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Cyprus FM continues meetings in NY, regional developments-bilateral ties on agenda

Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos continued his contacts and meetings in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Regional developments and bilateral ties were on the agenda.

The Minister met Monday (NY time) with his counterparts from the UAE and India, among other officials. Kombos posted on X that it is always a privilege to meet his dear friend and colleague, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE.

”Exchanged views on reinforcing our strategic partnership, reaffirming excellent – bilateral ties. I also expressed full support for rapid progress in EU-UAE relations. Held insightful exchange on key regional files, and once again expressed solidarity with UAE’s Government and people”, Kombos posted on X.

The Minister also met with Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of the UAE, with a focus on implementing the Cyprus-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Energy Partnership and implementing next steps ahead.

Kombos held also a meeting with PM/FM of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Than. “Reaffirmed the shared objective for regional stability and security. We also reviewed bilateral relations and examined concrete ways to further enhance them”, he said.

The Minister also attended an informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in the margins of UNGA with Indo-Pacific partners, hosted by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas.

He said that on the agenda was the effective multilateralism for the prevention and management of security crises, EU and Indo-Pacific cooperation, including on maritime, critical-infrastructure security and emerging technologies and economic security, resilience, diversification of critical supply chains.

Kombos accompanied President Nikos Christodoulides with his meeting with King of Jordan Abdullah with Cyprus-Jordan bilateral relations, EU-Jordan relations and regional developments on the agenda.

Talks on how to strengthen bilateral cooperation, regional developments, as well as EU-Algeria relations were on the agenda of the meeting Kombos had with his counterpart.

Aequitas Research tracks Mynt IPO as major ECM event

The upcoming initial public offering of Mynt Inc., the parent company of GCash, is being tracked by independent Asia-Pacific equity-capital-markets research firm Aequitas Research, placing the PSE-approved listing among significant regional equity-market transactions being watched by investors.

Aequitas Research specializes in independent research on initial public offerings and share placements across the Asia-Pacific region, providing an investor perspective separate from investment banks directly involved in an IPO.

The research firm’s monitoring is significant because the Mynt offering is expected to be one of the largest equity transactions in Philippine market history, with up to 8.03 billion shares to be offered at a maximum price of ?10 apiece.

The Philippine Stock Exchange has approved Mynt’s listing application, with the final offer price scheduled to be determined on October 1 following the book-building process, the public offer set for October 6 to 12, and the tentative listing scheduled for October 20 under the ticker symbol GCASH.

In simple terms, the significance of Aequitas’ attention to the transaction is that the GCash IPO is being viewed not only as a large Philippine corporate fundraising exercise but also as an equity-market event with relevance to investors beyond the country.

For the Philippine capital market, however, one of the most important questions is not only how much money Mynt can raise but how many Filipinos the IPO can bring into the stock market as actual shareholders.

PSE President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon Monzon has said the availability of IPO subscription through GStocks in the GCash app could result in a significant increase in new retail investors.

This is important because retail investors are reportedly ordinary individuals who buy shares using their own money, rather than large institutions such as investment funds, banks or insurance companies.

In layman’s terms, the GCash IPO could make the stock market more accessible to people who already use the GCash app for everyday financial transactions but have never owned shares in a publicly listed company.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has similarly said the size and reach of Mynt’s offering could help deepen retail participation and bring more Filipinos into the capital market as investors and shareholders, rather than remaining only users of financial services.

This potential is particularly relevant because GCash already has a large consumer base, while its GStocks service has introduced stock-market investing to users through a digital platform.

The importance of the IPO to the broader capital market, therefore, may ultimately extend beyond the performance of Mynt shares after listing.

If more first-time investors become familiar with buying and owning shares, the transaction could help expand the country’s pool of retail investors and make equity ownership a more familiar form of long-term investment.

At the same time, greater retail participation also requires stronger investor education and consumer protection, particularly because first-time investors may be unfamiliar with IPO procedures and could become targets of fraudulent offers and online scams.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center has already raised concerns about possible fake IPO websites, fraudulent social-media accounts, bogus agents, phishing messages and other schemes targeting people who may be buying stocks for the first time.

For the Philippine capital market, the Mynt IPO therefore represents two related opportunities: the ability of the local exchange to accommodate a large technology-company offering and the possibility of bringing a much wider segment of the public into formal equity investing.

The PSE has said the listing could also encourage more fintech and digital-economy companies to consider raising capital through the equities market.

The ultimate measure of the IPO’s broader market impact, however, will depend on actual investor participation, the final offer price, trading performance after listing and whether new investors remain active in the market beyond the Mynt offering.

