(Photo: AFP)CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland - Swiss investigators were working on Saturday to identify the last victims and exact cause of the blaze that killed 40 New Year’s revellers at a packed bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana. The tragedy has sent Switzerland reeling, with families of the hundreds of overwhelmingly young partygoers waiting for news of their loved ones. So we should know by now,” she told journalists Friday near the makeshift memorial set up near the burnt-out shell of the Le Constellation bar. Pilloud told reporters Friday that the leading hypothesis was that “sparklers or Bengal candles attached to champagne bottles and lifted too close to the ceiling” had ignited the deadly blaze. Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Romania were among the countries taking in the survivors, according to the European Union.

(Photo: AFP)WASHINGTON - Donald Trump returned to office vowing to be the peace president. Nevertheless, both Trump and his aides insist that military muscle is the path to real peace. In one irony, the latest Nobel Peace Prize, so coveted by Trump, went to Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, whose name the US president did not appear initially to know. Trump, however, has won one peace prize since taking office. Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, presented Trump last month with a prize from football’s governing body ahead of the US co-hosting the World Cup.

(Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)A total of 171 people have been killed and 956 injured in road accidents across Thailand during the first four days of the “seven dangerous days” New Year road safety campaign, with speeding and drink-driving the main causes. The Road Safety Centre reported 187 accidents nationwide on Friday, resulting in 185 injuries and 21 fatalities, Justice Minister Rutthapon Naowarat said on Saturday. The highest number of injuries and fatalities was among those aged 20–29, at 15.5%, said Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon. The provinces recording the highest number of accidents on Jan 2 were Prachin Buri and Phatthalung, with 10 each. So far this year, Phuket has recorded the highest number of accidents (39) and injuries (43), while Bangkok had the highest death toll, with 14 fatalities.

Listen to this articleA video grab taken from images released by Aden Independent Channel (AIC TV) shows the moment a strike hits the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces in Seiyun, in Hadramawt province of Yemen. (Photo: AFP)MUKALLA, Yemen - Saudi-backed troops on Saturday made advances in Yemen’s resource-rich Hadramawt province, military officials said, as confrontations between forces backed by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have triggered a deep rift between the two Gulf allies. But the recent offensive by the UAE-backed secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) to capture Hadramawt angered Riyadh and left the oil-rich regional powers on a collision course. Saudi Arabia on Saturday called for dialogue between factions in southern Yemen. But he warned that the group would declare independence “immediately” if there was no dialogue or if southern Yemen was attacked again.

(Image from video obtained by Reuters)WASHINGTON - The United States attacked Venezuela and deposed its long-serving autocratic President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday, President Donald Trump said, in Washington’s most direct intervention in Latin ‌America since the 1989 invasion of Panama. Rubio “anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody”, Lee wrote on X. “We demand that President Donald Trump’s government provide immediate proof of life for President Maduro and the First Lady,” Rodriguez said in an audio played on state TV. Trump had repeatedly promised land operations in Venezuela and warned on Monday it would be “smart” for Maduro to leave. (Story continues below)A supporter of deposed president Nicolas Maduro holds a flag of Venezuela on a street near Miraflores Palace in Caracas, after President Donald Trump said the US had struck Venezuela and captured Maduro, in Caracas, on Jan 3, 2026.

(Photo: Bangkok E-sports Club)The substitute player for the Thai e-sports athlete “Tokyogurl”, who was expelled from the 2025 SEA Games in Bangkok for using unauthorised third-party software, has admitted fault and apologised for bringing shame to Thailand. Also known as Kong, Cheerio is a well-known semi-pro player who has also competed on the professional stage. Naphat Warasin, known by her gaming alias Tokyogurl, was immediately expelled and banned from all future competitions hosted by Garena RoV Thailand. Arena of Valor player Tokyogurl was found using unauthorised software during the SEA Games esports competition in Bangkok on Dec 16, 2025. He said wanted to clarify the issue after people suspected he was the third party who was playing remotely by using software installed on Tokyogurl’s phone.

It’s the same feeling as waking up to a quieter Bangkok after New Year’s. Wander around your neighbourhood, take a stab at the slow life, make some vague lists and enjoy that morning cup of coffee. For this week, let’s wait a little longer before we scroll to consume the headlines; whatever’s disrupting our quieter lull days can wait just a tad longer. This year, I intend to practise what I often preach in The Good Life. In the business of news, it is easy to absorb mixed narratives and dismiss headlines as just another day’s work.

During Cambodia’s civil war (1975-79), Thailand opened the area as a refugee reception centre on humanitarian grounds. According to the army, after Thai troops secured the border area of Ban Nong Chan, barbed wire and shipping containers were installed as a temporary barrier. He welcomed the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers as a confidence‑building step but urged both sides to pursue legal mechanisms under the December 2025 Joint Boundary Committee commitments. Additional footage showed Thai soldiers discovering an underground tunnel network, while video from Samed Pass revealed seized firearms and grenades. In Surin’s Prasat Khana area, Thai soldiers reported finding women’s clothing, sex toys, gambling paraphernalia and alcohol inside another abandoned Cambodian post.

