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’Fake father’ scheme poses security risk, panel warns

The House Committee on Public Health has urged authorities to step up investigations into “fake father” networks, warning that foreigners fraudulently registered as Thai could eventually gain the right to own property and enter politics.

Committee chairman Sakoltee Phattiyakul said on Thursday that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration had identified 879 suspicious birth registrations across 29 districts between 2017 and 2026, up from more than 500 cases found in an earlier five-year review.

Of those, 27 were confirmed as fraudulent and their birth certificates revoked, while 810 remain under investigation. DNA tests are being conducted in some cases, while some suspects have confessed.

Officials at three or four district offices were allegedly involved. One official from Thon Buri district has been dismissed and the case referred to police.

The Department of Provincial Administration has also identified more than 10,000 suspicious cases between 2012 and 2026 involving children purportedly born to Thai fathers and foreign mothers, most of them Chinese nationals.

Mr Sakoltee said DNA testing was at the discretion of officials. Parents who refuse testing have their cases flagged in the civil-registration system, but their children can still conduct transactions and, once they reach adulthood, own property.

He said 10 private hospitals were under investigation, including one in Thon Buri linked to 164 suspicious cases. However, inspections began only after police provided evidence of possible wrongdoing.

“This is not proactive work but reactive work,” he said, calling for systematic inspections and electronic birth-registration systems at private hospitals, where handwritten records are still widely used.

Mr Sakoltee described the networks as a national security threat, warning that foreigners who obtain Thai nationality through fraudulent birth registrations could eventually acquire property and political rights, including eligibility to become MPs or even prime minister.

SET amends listing rules to attract ‘new economy’ firms

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has amended listing criteria to better align with the new economic landscape and international practices, opening up opportunities for New Economy companies, both domestic and foreign, to raise funds from the Thai bourse.

The new criteria will apply for companies across 10 targeted industry groups, including advanced medical and healthcare, next-generation automotive and smart electronics, as well as those promoted by the Board of Investment (BoI) and the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office to raise funds in the Thai capital market, according to SET president Asadej Kongsiri.

Over the past three decades, the business structure of listed companies in the Thai capital market has hardly changed, while New Economy industries have been growing exponentially and require truly accessible sources of funding, he said in a statement on Friday.

The revision of the listing criteria marks a significant step in elevating the Thai capital market in line with the SET’s three-year strategic plan (2026-28).

‘The new criteria will facilitate faster and more convenient fundraising for companies promoted by the BoI and EEC office, as well as leading international companies. Notably, it paves the way for Thai investors to grow alongside these industries of the future,’ Mr Asadej said.

The revised criteria will take effect from Sept 11.

The key changes include the revision of eligibility criteria for companies in the 10 New Economy industries to make it more attractive for high-potential businesses to raise funds on the SET.

The revised framework would also introduce a special track tailored to the characteristics of businesses promoted by the BoI and the EEC.

As well, public offering criteria have been adjusted for foreign companies that have already raised capital and are listed on foreign stock exchanges, enabling them to apply the secondary listing criteria.

The proportion of shares held by foreign companies will be maintained at a level sufficient to ensure adequate trading volume and liquidity on the SET.

However, foreign companies listed in an ‘unrecognised country’ must still meet the same qualifications as Thai listed companies in terms of quality, financial standing, operating performance, free float and information disclosure requirements under current criteria.

These are companies with shares listed on stock exchanges in countries that are not on the list of jurisdictions recognised by the SEC.

The SET has also revised silent period requirements, covering both the proportion and duration of the silent period applicable to all listed companies, to better align with the international standards.

Strategic shareholders will still be required to maintain their shareholding for an appropriate period following listing, thereby maintaining investor confidence.

Dense positioning of new streetlights spark questions over 9.9m project

A 9.9-million-baht solar streetlight project in Mukdahan province has come under scrutiny on social media over concerns that the lights may have been installed too close together. The local mayor defended the project as necessary and beneficial to the community.

The issue was raised on Thursday by the Facebook page ‘Strong Anti-Corruption Thailand”, which questioned a project by Nikhom Kham Soi Municipality in Mukdahan to install 148 sets of 50-watt solar-powered LED streetlights.

The project, listed under procurement number 68129033747, had a budget of 9.916 million baht, with the winning bid coming in at 9.906 million baht, or about 66,932 baht per streetlight.

Each unit is over double the number of streetlights in similar projects (about 33,000 baht) and almost triple the amount of the market value (about 25,000 baht), according to Strong.

Strong questioned whether the number and spacing of the lights were necessary and called for greater transparency over the project’s specifications and costs. It asked the municipality to disclose the bill of quantities, installation plans, distance between poles and engineering calculations supporting the lighting design.

