Koeman defends direct approach after Barca held by GranadaRonald Koeman watched on as Barcelona were beaten at home to Granada on Monday. MADRID: Ronald Koeman defended his direct tactics after being accused of betraying Barcelona's attacking traditions in a 1-1 draw at home to Granada on Monday. There were 85 seconds on the clock when Domingos Duarte headed Granada in front. Luuk de Jong came on for Sergi Roberto at half-time, indicating a more direct approach was coming but Granada were not uncomfortable. Depay hooked over from a de Jong ball in before Oscar Mingueza’s delivery grazed the top of the crossbar.

People visit the Bang Sue Grand Station in Bangkok when the Red Line railway started its test run early last month. Mr Nirut said the first phase of the station's commercial development will see shops offering essential services, including food and beverages, opened at the new rail hub. According to Mr Nirut, the development of Bang Sue Grand Station's commercial spaces will be divided into two contracts spanning 20 years. One involves development of commercial spaces covering 52,375 square metres (m²), while the other covers the development of advertisement space totalling 2,303m². The commercial space at 12 stations along the Red Line has a total area of 4,626m², plus 2,407m² for advertising.

We can't wait for the infrastructure project [on the Chao Phraya River basin] which is due to be completed in the next decade. However, the rainy season has increased the volume of usable water from 2,265mcm on May 1 to 3,108mcm on Sept 15. "However, there should be at least 8,000mcm of usable water by Nov 1 for off-season rice farming next year. Flooding is likely to occur in the Central Region (the Chao Phraya River basin) and some parts of the Northeast. While the Bangrakam lowland area (upper Chao Phraya River basin) can collect 400mcm, 12 lowland areas (lower Chao Phraya River basin) can hold 1,500mcm.

THAI sells more planesCash-strapped Thai Airways International (THAI) is putting three aircraft along with a flight simulator up for sale, as a part of its financial rehabilitation plan and the ongoing push to modernise its ageing fleet, a source in the company said. THAI has 15 A330-300s in its fleet, but they wide-bodied jets are currently grounded because of the minimal demand for air travel amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. It has also let go of its six Airbus A340-600ds, three A340-500s, two Boeing 737-400s and an Airbus A300-600. THAI had been haemorrhaging money for years, and last year it sought the help of the Central Bankruptcy Court, after the Covid-19 pandemic forced the grounding of its entire fleet. The airline's independent director, Piyasvasti Amranand, who is one of the airline's rehabilitation plan administrators, went on Facebook saying that THAI can sell 10 Boeing 747s if the Transport Ministry approves their sale.

New report urges better digital infrastructureThe Office of National Digital Economy and Society Commission (ONDE) is joining hands with six other digital-related state agencies to exchange information which will enable them to streamline their databases and draw up strategic plans as people are spending more time online. The collaboration follows the release of the "Thailand Digital Outlook" report by the ONDE which included a survey on internet use by the public and businesses among other issues related to the country's digital development. The data exchange collaboration is intended to help these state agencies to streamline their databases, a cost-saving exercise strongly encouraged in the "Thailand Digital Outlook" report. The public and private sectors can make use of the findings in this report for planning and enhancing efficiency," he said. The respondents came from three groups: 39,145 people from the general public, 3,381 people from the business sector and 935 people from state agencies which provided primary public services.

Capacity to repay to normalise by 2024People maintain social distancing while waiting to access financial services at a branch of Government Savings Bank at a shopping mall. Varuth HirunyathebThe debt repayment capacity of retail customers at Government Savings Bank (GSB) will gradually return to normal levels in three years once the pandemic is controlled, said bank president Vitai Ratanakorn. This recovery process should gradually restore the debt repayment abilities of GSB's retail customers to normal levels within 2-3 years. The service sector depends on international tourist arrivals, which tallied 40 million in 2019. However, the EIC expects tourist arrivals to increase to 6.3 million in 2022 thanks to the improvement in infections locally and internationally, as well as a low base effect.

Tang Contemporary Art presents "Control", a new solo exhibition by young Chinese artist Li Erpeng who uses realist brushwork to depict an abstract spiritual world, until Oct 31. The artist took inspiration from his imagination about the forms of life. He transfers living things invented in his mind onto the canvas, representing them as soft, energetic forms in primary colours. photo courtesy of Tang Contemporary ArtAs a Gen Z artist based in Beijing, Erpeng absorbs the products of the contemporary information age where the virtual world and cyborgs are a part of everyday life. The gallery is located at Room 201-206 of River City Bangkok, Charoen Krung 24, and opens Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm.

Vaccine scams tout Chulabhorn stockPeople claiming to be officials from the Chulabhorn Royal Academy (CRA) have been using Facebook and Line accounts displaying a fake CRA logo to lure people into ordering Sinopharm's Covid-19 vaccine, defrauding them of millions of baht, a senior official at the academy told a media briefing yesterday. "We obtained information that the scammers began using social media accounts to deceive people after the CRA imported the first lot of Sinopharm vaccines. "They claimed to be CRA officials, but we had no clear evidence against them. CRA legal counsel Nakanan Ruamjai said the scammers had repeatedly closed accounts and opened new ones after each round of fraudulent preorders. Pol Lt Col Korawat said he would assign a working committee to decide whether to accept the case for investigation.

