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Court jails former MP over proxy vote

The Supreme Court has sentenced former Pheu Thai Party MP Saranwut Saranket to eight months in prison for allowing another MP to use his parliamentary ID card to vote on his behalf.

The ruling, issued on Monday in the court’s Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions and reported on Wednesday, followed a prosecution by the Office of the Attorney-General over an incident during a special House session on Sept 20, 2013.

Saranwut, then an Uttaradit MP, was absent from the House while travelling to Sukhothai. The prosecution says he left his electronic ID card with another MP, who used it repeatedly to register his presence and vote on his behalf on a bill authorising the Finance Ministry to borrow money for transport infrastructure development.

Saranwut denied the allegations.

The court’s majority found that the repeated use of his card while he was absent could not reasonably have occurred without his knowledge or consent. The card clearly displayed the holder’s photograph and name, while voting required several steps. The voting record also matched Saranwut’s earlier votes and his party’s position at the time.

The court rejected his claim that a parliamentary official had kept his card for him, noting that the official had been transferred months before the incident and was no longer responsible for facilitating House meetings.

The court ruled that proxy voting violated the constitution and House regulations, which required each MP to cast one vote personally. It said the conduct undermined public confidence in the legislature and constituted a serious breach of official duty.

Saranwut was initially sentenced to one year under Section 123/1 of the 1999 anti-corruption law. The court reduced the sentence by one-third because it deemed his statement during the evidence examination partially useful.

The court rejected a request to suspend the sentence, saying his health condition did not provide sufficient grounds. It later granted him temporary release while it considered his appeal.

Alake-led AMSG seeks safety reforms after Sudan mine collapse

Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), chaired by former Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has called for urgent safety reforms in artisanal mining following the collapse of an informal gold mine in West Kordofan, Sudan.

The group also called for the immediate mobilisation of heavy excavation and lifting equipment to intensify rescue efforts at the Al-Zaraa gold mine near Al-Nuhud town, where dozens of miners were reportedly killed, and others remain missing.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the AMSG expressed condolences to the families, loved ones and communities of the artisanal miners who lost their lives in the incident, as well as to the people and authorities of Sudan.

The group said the reported collapse of interconnected shafts in loose terrain highlighted the dangerous conditions confronting millions of informal and artisanal miners across Africa.

According to the AMSG, while artisanal mining provides an important source of livelihood for communities facing conflict and economic hardship, it should not be carried out at the expense of workers’ safety and human dignity.

It identified the absence of structural engineering standards, adequate safety equipment, and effective regulatory oversight at remote mining sites as factors contributing to the risks faced by artisanal miners.

The group also expressed concern over the reported difficulties in rescue operations, saying survivors and local responders were relying on rudimentary hand tools because of a lack of heavy excavation machinery.

The AMSG called on relevant authorities to urgently pool regional and local resources and deploy heavy lifting and excavation equipment to the Al-Zaraa site to accelerate the search for survivors and provide medical care to those rescued.

Beyond the immediate rescue operation, the group urged governments, regional bodies and industry stakeholders across Africa to accelerate the formalisation of artisanal and informal mining activities.

It called for greater access to training, basic safety enforcement and institutional oversight to protect miners working outside formal regulatory structures.

‘Human life must always supersede resource extraction,’ the AMSG said, stressing the need to protect vulnerable workers, particularly those operating in conflict-affected and politically unstable regions, from preventable structural hazards.

The group said it remained in solidarity with families affected by the Kordofan tragedy and reaffirmed its commitment to policies aimed at ensuring that Africa’s minerals are mined, managed, and processed with safety, dignity, and respect for human life.

Let courts end statutory deductions’ confusion in employment verdicts

Should employers make statutory deductions like affordable housing levy, Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and PAYE from court awards for terminal dues? Picture a scenario that has become all too familiar: an employee is awarded compensation for unfair termination by the Employment and Labour Relations Court.

Keen to comply with the law, the employer deducts PAYE, NSSF, SHIF contribution and the Affordable Housing Levy, remits those sums to the relevant statutory bodies, and pays the balance to the former employee.