The group stressed that it was not accusing the municipality of wrongdoing but said public spending should be open to scrutiny, particularly when the project involves nearly 10 million baht of governmental money that is gained from people’s tax. Nikhom Kham Soi Mayor Chalong Butkarn said the project had been initiated before he took office, but maintained that the installation was appropriate and had brought tangible benefits to residents.

He said the road was previously poorly lit and deserted, making it difficult to use after dark. The area is also home to a municipal sports stadium as well as Wat Supakorn Nikhom Thammarama. Improved lighting was also stated to benefit residents, including groups of elderly people who walk there before dawn.

Mr Chalong said the streetlights should be viewed in the context of the area’s regular use, rather than solely by the number of poles installed.

As the streetlights have now been installed, residents and Strong will be watching whether the project delivers the promised benefits and whether the nearly 10 million baht spent can be justified. Attention will also turn to whether the relevant authorities will release the project specifications and installation plans for public scrutiny, as requested by Strong.

Two suspects extradited from Russia to Azerbaijan

Two suspects have been extradited from the Russian Federation to Azerbaijan.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan said that the extradition requests for Azerbaijani citizens Nahid Alijanli and Renad Orujov were approved by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia in accordance with the Convention on Legal Assistance and Legal Relations in Civil, Family and Criminal Matters, signed on October 7, 2002.

According to the statement, Alijanli was suspected of evading military service while serving as a contract serviceman, in connection with a criminal case under investigation by the Gubadli Military Prosecutor’s Office. Orujov was suspected of fraud causing significant financial damage in a criminal case investigated by the Nizami District Police Department in Baku.

Decisions were made to charge both individuals as suspects, and they were placed on an international wanted list after fleeing and hiding from the investigation.

It was also noted that two men were detained on the territory of the Russian Federation and brought to the Republic of Azerbaijan by the relevant bodies of the Ministry of Justice.

UK’s NHS launches new nursing speciality apprenticeship amid high demand

National Health Service (NHS) England has partnered with Plymouth Marjon University in Devon, United Kingdom (UK) to launch the Aspire apprenticeship programme, an ‘earn while you learn’ course designed to stem the decline of learning disability nurses and train a new generation of specialists.

As the first course of its kind in England, the programme stands as a potential model for nationwide healthcare recruitment, bridging a vital care gap while offering international candidates a direct route into secure, high-impact clinical roles.

Data from the Royal College of Nursing in the United Kingdom (UK) reveals that the number of specialist learning disability nurses in England plummeted by roughly 44 percent over the last 15 years, dropping from 5,553 in 2009 to just over 3,095.

Currently, learning disability nursing accounts for a mere two percent of all nursing students nationally.

The shortage carries severe real-world consequences, underscored by findings from The Learning Disabilities Mortality Review that individuals with learning disabilities in England die 20 years younger than the general population, with 39 percent of these deaths classified as avoidable.

Highlighting the gravity of the workforce gap, Gail Wilson, senior nurse for nursing, midwifery and social care at NHS England, noted that learning disability nurses are absolutely crucial to the healthcare system. She explained that she initiated the concept when student recruitment was ‘absolutely withering on the vine,’ recognizing the need to establish flexible, funded pathways for incoming practitioners.

The structural shortage has opened a high-priority recruitment avenue within the NHS, making the specialization an increasingly attractive option for international students seeking strong employment prospects in a critical-need domain.

The initiative leverages state-of-the-art facilities, including a 12-bed simulated ward, mannequins that simulate medical conditions, and virtual reality scenarios.

By offering hands-on, technologically advanced training, the program ensures graduates are immediately employment-ready in a sector actively seeking qualified staff.

Emphasizing the impact of the practical curriculum, Richard Kyle, professor of allied health and nursing at Plymouth Marjon University, stated, ‘They have an opportunity to practise what they will be doing when they move out into clinical practice and that means they go out with that confidence.’

Demonstrating the professional viability of the pathway, Sandra Van Meurs, newly registered learning disability nurse described the scheme as an ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ that allowed her to transition directly into a key role at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth.

CSE ends 0.33% on the up, rebounds on easing T-Bill yields

The Colombo stock market rebounded yesterday with investor sentiment buoyed by falling Treasury Bill yields.

With 126 counters ending in green against 84 in red, the ASPI ended up 0.33% or 69.47 points at 21,395.11 and the active S and P SL20 ended up 0.2% or 11.75 points at 5,995.25.

Turnover was over Rs. 2.4 billion on over 118.1 million shares traded. Foreign investors were net buyers on a net inflow of Rs. 68.3 million.

