculation about whether the People’s Party would attempt to form a government in the unlikely event that the election-winning Bhumjaithai Party was unable to do so. “As the election outcome showed that the People’s Party was not in the top position, we respect the right of the leading party to form a government. Unofficial results from the Feb 8 general election showed that Bhumjaithai won 193 seats, followed by the People’s Party with 118. Pheu Thai came third with 74 seats, followed by Klatham with 58 and the Democrats with 22.