Russian crew set for lift off to film first movie in spaceDirector Klim Shipenko (R) said the space movie would be 'an experiment'. MOSCOW: Russia on Tuesday is set to launch an actress and a film director into space in a bid to best the United States to the first movie made in orbit. Actress Yulia Peresild, 37, and film director Klim Shipenko, 38, are expected to take off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in ex-Soviet Kazakhstan at 8.55am GMT (3.55pm Thailand). Clad in a flight suit, director Shipenko called the film "an experiment" at an online press conference on Monday. Compared to the Soviet era -- when Moscow launched the first satellite Sputnik and sent the first man, Yuri Gagarin, into space -- Russia has struggled to innovate.

US hopes to restart Iran talks but cites 'alarming' nuclear progressThis handout photo from April 17, 2021 by the EU Delegation in Vienna shows delegation members from the parties to the Iran nuclear deal - Germany, France, Britain, China, Russia and Iran – attending a meeting as they try to restore the deal. WASHINGTON: The United States hopes to restart nuclear talks with Iran soon, a senior US official said Monday, while noting "alarming" progress by Tehran on developing nuclear capacity. "We're hopeful we can be back in Vienna (for talks)... in a fairly short period of time," the senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters. Iran's nuclear activity will be at the center of talks between US and Israeli national security teams in Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday. "We have a common assessment of the extent to which Iran's nuclear program has dramatically broken out of the box since the previous administration left the Iran nuclear deal," the official said.

With cinemas allowed to reopen again, an indie cinema, Doc Club & Pub is screening seven indie movies until tomorrow. Red Aninsri, left, and Forget Me Not. photos courtesy of facebook.com/docclubandpubRed Aninsri and Forget Me Not (Thailand)The special programme presents two different types of women in two Thai films, Red Aninsri and Forget Me Not. Red Aninsri follows the story of Ang, a transgender prostitute and secret service member whose mission is to hit on a male activist. Every film is screened with Thai subtitles (English subtitles are available for non-English speaking movies).

Another Chinese developer fails to make debt paymentsFantasia's failure to honour its debt commitments has added to concerns about the property sector as Evergrande teeters. BEIJING: Another Chinese homebuilder has hit financial trouble after it missed payments on debt obligations, adding to worries over the country's property sector as embattled giant China Evergrande teeters on the brink of collapse. Fantasia Holdings failed to repay a $205.7 million note Monday, the Shenzhen-based company said in a statement. Separately, S&P Global Ratings has downgraded another Chinese property firm -- Sinic Holdings -- saying its "debt-servicing ability has almost been depleted". Sinic has been unable to service interest repayments, which could result in "accelerating repayments on Sinic's other debt obligations", S&P said on Monday.

State rejigs EEC investment plansThe government has revised investment plans in the state flagship Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), as it aims to drive economic growth by 4.5-5% a year between 2022 and 2026. Kanit Sangsubhan, secretary-general of the EEC Office, said the EEC is hoping to become the country's vital investment destination during this period to draw investment at an average of 400-500 billion baht a year. According to Mr Kanit, the EEC Policy Committee's meeting chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday endorsed the revised investment plan for the EEC for the period 2022-26 with a combined investment value of 2.2 trillion baht. Under the original investment plan for the EEC, spanning 2018-22, the government had set a target to draw investment of 1.7 trillion baht or an average 300 billion baht a year. Currently, investment has already topped 1.6 trillion baht, accounting for 94% of the target, said Mr Kanit.

eFootball fiasco symptom of growing rush to bring out gamesKonami's eFootball 2022 has received scathing reviews from gamersTOKYO - The scathing reviews of the "grotesque" eFootball 2022 and its "horrible" graphics are a potent illustration of the risks posed by increasing pressure to rush video games to market, experts say. Part of the issue is simply the increasing sophistication of video games, "leading to many more chances for bugs to emerge", she told AFP. You can do patches, you can make important changes," said Daniel Andreyev, an author and journalist specialising in video games. That's what has happened with eFootball and Cyberpunk 2077, said Serkan Toto, an analyst at Kantan Games in Tokyo. Cyberpunk 2077 returned to the PlayStation store six months after its debut and now has mostly positive reviews on Steam.

Philippine groups demand Duterte allies comply with 'plundemic' probePhilippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks to the media after Philippine Senator Christopher "Bong" Go filed his certificate of candidacy to join the vice presidential race in Pasay City, metro Manila on Saturday. The probe follows the state auditor's flagging of "deficiencies" in how supply contracts were handled, alleging corruption from overpriced deals, among other irregularities. Duterte last month ordered cabinet members to seek his consent before appearing in Senate hearings. Duterte, 76, who was elected on promises to eliminate graft completely, cannot seek a second term and had been expected to run for vice president next year. But at the weekend he declared he would retire from politics, days after an opinion poll on preferred vice president candidates showed him slipping into second place.

