(Photo: US Marine Corps Sgt Luis Agostini via Wikimedia Commons)Lufthansa and FedEx Corp are investing more than $600 million for separate facilities in a former US air base in the Philippines as the country moves to attract more foreign capital, according to a senior government official. Foreign direct investment into the Philippines reached $9 billion in 2024, compared to between $11 billion and $24 billion for neighbors Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand, data from the Asean Investment Report show. Lufthansa Technik Philippines, which has an existing operation in the capital’s main airport, will build a facility in the next two to three years on a 15-hectare site that can serve planes as large as an Airbus A380 jumbo aircraft, Bingcang said on Thursday. FedEx, meanwhile, is expanding its current facility in Clark and will spend more than $200 million, Bingcang said. Korean Water Resources Corp and Maynilad Water Services Inc have also submitted a proposal to partner with development authority to provide water and wastewater services, he said.

Employees repair sections of the Darnytska combined heat and power plant damaged by Russian air strikes in Kyiv, on Febr 4, 2026. (Photo: AFP)ABU DHABI - Ukraine, Russia and the United States were preparing for a second day of talks in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, seeking to end Moscow’s nearly four-year invasion. Ukraine’s top negotiator Rustem Umerov said “concrete steps and practical solutions” had been discussed during the first day of the talks. The main sticking point in the negotiations is the long-term fate of territory in eastern Ukraine. In Ukraine, foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy said of the second round of talks that Kyiv was “interested in finding out what the Russians and Americans really want”.

A new adaptive control traffic signal system to ease congestion at two of the city’s busiest intersections — Phra Khanong and Sukhumvit 71 (Pridi Banomyong) — has already halved average waiting times to six minutes, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). The system adjusts traffic signals in real time based on vehicle flow, said Wissanu Subsompon, a Bangkok deputy governor, who inspected the system at the Sukhumvit 71 intersection on Wednesday. “With adaptive control, signal timing adjusts dynamically to actual conditions,” he said. The adaptive control system uses CCTV cameras to detect and count vehicles, with data processed to automatically adjust green and red light durations in real time and synchronise signals across directions. “Bangkok is applying science, technology and data to traffic management to support police operations,” Mr Wissanu said.

Breeding push moves to secure future of Korat catsUrgent efforts are underway in Nakhon Ratchasima to expand breeding of the Korat, also known as Si Sawat, to preserve one of Thailand's pure cat breeds. The Korat or Si Sawat cat, a symbol of prosperity and good fortune, is the focus of accelerated breeding efforts as purebred numbers decline. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)Concerned by the sharp decline in purebred Korat cats, local conservationists in Phimai district have stepped up breeding programmes to prevent the breed from disappearing. The Korat originated from Nakhon Ratchasima's Phimai district, said Phornthep Chusakthanadet, 65, president of the Korat Cat Conservation Club, which currently cares for about 60 Korat cats. "The population of the Korat cat has dropped to a worrying level, so we must accelerate breeding to increase their numbers," he said.

Prime Bangkok plots on the blockAn aerial view of the Tobacco Authority of Thailand, a state-owned enterprise supervised by the Finance Ministry. (Photo: Patipat Janthong)The Treasury Department is preparing to put more than 40 plots of land acquired through asset seizures up for sale, in addition to opening auctions to lease another 10 prime land plots in Bangkok and other provinces. Other Bangkok plots to be offered for auction include a site by the Chao Phraya River next to Iconsiam that previously served as a pier. The Treasury Department holds a number of plots obtained through legal cases, and at least 40 such plots will be put up for auction, Mr Akkaruth said. For fiscal 2026, the Treasury Department was assigned a revenue target of 11.9 billion baht by the Finance Ministry.

How will Thailand's election play out? Sudarat Pitakpornpunlop, a parliamentary candidate for the Bhumjaithai Party, speaks during her election campaign rally in Woen Buek village, Khong Chiam district, Ubon Ratchathani province, on Jan 24, 2026. Opinion polls consistently show the progressive People's Party is Thailand's most popular party. But it lacked parliamentary support to form a government, despite a pact with the second-placed Pheu Thai party. It regrouped again as People's Party, the English name commonly used by the Khana Ratsadon, which launched a 1932 revolution that ended Thailand's absolute monarchy.

Thai action movie star Tony Jaa has been receiving treatment for gallbladder cancer, according to local media outlets. A source close to the actor told Nine Entertain that the initial diagnosis was stage 3, verging on stage 4. The Facebook page of Tony Jaa did not mention the diagnosis. Some supporters have started writing well-wishing messages on his social media page as the news about his health spread. After training in Muay Thai from age 10, followed by years as a stunt man, Tony Jaa had his breakthrough in 2003 with Ong Bak.

