Suspect apologises for incident, says he never intended to harm childrenGunman Noparat Jeento, 30, turns himself in to investigators at the Pathum Thani Provincial Police Office on Wednesday afternoon. Noparat Jeento, 30, turned himself in to investigators at the Pathum Thani Provincial Police Office at about 4pm after contacting Pol Lt Gen Khamronwit Thoopkrajang, chairman of the Provincial Administration Organisation, to negotiate. The father-in-law escaped unscathed in Bang Pa-in district of Ayutthaya, where the gunman’s pickup was found abandoned, and lodged a complaint with Lat Lum Kaeo police. When police searched the suspect’s house in Lat Lum Kaeo they found seven guns, Pol Col Dusadee added. During the manhunt, 20 schools in Lat Lum Kaeo — 16 primary and four secondary — were closed out of caution, said Patarawan Patarabowornput, deputy secretary-general of the Office of the Basic Education Commission.

Fragments of a drone that Pyongyang said originated in South Korea lie scattered on the ground near Kaesong City in North Korea, on Jan 4, 2026. Drones crashed on two occasions in North Korea, in line with claims made by Pyongyang, he said. On two other ‌attempts the drones returned to Paju, a border settlement in South Korea, after flying over Kaesong, a city in North Korea, Chung said. North Korea has reacted angrily, saying last month that drones from South Korea entered its airspace, after another intrusion in September. Chung also expressed regret over South Korea sending 18 drones to North ​Korea ⁠under the direction of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol.

(Photo: South China Morning Post)HONG KONG — The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been urged to overhaul English language teaching at its military schools and recruit professionals to improve soldiers' communication skills on the international stage. Li Yan, Dai Sishi and Zhang Yong, all associate professors from the military school, argued that English teaching in China's military schools was outdated and unbalanced. In contrast, many lecturers from the military lacked the necessary English language skills. The authors stressed that strong English communication skills were essential as the PLA expanded its global footprint. "English is the common language of communication in United Nations peacekeeping operations, multinational joint military exercises and international military academic forums," they wrote.

8.3 million speed pills found in septic-tank truckDrug suppression officers display sacks containing 8.3 million speed pills found hidden in a septic-tank truck in Ban Rai district of Uthai Thani. The drug suppression police have seized 8.3 million speed pills from a modified septic-tank truck in Ban Rai district of Uthai Thani. 333 along Ban Rai–Dan Chang route in tambon Huai Haeng of Ban Rai district, Uthai Thani province. A suspicious septic-tank truck bearing Buri Rm licence plates was spotted travelling along the reported route and was tailed closely. Shortly later, the officers signalled the truck to stop in Ban Rai district.

Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights (2026) is more of its own thing than an adaptation of Emily Brontë's 1847 novel. Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights (2026). Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights (2026). It would be more fitting to call this 'Catherine' than Wuthering Heights. This film feels like something made for someone who only heard about Wuthering Heights or listened to the Kate Bush song without knowing what it is actually about.

US tech giant Nvidia announces India deals at AI summitThis week's AI Impact Summit is the fourth annual international gathering to discuss how to govern the fast-evolving technology. (Photo: AFP)NEW DELHI — US artificial intelligence (AI) chip titan Nvidia unveiled tie-ups with Indian computing firms on Wednesday as tech companies rushed to announce deals and investments at a global AI conference in New Delhi. L&T said it would use Nvidia's powerful processors, which can train and run generative AI tech, to provide data centre capacity of up to 30 megawatts in Chennai and 40 megawatts in Mumbai. Nvidia said it was also working with other Indian AI infrastructure players such as Yotta, which will deploy more than 20,000 top-end Nvidia Blackwell processors as part of a US$2 billion investment. Nvidia's Huang is not attending the AI summit but other top US tech figures joining include OpenAI's Sam Altman, Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva (in white shirt) and key party figures including secretary-general Chaiwut Bannawat (centre) hold a press conference after the general election on Feb 8. Ensuring the legality and constitutionality of the election process was the Democrats’ immediate priority, Mr Chaiwut stressed. “Whether the Democrat Party joins a government or not is, for now, a secondary matter,” he said. The first-place party is expected to hold formal talks soon with the Klatham Party, which controls 58 votes. However, should negotiations with Klatham falter, Bhumjaithai is widely expected to turn to the Democrats as an alternative coalition partner.

Hungry, wounded, orphaned: South Sudan's children trapped in new conflictFighting between rival forces has left civilians wounded in hospital in Akobo, South Sudan. (Photo: AFP)AKOBO (SOUTH SUDAN) — An 18-month-old boy lies motionless on a dirty hospital bed deep in the conflict zone of South Sudan, a bullet wound in his leg -- another newly orphaned victim in the world's newest country. South Sudan gained independence in 2011 but soon descended into civil war between two rival generals, Salva Kiir and Riek Machar. Fighting in Jonglei state between the army under Kiir and forces loyal to Machar has displaced some 280,000 people since December, according to the United Nations. The Jonglei state government's information minister, Nyamar Lony Thichot Ngundeng, said she did not have information about the incidents.

