Flood death toll in South rises to 145
Severe flooding across southern Thailand has so far claimed 145 lives, with Songkhla province accounting for the majority at 110 fatalities, according to the government’s Emergency Flood Response Operations Centre.

Looting emerges in Hat Yai after floodwater drops
Looting has been reported across parts of Hat Yai municipality as floodwater begins to recede from the southern city.

Israeli forces kill 13 in southern Syria operation
DAMASCUS - Israeli forces killed 13 people on Friday in an operation in southern Syria, the deadliest since Bashar al-Assad's fall from power nearly a year ago, which they said was targeting an Islamist group.

Iran to boycott 2026 World Cup draw over US visa row
TEHRAN - Iran is to boycott next week's World Cup finals draw in Washington because the United States refused to grant visas to several members of the delegation, the Iranian football federation announced on Friday.

Over 70 shark, ray species win new wildlife trade protections
BANGKOK - The world's top wildlife trade organisation increased protections on Friday for more than 70 species of sharks and rays, in a move conservationists hailed as a "historical win".

EV owner offers free phone charging to stranded flood victims
SONGKHLA: As floodwaters recede across Hat Yai, many residents remain isolated in affected areas with depleted phone batteries and no means to contact the outside world.

Temperatures at Doi Inthanon plunge amid colder weather in Thailand's North
CHIANG MAI:  Crowds of tourists continued to flock to Doi Inthanon on Friday to experience the biting cold, as temperatures on the mountaintop dropped further with grass frost hitting a new low for the season at  -4.9°C.

Corrections Department defends family photo during Thaksin prison visit
The Corrections Department has defended its policy after a family photo of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra embracing his children during a prison visit sparked criticism from a former senator about security protocols.

Japan's low-crime image cracking as car thefts, home intrusions rise
Japan has often prided itself on its orderly, low-crime society, but cracks in that image are widening amid rising car thefts and home intrusions fueled by export markets and public complacency.

Turkey not 'hostile' to Christians, Constantinople patriarch says
ISTANBUL - Muslim-majority Turkey, which is hosting Pope Leo XIV on his first overseas trip as pontiff, is not "a hostile environment" for Christians, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople told AFP in an interview.