Gulf Development Plc, controlled by billionaire Sarath Ratanavadi, has doubled its stake in Kasikornbank Plc to become the Thai commercial lender’s largest shareholder.

A newly admitted inmate at Thonburi Remand Prison in Bangkok is suspected of having mpox, the Department of Corrections reported on Saturday.

A man who tried to attack a police officer with a knife near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Friday was shot by police and later died of his injuries, France's anti-terrorism prosecution office said. - REUTERS

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday (February 13) said the United States relationship with Venezuela is "very good" and that he plans to visit the country. - REUTERS

French police arrested nine people in an investigation into a Louvre ticket fraud that may have cost the world's most visited museum 10 million euros ($11.9 million) in revenues, the Paris prosecutor's office said on Friday. - REUTERS

Spartanburg County in South Carolina finds itself the epicentre of the largest US measles outbreak in more than 30 years. Some doctors fear that outbreaks like this one are becoming the new normal. - REUTERS

One of the biggest surprises of Thailand’s recent general election was the meteoric rise of the Klatham Party, which secured nearly 60 seats nationwide — an outcome no opinion polls had anticipated.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand closed the first month of 2026 with high hopes for an election-themed rally. Market-cap leader DELTA turned positive again, pushing the SET up more than 20 points in the first week of the year, while positive sentiment about artificial intelligence (AI) on Wall Street spread to Asia.

RECAP: Asian equities pulled back from record highs on Friday as traders locked in gains and pared positions ahead of a week-long holiday in Chinese markets. Wall Street risk appetite ebbed as traders started to look at AI-related impacts on the broader economy.

Big C Supercenter Plc plans to invest up to 8 billion baht for new branch openings and the renovation of outlets across Thailand.