2 dead, 3 missing as torrential rains lash SpainRubble in front of a house in the flood-hit town of Aldea del FresnoMADRID: Two people died and three were missing on Monday after heavy rains lashed drought-hit Spain, triggering flash floods that closed Madrid metro lines and high-speed rail links. Emergency services had rescued the boy's mother and sister earlier in the day. Aemet lowered its alert level for the Madrid region to yellow from a maximum red alert on Sunday. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez thanked emergency services for their work and urged people to "continue to behave with caution". Scientists warn that extreme weather such as heatwaves and storms is becoming more intense as a result of climate change.

Francis not the liberal Pope the world is keen forJavier Milei, who is very likely to be elected president of Argentina in the October election, is fairly frank in his view of Pope Francis, a fellow Argentine. He calls Pope Francis "a Communist turd" and "the representative of the Evil One on Earth". Pope Francis gives as good as he gets. But it's actually more complicated than that, because the "liberal" Pope of today was not so liberal when he was starting out back in Argentina in the 1970s. Pope Francis is a more mature and less ideological man than the old Bergoglio -- but he's still combative ideologically, and he's still confused.

Mekong level falling, flooded crops drainingThe level of the Mekong river is falling and it now only 6 metres deep as it passes through Nakhon Phanom province. (Photo: Pattanapong Sripiachai)NAKHON PHANOM: The level of the Mekong river is falling steadily and is now only 6 metres deep as it passes through this northeastern border province, allowing for the quicker release of flood water trapped in its tributaries. On Monday morning, the Mekong's water level was 6m below the spilling point of 12m. With the level down, the Nam Kam and Nam Bang streams, which run through Wang Yang, Na Kae and That Phanom districts, are now discharging more rapidly into the Mekong, draining water off about 3,000 rai of flooded rice fields. An agriculture official said that by latest estimates only 300 rai of rice fields in That Phanom district had been damaged.

Russia hits Ukraine's Danube port in attack condemned by RomaniaThe Odesa region attacks also came as Kyiv has claimed some successes in its counter-offensive on the southern front this week. KYIV, Ukraine: Russian drones targeted Ukraine's southern Odesa region in the early hours of Sunday, with Moscow hitting a Danube port on the border with NATO member Romania in an attack condemned by Bucharest. The Odesa region attacks also came as Kyiv has claimed some successes in its counter-offensive on the southern front this week. The Russian army said it had targeted "fuel storage" facilities in the Ukrainian port of Reni, which lies on the Danube river that separates Ukraine from Romania. He admitted difficult losses for Kyiv, saying that "we are losing the strongest and best."

Indonesia offers 'golden visa' to entice foreign investorsJAKARTA: Indonesia is introducing a golden visa scheme to attract foreign individual and corporate investors in an attempt to boost its national economy, a statement from the ministry of law and human rights distributed on Sunday said. The five-year visa requires individual investors to set up a company worth $2.5 million, while for the 10 years visa, a $5 million investment is required. Other countries around the world including the US, Ireland, New Zealand and Spain have introduced similar golden visas for investors, seeking to attract capital and entrepreneurial residents. Different provisions apply to individual foreign investors who do not want to establish a company in the Southeast Asian country. “Once they arrive in Indonesia, golden visa holders no longer need to apply for permit,” Silmy Karim said.

Thailand's Kusuma ends 10-year title drought with play-off victoryHappy ending: Kusuma Meechai celebrates with the CTBC Ladies Classic trophy. Jiangsu: Kusuma Meechai picked up her first victory in a decade on Friday when the Thai veteran beat compatriot Pakin Kawinpakorn in a second-hole play-off to win the CTBC Ladies Classic on the China LPGA Tour. With Pakin (70) and Kusuma (68) deadlocked at five-under 211 through 54 holes at Shanghai Silport Golf Club, the Sa Kaeo native ended the contest when she sank a three-foot birdie in the second extra hole on the par-five 18th. China's Shi Yuli (70) and Zeng Liqi (70) finished one shot out of the play-off, while Cao Xinyu (69) was the top amateur a shot further back. I couldn't ask for more because on the front nine I had a triple bogey and then I had a lot of birdies coming in.

Haaland hits hat-trick to take Man City top, Son treble inspires SpursErling Haaland became the fastest player to 40 Premier League goals in Manchester City's 5-1 win over Fulham. He became the fastest player to reach 40 Premier League goals, in just 39 appearances, with a cool finish from Phil Foden's through ball. James Maddison's curling finish from the edge of the box made it 3-1 before Son took centre stage to score twice in three minutes and complete his hat-trick. "We made a mistake and then we created opportunities, but if you don't score it is difficult to win games. The Irish international then curled home a sensational second from outside the box before benefitting from a huge deflection for his first Premier League hat-trick.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand says 2.1 million tourists from China visited Thailand during the first eight months of 2023. (File photo: Bangkok Post)The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) estimates the government's plan to issue free visas to visitors from China will add 700,000 arrivals during the high season. She said Chinese tourists on average spent 40,000 baht per trip. During the first half of 2023, 40.3 million Chinese tourists travelled abroad and 93% of them chose short-haul destinations. Regarding the free visa plan, the Consular Affairs Department is awaiting an official announcement.

