Dimorphos’ egg-like shape and craggy, boulder-dotted surface came into clear view in the last few moments before impact during the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART). (Photo: AFP)NEW YORK - Four years ago, NASA purposely smashed a spacecraft into a small asteroid to see if they could deflect it — a test to prove humanity could protect Earth from threatening space rocks. The experiment pushed the moonlet asteroid Dimorphos into a smaller, faster route around its sibling Didymos — and according to new research out Friday, it also pushed the pair into a slightly different orbit around the Sun. The test on Dimorphos was never based on any actual threat to our planet. “The team’s amazingly precise measurement again validates kinetic impact as a technique for defending Earth against asteroid hazards and shows how a binary asteroid might be deflected by impacting just one member of the pair.”

Majority oppose Social Security voting ruleMore than 90% of respondents disagreed with the proposed "one person, one vote" rule to elect members of the Social Security Board (SSB) during a recent public hearing. The hearing, which closed on Feb 14, was conducted by the Social Security Office (SSO). The "one person, one vote" principle, a rule that allows each eligible voter to select only one representative, saw over 90% of respondents opposing the proposal. Respondents also voiced their opposition to several other issues including the number of representatives in the SSB from different groups of insured workers under Sections 33, 39 and 40 of the Social Security Act. The public hearing also saw respondents disagreeing on the issue of contribution requirements for voting eligibility -- which determines how much an insured person must contribute to qualify to vote.

UK police question three women in Al-Fayed probeThe UK is investigating a raft of sexual assault and human trafficking allegations involving late business magnate Mohamed Al-Fayed. LONDON - British detectives investigating sexual assault claims against late business magnate Mohamed Al-Fayed said Friday they had questioned three women on suspicion of "aiding and abetting rape" and "human trafficking for sexual exploitation". Fayed, who owned famed luxury department store Harrods in London, has been accused of large-scale rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation and human trafficking. "Information shared during these conversations... has broadened the scope of the inquiry to cover all reported offences including human trafficking," it added. Allegations include a repeated pattern of women who underwent a selection process for positions in the Fayed empire.

Rastriya Swatantra Party election candidate Balendra Shah, in his trademark shades, is greeted by supporters during a rally on the final day of campaigning for Nepal’s general election, in Jhapa district on March 2, 2026. (Photo: AFP)KATHMANDU - The centrist party of rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah looked set to win Nepal’s general election by a landslide in parliamentary polls, according to Election Commission trends Saturday, but with counting still far to go. The high-stakes parliamentary election on Thursday came six months after deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the government last year, when at least 77 people were killed. “Looking at the trend, the Rastriya Swatantra Party has taken the lead in many places and has won several seats,” commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai told AFP. But trends showed that Shah’s RSP was also leading in 99 of the 165 constituencies in the direct elections.

Gunman shoots fire chiefPolice have arrested a 57-year-old suspect after a forest fire control chief was shot during an operation against forest encroachment in Kanchanaburi province. One bullet struck Mr Varun beneath the left ribcage, leaving him critically injured. Rescue teams rushed Mr Varun to Paholpolpayuhasena Hospital. Police said Mr Somsak worked with Mr Varun when the latter served as assistant chief at Erawan National Park. Mr Somsak was dismissed for alleged forest encroachment and drug offences.

Moral and legal questions centre on extent of human control over AI actionsArtificial intelligence tools can also be found built into semi-autonomous attack drones and other weapons. Today “every military power of any significance invests hugely in military applications of AI,” said Laure de Roucy-Rochegonde of the French think tank IFRI. “Almost any military function can be boosted with AI,” from “logistics to reconnaissance, observation, information warfare, electronic warfare and cybersecurity,” she added. AI tools can also be found built into semi-autonomous attack drones and other weapons. “No military decision-maker would agree to use an AI if he didn’t have trust in and control over what it’s doing,” Rondepierre added.

The Thai premium smartphone market has entered a high-stakes season following the official debut of the Samsung Galaxy S26 on Feb 26, 2026. In response to these major releases, current trade-in valuations across Thailand have been updated to reflect the shifting second-hand market. The data used to compile these valuations has been sourced from the official portals of Studio7 and BaNANA IT. To determine the final trade-in value, retailers categorise devices into a specific four-tier grading system. Mobile phones are categorised into four grades:Grade A applies to devices in perfect condition inside and out.

