Nottingham Forest edged past Aston Villa in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-final, keeping the tie finely balanced for both clubs.

The 2025-26 UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg on April 30 featured an all-English clash as the "Reds" of Nottingham Forest hosted the "Lions" of Aston Villa at City Ground.

Early chances fell to Villa just nine minutes in, when Morgan Rogers fed Yuri Tielemans, whose powerful right-footed shot from around 25 yards was parried away by Stefan Ortega.

On the 28th minute, Ollie Watkins drove forward and passed to Morgan Rogers, whose left-footed effort from the edge of the penalty area was again denied by Ortega's diving save.

Forest had their opportunity in the 33rd minute when Morgan Gibbs-White cut in from the left and crossed for Igor Jesus, whose volley was superbly saved by Emiliano Martinez. The first half ended 0-0.

In the second half, Villa missed a golden chance in the 57th minute when Rogers received the ball in the penalty area and his deflected shot looped toward Watkins, whose header was incredibly saved by Ortega.

The turning point came in the 70th minute when the referee consulted VAR as Omari Hutchinson chased a ball near the byline. He was fouled and the ball appeared to have already crossed the goal line, but VAR ruled it a handball by Lucas Digne in the penalty area. Chris Wood converted the penalty in the 71st minute, giving Forest a 1-0 lead.

Neither side could add another goal, with Forest securing a narrow 1-0 victory. The second leg will be held at Villa Park on May 7.

In the other semi-final, Braga from Portugal narrowly defeated Freiburg from Germany 2-1 at Estádio Municipal de Braga, with the return match at Freiburg on May 7.

May 1 – Monks and residents in Chalermphra Kiart District, Buriram province, were startled when a group of devotees visiting Phra Prasat Thong shrine on Phanom Ruang mountain discovered the three sacred statues that normally reside inside the shrine had vanished.

Upon investigating the surrounding area, they found all three statues had been moved to the rear of the shrine without any signs of damage. However, the identity of those responsible and their motives remain unknown.

Some speculate the statues were targeted by an antique theft gang for sale, but they may have abandoned them after encountering something inexplicable. Others theorize they were moved by individuals acting on certain beliefs.

Phra Maha Damrong Tikkaviriyo, abbot of Wat Don Maihai, revealed that upon learning of the displacement, monks and devotees relocated the three statues to a residence within the temple. This precaution was taken ahead of the upcoming annual merit-making ceremony for Phra Prasat Thong.

Wivat Saokul, 29, and Thanyadhorn Benchasart, 29, members of the Phra Prasat Thong devotion team who constructed the shrine before last year's merit ceremony, explained that the three statues had been with the original deity for years. The original statue disappeared in 2554 (2011) during an incident, and this replacement was commissioned as an offering. They expressed unease about the statues' disappearance, having come to pay respects and share a meal at the shrine. Upon discovering the statues relocated and arranged neatly behind the shrine, they felt relieved. They believe the deity may have communicated through their intuition, though they remain uncertain whether thieves or someone else moved the statues and returned them.

Pathum Thani — The abbot of Bun Chuen Temple is pursuing both civil and criminal charges against unknown perpetrators for allegedly switching a 50-baht gold Buddha hair relic with brass. Police are investigating and preparing to interrogate those involved as they work to track down the actual culprits.

May 1, 2026 — According to reports, a man brought the gold Buddha hair relic, weighing nearly 50 baht, for inspection after a family had donated 45 baht of gold to be cast into the relic during a merit-making ceremony. The abbot and villagers contributed additional gold for the casting.

About eight years later, suspicions arose, and upon inspection with the abbot's knowledge, the shocking truth emerged: the nearly 50-baht Buddha hair relic was actually brass, containing only 2-3% gold by weight.

Most recently, Phra Kru Pathum Punyapas Phai Thuri, 67, abbot of Bun Chuen Temple in Bang Poon sub-district, Muang district, Pathum Thani, along with Nakhon Kanthaworalit of Chang Yai sub-district, Bang Thai district, Ayutthaya, and temple disciples, met with Deputy Lieutenant Colonel Wuttinan Somsunun, the investigation chief at Pak Khlong Rangsit Police Station in Pathum Thani.

They reported that in mid-March 2016, Bun Chuen Temple organized a ceremony to cast a gold Buddha statue and bell, with Nakhon Kanthaworalit as the sponsor. The temple hired Tanyamit Sangkhapan gold casting shop to oversee the casting. However, the shop subcontracted unknown individuals or teams to handle the actual casting work.

During the ceremony, Nakhon Kanthaworalit donated 45 baht of gold specifically to cast the Buddha hair relic, which was done publicly before witnesses. Unknown casting staff then moved the relic to the abbot's quarters. After the relic cooled, unidentified staff members took both the Buddha statue and hair relic to an unknown polishing workshop.

Approximately two weeks later, the staff returned the polished items to the abbot at the temple for safekeeping.

On April 12, 2025, there was a discussion about having the relic inspected for potential sale, with proceeds to be used for expanding the temple's land by three rai.

On April 28, 2025, with the abbot's permission, the relic was taken for inspection at Namo Ban Chang Thong shop in Saraburi. The inspection revealed the gold relic contained only 2.39% gold, significantly less than the 45 baht of gold that Nakhon Kanthaworalit had donated.

Facing this loss, Nakhon Kanthaworalit and the abbot went to Pak Khlong Rangsit Police Station to file a complaint and pursue both civil and criminal proceedings until the case is resolved. The investigation unit has received the report and recorded evidence for further investigation according to law.

