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Castro: Sara Duterte camp’s inattention leaves VP ‘clueless’

Palace press officer Claire Castro on Thursday said the lack of attention from Vice President Sara Duterte’s camp may explain why the vice president appears ‘clueless’ about the administration’s programs.

The remarks came after Duterte’s new spokesperson, Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr., said Castro was not a factor in his appointment and that he had no intention of going head-to-head with her over every statement, as he only needed to address serious criticisms. Panelo also described Castro as someone who is ‘hard to take seriously.’

For Castro, however, Panelo’s remarks were an ‘admission’ that the Duterte camp was not listening to what she was saying.

The Palace official stressed that the press briefings held almost every day with reporters not only answer their questions but also discuss government initiatives for the public.

‘Ngayon natin nakitang may pag-amin na hindi sila nakikinig sa ating sinasabi kaya marahil ito ang dahilan kung bakit ang Bise Presidente ay nagmumukhang clueless, walang alam sa anong ginagawa ng administrasyon para sa ating mga kababayan,’ Castro said.

(We now see an admission that they are not listening to what we are saying, which may be the reason why the Vice President appears clueless and unaware of what the administration is doing for our fellow Filipinos.)

The Palace official said it was the Duterte camp’s loss if they chose not to listen to her. Castro also said the camp regularly claims that the government is doing nothing, adding that she now knows why.

‘Walang panahon na makinig, walang panahon na manood at walang panahong pakinggan nang seryoso ang mga sinasabi especially dito sa briefing-malaking kawalan iyon; kawalan nila iyon, hindi natin kawalan iyon,’ she said.

(They have no time to listen, no time to watch, and no time to seriously consider what is being said, especially here in the briefing-that is a great loss for them; it is their loss, not ours.)

‘At ang mensaheng ito ay hindi para sa mga taong ayaw makinig at ayaw seryosohin ang mga programa ng Pangulo. At aasahan natin ngayon mula sa Bise Presidente at sa kaniyang mga alagad na hindi nila babanggitin ang aking anumang sinasabi kahit na ang aking pangalan o ang aking posisyon aasahan nating hindi na nila babanggitin; pati sa kanilang isipan ay hindi nila iisipin ang aking pangalan, ang posisyon at ang aking lahat ng sinasabi,’ she also said.

(And this message is not for people who refuse to listen and refuse to take the President’s programs seriously. We can now expect the Vice President and her allies not to mention anything I say, including my name or my position. We expect them not to mention me anymore-not even to think about my name, my position, or anything I say.)

When asked to comment on Panelo’s observation that he found it difficult to take her seriously, Castro left it to the public to judge what the spokesperson meant by the comments.

‘Kayo mag-isip, may paggalang ba o walang paggalang? Nasa attitude, nasa character. Magandang salita pero sa kaila-ilaliman niyan mababasa ninyo kung ano ang nilalaman,’ she said.

(You be the judge-was there respect or disrespect? It comes down to attitude and character. The words may sound good, but if you look beneath the surface, you can read what is really behind them.)

Is this serious?

Castro also dismissed Panelo’s remark that Duterte is ready to replace President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should the latter resign.

‘Normal at natural ito sa mga kaalyado at alagad ng Bise Presidente, pero kung kakayanin niya sa ngayon na pumalit kay Pangulong Marcos Jr., seryoso ba ito?’ she further inquired.

(This may be normal and natural for the Vice President’s allies and followers, but if she were to take over from President Marcos Jr. now, would she really be serious about it?)

Castro just reiterated her Wednesday’s response to calls for Marcos to resign: ‘Kahapon ko pa po sinabi, iti s absolutely delusional.’

New era of PH volleyball seeks growth spurt via Asian Games stint

It was far from the start Alas Pilipinas wanted for its women’s team in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games-but neither was it unexpected.

So the nation’s brightest volleyball stars are milking the result for whatever they can get from it.

‘[W]e came into this tournament very excited, very ready to learn, and very ready to be put out of our comfort zone,’ said team captain Jia De Guzman in an interview with local Games broadcaster One Sports after absorbing a 25-18, 25-22, 25-8 defeat at the hands of nine-time Asiad champion China on Wednesday.

For the Alas women, the Asian Games stint provides a perfect competitive laboratory to begin building the future of the national volleyball program.

‘All of the things that happened the past year have really led to us coming into this moment,’ added De Guzman. ‘And it doesn’t stop here. We’re really trying to absorb all of the experience that we can because this is a stepping stone for all the plans in the future for the Philippine national volleyball team.’

There’s little consolation in a defeat, but the silver lining shone brightly. The Filipino women gave a good account of themselves against a team that is aiming for a third straight Asiad crown.