Pair win Nobel for unlocking mystery of sensing temperature, touchThe research of the winning duo is being used to develop treatments for a wide range of diseases and conditions, including chronic painSTOCKHOLM - US scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian on Monday won the Nobel Medicine Prize for discoveries on receptors for temperature and touch. This question has been solved by this year's Nobel Prize laureates." Julius told Scientific American in 2019 that he got the idea to study chili peppers after a visit to the grocery store. "I was looking at these shelves and shelves of basically chili peppers and extracts (hot sauce) and thinking, 'This is such an important and such a fun problem to look at. Speculation on potential Peace Prize winners has ranged from the Belarusian opposition to climate campaigners such as Sweden's Greta Thunberg.

US to have 'frank conversations' with China on tradeChinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden are far apart on trade relations. WASHINGTON: The United States will in the coming days have "frank conversations" with China on trade as the Biden administration believes the Asian giant has not honoured its commitments under an agreement signed in January 2020. President Joe Biden had asked Tai to conduct a comprehensive review of US trade strategy towards China and the tariffs initiated by his Republican predecessor Donald Trump. The Biden administration official did not specify the extent of the shortfall, while indicating that Washington is unsatisfied. However, he ended up producing limited concrete results, let alone progress on the deep-seated problems that the United States and its allies say plague their China trade relationship.

Endangered turtles found slaughtered in MalaysiaThis undated handout photo from the Sabah Wildlife Department released on October 4, 2021 shows the carcasses of green turtles, part of a total of 11 endangered turtles found slaughtered, in Semporna on the Malaysian island of Borneo. (AFP PHOTO / MALAYSIA'S SABAH WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT)Eleven endangered turtles have been found slaughtered off the Malaysian part of Borneo island, with members of an indigenous, sea-dwelling community suspected of targeting them for food, officials said Monday. Wildlife officials found the green turtles Friday during patrols near the city of Semporna, in Sabah state. They also found sacks of suspected turtle meat, a stove, and a knife at the scene, Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said. Green turtles are one of the largest sea turtles, and are classified as endangered by protection group the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Bali to reopen direct flights from China, Japan, South KoreaA man carries a canoe during sunrise at a beach in Sanur on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Sept 28, 2021. (AFP photo)Indonesia’s tourist spot Bali will start allowing direct arrivals from China, Japan and South Korea as a receding Covid-19 outbreak lets the country ease restrictions further. The government is now allowing fitness centres and restaurants in cinemas to reopen with limited capacity and strict health protocols. Authorities reported 922 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the lowest since June 21, 2020. More than 4.2 million people in the country have tested positive for the virus, with 142,261 total fatalities, according to the health ministry data.

Soldier, 4 insurgents killed in 6-day siegeFourth Region Army chief Lt Gen Kriangkrai Srirak is briefed by planning officers ahead of the operation against insurgents in Bacho district of Narathiwat on Sunday. (Photo: Adbullah Benjakat)PATTANI: Four insurgents wanted on court warrants in criminal cases were killed in a firefight while trying to break through encircling soldiers at a village in Bacho district in Narathiwat province on Sunday. A military unit laid siege to Hutae Yuelo village in tambon Bare Tai in Bacho district, where the fugitive insurgents were hiding. The insurgents tried to break out on Saturday night. On Sunday the four insurgents again tried to break out.

Teen-student vaccinations begin, 3-11 year-olds next yearStudents at Pibool Uppatham School in Huai Khwang district of Bangkok wait their turn to be vaccinated on Monday. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)The Public Health Ministry plans to inoculate children aged 3-11 years against Covid-19 next year, if a vaccine is approved for that age group. They would be incolulated next year if the World Health Organisation and the Thai Food and Drug Administration endorse a vaccine for them. Its use is approved by the FDA and the World Health Organisation," he said. Achools not under the Education Ministry included religious schools and schools operated by border patrol police.

'Hard to have Myanmar junta boss at Asean summit' - Malaysia ministerFILE PHOTO: Myanmar's junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the elected government in a coup on Feb 1, presides over an army parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2021. (Reuters)KUALA LUMPUR: Myanmar's failure to cooperate with a special envoy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will make it difficult to have the country's junta leader attend an upcoming summit of the group, Malaysia's foreign minister said on Monday. Saifuddin Abdullah in a Tweet said he expressed disappointment at a meeting of his Asean counterparts over the non-cooperation of Myanmar's ruling military council. Myanmar's top general in April committed to a five-step peace roadmap following its Feb 1 coup.

Harley-Davidson hits new milestone with Pan America 1250Turning off traction control adds to the fun on a gravel surface. After launching the Softail family, the company unveiled the great touring fleet and now the all-new Pan America 1250 Special Touring Adventure with a brand new liquid-cool V-Twin 1250cc engine. I love the idea of not only testing the Pan America but the chance to make this story a documentary. Riding through heavy traffic within Bangkok gave me a clear understanding of what the Pan America can do. Overall, I love the balance and design of the Pan America.