The top contributors to the ASPI was CINS, HAYC, RCL, DIPD and AEL and negative contributors were JKH, BIL, BREW, HNB and CARS.

First Capital Research said declining T-Bill rates helped boost investor confidence. The bourse gained momentum supported by buying interest following the decline in T-Bill yields at the weekly auction, alongside increased participation from both retail and HNW investors compared to the previous session. Investor interest was evident in export-oriented and materials sector companies.

The food, beverage and tobacco sector led the daily turnover with a share of 26%, followed by the materials and diversified financials sectors collectively contributing 41%.

NDB Securities said high net worth and institutional investor participation was noted in Renuka Foods, Dipped Products and John Keells Holdings.

Mixed interest was observed in Vallibel Finance, Haycarb and Alumex whilst retail interest was noted in UB Finance Company, Browns Investments and Softlogic Capital.

The food, beverage and tobacco sector was the top contributor to the market turnover due to Renuka Foods whilst the sector index gained 0.85%. The share price of Renuka Foods decreased by 60 cents to close at Rs. 25.90.

The materials sector was the second highest contributor to the market turnover due to Dipped Products and Haycarb whilst the sector index increased by 2.93%. The share price of Dipped Products moved up by Rs. 3.50 to close at Rs. 61.60 and Haycarb appreciated by Rs. 12.50 to close at Rs. 215.50.

Vallibel Finance and John Keells Holdings were also included amongst the top turnover contributors. The share price of Vallibel Finance lost Rs. 4.20 to close at Rs. 86.80 and John Keells Holdings closed flat at Rs. 19.50.

How Kevin Eze went from entertainment blogging to building businesses across music, food

there was a sixteen-year-old with a laptop and an obsession with Nigerian entertainment.

In 2010, Kevin Eze (Xclusive Pikin) co-founded NaijaXclusive, an entertainment platform that grew into one of Nigeria’s largest music websites during the blogging era, covering the wave that would later take over the world as Afrobeats. He worked with many of the era’s stars from the early stages of their careers, and it was there he learned the lesson that now runs through everything he builds: attention is easy, structure is everything.

‘Blogging taught me distribution before I knew the word for it,’ Eze said. ‘I could make a song travel. But I kept watching talented artists blow online and remain broke offline, and it disturbed me. That gap between attention and structure became my life’s work.’

That work became SounDisruptr, the music marketing agency Eze founded, which has served over 200 artists and clients across 17 countries, powering more than 500 million streams for African music in the last five years. Its education arm, SounDisruptr Academy, has trained over 5,000 independent artists in the business of music, built on the conviction he repeats everywhere: talent without structure is frustration.

The agency’s model reflects Eze’s core belief about how music actually breaks. ‘The music industry is capital intensive, and nobody tells independent artists that,’ he said. ‘A major label is basically a bank with a logo. If you do not have that bank, you need leverage instead. Your capital, your content, your collaborations, and your systems, all deployed with strategy, because strategy is what separates the artists who blow from the ones who do not.’

Then, in a move few people saw coming, he turned to food. The African Food Network started with content in 2017 and became a full company in 2019, growing into a pan-African media and events platform. Its flagship African Food and Drinks Festival has run five editions across Nigeria and Ghana, hosted more than 50,000 people, and holds the World Culinary Awards title of Africa’s Best Culinary Festival for both 2024 and 2025. This October, the network crosses to London with the African Food Summit and Expo.

‘People think music and food are two different businesses,’ Eze said. ‘They are the same business. Culture, community, and distribution. I just build tables where African culture eats first.’

Fifteen years in, Eze has put the journey on paper. His debut book, 15 Hard Lessons from 15 Years of Building in Nigeria, launches in September.

The sixteen-year-old built a platform. The man built an ecosystem. He preaches a framework he calls the 4Cs of Leverage: Capital, Code, Content, and Collaboration. His argument is that African builders escape the limits of hustle by building leverage rather than working harder, and his public writing focuses on marketing strategy, the creative economy, and the systems behind sustainable careers.

Kevin Eze (Xclusive Pikin) is a Nigerian entrepreneur and marketing strategist. He is the founder and CEO of SounDisruptr and the African Food Network and the author of 15 Hard Lessons from 15 Years of Building in Nigeria.

Civil society groups lodge corruption complaint against 159 NPP MPs

A collective of civil society organisations have lodged a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), alleging misuse of parliamentary allowances by National People’s Power (NPP) MPs.

The complaint was submitted this week on behalf of the Centre for Free Struggle by Darshana Thanthri and Leshan Vidanagamachchi, together with groups including Dinana Dakuna and Free Lawyers.

The complainants alleged that allowances received by NPP MPs had been deposited into a bank account of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) instead of being used for public welfare.