The Philippines stayed in step with China for two sets, much to the delight of the crowd at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium, which turned 25 years old this month and is located in the castle town of Okazaki in Aichi Prefecture, some 43 kilometers southeast of Nagoya.

The nationals even tied the count at 20 in the second set, before China rallied through and then cruised in the third.

‘I think it just shows what kind of potential this team has that when we really believe in ourselves, whoever we face, we will fight until the end,’ said De Guzman, the long-time national team setter.

Xin Tang led China with 19 points, all from attacks, while Yushan Zhuang chipped in 17 from 15 kills and two blocks.

Top performers

The Philippines’ young stars contributed heavily for the country’s cause, with La Salle’s Angel Canino making her Asiad debut with 14 points off 13 kills and former University of Santo Tomas star Eya Laure chipping in 10. Alyssa Solomon, the ex-National U standout who has played internationally as an import, added nine points.

‘There’s no better way to learn or to know our current level, except to put everything on the court, whether it’s a win or a loss, as long as we leave everything on the floor,’ said De Guzman, who leads the young Alas crew now after being one of the young standouts in the 2018 Asiad squad that featured Alyssa Valdez, Jaja Santiago-Minowa, Aby Maraño, Mylene Paat and Majoy Baron.

‘And I think we really had fun in this game because we were challenged, but at the same time we were pushed to our limits. And it will help in our game tomorrow,’ she added.

The Philippines battles Kazakhstan on Thursday and National coach Taka Minowa said the game against China provided a ‘good warmup’ to the crucial duel that could book a quarterfinal berth for the country.

Brussels puts pound 12bn behind a route it once viewed with suspicion

Ursula von der Leyen does not usually use the annual State of the European Union speech to make such announcements about funding freight corridors. However, the fact that she chose to do it this year and pledged to mobilize up to pound 12 billion in funding [the biggest yet] for what the EU is now calling the Middle Corridor from the South Caucasus and Central Asia all the way to European markets is a testament more to how the strategic thinking regarding the route has changed since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia than to the EU’s newfound interest in logistics.

“Our goal is to diversify routes, triple trade flows and significantly reduce cargo transit times by 2030,” von der Leyen told the European Parliament, framing the money as part of the EU’s broader Global Gateway strategy, the infrastructure-investment vehicle that has already mobilised more than pound 306bn worldwide since 2021, hitting its original pound 300bn target two years ahead of schedule. A regional connectivity summit, co-hosted with Bulgaria, is meant to convert the pledge into concrete projects.

It should not be forgotten how recently the Middle Corridor did not matter at all. Volumes of cargo transported on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which is officially called the Middle Corridor nowadays, were only 0.6- 0.8 million tonnes annually during 2019-2021, a rounding figure in global transportation terms. By 2024, the figure grew up to 4.5 million tonnes already, almost a sixfold growth within three years, and cargo volumes of transit via Azerbaijan alone, by road, rail, air, and sea transport, amounted to 9.1m tonnes in the first seven months of 2026, marking a 11.6% growth year on year, the highest since 2021. At the same time, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have started to forecast another threefold growth of 2024 volumes till 2030, which coincidentally happens to be the same target set in Brussels.

Even the stance taken by the EU itself has shifted similarly.

It was only last year that European officials in Brussels were reportedly conflicted about taking an option that is heavily linked to the interests of Chinese BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) projects. Evidently, that conflict has been resolved. The rating agency Moody’s recently cited the increase in shipping risks in the Strait of Hormuz as an additional indicator of the strategic importance of Caspian and South Caucasus options, thus reaffirming what the Europeans themselves had learned from Red Sea disturbances and the loss of the Russian land link. Perhaps resilience is now a rival to cost as an option criteria, and land links that circumvent Moscow and Gulf bottlenecks are insurance routes.

The concrete expression of that change in direction can be seen through the operation of Baku’s Alat terminal, located about 70km away from the capital, where in the previous year 8.2m tonnes of cargo and 107,000 TEU of containers were transported, comfortably exceeding its previous 15m tonnes capacity limit and resulting in an expansion project to a capacity of 25m tonnes and 500,000 TEU of containers that was approved by Aliyev in December 2024. The volume of container handling increased by another 20% year-to-date in the first seven months of 2026 to 72,370 TEU, and dry cargo handling increased by 82% to 1.4m tonnes. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, in turn, has been expanding its yearly capacity from 1m to 5m tonnes as a result of the reconstruction of its Georgian section and experienced a 35% surge in its traffic per week in March due to unusual demand levels. In 11 months of 2025, Azerbaijan Railways operated 350 block trains from China, increasing the level of 2024 by 34%.

