PTTEP Approves FID for First Malaysia Greenfield ProjectBangkok, February 10, 2026 – PTTEP has reached FID for the Malaysia SK405B Project, offshore Malaysia, marking a milestone of the company’s first greenfield development project in the country to support long-term growth. Montri Rawanchaikul, Chief Executive Officer, PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP), said PTTEP Sarawak Oil Limited, a subsidiary of PTTEP, the operator of SK405B PSC, had made the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the Sirung and Chenda fields in the Malaysia SK405B Project. This marks PTTEP’s first FID for greenfield development in Malaysia, one of its strategic countries. First oil production is targeted for 2028 with a combined production capacity of approximately 15,000 barrels per day. The Malaysia SK405B Project is operated by PTTEP Sarawak Oil Limited, a subsidiary of PTTEP, holding a 49.5% participating interest, with PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd holding 25%, and Mitsui Energy Development Co, Ltd holding 25.5%.

South Korea police raid spy agency over drone flights into NorthNorth Korea has accused Seoul of dispatching the drone across the border, releasing images in January that purportedly showed the downed aircraft. SEOUL - Investigators raided South Korea's spy agency on Tuesday as they probed possible government links to a drone shot down over North Korea earlier this year. North Korea said last year it had proven that the South flew drones to drop propaganda leaflets over its capital. Lee said in December that he felt an apology was due to North Korea over his predecessor's alleged order to send drones. North Korea has previously sent trash-filled balloons over the South in what it called retaliation for activists in the South floating anti-regime propaganda missives northwards.

(Photo: AFP)PARIS - A study published on Tuesday showed that more than half of the world’s coral reefs were bleached between 2014 and 2017 — a record-setting episode now being eclipsed by another series of devastating heatwaves. The analysis concluded that 51% of the world’s reefs endured moderate or worse bleaching while 15% experienced significant mortality over the three-year period known as the “Third Global Bleaching Event”. It was “by far the most severe and widespread coral bleaching event on record”, said Sean Connolly, one the study’s authors and a senior scientist at the Panama-based Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. “2014-17 was the first record of a global coral bleaching event lasting much beyond a single year,” the study said. “We are only just beginning to analyse bleaching and mortality observations from the current bleaching event,” Connolly told AFP.

Foreigners buy most Thai stocks in 4 years after electionCaretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul looks on before he attends a cabinet meeting at Government House, after the Bhumjaithai Party won the general election, on Tuesday. (Photo: Reuters)Global funds piled back into Thai equities as a convincing win by the incumbent Bhumjaithai Party in Sunday’s election paved the way for policy continuity. Foreigners bought $531.3 million of the nation’s stocks on a net basis on Monday, the most since February 2022, according to Bloomberg-compiled data. The inflows helped push the benchmark index 3.5% higher on Monday, making the gauge the best performer in Southeast Asia. The baht climbed for a third day on Tuesday, putting it closer to the highest since 2021.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing for his sixth trip to Washington since Donald Trump took office in January last year. (Photo: AFP)JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington Wednesday, seeking to press him to adopt a tougher line on Iran’s ballistic missile programme in the next round of talks. Netanyahu’s office said he will highlight Israel’s concerns over Iran’s missile arsenal in discussions with Trump, and not just the nuclear programme. During the June war, Iran launched waves of ballistic missiles and other projectiles at Israeli territory, striking both military and civilian areas. “He wants to first convince President Trump that Iran’s ballistic missiles, which he sees as a major threat to Israel, must be included in any agreement over Iran’s nuclear programme.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul speaks to reporters at Government House in Bangkok on Tuesday. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul expects his new government to serve its full four-year term, while a key party figure says the coalition being formed should have about 300 MPs. “The new government led by the Bhumjaithai Party must serve its four-year term, working honestly and quickly to meet people’s demands, maximise the national interest and be internationally recognised,” Mr Anutin said at Government House on Tuesday. Mr Anutin confirmed that with the number of Bhumjaithai MPs he was likely have he would be able to control the other coalition parties. The party would listen to the people’s voice, and it was clear that many people trusted the Bhumjaithai Party, Ms Treenuch said.

Opponents demand recount in Chon Buri seat won by deputy PMBallot boxes stored at the badminton court in Muang district, Chon Buri, on Tuesday morning. (Chon Buri PR Department)Protesters have demanded a recount of ballots in Chon Buri's constituency 1, claiming that ballot boxes were not properly sealed after voting ended on Sunday. Demonstrators gathered at the badminton court of the Muang Chon Buri municipal office near the Muang Chon Buri district office on Monday and remained overnight. The Muang Chon Buri district chief ordered the ballot boxes secured. Observers and the questioned ballot boxes in Muang district, Chon Buri, on Tuesday morning.