It is then promptly hauled back to court for further recovery on the claim that the decree has been underpaid. Had it paid the award without statutory deductions, the taxman would certainly have come calling, armed with penalties and interest.

For the better part of a decade, the law appeared settled. On the face of it, Section 49(2) of the Employment Act contemplates that remedies for unfair termination are subject to all applicable statutory deductions. Sections 3 and 5(2) of the Income Tax Act go further by classifying any amount received as compensation for the termination of a contract of employment as gains or profits from employment, taxable whether the contract itself provided for such payment, or not.

The Court of Appeal appeared to place the matter beyond controversy in Directline Assurance Co. Ltd v Jeremiah Wachira Ichaura [2016] KECA 118 (KLR), holding that it is trite law that lump-sum terminal dues are subject to statutory deductions and that damages fall to be computed on net, rather than gross, salary.

The Employment Court itself embraced that position in a long and consistent line of authorities from William Kilonzi v Bamburi Cement Limited [2016] KEELRC 690 (KLR), through Ndungu v Safaricom PLC [2025] KEELRC 2234 (KLR), to Njuguna v Sybrin Kenya [2026] KEELRC 92 (KLR), where the court reaffirmed an employer’s obligation under Section 37 of the Income Tax Act to deduct the appropriate tax from any lump-sum payment before releasing the balance. Employers, advocates and the revenue authorities alike arranged their affairs on that understanding.

Then came the rupture: in Stubbs v Fourt Generation Capital Limited [2025] KEELRC 3305 (KLR), the Employment Court held that although PAYE was properly deductible from an unfair termination award, contributions to the SHIF, the Affordable Housing Levy and the National Social Security Fund were not.

The court reasoned that those statutory levies are inextricably linked to a subsisting employment relationship: they are deducted through payroll, complemented by employer contributions, and confer benefits associated with active service.

To impose them upon a post-employment compensatory award, the court held, would amount to an impermissible double burden that would be inconsistent with the constitutional guarantee of fair labour practices.

Another decision of the same court has travelled even further, holding that not even PAYE is deductible from such compensation. The result is a jurisprudence in disarray. In one court the award is taxed in full; in another, only in part; and in a third, not at all.

It should be acknowledged that the reasoning in Stubbs is not without intuitive appeal. There is something inherently strange about deducting a housing levy or health insurance contribution from a person whose employment, and with it any corresponding entitlement, has already come to an end.

However, intuitive appeal is not the governing principle; judicial precedent is.

The Directline case is a decision of the Court of Appeal, and the doctrine of precedent does not permit the Employment Court, however well-intentioned, to chart an independent course in the face of a binding appellate authority.

A court of first instance that considers a Court of Appeal decision that should be ripe for reconsideration has one lawful course: to apply it while expressing, with appropriate restraint, the reasons why such reconsideration may be warranted.

It would have no mandate to legislate through judicial decision-making.

The consequences of the present uncertainty are neither theoretical nor remote. Employers cannot calculate settlement sums with confidence, and every shilling deducted or omitted becomes the seed that bears fruit to further litigation. Employees whose claims are otherwise identical now risk receiving materially different awards dependent on the adjudicating court.

Settlement negotiations risk becoming compromised because the parties are unable to agree on the correct net figure, and this increases case backlog. NSSF, SHIF and the Affordable Housing Fund are left uncertain as to the scope of their own statutory entitlements. The uncertainty of this magnitude is a cost that is unduly imposed upon the smooth administration of justice.

To resolve this confusion, the Court of Appeal should, at the earliest opportunity, confront the divergence directly and pronounce with finality which statutory deductions, if any, should be properly applied towards compensation for unfair termination and the statutory basis upon which such application should be made.

If the court concludes that the newer statutory levies introduced long after the Directline case should stand on a different legal footing from PAYE or NSSF, then it should say so in clear and unequivocal terms.

Should Parliament consider that outcome undesirable, the appropriate remedy lies in legislative amendment to the Affordable Housing Act, the Social Health Insurance Act and the Employment Act, rather than in judicial improvisation.

Until then, should a dispute arise on the applicable deductions to be applied towards compensatory awards, prudence may now require employers to seek judicial interpretation on the applicable deductions rather than deducting at source, remitting and allowing for such disputes to be resolved through recovery proceedings.