The EBRD separately estimates that roughly pound 18.5bn is needed just for Central Asia’s share of transport infrastructure linked to the corridor, which puts the EU’s pound 12bn in useful perspective: substantial, genuinely additive, but still a partial answer to a considerably larger bill. And yet the declared objective of the EU, namely trebling the traffic volume while reducing transit times, is not something that can be achieved through railroad development alone. This is precisely what the EU understands very well. Indeed, transit times between China and Europe via this route have decreased from 45-50 days in 2018 to 15-19 days now, due at least in part to the digitalization of customs and border processes rather than faster trains. In order to achieve a trebling of cargo volume by 2030, it is necessary to tackle more difficult issues, such as harmonizing tariffs and data exchange through a route crossing no fewer than six sovereign customs territories: Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and others. Bottlenecks of physical nature are thus an easy issue compared to the challenge of persuading six governments to recognize one electronic transit document.

Azerbaijan’s stake in the outcome

International cargo transportation is already one of Azerbaijan’s principal sources of non-oil revenue, and the country captures roughly 63% of current TITR traffic passing through its territory. Every additional euro Brussels commits to route diversification, tariff harmonisation or port capacity translates fairly directly into higher transit receipts, one more reason regional peace, which directly affects cargo volumes and investor confidence alike, sits so close to the top of Baku’s own strategic priorities. The EU’s pound 12bn is, in that light, not simply a gift to Central Asian connectivity. It is a down payment on a South Caucasus that Brussels increasingly needs to function as smoothly as any highway on its own continent.

Free daily data intervention excites parents, students, others

To many stakeholders in the education sector, the free daily data to access approved educational websites as announced by the Federal Ministry of Education and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is a major breakthrough for digital inclusion, equity and human capital development. Under this programme, five million students in public senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions will receive 100MB of free daily data starting October 1, to remove the financial burden of learning.

According to NCC and the education ministry, the zero-rating approved websites will ensure that a student’s ability to learn is no longer tied to their financial background. The zero-rated data initiative will transform the benefitting student population into a digital-ready workforce and also assist in achieving the national goals of building a $1 trillion economy, equipping tomorrow’s leaders with the digital literacy and specialised knowledge required for innovation.

The NCC is behind the initiative, which will initially cover learners in public senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions, in partnership with telecommunications operators under the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), and the Federal Ministry of Education.

Education Minister, Dr. Maruf Alausa, at the launch of the Initiative in Abuja, last week, said: ‘Let me let out the secret. This will be made available to Nigerian students from October 1st, 2026.’

Alausa said that ALTON would provide 100MB (N100) daily and N3,000 monthly for about 5 million students, which would amount to N15 billion monthly and N180 billion annually.

‘Let me make it clear that ALTON will provide every student with 100mb of data daily which will amount to N3,000 monthly. If you multiply this by 5,000 students, it will give you N15 billion monthly. And when you multiply N15 billion with 13 months, it will give you N180 billion. UNICEF should take note of this addition to our education budget,’ the minister said.

Although the initiative had been launched, Alausa noted that it would become accessible by October 1.

Alausa said: ‘Today’s launch represents much more than telecommunications initiative. It is an education intervention. It is an inclusion intervention and most importantly, it is an investment in the future of millions of young Nigerians.

‘We recognise that we cannot build a 21st century education system using a 20th century tools. We cannot effectively manage an education system as large and complex as Nigeria without relying with data, and we cannot prepare our children for an increasing digital economy if millions of them remain excluded from digital learning opportunities.

‘The Federal Ministry of Education has embarked upon one of the most ambitious and expansive education data and digitalisation in a nation’s history through the Nigeria Education Data Initiative. We’re building a unified national education data architecture that connects local government areas, states and federal institutions, and provide reliable information for planning policies formulation and decision making, for the first time in the history of our nation.’

The initiative, Alausa said, would begin with senior secondary school and tertiary institution students before being extended to other categories of learners.

‘Our ambition must be that, ultimately, no Nigerian learner should be denied access to quality educational content simply because he or she cannot afford data,’ he said.

Speaking on the development, Omoniyi Adesewa Kanyinsola, a 300-level student of Food Science Technology at Ekiti State University (EKSU) said the initiative would be helpful to students, who found it difficult to afford data regularly.

According to her, students now depend on the internet to do their assignments and other academic activities.

‘Getting free data for educational purposes will reduce the amount students spend on data. It will also make it easier for us to search for materials and do our assignments online,’ she said.