They claimed the practice constituted an offence under the Anti-Corruption Act No. 09 of 2023 and requested CIABOC to launch an urgent investigation.

The petition called for all 159 NPP MPs to be summoned to record statements and for the JVP’s bank accounts and relevant financial records to be examined as part of the investigation.

The organisations outlined five demands in their submission, including scrutiny of financial records and measures to ensure accountability, arguing that transparency was necessary to safeguard public trust.

Transcorp Power proposes Maryam Bala Shehu as non-excutive director

Transcorp Power Plc proposed the appointment of Maryam Bala Shehu as an independent non-executive director of the company’s board, according to a statement on the Nigeria Exchange Group (NGX)

Shehu, a senior energy-sector executive, brings more than three decades of experience in the industry, including senior leadership roles within TotalEnergies S.A.’s exploration and production subsidiaries in Nigeria and a secondment to Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG).

She also brings board and corporate governance experience, having served as a Board Member and Alternate Board Member of the Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria (GACN).

LNGHer experience extends to finance and audit oversight through her advisory committee roles within the NLNG Group and Brass LNG entities.

Shehu is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA), the Energy Institute, United Kingdom (FEI), and the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (FICMC).

She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Directors (CIoD), the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (NICArb), the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), and the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development (NITAD).

She holds an MBA from IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Spain, in partnership with Lagos Business School (LBS), Nigeria, and a B.Sc. (Hons) in Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Shehu has also completed executive and postgraduate programmes at Stanford University and Middlesex University and is currently pursuing an ESG certification through Boardroom Africa.

Westmead mall supports over 500 direct jobs, thousands of livelihoods

Westmead Mall, a growing family-oriented retail and lifestyle brand, has expanded its presence in Ibadan with the opening of a new outlet in Samonda, strengthening its commitment to providing convenient shopping, leisure and lifestyle services to families across the city.

The new outlet, strategically located along Samonda-Bodija Road, opposite the old Trans-Amusement Park, becomes the latest addition to the Westmead network, which already has outlets at Wofun Bus Stop, Mokola ICT Hub and Babanla, Oremeji.

Speaking at the opening, Seye Ogunwuyi, the Managing Director of Westmead Mall, said the company’s expansion goes beyond opening new retail outlets, noting that the brand has remained committed to creating jobs, supporting livelihoods and contributing to the welfare of families within Ibadan.

According to her, Westmead has grown significantly since its establishment a few years ago and now provides direct employment to more than 500 people, while supporting the livelihoods of several thousand others through indirect employment and economic opportunities across its operations and value chain.

‘Since the inception of Westmead a few years ago, we have grown into a business that directly employs more than 500 people, while indirectly supporting the livelihoods of several thousand others. For us, this growth is not simply about the number of outlets we operate; it is about the families and communities whose livelihoods are connected to what we do.

‘We have deliberately worked to build a brand that contributes to the welfare and livelihoods of families in Ibadan.

‘Every new outlet creates opportunities for employment, suppliers, farmers, service providers and other businesses within our ecosystem. As we continue to grow, we will remain committed to excellence, creating opportunities and supporting the families and communities we are privileged to serve’, he said.

The managing director added that the opening of the Samonda outlet reflected the company’s confidence in Ibadan’s growing consumer market and its determination to bring quality retail and lifestyle services closer to residents across different parts of the city.

The Archbishop of Ibadan, Rev. Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin, who blessed the new facility, prayed for the continued growth and success of the business and for its sustained positive impact on the people and communities it serves.

Westmead Mall has developed a family-focused model that brings shopping, food, recreation, beauty and other lifestyle services together within a single destination. Its outlets prominently feature Westmead Supermarket, offering groceries, household essentials and everyday consumer products, as well as Westmead Farm Market, which provides customers with access to farm-fresh produce and other food items.

The Westmead experience extends beyond conventional retail. Its facilities also include Westmead Royal Bites, an on-site restaurant; a Game Arcade providing entertainment and recreational activities for children, young people and families; a unisex Salon and Spa offering beauty and wellness services; and a Photography Studio.

The integrated model is designed to provide families with a convenient environment where they can shop, dine, relax and enjoy recreational activities under one roof.

With the addition of Samonda, Westmead Mall now operates across four locations in Ibadan, further deepening its presence in the city’s expanding retail and lifestyle sector.

Beyond its growing physical footprint, the company says its focus remains on building a sustainable indigenous brand capable of creating jobs, strengthening local supply chains, supporting businesses and improving livelihoods.

The opening of the Samonda outlet therefore represents another milestone in Westmead Mall’s growth journey and its ambition to remain a trusted retail and lifestyle destination for families across Ibadan.