Global stocks mixed as Germany faces period of political limboThe prospect of long coalition talks in Germany is weighing on the euroNEW YORK - European stock markets ended the day slightly higher Monday, after an early rally ran out of steam as the prospect of drawn-out coalition talks in Germany weighed on sentiment. After earlier surging by as much as 0.5 percent, the blue-chip DAX index in Frankfurt ended the day 0.3 percent higher. The London and Paris stock markets also pared early gains to end the session 0.2 percent higher. "It's been an interesting start to the week as equity markets made strong gains early in the day before giving most back as the morning wore on," said OANDA analyst Craig Erlam. London stocks were dampened by an ongoing shortage of petrol or gasoline that has been sparked by panic-buying at fuel stops across Britain.

Pink dolphins spotted off Songkhla beachPink dolphins spotted in the sea off Songkhla's Samila beach. (Photo: Palakorn Nakarabandid's Facebook page)A pod of pink dolphins was seen in the sea off Samila beach in Songkhla on Sunday and a paddleboarder posted pictures and a video of them on Facebook. Palakorn Nakarabandid said there were 6-7 dolphins in the pod seen by himself and other paddleboarders. Mr Palakorn said the pink dolphins were about 1 kilometre off the beach. He was happy to see the dolphins, saying he believed it shows the rehabilitation of natural resources in the Gulf of Thailand.

wins big as Tony Awards return to BroadwayUS actor Leslie Odom Jr hosted the Tony Awards concert gala. NEW YORK: Broadway on Sunday finally honored its best and brightest at the Tony Awards, more than a year late due to the coronavirus pandemic, with jukebox musical "Moulin Rouge!" The Musical" -- a stage adaptation of the popular 2001 Baz Luhrmann film of the same name about the famed Paris nightclub -- won for best musical, best actor and best actor in a featured role, as well as a host of technical honours. The Tony for best play went to "The Inheritance," a reimagining of the E.M. Forster novel "Howards End" set in modern-day New York. The play won a total of four awards, including best director for Stephen Daldry.

Myanmar migrants arrested for illegal entryA health official takes the temperatures of the 12 Myanmar nationals caught for illegal entry, near a village in Kanchanaburi's Muang district on Sunday afternoon. (Photo: Piyarat Chongcharoen)KANCHANABURI: Twelve Myanmar job seekers were arrested near a border village in Muang district for illegal entry on Sunday afternoon, police said. The five men and seven women were detained by an army patrol from the Lat Ya Task Force about 4pm, while hiding in forest near Ban Huay Nam Khao in tambon Ban Kao. They told offiials they were from Moulmein, Bago, Myawaddy and Yangon in Myanmar. They had paid 16,000 baht each to agents in Myanmar agents for jobs in Bangkok.

Sydney gets 'blueprint for freedom' as virus cases fallVaccinated Sydney residents will finally emerge from a lengthy Covid lockdown by mid-October, officials have saidSYDNEY - Vaccinated Sydney residents will finally emerge from a lengthy Covid lockdown by mid-October, Australian officials said Monday, outlining a "blueprint for freedom" as case numbers fell in the city. Stay-at-home orders are set to be lifted in Sydney and surrounding New South Wales when the double-dose vaccination rate hits 70 percent, with state premier Gladys Berejiklian saying "quite confidently" that was now expected to occur on October 11. Deputy premier John Barilaro said the "blueprint for freedom" would allow travel across New South Wales once 80 percent of over-16s are fully vaccinated, which is likely by the end of October. However, unvaccinated adults will need to wait until at least December 1 to enjoy the same freedoms, when it is predicted that around 90 percent of the eligible population will be vaccinated, officials said. About 400,000 people in the nation's capital have been under lockdown since mid-August as officials struggled to quash a small but sustained virus outbreak.

Germany heads into unknown as rivals scramble to lead next governmentA close election result in Germany means that the question of who will succeed Angela Merkel is still wide openFRANKFURT - Germany headed into a period of unpredictability Monday after a close election saw both main parties claim the right to lead Europe's biggest economy, leaving the question of who will succeed Angela Merkel wide open. Western allies are watching closely, aware that domestic preoccupations could blunt Germany's role on the international stage and create a leadership vacuum in Europe. Laschet, 60, and Scholz, 63, both said their goal was to have a new government in place before Christmas. "Europe is waiting for Germany to have a new government," he said on Sunday evening. While all Germany's main parties are pro-EU, none of her would-be successors can match her political gravitas.

Australian PM says may not join global climate summitAustralia, the world's biggest coal exporter, has not made a firm commitment on its greenhouse gas reductions. SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, under pressure to adopt a 2050 net-zero carbon emissions target, said in an interview published Monday that he may not join this year's landmark UN climate summit in Glasgow. Asked about attending the global climate crisis conference in November, Morrison told the West Australian newspaper: "We have not made any final decisions". The Australian prime minister told the newspaper he was trying to bring the government and the country together on commitments, to provide certainty for the next 20-30 years. Asked if he would commit to a specific climate target, in a separate interview with The Australian newspaper, the prime minister replied: "I can assure you we will have a plan".

