Heat on Koeman as Barca drift creates concern over loss of identityRonald Koeman is under pressure as Barcelona face Granada in La Liga on Monday. The relationship between Koeman and Laporta has become increasingly strained after Koeman objected to Laporta suggesting a coach does not have all the power. Barcelona have made a solid start in La Liga and for now, the hope is an upturn will postpone bigger, and more expensive, decisions until later. Atletico Madrid play at home to Athletic Club on Saturday before Real Madrid travel to in-form Valencia on Sunday night. Fixtures (GMT)FridayCelta Vigo v Cadiz (1900)SaturdayRayo Vallecano v Getafe (1200), Atletico Madrid v Athletic Club (1415), Elche v Levante (1630), Alaves v Osasuna (1900)SundayMallorca v Villarreal (1200), Real Sociedad v Sevilla (1415), Real Betis v Espanyol (1630), Valencia v Real Madrid (1900)MondayBarcelona v Granada (1900)

Ronaldo's Man Utd seek response, Chelsea look to Lukaku in Spurs clashCristiano Ronaldo has three goals in two games since returning to Manchester United. United must do betterOle Gunnar Solskjaer has demanded an immediate response from United after the optimism engendered by Ronaldo's return was punctured in Bern. Lukaku v KaneChelsea striker Romelu Lukaku will go head to head with Tottenham's Harry Kane in a fascinating shoot-out between two of the Premier League's leading marksmen. Arteta was given more money to spend than any other Premier League manager in the transfer window and is adamant there are better days ahead for his young squad. Fixtures (1400 GMT unless stated)FridayNewcastle v Leeds (1900)SaturdayWolves v Brentford (1230), Aston Villa v Everton, Burnley v Arsenal, Liverpool v Crystal Palace, Manchester City v Southampton, Norwich v WatfordSundayBrighton v Leicester (1300), West Ham v Manchester United (1300), Tottenham v Chelsea (1530)

The forsaken women of AfghanistanOwing to the pandemic and other calamities, many referred to 2020 as a "biblical year". A growing body of research has shown that promoting gender equality benefits not only women but the entire economy. A score of 100 indicates complete equality (under the law) between men and women; a score of zero indicates that women have none of the rights afforded to men. In 2020, Afghanistan's WBL score was 38.1, compared to a global average score of 76.1 and a South Asian regional average score of 63.7. In recent joint work, I argue that while Sharia imposes some constraints on women, it is not necessarily inconsistent with making progress on legal gender equality.

AQ hotels see occupancy rates plummetFood service during quarantine at Rattanakosin Hotel, an alternative quarantine hotel. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)Alternative quarantine (AQ) hotels are enduring their lowest occupancy rates, amid signs that infection levels have peaked and speculation that the quarantine period could be reduced. AQ Club Thailand has 144 AQ hotels, generating 16,000 rooms in Bangkok and its vicinity, of which 30% have become hospitels to serve Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms. "If more people are fully vaccinated, guests at AQ hotels will decrease." The Thailand Sandbox Club focuses on supporting operators under the SHA Plus standard, such as procuring affordable antigen test kits for workers, while also asking the government to subsidise some costs.

Water plan to prevent floodingPrime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has attempted to allay concerns over possible mass flooding along the Chao Phraya River, saying a water management plan was put in place to prevent such a disaster from happening. His assurance came after he inspected the water situation at the Chao Phraya dam in Chai Nat province on Thursday. Gen Prayut said the water management plan was put in place to help monitor large dams and reservoirs and predict rainfall. The flood mitigation plan for the lower part of the Chao Phraya River basin in particular, called for more efficiency in the draining of water in the Chao Phraya and Tha Chin rivers, he said. Meanwhile, low-lying areas in Ayutthaya were flooded yesterday following discharges of water at the Chao Phraya dam.

Other Oris limited editions have honoured the Swiss Air-Rescue Rega and the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. They shared a new vision when moving to Botswana to set up the Okavango Air Rescue in 2011. Founders of Okavango Air Rescue Dr Misha S. Kruck and Christian Gross. Initially operating emergencies and airborne evacuations, Okavango Air Rescue has grown into a provider of general medicine. Lush grassland inspires the green dial of Okavango Air Rescue Limited Edition with an engraved caseback.

Indian actress Priyanka Chopra, who had been one of the hosts of "The Activist," admitted that the show which pitted activists against one another "got it wrong". WASHINGTON: Creators of a new reality show pitting activists promoting charitable causes against each other were forced to change course following a massive backlash, with a top star apologising Thursday for her participation. "We got it wrong," Global Citizen said in an online apology. The finale was to take place at the Group of 20 summit of world leaders in Rome in late October. "I have been moved by the power of your voices over the past week," Chopra told her 27 million Twitter followers Thursday.