Thailand’s score was on par with three other countries: Ecuador, Panama and Serbia. In the past decade, the best CPI score Thailand has achieved was 38, in both 2014 and 2015. The three worst performers in the 2025 survey were Venezuela with a score of 10 points, Somalia and South Sudan (9 each). Berlin-based Transparency International said the global average score in 2025 dropped one point to 42, and 122 countries scored below 50, signalling widespread public sector corruption. Countries that curb civic space often lose control of corruption, Transparency International said.

Workers hospitalised after building collapsesRescuers approach the collapsed building at the Bang Phli Metropolitan Electricity Authority training centre in Bang Sao Thong district in Samut Prakan province on Monday. (Photo: Fire and Rescue Thailand)A building collapsed at the Bang Phli electricity authority training centre in Samut Prakan on Monday, injuring four construction workers. The building, on Soi Kan Kheha Haeng Chat Bang Phli, collapsed about 11.45am, Fire and Rescue Thailand reported. It was later confirmed that four contract workers were injured and were receiving treatment at a hospital. Public access had been restricted and stricter enforcement of safety standards ordered at the construction site.

EC needs to do betterThe election on Sunday has finally ended, albeit with mixed reactions. Several of these blunders were so serious that the EC secretary-general had to apologise to the public twice and promised to do better on the main polling day. Without doubt, EC officials had to cope with an enormous workload, as they were tasked with handling both the election and the constitutional referendum. Senior EC officials continued to deny wrongdoing until they could no longer do so. The EC needs to examine complaints carefully, and where there are grounds for irregularities, it must launch investigations swiftly.

Law enforcement hit protesters and members of the media, including AFP, with pepper spray in rarely-seen violent scuffles in Sydney's central business district. Asked about the scenes, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told local radio he was "devastated" to see the violence. New South Wales police have said they arrested 27 people at the rallies, including 10 for assaulting law enforcement, and have confirmed they deployed pepper spray against the crowd. "His visit will lift the spirits of a pained community," said Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the community's peak body. Israel has "categorically" rejected the inquiry's report, describing it as "distorted and false" and calling for the body's abolition.

US athletes using Winter Olympics to express Trump criticismTeam figure skating gold medallist Amber Glenn defended her right to speak out, saying politics affects everyonePARIS (FRANCE) - The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics is in danger of developing into a Cold War between the athletes and US President Donald Trump with several competitors voicing criticism of his administration. The fatal shootings of two protesters by federal officers in Minneapolis last month sparked outrage in the United States. "Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn't represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics." Glenn, who identifies as pansexual and bisexual, took issue with those who questioned the legitimacy of athletes voicing their opinions. On one side was inscribed "Go Team USA" and on the other: "Apologies to the world for our bad behaviour.

Will Thailand's election deliver a stable government? Bhumjaithai leader and caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reacts at the party headquarters on the day of the general election on Sunday. Although Bhumjaithai lacks an outright majority, its 193 seats give Mr Anutin plenty of bargaining power. Clearing away one obstacle, the People's Party said on Sunday it would not form a competing alliance. The size of Bhumjaithai's win consolidates power to enable better governance if Mr Anutin can manage Thailand's stuttering economy ‌and ‍balance the interests of big business groups and powerful institutions.

Russia invites young Thais to attend festival this yearRussia has invited young people in Thailand and other countries to apply to the International Youth Festival 2026, which aims to bring together participants aged 35 or younger. Russia previously hosted such festivals in Moscow in 1985, when it was part of the Soviet Union, and in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi in 2017. More recently, a government-run World Youth Festival was held in the Sirius federal territory from Feb 29 to March 7, 2024, drawing about 20,000 participants from 190 countries, according to Russian officials. Following that event, President Vladimir Putin approved a long-term plan for Russia to host regular youth gatherings, including a World Youth Festival every six years starting in 2030, an International Youth Festival every six years beginning in 2027, and smaller annual thematic events. The International Youth Festival 2026 is scheduled to take place in Ekaterinburg from Sept 11 to 17.

"Despite all the hype, AI just isn't ready to take on the role of the physician," study co-author Rebecca Payne from Oxford University said. People using the AI chatbots were only able to identify their health problem around a third of the time, while only around 45% figured out the right course of action. Communication breakdownThe researchers pointed out the disparity between these disappointing results and how AI chatbots score extremely highly on medical benchmarks and exams, blaming the gap on a communication breakdown. Unlike the simulated patient interactions often used to test AI, the real humans often did not give the chatbots all the relevant information. One out of every six US adults ask AI chatbots about health information at least once a month, the researchers said, with that number expected to increase as more people adopt the new technology.