The Capitol Subway System, a network of trolleys in the fluorescent-lit bowels of the labyrinthine, 600-room US Congress in Washington, has been ferrying politicians back and forth for more than a century. In less querulous times, political leaders have seen the subway as something of a refuge from the frenetic pace of Washington politics. The alarm spread like a forest fire," the Washington Times reported at the time. Electric Studebaker automobiles were replaced by a monorail with its own track three years later and, in 1960, officials added four $75,000 electric subway cars -- dubbed "swift chariots of democracy" by the Senate chaplain. Some Capitol Hill staff see the gentility of subway interactions becoming rarer as health-conscious politicians with step-counting devices increasingly take to walking between buildings.

Among free trade agreements (FTAs), the CPTPP ranks third behind the US$26-trillion RCEP and the $21.1-trillion US-Mexico-Canada Agreement. For CPTPP members, ignoring the fact that the huge Chinese market is driving the economic recovery would be very hard, and the cost of rejecting Beijing's application will be high. China and Australia are already in the throes of a bitter economic and trade dispute, despite the two nations having an FTA. So far, the Biden administration hasn't announced any concrete trade policies for the region. But the biggest concern perhaps is that China's bid could widen divisions among CPTPP members.

10,288 new Covid cases, 101 deaths MondayA health worker conducts Covid-19 antigen tests for people in Klong Toey district, Bangkok, on Saturday. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)Thailand logged 10,288 new Covid-19 cases and 101 more fatalities during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry announced on Monday morning. The new cases fell from 12,353 new Covid cases announced on Sunday when the country recorded 125 more deaths. Since April 1, when the third wave of Covid-19 began, Thailand has treated 1,543,063 Covid-19 patients, 1,407,975 of whom have recovered to date. Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 1,571,926 Covid-19 cases, with 1,435,401 complete recoveries so far.

The catch-all control measure highlighted in current legislation will soon come into forceDhadchyarbhon Abhimontejchbud, deputy director-general of Foreign Trade Department. Exporters are being urged to prepare for the implementation of the catch-all control (CAC) measure in the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction Act of 2019 this year. Preparatory steps include setting up an internal compliance programme (ICP) to prevent trade activities pertaining to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) as well as monitoring compliance with the export control legislation. "ICP schemes benefit exporters by clearly outlining the data of users and end-users for the government if their products are subject to export checks. Without an ICP, if their products attract the suspicion of intelligence agencies, their exports may be halted or held back by governments."

Chaba Kaew pound Palestine, reach Asian Cup finalsThai players celebrate after scoring a goal against Palestine on Saturday. Thailand qualified for their 17th AFC Women's Asian Cup Finals with an emphatic 7-0 win over Palestine on Saturday night. Victory meant the Southeast Asian side finished top of Group H, having defeated Malaysia in their opening match. Thailand are once again very much in the race to make it to the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. We are still not half way as the target we are aiming for is the Fifa Women's World Cup.

Making the best out of Sino-Thai ties"China is not invading any country - but rather, more people are embracing China," said Pinit Jarusombat, president of the Thai-Chinese Cultural Relationship Council. In an interview with MONGKOL BANGPRAPA, the former deputy prime minister shares his thoughts on the Chinese-US diplomatic relationship and trade tension, and how China's relationship with Thailand has been the tie that binds. Even within the World Health Organization, aid in the form of vaccine relief, for example, is often politicised. The successes it has seen has allowed China to expand its reach in both economic and scientific fields. Chinese leaders have never referred to other countries within the bloc as members of the same family, except Thailand.

People wait in line for services outside the Tao Poon branch of Government Savings Bank during the pandemic. Nutthawat WicheanbutGovernment Savings Bank (GSB) plans to launch a soft loan package worth 5 billion baht next month to help the unemployed, aiming to create 100,000 jobs, says president and chief executive Vitai Ratanakorn. The bank plans to offer soft loans in the range of 30,000-100,000 baht per borrower, depending on their investment plans. Mr Vitai said GSB asked the Finance Ministry to consider subsidising non-performing loans under this programme. The soft loan also meets GSB's obligation as a "social bank", he said.

Pelosi hints infrastructure delay as US Congress begins huge weekUS Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi wants her Democrats to push through trillions of dollars worth of investments in infrastructure and social service programs before a self-imposed deadline of Sept 30, 2021. But Pelosi, despite her confidence that the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that has already cleared the Senate with bipartisan support will pass the House of Representatives "this week," hinted at potential quicksand ahead. Biden told reporters on Sunday he was "optimistic" Pelosi would get the agenda through the house this week, adding "it's going to take the better part of the week." But moderate Senate Democrats Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema have expressed deep reservations about the huge price tag. But Senate Republicans have balked over extending the Treasury Department's borrowing authority this time around, a position Pelosi described as "irresponsible beyond words."