Also, Ehibo Jessica, a 300-level student of Physiology at EKSU described the initiative as a good idea, saying it would make learning easier for students

She said many students often had to manage their data because of the cost of internet subscriptions.

‘Sometimes, you have something important to research, but you don’t have enough data. This kind of initiative can really help students because we can use the free data for our studies,’ she said.

For Ben Precious, a 200-level Engineering student of EKSU, the initiative would help students have better access to online learning materials

She, however, said the government should ensure that the programme worked properly and that students from different departments could access relevant educational platforms.

‘It is a good development, but the government should make sure students can actually use the data without unnecessary difficulties. There should also be enough educational platforms available for different courses,’ she said.

Similarly, Adeoye Tolase, a 300-level Tourism student, said the initiative would encourage students to make better use of the internet for academic purposes.

She noted that learning was no longer limited to the classroom, as students now rely on online videos, articles, journals and other materials to improve their knowledge.

‘Students need data for many things these days, especially for school work. If the government can provide free data for education, it will take some pressure off students,’ she said.

Also, Obasi Stephanie, a 400-level student of Babcock University, expressed her disagreement with the initiative. She said 100MB of data is too small, especially for students who use the internet for research, assignments, online classes and educational videos. She also questioned the restriction of the data to approved educational websites, saying students may need to visit other websites that are relevant to their studies.

Ogbueli Chimsodinma, a 200-level student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, said he had mixed feelings about the initiative. According to him, the programme is a good idea because it can help students who struggle with the cost of buying data. However, he believes 100MB may not be enough for students who use the internet regularly for academic activities. He added that the initiative would be more useful if the government increased the amount of data provided.

Duke Jonathan, a 100-level student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), said the success of the initiative would depend largely on how well it is implemented. He noted that the government should ensure that students in different schools and locations could access the service. He also pointed out that poor network coverage in some areas could prevent students from benefiting fully from the programme.

Daniel Ayinde, a 200-level student of the institution, said the 100MB allocation could be useful but might not be sufficient for students who rely heavily on online resources.

‘The 100MB will be helpful. But honestly, it may not be enough for a whole day. Some academic activities require watching videos, downloading materials and attending online classes, which can consume more than that.’

For Esther Olabisi, a 300-level student, the initiative would be beneficial if the government ensures that students can easily access the approved platforms.

‘The idea is good, but implementation matters. Students should not have difficulties accessing the websites because of network problems or restrictions.

‘Personally, I consider the initiative a positive step toward improving students’ access to digital education. However, its effectiveness will depend on the number of educational platforms covered, network availability and whether 100MB is sufficient for students’ daily academic needs.

‘The initiative, if effectively implemented, could provide some relief to students while encouraging greater use of digital resources for learning,’ she said.

Reacting to the development, Owolabi Ayomide, a 400-level student of Business Administration, University of Lagos, described the scheme as a good corporate social responsibility gesture.

She, however, argued that it could be improved, suggesting that rather than issuing a flat 100MB to every student, the government should consider a system that allows students who genuinely need the intervention to redeem up to 3GB weekly. According to her, the current arrangement is insufficient for students who truly need it and unnecessary for those who do not.

Also speaking, Sobola Eunice, also a 400-level student of Business Administration at the University of Lagos, was more direct in her assessment, describing the 100MB daily allowance as grossly inadequate. She said an allocation closer to 500MB would be more meaningful for students, given the volume of data required for academic work today.

Sharing a similar view, Salawudeen Sofiat, a 300-level student of Radiography at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said could not even load the UNILAG school portal, let alone allows her profile to open on the platform.

The three students, however, agreed that the intention behind the initiative was commendable, even as they raised concerns about whether the current data volume would translate into real impact for tertiary students, particularly those relying heavily on digital platforms for research, assignments, online coursework and portal-based academic transactions.

As the October 1 take-off date approaches, students say they will be watching closely to see how the scheme is implemented across participating networks, and whether the government will consider reviewing the data allowance to better reflect the realities of academic work at the tertiary level.

Chairman, Board of Trustees, National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, in an interview with The Nation, commended the Federal Republic, the NCC and the Federal Ministry of Education for the intervention.

Ogunbanjo said: ‘This is a wonderful development, and I must again thank the Federal Government, the NCC in particular, as well as the Ministry of Education that is empowering this. Again, it is starting at our 66th independence anniversary, which is Nigeria’s birthday, which is also remarkable. And obviously, the 100MB daily is a way to start. Perhaps as we go ahead, maybe in the next year or two, maybe it will be increased.

‘But at least, it’s a good starting point. Again, we must also ensure that the free data does not expose them to all sorts of things. And I’m sure this would be restricted to strictly approved educational websites and digital learning platforms, hopefully, because they may want to explore more than the digital learning platforms as well as the approved educational websites.