The conflicting judicial positions call for authoritative resolution, and the courts, especially the Court of Appeal, should bring clarity to the law and end this uncertainty.

Covid-19 cases on the rise, health officials say

Covid-19 infections in Thailand are on an upward trend, with an average of 15,000 new cases reported each week over the past four weeks, according to the Department of Disease Control (DDC).

Health officials are urging the public to keep track of disease outbreaks and health risks associated with the rainy season and changing weather conditions, while taking appropriate preventive measures to reduce illness and severe disease.

From Jan 1 to Sept 15, Thailand recorded 135,667 cumulative cases of Covid-19, equivalent to a morbidity rate of 206 cases per 100,000 population. There were 26 deaths.

Although the figures have risen slightly, they remain lower than those recorded over the past two to three years, according to Dr Jurai Wongsawat and Dr Weerawat Manosuthi, senior medical experts with the DDC, who held a briefing on Tuesday.

In just one month, from Aug 9 to Sept 8, a total of 64,937 Covid-19 cases were reported nationwide.

Over the past four weeks, the number of cases has risen by an average of 15,000 per week, while deaths have averaged two to four per week, said Dr Jurai. The provinces with the highest number of cases are Chon Buri, Bangkok and Phuket.

‘The highest incidence rate was recorded among children under one year old, followed by children aged 1-4,’ she said. ‘Among working-age adults, those aged 20-29 had the highest number of cases, followed by those aged 30-39.’

Of the 26 Covid-19 deaths so far this year, 21 were in the high-risk ‘608’ group. This group comprises people aged 60 and over and those with underlying conditions such as diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic respiratory disease and cancer.

Dr Weerawat Manosuthi, senior medical expert and Department of Disease Control (DDC) spokesman, speaks about the Covid-19 situation during a media briefing on Tuesday. (Photo: Department of Disease Control)

Dr Weerawat Manosuthi, senior medical expert and Department of Disease Control (DDC) spokesman, speaks about the Covid-19 situation during a briefing on Tuesday. (Photo: Department of Disease Control)

Dr Weerawat said the dominant Covid-19 strain in Thailand was NB.1.8.1, followed by JN.1, with both strains generally causing mild symptoms.

However, there have been reports of PQ.16.1.1, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified as a variant under monitoring. Thailand has so far recorded six cases of the variant, representing a slight increase, but there has been no indication that it causes more severe illness, he said.

According to the DDC, the five most common illnesses reported during the period from Aug 9 to Sept 8 were influenza, diarrhoeal disease, Covid-19, pneumonia and hand, foot and mouth disease.

The five diseases with the highest patient fatality rates during the same period were rabies, Legionnaires’ disease, melioidosis, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, and encephalitis.

Influenza

From Jan 1 to Sept 8, Thailand recorded 359,672 influenza cases and 57 deaths. The number of cases is on an upward trend, with children aged 5-9 accounting for the largest proportion of patients. Most had not received an influenza vaccination.

The strain detected most frequently in August was A/H1N1 (pdm09).

RSV infections

From Jan 1 to Sept 8, a total of 8,578 cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection were reported, with one death involving a two-month-old infant who was a premature birth.

Most RSV patients were children aged under one year. Cases are increasing, although the number remains lower than that recorded last year.

Azerbaijan’s role in South Caucasus’s new architecture

?Professor of International Journalism Mikhail Gusman wrote an article for Anadolu Agency Analysis on the increasing importance of the South Caucasus in global politics and Azerbaijan’s role in the region’s new architecture.

The article examines the emerging geopolitical and economic architecture of the South Caucasus, depicting that the region is gradually moving from a conflict-centred framework towards greater emphasis on trade, transport, energy and regional cooperation. It identifies Azerbaijan’s strengthened position as a central feature of this transformation, highlighting its role as an energy supplier to Europe, transport hub and diplomatic actor maintaining ties with multiple global and regional powers.