New programme hones in on cybersecurity skillsThe National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) is gearing up to develop the cybersecurity skills of personnel working in seven sectors of critical information infrastructure (CII) through an intensive capacity-building programme, as cybercrimes have intensified around the globe. According to the 2019 Cybersecurity Act, NCSA is responsible for developing necessary skills and competence in relation to cybersecurity for personnel in the state and private sectors, making sure they are up to international standards. The development of cybersecurity skills among experts and executives is the most important factor in helping to fend off cyber-attacks, he said. NCSA secretary-general Lt Gen Prachya Chalermwat said the first phase of the cybersecurity capacity-building programme will see 2,250 personnel of CII-associated organisations undergo fundamental cybersecurity training. Thailand has only 250 cybersecurity personnel who have obtained the Certified Information Systems Security Professional, an information security certification for security analysts, compared with around 300 personnel in Malaysia and more than 3,000 in Singapore.

Agency urges reworkingThe government is being advised to speed up developing infrastructure for science, technology and digital as well as promote private investment in R&D next year to spur the economy and upgrade Thailand's competitiveness. Wanchat Suwankitti, the NESDC deputy secretary-general, said infrastructure development needs to be accelerated. "Thailand needs to speed up infrastructure development in 2022 if the country wants to help the economy and upgrade its competitiveness ranking, said Mr Wanchat. He said the government is maintaining its development targets under the 20-year national strategic plan (2018-37) despite the drastic impact on social and economic development caused by the spread of Covid-19. The strategy comprises 23 master plans, of which 15 are deemed urgent flagship projects that must be implemented during 2019-23.

SCB Abacus, an alternative digital lending platform under Siam Commercial Bank, has raised US$12 million (396 million baht) in a Series A funding round and targets digital loan growth of 10 times this year. SCB Abacus is the first fintech spin-off in the Thai banking industry and received personal loan and nanofinance licences from the Bank of Thailand. SCB Abacus is scheduled to offer a new digital loan product under its personal loan licence next year. SCB Abacus' non-performing loans are in the low single digits, she said. "Given this strong level of growth, SCB Abacus plans to raise funds for a Series B round next year.

Methods sought to ease airlines' liquidity crunchFinance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith has instructed the Fiscal Policy Office and the Bank of Thailand to jointly seek ways to relax some of the criteria for state banks to lend to domestic airlines to improve their liquidity. He said both offices should speed up their decisions to help the airlines improve their liquidity during the prolonged Covid-19 outbreak. Mr Arkhom said some government rules might make it difficult for state banks to provide financial assistance to airlines. A ministry source who requested anonymity said the ministry assigned the Export-Import Bank of Thailand (Exim Bank) as the main state bank to provide liquidity to the airline industry. The bank has two lending options for airlines, with the first a provision of one of its own loans.

Direct sales sector forecast to slip just 1-2% this yearThailand's direct sales industry is expected to contract by 1-2% this year as consumer purchasing power remains weak due to the spread of Covid-19. Thailand's direct sales shrank by 1% to 70 billion baht in 2020. He said the direct sales business is expected to recover in the very near future because the goods and items marketed by direct sales channels are mostly daily-use consumer products that gain high brand loyalty. The direct sales business provides people with opportunities to fulfil their needs in the current economic climate. In every crisis, it always has an opportunity for direct sales.

Duterte will not cooperate with ICC drug war probe, says lawyerPhilippines President Rodrigo Duterte will not cooperate with the International Criminal Court's probe into his drug war, his lawyer has said. MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will not cooperate with the International Criminal Court's probe into the government's war on drugs, his lawyer said on Thursday, insisting the tribunal does not have jurisdiction in the country. Duterte "will not cooperate since first of all, the Philippines has left the Rome statute, so the ICC no longer has jurisdiction over the country," chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo told local radio DZBB. "The government will not let in any ICC member to collect information and evidence here in the Philippines, they will be barred entry." Duterte has repeatedly attacked the world's only permanent war crimes court, calling it "bullshit" and vowing not to cooperate with its probe.

Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi was "neutralised by French forces", President Emmanuel Macron tweeted early Thursday. "This is another major success in our fight against terrorist groups in the Sahel," Macron said, without giving the location or details of the operation. The jihadist leader was behind the killing of French aid workers in 2020 and was also wanted by the United States over a deadly 2017 attack on US troops in Niger. Islamic State in the Greater Sahara is blamed for most of the jihadist attacks in the Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso region. The French military has killed several high-ranking members of ISGS under its strategy of targeting jihadist leaders since the start of its military intervention in Mali in 2013.

First all-civilian crew launched into Earth orbit aboard SpaceX DragonThe Inspiration 4 civilian crew aboard a Crew Dragon capsule and SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Photo: Reuters)CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: A SpaceX rocket ship blasted off from Florida on Wednesday carrying a billionaire e-commerce executive and three less-wealthy private citizens he chose to join him in the first all-civilian crew ever launched into Earth orbit. A SpaceX webcast of the launch showed Isaacman, 38, and his crewmates - Sian Proctor, 51, Hayley Arceneaux, 29, and Chris Sembroski, 42 - strapped into the pressurized cabin of their gleaming white SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, dubbed Resilience, wearing their helmeted black-and-white flight suits. The Crew Dragon, fitted with a special observation dome in place of its usual docking hatch, reached orbit almost 10 minutes after the 8.03pm blastoff (7.03am Thursday in Bangkok). At that height, which the spacecraft was expected to reach later on Wednesday night, the Crew Dragon will circle the globe once every 90 minutes at a speed of some 27,360kph, or roughly 22 times the speed of sound.