‘How to control this is what they will now have to research on, because you need to limit strictly to the digital learning platforms as well as the approved educational website. Access must not go beyond these two areas. Once again, the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria is thanking the Federal Government for this milestone.’

The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) also welcomed the initiative, saying it is a positive step towards reducing the cost barrier to digital learning, especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

However, CONUA President, Comrade ‘Niyi Sunmonu, PhD, while responding to the intervention, noted that the proposed allocation of 100MB of free data per student per day is far too small to support meaningful digital education.

‘Modern learning requires access to video lectures, virtual classrooms, learning-management systems, digital libraries, online assessments, and other data-intensive resources. Even when used exclusively for educational purposes, 100 MB can be exhausted very quickly.

‘CONUA, therefore, recommends a more realistic baseline of at least 1 GB per student per day, subject to periodic, evidence-based review as actual usage patterns emerge. While 100 MB may serve as a pilot allocation, it should not become the permanent benchmark for digital educational access.’

The union urged the government to establish a transparent and privacy-conscious mechanism for authenticating genuine student enrolment across public secondary and tertiary institutions, to minimise fraud and the exclusion of eligible students.

‘The criteria for approving zero-rated platforms should likewise be transparent, inclusive, and periodically reviewed, with a clear pathway for the inclusion of university learning-management systems, digital libraries, and repositories.

‘Beyond the cost of data, meaningful access depends on complementary factors: appropriate devices, reliable electricity, network coverage, digital literacy, and quality educational content. These must form part of the broader policy conversation.

‘Ultimately, the success of the programme should not be measured by the volume of data allocated or the number of platforms listed, but by the extent to which students are actually able to participate meaningfully in digital education, regardless of location or socioeconomic background.

‘CONUA welcomes the initiative and urges the Federal Government to implement it with greater ambition and flexibility. Free data is valuable only when it is sufficient to support real learning. A policy that provides 100 MB but leaves students unable to access the resources they need removes the price barrier without adequately removing the access barrier,’ it stated.

AFED: this is a step towards genuine advancement

The Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED) also commended the Federal Government for the launch of the Zero-Rated Data Initiative.

‘For too long, we have spoken about digital learning in policies while millions of our children remained disconnected by the high cost of data. Today, this government has moved from rhetoric to action.

‘We commend this administration for understanding that in the 21st century, data is as important as textbooks. You cannot pursue genuine educational advancement when a child in Makoko, Mushin, or Maiduguri cannot access Khan Academy, NELFUND portal, UBEC e-learning, or WAEC e-resources because of N500 data cost.

‘This initiative is timely, inclusive, and strategic. It will bridge the digital divide between private and public school children, enhance learning continuity beyond the classroom walls, support our teachers who now have a government-backed platform to assign digital homework without guilt and strengthen the Renewed Hope Agenda on human capital development.

‘As AFED, representing thousands of low-cost private schools who serve the most vulnerable, we see this as a model of pro-poor reform.

‘While we eulogise this bold step, we, as partners in nation-building, wish to humbly propose for sustainability by expanding coverage: We appeal that students in approved low-cost private secondary schools, who also serve indigent Nigerians, be considered in Phase 2. Excluding them would widen the inequality gap.’

The group also urged the government to ensure quality control of platforms: The list of approved educational websites should be robust, regularly updated, and include Nigerian curriculum-aligned content, not just foreign platforms.

According to the group, data without device is like water without a cup.

‘We urge the government to complement this with a Student Device Loan Scheme and solar charging hubs in rural schools where electricity is a challenge.

‘NCC must ensure telcos implement this fully without hidden deductions, so the 100MB reaches the intended child truly free.’

Cabinet approves new oil, gas onshore concessions

The cabinet has granted oil and gas exploration concessions to two companies that won the Round 25 onshore petroleum auction, aiming to secure domestic energy supply as Thailand’s natural reserves continue to dwindle.

Round 25 was previously stalled, with the results delayed due to last year’s parliamentary dissolution and the slow pace of the new government.

The concession approval came as energy companies gathered for the four-day Gastech exhibition in Bangkok, slated to end on Thursday.

The concessions for areas in the northeastern and central regions were awarded to PTTEP International Ltd and Pan Orient Energy (Siam), in partnership with CanAsia Energy Corp, said Warakorn Brahmopala, director-general of the Department of Mineral Fuels (DMF).

PTTEP International Ltd plans to explore blocks L1/66 and L3/66, while Pan Orient Energy (Siam), in partnership with CanAsia Energy Corp, will explore block L8/66.