Six dead after gunman opens fire on Russian campusStudents fled the campus, while video footage showed some making phone calls to friends and family behind a cordon of police. MOSCOW: A gunman opened fire Monday on a university campus in central Russia and killed six people before being detained, investigators said, in the country's second mass shooting this year to target students. The health ministry, in comments cited by Russian news agencies, said 19 among the wounded were being treated for gunshots. Video from outside the university showed distressed students fleeing the campus and making phone calls to friends and family behind a cordon of police wearing helmets and body armour. He was shown in camera footage wearing a similar T-shirt to Eric Harris, one of the killers in the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in the United States, which left 13 people dead.

Afghan women outraged by new Taliban restrictions on workAbout a dozen Afghan women protested briefly Sunday outside the old Ministry for Women's Affairs, which has now been replaced by a department that earned notoriety for enforcing strict Islamic doctrine. Many Afghan women fear they will never find meaningful employment. Although still marginalised, Afghan women have fought for and gained basic rights in the past 20 years, becoming lawmakers, judges, pilots and police officers, though mostly limited to large cities. When pressed, Taliban officials say women have been told to stay at home for their own security but will be allowed to work once proper segregation can be implemented. In Herat, an education official insisted the issue of girls and women teachers returning to school was a question of time, not policy.

Hong Kong leads equity sell-off as Evergrande fears spreadFears about a contagion from the possible collapse of China Evergrande have sent property firms in Hong Kong plunging. HONG KONG - Asian markets sank Monday on fears about contagion from a possible collapse of teetering property giant China Evergrande, while sentiment was also dragged by the Federal Reserve's plans to taper monetary policy, surging Delta infections and signs of weakness in the global recovery. Hong Kong again led the losses with Evergrande due to pay interest on some of its loans and bonds this week, with observers expecting it to default. Uncertainty about the future of the company, which is drowning in debts of more than $300 billion, has shattered confidence on trading floors, with property companies and banks in Hong Kong taking the brunt of the selling. Hong Kong shed 4% at one point, with Evergrande down almost 19% briefly while New World Development and Henderson Land each lost more than 10%.

Vietnam capital Hanoi to ease coronavirus curbs this weekA barrier is pictured in a quarantine area in Hanoi on Sept 6, 2021. (Reuters photo)HANOI: Vietnam's capital Hanoi will further ease its coronavirus restrictions from this week, the government said, with new cases on the decline and the majority of its adult population partially vaccinated. Hanoi has escaped the brunt of a fierce wave of coronavirus infections in Vietnam since late April, recording less than 50 of the more than 17,000 Covid-19 deaths nationwide, and just 4,414 of the country's total 687,000 cases. Hanoi became busier last week after authorities removed dozens of checkpoints and allowed restaurants to offer takeaway services. Tuan said the city's approach will be flexible and scientific, aimed at containing the virus while reviving economic activities.

At the opening of the market in Frankfurt at 9:00 am (0700 GMT), the new entrants, amongst them European aerospace giant Airbus and online shopping company Zalando, will turn the DAX 30 into a DAX 40. The newcomers make the DAX "more attractive", said Norbert Kuhn from the German Stock Institute (DAI), which represents stock market participants. Likewise, Siemens Healthineers joins parent company Siemens and spin-off Siemens Energy. As the flagship DAX index grows, the mid-tier mDAX will shrink from 60 to 50 companies, as some of its members are promoted. DAX members will be given new weightings within the overall index, with Airbus the largest among the latest arrivals.

Ministry suspects more officials involved in theft of money for disabledPolice search the backpack belonging to Pisal Sukjaitham after he was arrested in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai on Sunday. (Supplied)The Social Development and Human Security Ministry is investigating how many officials were involved in the embezzlement of 13 million baht set aside for the disabled, a senior ministry official said. The probe follows the arrest of Pisal Sukjaitham, a C-6 official, by police in Mai Sai district of Chiang Rai on Sunday. He is accused of stealing 13 million baht between June and August of the present fiscal year. He allegedly used this access to transfer 13 million baht budgeted for disabled people affected by Covid-19 to his own accounts.

"The Crown" and "The Queen's Gambit" were the top winners at the Emmys. LOS ANGELES: Here is a list of the winners in key categories for the 73rd Emmy Awards, which were handed out in Los Angeles on Sunday. Netflix had a stellar night, winning its first awards for top series with British royals saga "The Crown" (best drama) and "The Queen's Gambit" (best limited series). On the comedy side, "Ted Lasso" was the big winner, taking home the Emmy for best comedy, best actor, best supporting actor and actress. The Apple TV+ series won seven Emmys overall.