Listen to this articleThailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul shakes hands with Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 28, 2025. Mr Anutin said the MoUs, signed in 2000 and 2001, relate to land border demarcation (43) and overlapping maritime zones (44). Mr Anutin, also the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, said the party had consistently supported revising MoU 43, particularly where land border demarcation was concerned. Turning to the Thai-Cambodian border situation, the prime minister said he had been briefed that conditions were calm and under effective control, though authorities remained vigilant. He said it was therefore unsurprising that Cambodian senate president Hun Sen had called for an urgent meeting of the Joint Boundary Commission (JBC), as Cambodia stood to benefit under MoU 43.

Troops to man border for 'at least one year'Listen to this articleThai soldiers at Ta Muen Thom temple ruins in Surin province late last month. Gen Natthaphon says the situation along the border remains under control, with round-the-clock monitoring and assessment systems in place. "However, given the 798-kilometre length of the border [with Cambodia], forces would be concentrated in areas deemed necessary." Meanwhile, Air Chief Marshal Seksan Kantha of the Royal Thai Air Force said the air force on Friday briefed military attachés from 23 countries about its role, missions and operational approach regarding the border situation with Cambodia. He said the briefing outlined the facts of air force operations, adding that all actions complied with international law and recognised rules of engagement.

US urges fresh talks between Syria govt, Kurds after deadly clashesListen to this articleResidents of Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsoud area evacuate after warnings from the Syrian armyALEPPO (SYRIA) - The United States on Saturday urged the Syrian government and Kurdish authorities to return to negotiations after days of deadly clashes in the northern city of Aleppo. On Saturday evening, state television reported that Kurdish fighters "who announced their surrender... were transported by bus to the city of Tabaqa" in the Kurdish-controlled northeast. In a statement to the official SANA news agency, the military announced earlier on Saturday "a halt to all military operations in the Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood". At the entrance to the district, 60-year-old resident Imad al-Ahmad was waiting for permission from the security forces to return home. Syria's authorities have committed to protecting minorities, but sectarian bloodshed rocked the Alawite and Druze communities last year.

On the other side of the glass that separates inmates from visitors, M. said, her husband "smiled happily." - Joy at Maduro's fall -For years, political detainees and their families avoided discussing the news during the brief weekly visits, strictly monitored by armed guards. Prisoners rejoiced upon hearing the news, but outside their relatives were tense on Saturday morning, fearing guards might punish inmates for celebrating. Like other relatives outside the jail, she asked not to be identified out of fear. Some inmates told visitors they could hear the national anthem and hymns sung by families who have held vigils nearby for the past two nights.

Trump claims oil firms have pledged $100bn for VenezuelaListen to this articleVenezuela has about a fifth of the world's oil reserves, but years of sanctions and underinvestment mean it accounts for only about one percent of global production. (Photo: AFP)WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump met with the heads of major oil companies on Friday after saying the world's biggest producers have pledged $100 billion to revive Venezuela's oil sector. The Trump administration has repeatedly said it is running Venezuela, with Wright asserting that Washington will control the country's oil industry "indefinitely." In his first term, Trump imposed an oil embargo aimed at economically suffocating Venezuela, which heavily depends on crude exports. Washington now says it is "selectively rolling back sanctions" to enable the sale and transport of Venezuelan crude oil on global markets.

Tourists head to eastern provinces despite conflictListen to this articleEastern provinces recorded an increase in tourist visits last year despite the border conflict with Cambodia, driven by domestic trips, although fewer international tourists put pressure on revenue. Bill Barnett, managing director of C9 Hotelworks, a hospitality consultancy, said despite the border dispute, Thais still visited the eastern provinces during the holiday period. As the border dispute emerged in mid-2025, foreign visitors disappeared in the third quarter compared with previous years. The average occupancy rate for eastern hotels in 2025 remained steady from the previous year at roughly 73%. He said some tourists were still hesitant to visit eastern provinces until it was clear the conflict was over.

The music seemed to bridge both Moorish and West African musical cultures, giving it a unique sound in the region. And, in some ways, her 1990 album heralded the arrival of the so-called desert blues bands like Tinariwen (she was often dubbed by the Western media as "la diva du desert"). Now her new album, Yenbett (Glitterbeat, Germany), released last month, is riding high on top of the European Broadcast Union's World Music Charts for December. World Beat's Peruvian contact introduced me to a new chichi band currently making waves in Lima -- Hit La Rosa. Check out the band's music on YouTube or look for their NPR concert.

(Photo: Sarinee Achavanuntakul Facebook)The Election Commission is investigating allegations that a political party may have paid for favourable media coverage without receipts, after leaked Line chat messages suggested off-the-books arrangements during the campaign for the Feb 8 election. Under election law, political parties and candidates must accurately declare all campaign expenses, which must be lawful and supported by evidence. “If a party uses media space for campaigning without receipts, that is not allowed under the law.”The commission needed time to verify the facts before drawing conclusions, he added. The investigation follows the circulation of screenshots from a Line group linked to a Thai political party, listing 19 media outlets allegedly offering news-style coverage on a lump-sum or monthly basis, with claims that no receipts would be issued. “This has become ‘normal’ in Thai media today,” Ms Sarinee wrote, warning the ethical barrier between editorial and commercial interests had collapsed.