AzerNEWS presents the article:

The South Caucasus is currently undergoing a historic period. Not only is the region’s political configuration changing, but its importance in world politics is also shifting. Until very recently, the South Caucasus was perceived primarily through the lens of conflict and antagonism. Today, however, issues such as economic development, transportation corridors, energy, trade, and regional cooperation are increasingly coming to the forefront.

Especially after the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, it has become possible to speak of the region with a completely different logic, not as a constant conflict zone, but as a potential area of cooperation.

However, the interest of major global actors in the South Caucasus is also increasing. Here, the interests of Russia, Trkiye, Iran, the European Union (EU), the United States (US), and Central Asian countries intersect. Therefore, the balance is becoming more complex and multifaceted. Rather than the absolute dominance of any one side, a new system is emerging in which the roles of the countries in the region are significantly enhanced. Azerbaijan occupies a very special place in this system.

Azerbaijan’s changing position in the region

Within this new balance of power, Azerbaijan’s position has significantly strengthened. This is not solely related to the country’s geography or energy resources. Today, Azerbaijan is increasingly emerging as an independent geopolitical actor capable of pursuing its own foreign policy while simultaneously maintaining relations with various power centers.

In recent years, there has been a very significant change in the international perception of Azerbaijan. Until recently, the country was mostly discussed outside the region in the context of the Karabakh conflict. Today, this is a completely inadequate description of Azerbaijan. The country has become a major energy partner of Europe, a significant transportation hub, and an active participant in international diplomacy. Azerbaijan has also strengthened its relations with Trkiye, Central Asia, Russia, Europe, the USA, and other states. This shows that Baku views its foreign policy not as a battleground between separate power centers, but as an opportunity to work in multiple directions simultaneously. Therefore, today, Azerbaijan’s international weight is significantly greater than what can be estimated solely from the country’s size or population.

Increased interest in the region

The ongoing war in Ukraine has significantly impacted the geopolitical system of Eurasia. As trade routes, energy flows, and logistics shift, the importance of routes enabling the transport of goods and energy outside conflict zones has increased. This has significantly heightened interest in the South Caucasus and Caspian region. Following recent developments, we see Washington attempting to play a more visible role in regional resolution processes. However, this should not be viewed solely as a struggle for influence. Ideally, the South Caucasus could become an area where the interests of different states intersect, but this intersection does not necessarily lead to conflict. The current geopolitical situation presents a unique opportunity to foster cooperation. If the countries of the region embrace trade flows through their territories, infrastructure construction, and investment, this in itself would create an additional incentive for stability.

Furthermore, if everyone is interested in the stability of transportation routes, energy security, and the development of trade, an objective incentive to support peace emerges, and Azerbaijan is in a very strong position here. Baku can talk to different power centers and advance its national interests without abandoning cooperation with different partners.

Zangezur’s key role in international trade

This new political situation in the South Caucasus also has the potential to objectively increase the role of the Middle Corridor in trade between Europe and Asia. Modern international trade needs routes that are not only cheap but also reliable, predictable, and diversified. Recent years have demonstrated very convincingly how fragile global logistics can become when major transport routes face political crises.

The Middle Corridor gains particular importance in this context. The corridor connects China and Central Asia to the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Trkiye, and then to European markets. However, infrastructure alone is not enough for trade to fully develop in the region. Political stability needs to be ensured in all the countries through which this route passes.

This is why the processes taking place in the South Caucasus today have significance far beyond the region. If the sustainable development of transport links is ensured, the Middle Corridor can become one of the most important elements of the new Eurasian logistics. Regarding increasing the capacity of the Middle Corridor, the Zangezur Corridor is potentially one of the most important elements within the entire East-West transport system. The importance of the corridor lies primarily in its ability to connect Azerbaijan more directly to Nakhchivan and then to Trkiye.

For Trkiye, this opens up additional opportunities to strengthen its role as a transit hub between Asia and Europe. For Azerbaijan, it constitutes another element in transforming the region into a significant transportation center. In this sense, the Zangezur Corridor is a project that will complement the Central Corridor. The more interconnected railway and road routes there are, the higher the overall efficiency of the entire transportation system. In this sense, the opening of the Zangezur route can give an additional impetus to the entire Central Corridor.