Round 25 attracted eight proposals from five companies for four exploration blocks.

Mr Warakorn said the DMF assessed all bids in accordance with legal requirements, using a transparent, merit-based selection process, with national interests serving as the overriding consideration.

“The selection of these concessionaires will unlock petroleum exploration and production activities that could lead to new discoveries, enhancing Thailand’s energy self-reliance, reducing dependence on imported energy and sustaining national energy security,” he said.

Blocks L1/66 and L3/66 hold strategic significance as commercially viable discoveries would supply fuel to the Nam Phong power plant, a critical facility in the Northeast, reinforcing energy stability in the area, said Mr Warakorn.

Exploration activities will immediately stimulate local economies and employment, he noted.

If commercial petroleum production materialises, the government would benefit from royalties and petroleum taxes, while the activity would create stable jobs for Thai workers and drive growth in downstream sectors such as hospitality, restaurants and transport, said Mr Warakorn.

Onshore exploration block L6/66 remains at the proposal stage and will be submitted to the cabinet for a separate decision on its winning bidder at a later date, the DMF noted.

In a parallel development, authorities confirmed that the Round 26 offshore auction in the Andaman Sea is being prepared for cabinet consideration.

Forest land changes raise concerns

More than 300,000 applications to use forest land, largely involving state agencies, are intensifying debate over how Thailand manages degraded forests as the government moves to widen the range of activities permitted in forest zones.

The issue has gained urgency after the cabinet on Sept 1 approved in principle a draft ministerial regulation adding six categories of permitted forest land use, bringing the total to 16.

The new categories cover renewable energy, telecommunications, infrastructure, waste management, welfare projects for the Royal Forest Department and other activities related to social, economic and environmental development or security.

The department says the amendment is needed to update regulations dating from 2015, accommodate activities that were not previously covered and clear a large backlog of applications more quickly.

Forestry experts, however, warn that widening access to forest land could undermine rehabilitation efforts, particularly if degraded areas are increasingly viewed as land available for development.

They are especially concerned about the broad category covering “other” purposes related to social, economic and environmental development or security, saying it could become a loophole for projects outside the existing categories.

Pressure to clear backlog

Supot Pooratanaopa, deputy director- general of the department, said the existing ministerial regulation needs to be updated.

The revised regulation would also streamline the approval process, including by delegating authority in some cases rather than requiring every application to be approved at the department’s highest level.

Mr Supot said the changes were expected to help speed up the processing of more than 200,000 pending applications.

The backlog grew after cabinet resolutions required state agencies occupying forest land to seek legal permission. Projects without proper authorisation can face difficulties securing budget allocations, leaving some schemes stalled for years.

Department figures show 187,521 applications involving forest land under the Forest Act (1941), while another 116,717 applications concern land governed by the National Reserved Forest Act (1964).

The Interior Ministry accounts for the largest number of applications, with 160,386 cases, followed by the Transport Ministry with 9,155 and the National Office of Buddhism with 4,658.

Only a fraction of the applications have so far been approved.

Mr Supot said the revised regulation was intended to respond to changing development needs and was not designed to favour any particular private company.

He said sensitive projects would remain subject to strict scrutiny.

Waste management projects, for example, must be reviewed by a provincial committee and cannot be located in areas where they would cause serious damage to important forest ecosystems. Certain activities are also subject to forest replacement or rehabilitation requirements.

The department uses satellite imagery and other information when assessing the condition of land proposed for use, he said.

The draft regulation also contains restrictions on areas that may be considered for development, excluding protected areas such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation mangroves and community forests, as well as land subject to specific cabinet prohibitions.

Nevertheless, Mr Supot acknowledged the expansion of eligible activities was likely to generate more applications, particularly for projects that may require substantial areas of land, such as renewable energy developments.

Certain activities, including renewable energy, telecommunications and infrastructure projects, can be granted permission for periods of up to 30 years.

He said strong measures would be needed to limit ecological damage.

Develop or restore?

The changes have renewed a wider debate over what Thailand should do with forests classified as degraded.

The country has about 102 million rai of forest, while the department oversees around 65 million rai.

Assoc Prof Sakhan Teejuntuk, director of the Princess Sirindhorn Centre for Sustainable Development at Kasetsart University, said about 30% of the land under the department’s responsibility is regarded as degraded forest.

Rather than viewing such land primarily as available for other uses, he said the government should adopt more substantive measures tailored to conditions in individual areas.

Local communities should play a central role and receive tangible benefits from forest restoration, he added.

Mr Sakhan cited Nan province, where extensive areas of forest have become degraded. One obstacle to rehabilitation, he said, is concern among some residents that restoring degraded areas to healthy forest could eventually restrict their access to the land.