Ukraine war talks to resume in Geneva as US signals progressUS President Donald Trump is seeking to position himself as peacemaker. (Photo: AFP)GENEVA — Ukrainian and Russian negotiators were to resume a second round of peace talks in Geneva on Wednesday, as Washington's top envoy signalled optimism in its bid to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. "President Trump's success in bringing both sides of this war together has brought about meaningful progress," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, without elaborating. Breakthrough hopes lowFor the Geneva talks, the Kremlin reinstated nationalist hawk and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky as its lead negotiator. Trump put pressure on Ukraine on Monday to make a deal, saying they "better come to the table, fast".

Afghan woman's boutique brightens BamiyanAfghan Rahima Alavi, left, who runs an embroidery boutique in Bamiyan, feels proud she can support her family. BAMIYAN (AFGHANISTAN) - With women banned from most jobs in Afghanistan, an embroidery boutique run by 22-year-old Rahima Alavi is a surprising and treasured sight in Bamiyan. Having grown up in rural Bamiyan province, where she helped her parents with farmwork alongside school, the family moved to Iran in 2021. "In Iran, there were more job opportunities, and there, men and women can work," she said. Women in Afghanistan today -- not only in Bamiyan but all over the country -- face many challenges and rules and regulations," said her teacher.

Peru impeaches interim president after four months in officeJose Jeri had served as Peru's seventh president in a decade until his impeachment. (Photo: AFP)LIMA - Peru's Congress on Tuesday impeached interim president Jose Jeri, the Latin American country's seventh head of state in 10 years and only the latest toppled over graft claims. Prosecutors last week opened an investigation into "whether the head of state exercised undue influence" in government appointments. The new parliament president will automatically take over as Peru's interim president until July. Peru has now burned through seven presidents since 2016, several of them impeached, investigated or convicted of wrongdoing.

Thai industrial sentiment rises in JanuaryMap Ta Phut industrial estate in Rayong province, operated by the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand. (Photo: IEAT)⁠Thailand's industrial sentiment ​index rose in ​January due ‌to government measures and tourism, the Federation of Thai Industries reported on ​Wednesday. ⁠The FTI said its industrial sentiment index ‌rose to 88.7 in January from 88.2 in the previous month. ⁠Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's Bhumjaithai Party won the Feb 8 general election and last week announced a ​coalition with the Pheu Thai Party. Finance ​Minister ‌Ekniti Nitithanprapas said the government would continue the economic ​policies ⁠it pledged during the election campaign.

Power of people’s hopeElection Commission officials hold a press briefing on Feb 9, 2026, to clarify the recount of advance and overseas ballots in Pathum Thani’s Constituency 7, which was prompted by complaints from students observing the vote count process. Vote counting remains incomplete amid a string of troubling incidents involving the Election Commission (EC) and polling‑station committees. Public confidence has been shaken, prompting an unprecedented surge in independent scrutiny as citizens step in to demand clarity. Public ire now centres on perceived incompetence among polling‑station committees, with reports of transparency lapses in several provinces. Citizens demand their votes be recognised and counted in accordance with the nation’s democratic principle.

Teacher arrested for duping boys into filming pornographyPolice arrest Nonthawat, 27, a computer teacher at a school in Chon Buri, at his residence in Chon Buri for duping minors into filming pornography. The teacher, identified only as Nonthawat, 27, worked at a secondary school in Ko Chan district of the province. He used an avatar account to communicate with his victims, who were mostly 14‑year‑old boys, Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, deputy national police chief and director of the Anti‑Trafficking in Persons Centre, said during a briefing on Tuesday. The minors were lured into taking nude photos and filming themselves while masturbating, which Mr Nonthawat had promised to pay 10,000 baht for, Pol Gen Thatchai said. The crimes took place over about five years, and he specifically targeted boys under the age of18, Pol Gen Thatchai said.

Tourism operators in Phuket view the minimum property price of 3 million baht as too low to obtain a one‑year visa. According to the Immigration Bureau, since Oct 1, 2025, foreigners who bought a condo worth a minimum of 3 million baht or rent housing for at least 85,000 baht per month are eligible to apply for a one-year long-stay visa. According to Thailand Longstay Management, which backed the one-year long-stay visa, the measure aims to lift the property sector through foreign investors. The company helps screen application documents for the Immigration Bureau, and insists that foreigners with criminal backgrounds will be denied long-stay visas. In some countries booming tourism and short-term property rentals have led to protests by locals, who blame them for surging housing prices.