Strengthening the Zangezur Corridor, and consequently the Central Corridor, offers Trkiye the opportunity to significantly strengthen its economic and political presence in the geography stretching from Anatolia to Central Asia. Today, spheres of influence are increasingly built through infrastructure rather than political pronouncements. If countries share railways, highways, energy systems, trade connections, and investments, a completely different level of interdependence emerges. In this respect, Azerbaijan becomes an extremely important partner for Trkiye. Through Azerbaijan, Trkiye has the opportunity to establish a much deeper interaction with Central Asian states.

Azerbaijan-Trkiye partnership

While the phrase “one nation, two states” is a well-known formula between Azerbaijan and Trkiye, it is not solely based on the emotional and historical closeness of the two peoples. In recent years, this relationship has gained a very concrete political, economic, and strategic dimension. Trkiye has become Azerbaijan’s most important strategic partner. Azerbaijan, in turn, is of great importance to Trkiye as a state connecting Anatolia to the Caspian Sea and Central Asia. And here a very interesting structure emerges: while Trkiye gains additional opportunities to access the Caspian Sea and then Central Asia through Azerbaijan, Central Asian states also gain more convenient access to Trkiye and European markets. Thus, rather than a new military-political bloc, a new network of economic, transportation, and political connections is forming.

When it comes to states with strong historical and strategic ties, relations between leaders also gain importance. In the case of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, we see a combination of personal trust, mutual political understanding, and convergence of strategic interests. When there is trust between leaders, this significantly facilitates the making and implementation of complex decisions. Aliyev and Erdogan understand each other’s political logic very well, which is particularly important during periods of significant regional change. However, relations between the two countries are based on strong societal support and a very solid historical bond. Therefore, while the personal closeness of the leaders is an important additional factor, relations between Azerbaijan and Trkiye are based on the convergence of long-term interests.

The Shusha Declaration, in particular, constituted a crucial step in the development of relations between the two states. With its comprehensive content ranging from politics and security to economics, energy, transportation, and humanitarian cooperation, the document effectively reinforced the alliance nature of relations between Azerbaijan and Trkiye. In other words, it established a political foundation for long-term strategic interaction. The importance of the Shusha Declaration extends beyond bilateral relations because this close interaction between Azerbaijan and Trkiye inevitably affects the entire architecture of the South Caucasus and the region’s connections with Central Asia. This contributes to the development of trade relations, transportation links, and cultural and humanitarian contacts, including those within the Organization of Turkic States. Trade, transportation links, cultural and humanitarian contacts are developing among the countries of the Turkic world, and geography plays a very significant role here. Azerbaijan has a unique position between Trkiye and Central Asia, between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus. Therefore, its role is naturally increasing. The most important step in this process is the development of economic relations. The more trade, transportation links, investments, and joint projects there are, the stronger the relations between the states will become. However, it is too early to say that a closed geopolitical axis has already formed here. Nevertheless, it can be said that an objective process of rapprochement is underway.

Azerbaijan’s role in the new architecture of the South Caucasus

Considering all these developments, it would not be wrong to say that Azerbaijan’s role in the South Caucasus will increasingly grow in the coming years. Moreover, Azerbaijan could become one of the most important connecting points not only in the South Caucasus, but also between Europe, the Caucasus, the Caspian region, Trkiye, and Central Asian countries. Here, we are no longer just talking about the importance of the country’s geographical location. Azerbaijan has created new infrastructure around its geography, developed energy projects, built transportation routes, and established a network of political and economic partnerships. Therefore, it is possible to say that today, geography offers an opportunity for Azerbaijan, and state policies enable this opportunity to be transformed into a real political and economic resource.

Fire Guts SIC Building In Takoradi

A ferocious fire gutted the main building of the State Insurance Company (SIC) in Takoradi early yesterday morning.

The inferno affected several offices in the four-storey building destroying property worth thousands of Cedis.

One of the badly hit offices was the studio of Takoradi-based New Day Television.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. However, it reportedly started from the television studio at about 9:00am.

Firefighters from Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority (GPHA) later arrived at the scene and managed to bring the fire under control.