Abbot Phra Kru Pathum Punyapas Phai Thuri stated that he is filing the complaint to allow police to investigate how the casting was conducted. He emphasized that he had kept the gold relic safely locked in his quarters with no one tampering with it. He indicated he would provide additional statements to investigators.

On April 30, 2025, a severe summer storm with sudden powerful gusts struck the Songkran festival grounds at Phong Siri Market in Saraburi's central district. A large entrance banner structure was unable to withstand the wind force and collapsed onto crowds and shops below, causing immediate injuries and chaos. The concert featured 6-7 famous bands including Polycat, Paradox, and Potato, attracting primarily teenage attendees who began securing spots from approximately 4 p.m., creating severe crowding at the entrance. When the evening storm hit with sudden violent gusts, the massive banner structure failed and collapsed onto vendors and waiting crowds, resulting in multiple immediate injuries.

After the incident, Saraburi city district officials and rescue units responded to assist victims. A total of 11 injured people were found—6 women and 5 men. Among these, one sustained critical injuries from electrical shock, and one death was recorded: a 17-year-old boy. Two people suffered scalding from spilled oil at nearby shops. Of the 9 people directly struck by the falling structure, 2 suffered fractures (1 woman, 1 man), 1 man experienced severe electrical shock, 2 sustained head lacerations, and 3 others had various body bruises. All injured were transported to Saraburi Hospital.

The city district officer summoned event organizers for questioning and imposed strict safety measure requirements, permitting the concert to continue under the condition that public safety be rigorously maintained, with organizers held fully liable for any future incidents. The event has caused significant alarm among participants, and investigations are ongoing into the structural integrity standards and weather safety precautions for the venue.

Kasetsart University Demonstration School, Research and Educational Development Center, serving as the Geography Olympiad hub, has been honored as host for the 8th National Geography Olympiad (The 8th Thailand Geography Olympiad 2026) from April 29 to May 4, 2026, at Kasetsart University Demonstration School and TK Palace and Convention Hotel Bangkok. The competition aims to select Thailand's representatives for the International Geography Olympiad while elevating Thailand's geography education standards to international levels. This competition platform serves as a crucial mechanism for developing Thai youth into internationally-capable spatial thinkers and reflects the school's role as a center for academic excellence in the country. The official opening ceremony, reflecting collaborative educational efforts, will be held on Thursday, April 30, 2026, from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. at the Hydrenia 2-3 meeting room at TK Palace and Convention Hotel Bangkok. Distinguished guests include Professor Emeritus Dr. Charas Suwanwela, Vice President of the OCSC Foundation, as president of the ceremony, alongside executives from Kasetsart University, the Office of the Basic Education Commission, academics, teachers, and over 350 students from across the country. Dr. Phakamask Nantjeewrawat, Chairman of the Geography Olympiad Center at Kasetsart University Demonstration School, stated that this competition is organized under the supervision of the OCSC Foundation, with Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn as Foundation President. The primary objectives include providing students with opportunities to demonstrate academic potential, selecting Thailand's representatives, building academic networks, and elevating geography education to international standards. This competition is not merely a platform to measure academic capability, but also a space for shared learning among youth nationwide who exchange experiences and geographic perspectives, which will serve as important foundations for future knowledge development. The opening ceremony includes significant activities such as the introduction of flags from all 16 centers and the OCSC flag, the pledge by competing students and committees led by Dr. Thanatep Pitayaratchakti, as well as performances and academic exhibitions reflecting advances in geographic science. The host is fully prepared to create an internationally-standard competition platform. This competition is a collaboration between Kasetsart University Demonstration School and the Foundation for the Promotion of Academic Olympiad (OCSC), with intensive preparation involving over 280 personnel to accommodate more than 469 participants from across the country. Competitors consist of 108 student representatives from 16 OCSC centers who will participate in exams and activities over 6 days under the same standards as international competitions. Beyond academic testing, the competition period represents a time for capable youth to live together, learn, exchange, and build academic networks, which constitutes valuable and sustainable out-of-classroom experience. The competition format challenges modern-world skills through written exams and case analysis.

On April 30, 2025, Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek, spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, clarified the Prime Minister's absence from live parliamentary questioning, explaining that the Parliament only notifies the cabinet of question topics on Thursday morning. Since the Prime Minister and ministers don't know the topics in advance, they sometimes cannot attend due to pre-scheduled commitments, or questions may be delegated to the responsible minister to answer on their behalf.

Regarding the Land Bridge project question, it was assigned to Deputy Prime Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Transport, to answer instead because the Transport Ministry is the primary responsible agency. However, the Deputy Prime Minister was occupied with the first 2025 Rail Transport Committee meeting, an important agenda following the Rail Transport Act's official implementation on March 27. The meeting was scheduled a week in advance and produced significant resolutions, including measures to reduce public expenses and protect passenger rights, as well as expediting regulations for an integrated ticket system. Therefore, Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angksakulkiart was assigned to provide clarification to Parliament on behalf.

Ms. Ratchada further noted that the Prime Minister's schedule included meetings with the Police Commission, economic team discussions, and a press conference on suppressing transnational criminal networks, corruption, citizenship fraud, and illegal gambling operations. She emphasized that assigning responsible ministers to answer questions is not avoidance but rather ensures comprehensive information, as the responsible minister can provide complete and detailed data.