A majority of voters signalled support for initiating constitutional reform, while the election delivered a decisive parliamentary advantage to the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT), which emerged with 193 seats -- the largest bloc in the House. The PP can claim public backing for reform in principle, while BJT holds the legislative strength to shape -- and potentially limit -- what that reform ultimately looks like, according to an observer. BJT's stance on reform, as articulated by party leader Anutin Charnvirakul, has traditionally been more cautious than that of the PP. What is clear is that constitutional reform will not be decided by referendum rhetoric alone. The Feb 8 vote marked an important symbolic milestone, showing constitutional reform remains a potent issue for voters.

Is the 80-year 'Long Peace' about to end? The more important question is whether the Long Peace of the past eighty years is over. The first Long Peace of the modern period came after 25 years of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1792-1815). However, there were no long wars in which all the great powers fought each other in two huge rival alliances. I don't know what it is, but I do know that one sign that a Long Peace is ending is a rapid switching of alliances.

Pornpawee falls, Kunlavut breaks barrierKunlavut Vitidsarn reached the semi-finals of the US$1.45 million BWF All England Open for the first time but fellow Thai Pornpawee Chochuwong bowed out in the last eight stage on Friday. World No.2 Kunlavut defeated Alwi Farhan of Indonesia 21-17, 21-12 in the quarter-finals of the men's singles contest on Friday. He will face the winner of the match between France's Christo Popov, brother of Toma Popov Junior, and Taiwan's Lin Chun-yi, in the last four on Saturday. In the women's singles event, eighth seed Pornpawee lost to Chen Yufei of China 21-23, 11-21 in the last eight on Friday. Pornpawee was the last Thai player in the women's singles event after Supanida Katethong lost to another Chinese player Wang Zhiyi 19-21, 18-21 on Thursday.

These photos provide clues about which parties expect to join the new coalition. Presumptive prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul has yet to spell out which parties will join the coalition. While elected candidates from Klatham show they are willing to join the coalition, there are also reports of elected candidates facing probes. Mr Anutin must show his leadership skills by announcing the members of the coalition quickly. The sooner Mr Anutin reveals the identities of the coalition members, the more trust his new administration will gain.

PM forms conflict crisis centrePrime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered the establishment of a national centre to monitor developments in the Middle East conflict, amid warnings from security officials that the fighting could last longer than a month and potentially widen. Mr Anutin signed a Prime Minister's Office order establishing the centre to manage the situation, coordinate government responses and mitigate possible economic and security impacts on Thailand. The 37-member centre includes representatives from key ministries and economic agencies. About 61,396 Thai workers are employed in the Middle East, including 49,177 in Israel. A crisis monitoring centre has been established, and the deployment of new workers to the region has been temporarily suspended.

(Photo: AFP)WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said Friday Cuba was next on his agenda after Iran, predicting that the communist-run island, crippled by a US energy blockade, is “gonna fall pretty soon”. “They want to make a deal so badly,” Trump told CNN in a phone interview, a day after suggesting that he would turn to an unspecified project for Cuba after the war against Iran. “He’s doing some job, and your next one is going to be, we want to do that special Cuba,” Trump said. No oil tankers since JanuaryTrump has repeatedly said that he believes the Cuban regime is ripe for collapse. Trump put Cuba back on the terror list on his first day back in power in January 2025.

Public transport fares capped amid Mideast tensionsThe Ministry of Transport has ordered a cap on public transport fares as tensions in the Middle East threaten to drive up global energy prices, warning operators not to raise rates beyond legal limits. The ministry has set up a monitoring "war room" to track developments and oversee transport operators nationwide, aiming to ensure fares and freight charges remain within legally permitted levels. Authorities have also asked service providers to freeze fares while the government maintains the domestic diesel price cap. Road transport operators, including taxis, ride-hailing services and motorcycle taxis, must strictly follow regulated fares, while boat operators are barred from raising passenger or cargo fees beyond approved levels. In Phuket's Thalang district, inspectors from the provincial commerce office and the provincial energy office visited multiple fuel stations to monitor supply and pricing.

Khon Kaen resorts ordered off reform landThe Agricultural Land Reform Office (Alro) has ordered the demolition of tourism facilities encroaching on agricultural reform land in Khon Kaen, saying misuse of state land near conservation forests is worsening human–elephant conflict. At the meeting, officials were asked to examine tourism operations on Alro land overlapping national forest reserves and national park zones in tambon Dong Lan. Representatives from the DNP, the Royal Forest Department (RFD), Alro, the National Land Policy Committee and environmental groups attended. Akkaradet Rompho-yen, director of Alro's Land Management Office, said inspections found Yai Ta Resort and Jaopa Café had used reform land for commercial tourism in violation of Alro regulations. A notice issued on Feb 19 ordered Yai Ta Resort to dismantle non-agricultural structures within 30 days or face possible revocation of land-use rights and legal action.