(Photo: Reuters)The military-backed ‌Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) is leading after ​the first phase of a general election, early results cited by state media showed, in the first vote since the 2021 coup that overthrew the elected administration of Aung San Suu Kyi. The Shan Nationalities Democratic Party, also known as the White Tiger Party, ⁠and the Mon Unity Party (MUP) got one seat each. For the upper house, or Amyotha Hluttaw, only one seat has been declared, which was won by the Wa National Party. Two more rounds of voting set for Jan 11 and Jan 25 will cover 265 ⁠of Myanmar’s 330 townships, in some of which the junta does not have complete ​control. Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner deposed by the military months after she won the last general election by a landslide in 2020, remains in detention.

Bangkok air quality improvement expected to continue next weekListen to this articleA jogger gets her morning exercise on the Rama VIII Bridge in Bangkok in December 2025. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)Air quality in Bangkok improved on Saturday morning, with only two of the capital’s 50 districts recording orange-level pollution, while ultrafine dust levels are forecast to gradually decline over the coming week. Most provinces nationwide also reported moderate to very good air quality, according to Air4Thai, the real-time monitoring platform of the Pollution Control Department. In the coming week to Jan 11, air flow in Bangkok is expected to be weak to good, with some strong winds, which would cause the dust level to fall, city officials said. In other provinces, Air4Thai reported orange-level air quality in four areas: Pak Kret district in Nonthaburi (41.2), Li district in Lamphun (40.5), Muang district in Samut Songkhram (40.8) and Krathum Baen district in Samut Sakhon (38.1).

Phuket sets 2030 emissions cut targetListen to this articlePhuket is aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 400,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030, representing a 9.6% reduction from projected levels. Chanthira Duangsai, director of the Phuket Office of Environment and Pollution Control, said the province emitted about 3.2 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2019, with emissions projected to rise to 4.6 million tonnes by 2030. Phuket plans to implement measures including improved energy efficiency, promotion of alternative energy, better transport management and enhanced waste management, she said. Partner organisations included the Phuket Office of Natural Resources and Environment, Phuket Rajabhat University, Regional Environmental Office 15, Sirinat National Park and the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation. Others were Phuket City Municipality, the Marine and Coastal Resources Office, the Phuket Provincial Public Relations Office, the Phuket Provincial Farmers Council, Phuket Vocational College and the provincial volunteer network.

Listen to this articlePeople's Party (PP) leader Natthaphong RuengpanyawutPeople's Party (PP) leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut has urged voters to back the party one more time, and propel it to a landslide victory to secure a mandate to govern. The PP leader vowed to remove the "grey influence" from politics, promote social equality and strengthen Thailand's standing on the global stage. Mr Natthaphong rejected the possibility of forming a coalition with Bhumjaithai and Kla Tham, saying this election will be a decisive battle against corruption and grey capital networks. Meanwhile, Yodchanan Wongsawat, a Pheu Thai Party prime ministerial candidate, said it is still too early for parties to focus on forming political alliances. Each party has its own policy direction and Pheu Thai is open to working with any party whose policies are compatible and who move in the same direction.

Graft, weak law 'erode public trust'Listen to this articleCorruption and inconsistent enforcement of laws are eroding public trust and weakening Thailand's global competitiveness, experts warned at a high-level forum in Bangkok. The forum, "Thailand's Rule of Law Landscape: Transforming Insights into Impact," was hosted by the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) in partnership with the World Justice Project (WJP). Speakers cautioned that entrenched corruption and weak rule of law pose challenges to governance, economic growth and international confidence. "If laws are enforced inconsistently or fail to keep pace with change, citizens will reject them, and international confidence will be destroyed," said Mr Borwornsak. Former UN special rapporteur Vitit Muntarbhorn warned that rising discrimination threatens Thailand's international credibility.

The psychosocial counselling system within the judiciary dates back to 2009, when the Thonburi Criminal Court established a clinic to provide counselling for drug offenders. The Criminal Court has this year recorded 177 cases in which defendants received psychosocial counselling as part of their bail conditions. The court's psychosocial counselling clinic has 14 registered counsellors specially trained in counselling psychology and family violence cases. Importantly, psychosocial counselling can also serve as an alternative to, or substitute for, financial collateral. Comparing the approach with electronic monitoring, Mr Suriyan said psychosocial counselling differs fundamentally from physical surveillance.

Phuket leaders tout 'Smart Pier' benefits to boost safetyListen to this articlePhuket governor Nirat Phongsitthithawon shows how to register via the "Smart Pier" registration system for boat passengers. (Photo: Achadthaya Chuenniran)Phuket's "Smart Pier" registration system for boat passengers marks a major step towards improving maritime safety and management standards, says governor Nirat Phongsitthithawon, who launched it. Mr Rewat said Phuket Smart Pier is designed to meet international standards while supporting the tourist island's long-term ambition to become a secure and sustainable world-class destination. Mr Nirat said Phuket's Smart Pier is a model for digital transformation in marine safety, integrating passenger registration, identity verification, emergency reporting and real-time data linkage with a central system. "Phuket is keen to safeguard visitors across all dimensions, including safety, order and public services," Mr Nirat said.