Such concerns have complicated attempts to encourage local participation in restoration.

“We have not yet seen real success in forest rehabilitation by state agencies because they have used a one-size-fits-all approach under the bureaucracy,” he said.

Restoring forests can take more than five years and requires sustained monitoring and measures adapted to local conditions, he said.

Mr Sakhan also expressed concern over the provision allowing forest land to be used for “other” social, economic, environmental or security purposes.

The wording, he said, could potentially be interpreted broadly and allow projects that conflict with forest conservation objectives. He also warned that enforcing rehabilitation obligations on state agencies can sometimes be more difficult than regulating private operators.

Target still far away

The debate comes as Thailand remains well short of its goal of having green areas cover 40% of the country.

Khwanchai Duangsathaporn, chairman of a subcommittee involved in drafting the national forest policy and master plan on forest development, said green areas cover about 31% of the country, leaving Thailand roughly 27 million rai short of its target. He said any expansion of activities that result in forest clearance should therefore be considered cautiously because replacing natural forest ecosystems is extremely difficult.

“In our generation, it is impossible to see a man-made forest plantation reproduce a natural forest ecosystem because it takes such a long time,” he said. He urged the department to take a cautious approach when deciding whether forest land should be released for development, warning that Thailand is already facing growing pressure on its forest resources.

“Social and economic development means nothing if we don’t have forests to limit the impacts of natural disasters,” he said. Mr Khwanchai was concerned about the inclusion of the catch-all “other” category, which he said could create a loophole for a wider range of projects to seek access to forest land.

The government faces a difficult balancing act.

More than 300,000 applications remain in the system, while state agencies are under pressure to legalise projects occupying forest land. At the same time, Thailand remains far from its 40% green-area target and continues to struggle with forest degradation.

The revised regulation may help clear years of administrative delays, but forestry experts warn that faster approvals should not come at the expense of rehabilitation.

At the heart of the debate is a broader question: whether degraded forest should be treated as land available for development or as forest that should first be given the chance to recover.

Omanhene Flays Lands Minister Over Chieftaincy Dispute

The Omanhene of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Area and President of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Council, Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli III, has accused the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, of ‘crossing the red line’ in an ongoing chieftaincy dispute in the area.

According to the Omanhene, the minister’s actions and public appearances have created the impression that he has taken sides in the dispute over the legitimate Paramount Chief of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Area.

In a statement, Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli III said the situation was no longer simply a disagreement between competing traditional actors, but had increasingly become a question of whether political power was being brought to bear on a traditional institution whose legitimacy should be determined by customary law, the Constitution and the appropriate chieftaincy institutions.

He said such legitimacy should not be determined by politicians, government events, public appearances or the influence of state officials.

Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli III stressed that the Eastern Nzema Traditional Area was not a creation of modern partisan politics and predated the modern electoral constituency.

‘The office of a Paramount Chief is not created by a Member of Parliament, a District Chief Executive, a Regional Minister or a Cabinet Minister,’ he said.

He added that representing people within an electoral constituency did not make an MP the traditional authority over them.

‘His position as MP does not confer upon him the power to determine who is Omanhene. His position as Minister for Lands and Natural Resources does not confer that power either. And no political office should be used, directly or indirectly, to create the impression that it does. That distinction is fundamental,’ he stated.

One of the incidents that had generated concern, the Omanhene recalled, was the appearance of the minister on a public banner for last year’s Kundum alongside a person whom his side disputes as the legitimate Paramount Chief of Eastern Nzema.

He said while such an appearance might ordinarily have little significance, the circumstances surrounding the chieftaincy dispute made it important.

‘Where there is an unresolved dispute over traditional legitimacy, the public appearance of a senior Cabinet Minister alongside one claimant can reasonably be interpreted as an act of recognition or political endorsement,’ he explained.

He said lawyers acting for him had already written to the minister and cautioned him about his involvement in the matter, particularly after his photograph was featured on a banner as the special guest of honour for the 2025 Kundum celebration.

Another incident that, he said, deserved public scrutiny was the alleged presentation of the disputed claimant as Omanhene during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Chairman’s thank you tour.

‘This is particularly significant because it allegedly involved a Member of Parliament and a District Chief Executive presenting the person to a senior national political official in the capacity of Omanhene. That is not a minor detail,’ he stated.

The Omanhene further argued that political interference did not always take the form of a formal letter, but could occur through public photographs, banners, invitations to official meetings and the handling of government delegations.

He said it could also manifest through who was introduced to national political leaders, who was excluded from engagements and the silence of public officials when a disputed narrative was repeatedly presented as fact.

