The Thai Polo Team captured the championship at the Princess's Cup B.Grimm Thai Polo Open 2026, following a thrilling final at B.Grimm Country Club, known as the Thai Polo and Equestrian Club Pattaya in Chon Buri province. The tournament marked the 20th year of one of Asia's most established charity polo events, contested for the royal trophy graciously presented by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. In the championship match, the host team Thai Polo (Thailand) defeated Duc de Praslin (Belgium) to secure the title, while 22BR (Hong Kong) finished third overall. Organised by B.Grimm, the annual event is widely regarded as the opening fixture of the polo season in Thailand. (Caption to come by K. Larn)Marking two decades of continuity, the Princess's Cup B.Grimm Thai Polo Open has served as a key fundraising platform supporting education and workforce development through the Chitralada Technology Institute.

Canada PM to mourn with grieving town, new details on shooter emergeA memorial for the victims the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo: AFP)TUMBLER RIDGE, Briotish Columbia - A grief-stricken community in western Canada will mourn with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday, who headed to the remote town of Tumbler Ridge to honour victims of a mass shooting. In the days since Tuesday’s killings at the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, more information has emerged about both the victims and the shooter, an 18-year-old transgender woman named Jesse Van Rootselaar. Vigil at town hallCarney is expected to lead a vigil for the victims outside the town hall in Tumbler Ridge, which was built 45 years ago, 1,180 kilometres northeast of Vancouver. The town was quiet early Friday and residents have voiced weariness over the influx of media attention following the tragedy.

US waives Venezuela oil sanctions as Trump plans visitTrump has praised Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez for her cooperation since the toppling of her former boss, Nicolas Maduro. (Photo: AFP)WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said Friday he planned to visit Venezuela and reiterated satisfaction with its interim leader, as his administration authorized five major oil companies to operate in the country. "I'm going to make a visit to Venezuela," Trump told reporters Friday, while adding that the date had not been decided. Trump and top appointees like Energy Secretary Chris Wright have been blunt in characterizing Washington as a party controlling Venezuela's oil resources for the foreseeable future. Wright said Wednesday that the US oil embargo on Venezuela, in place since 2019, was "essentially over."

US launches Skytrain wrapPhoto: U.S. Embassy & Consulate in ThailandThe US Embassy in Bangkok marked the 250th anniversary of American independence by launching a "Freedom 250" BTS Skytrain wrap on Tuesday. The wrap was unveiled at Phrom Phong BTS station as a mobile tribute commemorating the signing of the US Declaration of Independence. US Ambassador Sean K O'Neill inaugurated the wrap by boarding the specially designed train from Phrom Phong to Phloen Chit station and invited the Thai public to join a yearlong celebration of American history and US-Thai diplomatic ties. According to the embassy, the "Freedom 250" project aims to highlight the United States' journey since 1776 and the role of US diplomacy in promoting "peace through strength." More information about upcoming Freedom 250 events is available at th.usembassy.gov/freedom-250.

A 12-million-baht canteen renovation is one of many instances of questionable spending by the civil servants overseeing the Social Security Fund (SSF) in Thailand. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)The People's Party says it will move immediately to table a sweeping overhaul of the Social Security system, proposing a new board structure that shifts authority away from the state and towards the contributors who fund it. "At this moment, insured persons are worried about how their money is being used," he said, arguing that reform cannot wait for the typically lengthy legislative process. Despite contributing only 2.75% to the Social Security Fund, compared with 5% each from employers and employees, the government held equal representation and outsized influence, he said. The draft law would also remove the Social Security Office from the traditional bureaucratic structure and place it under a publicly accountable co-governance model.

French police arrested nine people in an investigation into a Louvre ticket fraud that may have cost the world's most visited museum 10 million euros ($11.86 million) in revenues, the Paris prosecutor's office said on Friday (February 13).

Spartanburg County in South Carolina finds itself the epicenter of the largest U.S. measles outbreak in more than thirty years. Some doctors fear that outbreaks like this one are becoming the new normal.

4 Thai women rescued from scam hubFour Thai women allegedly held for ransom in Myanmar's border town of Shwe Kokko have been rescued and returned to Thailand through Mae Sot district, local sources said yesterday. If investigators conclude that the women are not trafficking victims, they could face legal action for illegal border crossing into Myanmar, the sources said. After arriving at the Mae Sot bus terminal in Tak, they were picked up and transported across the border. Prior to the rescue, a civil society network that assists trafficking victims submitted an urgent letter to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, calling for swift government intervention. The site is located near the Thai-Myanmar border, opposite a checkpoint in Mae Pa sub-district of Mae Sot.