Listen to this articleMariam Hassan, a Somali American, attends a demonstration against increased immigration enforcement, days after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, in Minneapolis, on Jan 9, 2026. Protest organisers said more than 1,000 weekend events were planned across ​the country demanding an end to large-scale deployments of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents ordered by President Donald Trump, mostly to cities led by Democratic politicians. (Photo: Reuters)Conflicting narrativesOn Friday night, throngs of demonstrators staged a “noise protest” outside a ‌Minneapolis hotel believed to be lodging a visiting contingent of ICE agents. In any case, Ross is shown remaining on his feet and can be seen walking after the incident, contradicting Trump’s assertion on social media that the woman “ran over the ICE officer”. The two DHS-related shootings this week have drawn thousands of protesters to the streets of Minneapolis, Portland and other US cities, with many more demonstrations under the banner “ICE Out For Good” planned ​for Saturday and Sunday.

16:54Activities in full swing to celebrate Children's DayCrowds of children and families thronged various venues across the country to take part in activities held to celebrate the annual National Children’s Day on Saturday. In Bangkok, the Royal Thai Air Force staged a wide-ranging airshow at Wing 6 in Don Muang. The atmosphere was lively as children flocked to view various types of fighter jets flying across the Bangkok skies. Military equipment displays, stage shows and other activities were also held at other military bases nationwide. In Samut Prakan, the Marine Police, the Naval Academy and the Naval Museum organised a range of activities for children, featuring games and the distribution of prizes, including bicycles, dolls and snacks.

(Photo: AFP)NUUK, Greenland - Political parties in Greenland say they do not want to be under Washington, as US President Donald Trump again suggested using force to seize the mineral-rich Danish autonomous territory, raising concern worldwide. The statement late Friday came after Trump repeated that Washington was “going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not”. “We’re not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland. So we’re going to be doing something with Greenland, either the nice way or the more difficult way,” the US president said Friday. Trump had offered to buy Greenland in 2019 during his first presidential term but was rebuffed.

(Photo: AFP)Major Iranian cities were gripped overnight by new mass rallies denouncing the Islamic republic, as the son of the ousted shah urged protesters on Saturday to plan to seize city centres. This was despite an internet shutdown imposed by the authorities, with monitor Netblocks saying early Saturday that “metrics show the nationwide internet blackout remains in place at 36 hours”. In the western city of Hamedan, a man was shown waving a shah-era Iranian flag featuring the lion and the sun amid fires and people dancing. The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centres,” Pahlavi said in a video message on social media. Asked about his message to Iran’s leaders, Trump said: “You better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting too.”

Thai vote in Cambodia 'is secured'Listen to this articleThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) yesterday confirmed it is fully prepared to handle advance voting for Thai nationals in Cambodia, saying that ballot delivery would be unaffected by Thai-Cambodian border tensions. Mungkorn Pratoomkaew, director-general of the Consular Affairs Department, said voting arrangements for Thais in Cambodia posed no problem as the number of Thai voters there was relatively small, estimated at only a few hundred. The ballots and election materials would be transported by air, not through land border crossings, Mr Mungkorn stated. The confirmation came as the Election Commission (EC) began dispatching election materials and referendum ballots yesterday to 67 countries, covering 95 embassies and consulates worldwide. There are no registered voters in Ukraine and Venezuela for either the general election or the referendum, the MFA official said.

Thailand stands by air operationsListen to this articleThailand yesterday reaffirmed that its recent air operations along the Thai–Cambodian border were conducted strictly in self‑defence and in full compliance with international law, as it briefed foreign defence attachés to counter misinformation and underscore its commitment to regional stability. ACM Sakesan said Thai military actions were prompted by repeated violations of Thailand's sovereignty along the border. He stressed that air operations were carried out solely to defend national territory and were guided by the principles of necessity and proportionality. He reiterated that Thailand's operations are in line with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which recognises the right to self‑defence. AM Chakkrit noted that Cambodia shelled Thai territory on Tuesday and later issued an apology, which Thailand views as a constructive development.

Cold snap to ease from MondayListen to this articleChildren at Khlong Samrong School in Samut Prakan don pullovers as cooler climes hit central Thailand. Somchai PoomlardCold weather will persist across upper Thailand until Monday before temperatures edge up slightly until Jan 15, the Meteorological Department (MD) said. In Bangkok and surrounding provinces, cool weather will persist until Monday, with lows of 16–21C and highs of 27–31C. From Jan 13–15, temperatures in upper Thailand are due to rise gradually as the high-pressure system begins to weaken. However, the North and Northeast will still face cool to cold weather, according to the forecast.