Who are the hostages released as part of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire in Gaza?

JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas-led militants released eight hostages on Thursday after more than 15 months in captivity, including an Israeli soldier, bringing to 15 the number of captives freed since the start of a ceasefire in Gaza more than a week ago. Agam Berger, 20, was among five...

How did so many Thai farmers end up held hostage by Hamas?

BANGKOK (AP) — Five Thai nationals held hostage by Hamas since its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel were released on Thursday. They were among 31 Thais taken by the militant group, of whom 23 have already been released. Another two have been confirmed dead, and the status of one...

US aid freeze leads to suspension of health care to Myanmar refugees in Thailand

BANGKOK (AP) — A 90-day freeze on foreign assistance programs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump has led to cuts in services to refugees from war-torn Myanmar, including the shutdown of hospital care in camps in Thailand where more than 100,000 are living, activists and Thai officials said...

Thai authorities seek to ease air pollution in capital by offering free public transport

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai authorities have made travel by public transport in Bangkok free for a week starting Saturday, the latest tactic to try to tackle soaring levels of air pollution that have already seen hundreds of schools closed and employees working from home. The travel...

Thai LGBTQ+ couples register marriages as law gives them equal status

BANGKOK (AP) — Hundreds of LGBTQ+ couples in Thailand made Thursday a life-changing occasion, registering their marriages legally on the first day a law took effect granting them the same rights as heterosexual couples. The enactment of the Marriage Equality Act makes Thailand the...

Same-sex marriages will soon become legal in Thailand after historic law

BANGKOK (AP) — They have been in a committed relationship for more than 13 years, and even had a wedding in 2019. Since then, Danaya Phonphayung and Sunma Piamboon, both women, have considered themselves a married couple, even if same-sex marriages were not legally recognized. The...

Uyghurs detained in Thailand for a decade say the government may be preparing to deport them to China

Stock market today: Global indexes are mixed as the US stock market remains closed

BANGKOK (AP) — World shares were mixed on Thursday as the U.S. stock market remained closed to observe a National Day of Mourning for former President Jimmy Carter. London's FTSE 100 climbed 0.8% to 8,319.69 as the value of the British pound slid against the U.S. dollar amid...

An army airstrike on a village in western Myanmar has killed at least 40 people, reports say

BANGKOK (AP) — An airstrike by Myanmar’s army on a village under the control of an armed ethnic minority group killed about 40 people and injured at least 20 others, officials of the group and a local charity said Thursday. They said hundreds of houses burned in a fire triggered by the bombing....

Cambodian police detain a Thai man suspected of gunning down Cambodian ex-lawmaker in Bangkok

BANGKOK (AP) — Cambodian police said Wednesday they apprehended a Thai man suspected of gunning down a former opposition politician from Cambodia in a popular Bangkok tourist area. Lim Kimya, an ex-lawmaker from the dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party, was shot dead near a...