‘When these things happen repeatedly, they can gradually create a new public reality,’ he said.

On the Adamus mining controversy, the Omanhene questioned which traditional authority the minister was engaging with and the basis for such engagement.

Assassination Attempt

The Omanhene also recalled an alleged assassination attempt on his life at his palace in early 2025, which resulted in his absence from the palace and, in his words, an abandonment of his traditional office.

He said state security considerations subsequently created circumstances in which another person occupied the palace, but cautioned that the development should not automatically be interpreted as a determination of traditional legitimacy.

He took exception to what he described as a lack of empathy from the minister when his life was threatened, while accusing the minister’s subsequent public appearances of creating the impression of support for a disputed claimant.

Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli III said his position was not that politicians should stay away from Eastern Nzema.

Rather, he said, he expected government to intervene in addressing development challenges in the area, including roads, schools and other infrastructure.

He, however, warned the minister and other political actors against treating Nzema as a ‘pilot ground for political experimentation in chieftaincy.’

Baku to host founding congress of Turkic Union of Composers

On 18-20 September 2026, the First Congress of Composers of the Turkic World will be held in Baku as part of the 18th Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival.

The Congress is organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, jointly with ICESCO Baku Regional Office, the Union of Composers of Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijan National Conservatory.

The Congress is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First Baku Turkological Congress, the 885th anniversary of Nizami Ganjavi, and the 585th anniversary of Alisher Navoi.

Prominent representatives of the music communities of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Trkiye, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Hungary will take part in the Congress.

The extensive programme of the Congress will bring together institutional, academic, and concert activities. Over the course of three days, it will feature plenary and constituent sessions, an international round table, thematic exhibitions, as well as concerts of symphonic, chamber, and traditional music.

The key event of the Congress will be the establishment of the Turkic Union of Composers (TUC), which is intended to bring together leading composers, musicologists, performers, and representatives of major music organizations from Turkic countries.

On 19 September, a constituent meeting of the Turkic Union of Composers will be held at the headquarters of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation. The meeting is expected to include the signing of the Baku Declaration on the Establishment of TUC, as well as discussions on the draft Charter of the new international professional platform.

The establishment of the Union will be an important step towards strengthening professional ties among the music communities of the Turkic world. Particular attention will be given to the preservation and development of the shared musical heritage, support for contemporary schools of composition, creative exchange, and the promotion of Turkic music on the international stage.

On 19 September 2026 at 16:00, a press conference will be held at the headquarters of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation to present the outcomes of the Congress of Composers of the Turkic World, the establishment of the Turkic Union of Composers (TUC), the signing of the Baku Declaration, and the prospects for the development of the new professional association.

Israeli firms’ role in Greece’s pound 3 billion air defense program sparks scrutiny

Greece’s planned pound 3 billion ‘Achilles Shield’ air-defense program is facing renewed scrutiny over the involvement of Israeli defense companies and concerns surrounding surveillance, sovereignty and dependence on foreign technology.

The program is being developed largely around systems supplied by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Rafael. IAI’s involvement has drawn particular attention because of its previous links to Cytrox, the company associated with Predator spyware.

According to Greek newspaper Documento, IAI held a 31 percent stake in Cytrox in 2017, the year the company developed Predator spyware. The spyware was later used to target a Greek journalist and senior officials in a surveillance scandal widely known as ‘Greek Watergate.’

IAI has since sold its stake in Cytrox and has said that its cyber-technology activities are limited to defensive applications.

The company’s role in the Achilles Shield program has nevertheless revived concerns among critics in Greece over the use of Israeli technology in sensitive military infrastructure.

Moshe Patel, head of Israel’s Missile Defense Organization, told Greek daily Kathimerini that Greece would not receive the source code covered by the agreement’s license. Israel would instead continue to provide technical support and maintenance for the systems.

The arrangement has prompted questions about Greece’s technological dependence on Israeli defense companies, particularly regarding long-term control and maintenance of critical elements of the country’s air-defense infrastructure.

Critics have also raised concerns about the level of public scrutiny and transparency surrounding the pound 3 billion program, amid broader debate in Greece over surveillance practices and the country’s military and logistical cooperation with Israel and the United States.

The reported links between IAI and Cytrox do not establish that the Achilles Shield systems themselves incorporate Predator spyware or related surveillance technology. The concerns instead center on IAI’s corporate history and the broader implications of relying on an Israeli company for critical defense infrastructure.

President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva arrived in Shamakhi district

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva arrived in Shamakhi district on September 17.

The head of state and the First Lady visited the monument to the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, erected in the center of the city of Shamakhi.