BASKETBALL-WOMEN-Bahamas and Virgin Islands surge in latest FIBA World Ranking

The latest FIBA World Ranking for Women has revealed a seismic shift in the global basketball landscape, with Caribbean nations making significant strides up the ladder.

While the United States continues its undisputed reign at the top with 1076.1 points, the real story for fans in the region is the impressive upward mobility of several island nations. The Bahamas has emerged as the standout performer in the Caribbean, leaping an astounding 20 spots to claim rank No. 67 globally. With 97.8 points, the Bahamian squad has signalled their intent to become a major force in the region.

Right behind them in terms of momentum are the U.S. Virgin Islands. The territory climbed 16 places to land at No. 48 with 138.1 points. This significant jump places them as the third-highest-ranked Caribbean team in the world, behind only Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Further down the table, Guyana recorded the largest point movement of any nation in the update. The Guyanese squad skyrocketed 23 places to rank No. 95 (52.6 points), marking the biggest climb of any team in the ranking.

Among the traditional powerhouses, Puerto Rico remains the highest-ranked Caribbean side. Las Boricuas moved up one spot to No. 12 with 543.5 points, sitting just behind Canada (No. 11) and Brazil (No. 10).

The Dominican Republic also continued its ascent, moving up four spots to No. 32 with 206.1 points.

Jamaica also saw positive movement, rising four places to No. 105 (40 points). While they sit at the bottom of the Caribbean pecking order in this update, the upward trend is a positive sign.

Not all news was positive for the region. Cuba experienced a slight setback, dropping two spots to No. 52 with 127.1 points. They were the only Caribbean nation to see a decrease in their ranking in this update.

At the very top, the USA remains untouchable with zero movement. Brazil and Canada both experienced slight drops (down one and four spots respectively), allowing Puerto Rico to close the gap in the top 15.

Top Caribbean Rankings (FIBA Women’s World Ranking):

Puerto Rico: No. 12 (+1)

Dominican Republic: No. 32 (+4)

Virgin Islands: No. 48 (+16)

Cuba: No. 52 (-2)

Bahamas: No. 67 (+20)

Guyana: No. 95 (+23)

Jamaica: No. 105 (+4)

Ondo Rep Ehindero hailed for legislation, education, jobs as he marks birthday

The lawmaker representing Akoko North East/North West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ifeoluwa Babajide Ehindero, has been commended for his contributions to legislation, education and employment as he marks his birthday.

Constituents, political associates and community leaders across Ondo State joined in celebrating the lawmaker’s tenure and service.

In a birthday message, his Special Assistant on Special Duties, Lemuel Akinyele, described Ehindero as the ‘Harbinger of a Relieved Future (Èhìn Dèrò)’.

Akinyele commended the lawmaker for what he described as purposeful representation, legislative diligence and community-centred development initiatives across Akoko land.

He said since assuming office after his election, Ehindero had maintained an active presence on the floor of the House and served as Chairman of the House Committee on Student Loan, Scholarship and Higher Education Financing.

According to him, the committee under Ehindero’s leadership spearheaded legislative interventions to expand access to education.

‘Notably, the lawmaker sponsored bills for the establishment of the Federal College of Education, Oyin-Akoko, and the Federal College of Agriculture, Ose. Under his committee leadership, he also led a strategic working visit to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to ensure the smooth implementation and disbursement of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND),’ he said.

Akinyele said Ehindero had also implemented several educational interventions across Akoko North East and North West.

He listed completed classroom projects at Saint James Primary School, Arigidi-Akoko; Ilemopo Comprehensive High School, Irun-Akoko; Ajowa Community Grammar School, Ajowa-Akoko; Community Grammar School, Ikare-Akoko; Ipepodun Comprehensive High School, Ikaram-Akoko; and Community Primary School, Ikanmu, Oka-Akoko.

He added that the lawmaker funded UTME/JAMB registration for hundreds of candidates, awarded a N1 million scholarship to the constituency’s best-performing 2024 UTME candidate and provided bursaries for physically challenged students.

Beyond legislation and education, Akinyele said Ehindero’s constituency interventions covered healthcare, digital skills, employment and social welfare.