AoT sees revenue climb in first quarterThe Airports of Thailand (AoT) yesterday reported a net profit of 4.65 billion baht for the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year, pledging to focus on a progressive financial restructuring initiative to support steady growth. According to AoT president Paweena Jariyathitipong, the authority earned more than 17.3 billion baht in revenue from October to December last year. Of those included, she said aviation services generated more than 8.8 billion baht in income, a 0.67% increase from the same period of the previous fiscal year. Ms Paweena said that AoT expected revenue growth over the next nine months of this fiscal year, following a trend in tourism revitalisation across the world. Ms Paweena said that AoT has also worked on a revenue restructuring initiative, including a promotional campaign for carriers on servicing at one of six AoT airports, to increase its aeronautical revenue.

B150bn motorway projects head for bidding this yearThe Department of Highways (DoH) has announced plans to open bidding this year for several major motorway projects, with a combined investment value exceeding 150 billion baht. For motorway rest areas, the department plans to open bids for facilities on the M6 (Bang Pa-in–Nakhon Ratchasima) and M81 (Bang Yai–Kanchanaburi). The M6 project will cover 15 rest areas under two contracts, with construction costs estimated at 2.16 billion baht and operations and maintenance (O&M) costs of 7.76 billion baht over 30 years. The M81 project will include six rest areas under a single contract, with construction costs of 1.46 billion baht and O&M costs of 4.84 billion baht over the same period. The project is valued at about 15.72 billion baht.

Alhaft and Arthur strike as Angels down MacarthurBangkok United defeated Australia's Macarthur 2-0 in the AFC Champions League Two Round of 16 first leg tie at Pathum Thani Stadium on Thursday night. Goals from Allias Alhaft and Arthur gave the Thai League 1 side a comfortable lead going into the return leg in Australia next Thursday. Macarthur responded with Mitch Duke striking the left post with a glancing header, before Anthony Caceres wasted another attempt, heading straight at Angels' keeper Patiwat Khammai. Macarthur nearly conceded again in the 59th minute when Alhaft set up Muhsen Al Ghassani inside the box, but his header drifted wide of the right post. Saudi test for ThaisThailand will face hosts and two-time champions Saudi Arabia in the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026, which will take place between May 5-22.

Asian shares retreat ahead of Lunar New Year breakRECAP: Asian equities pulled back from record highs yesterday as traders locked in gains and pared positions ahead of a week-long holiday in Chinese markets. Foreign investors were net buyers of 32.93 billion baht, followed by institutional investors at 3.29 billion and brokerage firms at 1.43 billion. Thai investors cheered the prospect of political stability after the Bhumjaithai Party scored a convincing win in the Feb 8 election. The World Bank lowered its 2026 Thailand GDP growth forecast to 1.6% from 1.8%, citing a global trade slowdown, high household debt and a sluggish tourism recovery. However, if fourth-quarter Thai GDP is weaker than expected, it could dim market sentiment.

Leading the charge will be non-league Macclesfield Town, who in the third round defeated defending champions Crystal Palace in arguably the biggest upset in FA Cup history. The Tigers were FA Cup finalists in 2014 but succumbed 3-2 to Arsenal. Sunderland will be expected to overcome struggling Oxford United but in the FA Cup you can never be sure. There are only two games between Premier League teams and both will be fiercely contested. Other Premier League teams in action include league leaders Arsenal at home to Wigan Athletic.

China military purge exposes Xi's uneaseStrange and mysterious events are transpiring inside the walls of Beijing's Forbidden City. Composed of seven members including Chairman Xi, the CMC forms the Supreme military leadership body of China's military services such as the powerful People's Liberation Army and Navy. It went on: "Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli, as senior cadres of the Party and the military, seriously betrayed the trust and expectations of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission". An Institute for the Study of War analysis opines, "Xi Jinping's Military Purges Leave Him Increasingly Powerful but Isolated". But many inside the Chinese military understand the complexity of such an operation, which is by no means assured of victory.

A conceptual prototype of The Color, a new lifestyle mall from Big C Supercenter, scheduled to open in Chaengwattana in the first quarter of 2027. Big C Supercenter Plc plans to invest up to 8 billion baht for new branch openings and the renovation of outlets across Thailand. The investment aims to modernise facilities to better meet evolving consumer habits, particularly those seeking convenience, quality and diverse experiences, said Aswin Techajareonvikul, chief executive and president of Big C Supercenter. Big C Supercenter allocated 6-8 billion baht this year to expand its large stores at potential locations, open 200 new Big C Mini branches and renovate more than 300 outlets of various sizes across Thailand. "The Color Chaengwattana will be a new landmark for the area and a new format of Big C mall," she said.