Officers arrest and handcuff two drug smuggling suspects after 3.4 million speed pills were found in 17 sacks their two pickup trucks at the Mae Ja intersection in Chiang Dao district of Chiang Mai in the early hours of Thursday. (Photo supplied/Panumet Tanraksa)CHIANG MAI - Authorities have arrested two suspects and seized more than 3.4 million speed pills during a major drug suppression operation in Chiang Dao district of this northern province in the early hours of Thursday. A combined team of soldiers, narcotics suppression offices and border patrol police were deployed to Mae Ja village in tambon Muang Ngai of Chiang Dao at about 12.20am after receiving intelligence reports about an imminent drug smuggling operation. The team set up surveillance at the Mae Ja intersection. The operation led to the arrest of two men and the seizure of 17 sacks containing 200,000 speed pills each, or 3.4 million pills in total, found hidden in their two pickup trucks.

A woman cries while touching a picture during a ceremony on Tuesday to honour soldiers killed in the border clashes with Cambodia last year. The event was held at the Royal Thai Army headquarters in conjunction with Veterans Day. The Royal Thai Army said the explosive landed at a Thai base in Kantharalak district of the eastern province at 10.20am on Thursday. The army said Cambodia blamed the lack of discipline among new soldiers for the incident, while soldiers of the 2nd Army Area were prepared to respond if necessary. Si Sa Ket was a key battleground between Thai and Cambodian soldiers in the two rounds of the deadly clashes that killed 46 Thai soldiers in all.

(Photo: AFP)WASHINGTON - From calls for his Republican party to “nationalise” voting to his repeated false claims of a stolen election, President Donald Trump is ramping up attacks on the US electoral system ahead of this year’s US midterm polls. We should take over the voting in at least — many, 15 places.’ The Republicans ought to nationalise the voting,” Trump told podcaster and former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino this week. Polls show low approval ratings for second-term president Trump while Republicans have suffered a string of losses in local elections. “I don’t know why the federal government doesn’t do them anyway,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday when asked about his comments about nationalising elections. Everybody now knows that,” Trump told world leaders at the Davos forum in January.

Cambodia asks France for evidence to back border caseMilitary attachés from eight Asean nations examine a boundary marker at Laem Saraphat Phit in Khlong Yai district of Trat province, during a tour organised by the Royal Thai Navy on Sept 2, 2025. Boundary Marker No.73 also serves as a reference point for Thailand’s maritime boundary with Cambodia. The 817-kilometre ‌border was first mapped by France in 1907, when Cambodia was its colony, and was based on the natural watershed dividing the country from Thailand. Cambodia also welcomed France’s “constructive engagement” in efforts to resolve the long-standing dispute, the prime minister said, according to the statement. The ceasefire has held up since then, with a handful of minor infractions reported, but attempts at substantive bilateral talks to resolve border demarcation issues have faltered.

Police question German suspect Tom Heine about his graffiti spree on Koh Phangan after arresting him in a Bangkok hotel. (Photo: Immigration Bureau Facebook)A German man who became the target of public outrage after spray-painting political messages at dozens of locations on Koh Phangan has been arrested in Bangkok. Following the arrest, Mr Heine was transferred back to the Koh Phangan police station for further legal proceedings. (Story continues below)“Mr Spray” left messages at dozens of locations on Koh Phangan. (Photo: @zonesamui X account)Local media reported that Mr Heine said he had visited Koh Phangan many times since 2001 and was dismayed by how the island had changed.

President Donald Trump’s poll numbers have declined since he took office in January 2025, a worrying sign for the midterm elections coming in November. But the major leftward swing in Texas, following on the heels of other recent Democratic gains, has raised alarm bells among Republicans over what it could mean for national elections in November. ‘Warning light’The Texas election “is certainly a warning light” for Republicans, said Princeton University political history professor Julian Zelizer. The Texas result was the latest evidence of mounting voter dissatisfaction with Trump’s party. While repeatedly noting that the party in power typically loses seats in the midterm elections, Trump has said the historic precedent should be broken due to his accomplishments so far.

(Photo: Somchai Poomlard)Thailand’s annual headline inflation rate was negative for ‌a 10th straight month ​in January, driven by lower energy prices and government support measures, but is set to turn positive by April, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday. The reading compared with a forecast decline of 0.4% in a Reuters ‌poll, and remained well below the Bank of Thailand’s inflation target range ‌of ​1% to 3%. Bank of Thailand governor Vitai Ratanakorn ⁠said earlier that inflation was expected to return to the target range next year. The BoT has said that inflation was below its target range due mainly to supply-side factors, primarily in the manufacturing sector. The ministry expects headline inflation to remain negative in February and March, averaging negative 0.43% for the first quarter, said Natiya Suchinda, deputy head ‌of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office.

Flood recovery lag weighs on Hat YaiSlow implementation of flood relief measures has led to stagnant tourism recovery in Hat Yai following the flooding in November last year. "The government relief measures for Hat Yai operators were insufficient, resulting in a slow recovery from the flooding," said Sitthipong Sitthiphataraprabha, president of the association. Hat Yai is verifying 17,523 houses ahead of budget disbursement. "Hat Yai is selling its urban charm to tourists, unlike destinations with the sea and natural attractions," he said. The TAT is planning a business‑to‑business matching event in April to connect Hat Yai operators with tourism buyers from across Thailand and Malaysia.