He said the lawmaker facilitated employment opportunities for constituents across various Federal Government agencies and spearheaded the DevMe Bootcamp, a technology and skills acquisition programme powered by the Light of Love Foundation.

On healthcare and social infrastructure, Akinyele said Ehindero renovated and equipped local primary healthcare centres with modern hospital beds, constructed solar-powered boreholes to improve access to clean water and rehabilitated the constituency’s IT Centre.

He added that the lawmaker provided food relief packages to vulnerable and indigent households and hosted Ramadan Iftar distributions for members of the Muslim community.

Akinyele said the birthday celebration provided an opportunity to appreciate what he described as a leader whose dedication had brought tangible relief to his constituents.

He joined the lawmaker’s family, friends, associates and people of Akoko Federal Constituency in praying for divine wisdom, sound health and continued strength as Ehindero continues his service.

SLIM holds successful certification ceremony 2026

Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) celebrated its latest certification recipients recently at the BMICH, Colombo recognising students completed professional marketing qualifications across programs including PCM (in English, Sinhala and Tamil), CDM, Pharmaceutical Marketing, and BPE.

Chief Guests were Hemas Holdings PLC Deputy Chairman Murtaza Esufally and Brandix Group Director and CEO Asanka Wimalaratna. Guests of Honour included Past Presidents Chinthaka Perera and Gayan Perera.

SLIM President Enoch Perera reaffirmed the institute’s vision. ‘Our vision is ‘From Local Strength to Global Influence.’ We are committed to positioning SLIM as an internationally recognised marketing institute and creating greater opportunities for every learner,’ he said.

Esufally encouraged awardees to look beyond conventional marketing. ‘Great marketers do more than sell products or promote brands. They understand people, solve real problems and inspire change. In a world shaped by AI, continue to learn and adapt, but never lose sight of integrity,’ he stated.

Wimalaratna stressed on continuous learning. ‘The knowledge and skills you have gained will provide a strong foundation, but lasting success belongs to those who embrace continuous learning and personal growth,’ he said encouraging further development through SLIM.

SLIM Vice President – Education and Research Manthika Ranasinghe said: ‘To become a great marketer, you must continue learning, observing, and staying alert to everything happening around society. Every human insight matters, because every marketing decision ultimately connects with people.’

SLIM Vice President – Events and Sustainability Rajiv David said: ‘Today marks the reward for your hard work and perseverance, but it is also the beginning of a lifelong journey of learning and leadership,’

SLIM CEO Chamil Wickramasinghe said: ‘The business landscape is evolving rapidly, presenting both challenges and opportunities. I am confident that the knowledge, skills, and values you have gained will empower you to navigate these changes successfully.’

Best Performance Medals and Subject Prizes honoured outstanding students, while the ceremony reinforced SLIM’s mission to develop competent, globally competitive marketing professionals. An after-party followed for networking and celebration.

Iconic Mon Bridge rafts get facelift

KANCHANABURI: Authorities in Sangkhla Buri district are reorganising the floating rafts surrounding the Mon Bridge following a multi-agency agreement aimed at restoring views of the landmark and upgrading management of the popular tourist attraction.

District chief Suriyasak Muean-uam chaired a meeting with 16 agencies — including Khao Laem National Park, Wang Ka municipality, security forces and community leaders — to follow up on an inspection by the Ombudsman’s chief inspector.

The meeting agreed in principle to zone the waterway. The northern side of Uttamanusorn Bridge, also known as Mon Bridge, will be an open zone where residential and permanently moored rafts are banned. Existing rafts in this section will be moved south of the bridge or around the river bend, where they can be grouped for easier oversight, Mr Suriyasak said.

Authorities will initially prioritise 14 traditional raft operators and residents whose details were recorded in prior surveys. Operators who refuse to cooperate, violate the new layout, or occupy spaces unlawfully will face strict legal enforcement.

Officials also stressed the need for proper wastewater and sanitation systems in the regrouped zones to prevent pollution, curb the spread of disease and boost safety. Further public hearings and stakeholder consultations will be held before finalising the zoning and enforcement measures, Mr Suriyasak added.