The outcome of the May 14 election was a big disappointment for Pheu Thai, which sought to score a landslide victory to return to power. The party came second behind the Move Forward Party (MFP), which had the mandate to form a coalition first. Pheu Thai stayed out of it until MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat's second attempt to become prime minister failed. Pol Gen Patcharawat believed it was best for Gen Prawit to step aside, according to a source close to the matter. As it turned out, senators close to Gen Prawit abstained in the PM vote while PPRP MPs fully backed Mr Srettha.

(Photo: Government Pharmaceutical Organization)The development of Thailand’s first Covid-19 vaccine is in the home stretch and it could be ready for use as a booster shot early next year, according to the National Vaccine Institute (NVI). The test results will be available in the middle of this month, Mr Nakhon said. Once it receives FDA approval, the GPO can start producing the vaccine to be given as a booster shot, with a target of 5-10 million doses a year. The first two phases of the study, from 2021 to 2022, showed that the GPO vaccine could stimulate Covid-19 antibodies while remaining safe to use, Mr Nakhon said. Covid-19 booster shots are still highly recommended for high-risk groups, including the elderly and those suffering from chronic diseases.

Rice exports poised to reach 8m tonnesSacks of rice are stored at a rice mill in Kalasin province. Rice exports are projected to reach 8 million tonnes this year as targeted after shipments through Aug 29 tallied 5.29 million tonnes, up 11.9% year-on-year, according to the chief of the Department of Foreign Trade. "Given rice export trends, shipments are anticipated to continue increasing as demand rises for Thai rice. "We can confirm India's ban on exporting non-basmati white rice will not affect Thailand's rice exports," he said. Bhutan requested 90,000 tonnes of rice, of which 79,000 tonnes were sold, while Mauritius asked for 14,000 tonnes, all of which were sold.

Sixteen hurt as school bus hits traffic light poleNAKHON RATCHASIMA: Sixteen students were injured when a school bus overturned after hitting a traffic light pole at a junction in Kaeng Sanam Nang district yesterday morning. Authorities were alerted to the accident, which took place on Niwetrat Road, at 7.30am, said Pol Lt Col Paphon Chaisaksri, chief investigator at Kaeng Sanam Nang police station. Police and emergency responders found the school bus overturned in the middle of the road. Sixteen students aged between 10-17 were hurt in the accident, three of whom had to remain in hospital while the rest were discharged. The driver, identified only as Chainarong, 52, told police that he tried to beat the red light by pressing on the accelerator but lost control and crashed.

Free visas not enough for Chinese revivalChinese tourists pose on a beach on an island in Phangnga province in a file photo from Jan 30, 2020. Adith Chairattananon, honorary secretary-general of Atta, said there are two methods of implementation for the Chinese visa policy. He said even though Chinese travel agents are optimistic about policies from the new government, they are awaiting more clarity about tourism measures, such as those regarding visas. Negative images of Thailand are circulating on Chinese social media, particularly regarding safety, which makes them reluctant to travel, said Mr Adith. The government should accelerate this agenda before mid-September to boost the Chinese market to 5 million by the year-end.

Gen Prayut's last day at Government HouseOutgoing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha pays respect to shrines at Government House on Thursday morning. He said it would be the last day of his prime ministerial work at Government House. After paying respects to the shrines at Government House on Thursday morning, Gen Prayut told reporters that he would leave Government House for the sake of appropriateness. "I wish today is a good day for you," Gen Prayut told reporters at Government House. The Constitutional Court suspended his prime ministerial role in August last year pending its ruling on questions about his eight-year term prime ministerial tenure.

Policy statement nearly finalised: SretthaPrime Minister Srettha Thavisin smiles during his visit to Phuket last week to explore ways of promoting tourism and discuss the prospects for developing wellness tourism in the island province. (Photo: Achanthaya Cheunnirun)The government's policy statement, to be delivered before parliament after the new cabinet is sworn into office, is nearly complete, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Thursday. "The policy statement is expected to be ready within about a week, as it is almost 100% complete," said Mr Srettha of the Pheu Thai Party. Mr Srettha emphasised that the first cabinet meeting would prioritise teh reduction of energy prices. Based on our conversations, I think there should be no problems," Mr Srettha said.