For now, the Aequitas Research attention adds another indication that the GCash IPO is being viewed in the context of the wider Asia-Pacific equity-capital market, while Philippine regulators and the PSE are looking at its potential to broaden participation in the country’s own capital market.

Two students win scholarships for creative skills training at IMC26

Two secondary school students have received scholarships for practical training in photography and graphic design as part of efforts by the organisers of the 2026 Ibadan Media Conference (IMC26) to empower young people with creative skills.

The scholarships were awarded on Saturday, at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Trinity Assembly, Adeoyo, Ring Road, Ibadan.

The beneficiaries are Adetumobi Iren, an SS3 student of The Apostolic Faith Secondary School, Ososami road, Ibadan, who received a scholarship for photography training, and Folorunsho Rachel, an SS2 student of Sacred Heart Secondary School, Liberty road, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, who also received a scholarship for graphic design training.

The convener of the programme, Temidayo Adesuyi, said the initiative was designed to ensure that the conference went beyond discussions and inspiration by creating practical opportunities for young people.

He said many young people were interested in acquiring creative skills, but often lacked access to the necessary training and resources.

‘Rather than just telling young people to learn a skill, we wanted to take a step towards actually helping some of them get started,’ he said.

The scholarships will support the students’ training in their respective fields, while the organisers are expected to engage their schools to determine the appropriate structure for the training and support.

Adesuyi said the initiative would help the beneficiaries acquire skills, build confidence, develop portfolios and explore opportunities that could enable them to earn an income in the future.

He described the scholarships as a starting point and expressed hope that the initiative will expand in subsequent editions of the conference.

BSP must check more inflation, growth data

EVEN against the backdrop of a weak local currency and the resurgence of global oil prices, the central bank still has to scrutinize more data on inflation, growth, exchange rate and capital flows as it must be sure to maintain ‘sufficient interest-rate support,’ according to a former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) deputy governor.

‘The challenge for the BSP is to maintain sufficient interest-rate support without making the cost of capital so high that it begins to damage the very growth and investment that the economy needs,’ former BSP Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo told the BusinessMirror in a Viber message.

Asked if the central bank should continue raising interest rates given the weak local currency and high oil prices, Guinigundo said the BSP ‘should be data-dependent,’ hence the need to gather more data on inflation and growth, exchange rate and capital flows.

This, the former BSP deputy governor stressed, as he weighed the advantages of raising the policy rate further against the risks that would come with further tightening.

Guinigundo explained that a higher rate can strengthen the peso, anchor inflation expectations and support portfolio flows.

However, he pointed out that if the policy rate ‘stays high for too long,’ it can ‘unnecessarily suppress domestic demand, investment and employment.’

‘In short, a relatively high rate can buy monetary and exchange-rate stability, but it comes at a cost,’ added the former central bank deputy governor.

Moving forward, Guinigundo said it is more important to look at the real policy rate and interest-rate differential after adjusting for inflation and exchange-rate expectations rather than the nominal policy rate alone.

‘That distinction is particularly important now because the BSP is already dealing with both inflationary pressures and peso weakness; its recent decision explicitly cited the need to anchor inflation expectations and mitigate broader price pressures,’ he also told this newspaper.

In an earlier commentary, the former central bank deputy governor explained that the issue is not simply whether the BSP should raise, hold or eventually cut its policy rate.

‘The more fundamental question is whether monetary policy is sufficiently restrictive in real terms to bring inflation back to target and keep expectations firmly anchored,’ Guinigundo noted.

The Monetary Board, the highest policy-making body of the BSP, has raised the key interest rate by a total of 75 basis points since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, delivering three separate quarter-point rate hikes at the Monetary Board’s rate-setting meetings held on April 23, June 18, and August 27.

These policy actions brought the Target Reverse Repurchase (RRP) Rate to 5 percent.

Top govt officials denied US visas for UN meeting

Vice President Jessica Alupo last evening landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Manhattan, New York, to attend the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which opens today under the theme ‘Restoring trust, managing transformation: UN that delivers for all.’

Ms Alupo, as the head of the Ugandan delegation, diplomatic sources said, is one of only five granted entry visas to the United States.

Others included her bodyguard, Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi, Health ministry Permanent Secretary Dr Diana Atwine, and Foreign Affairs Minister Adonia Ayebare.

This perhaps is the smallest known Ugandan delegation to travel from Kampala for an international summit. Typically, between 30 and 50 officials from various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) have travelled for the UNGA meetings every September, even after President Museveni variously talked tough on restricting foreign travel by public servants to cut wasteful public expenditure.

This time round, multiple diplomatic sources told Daily Monitor that senior government officials ‘were left in shock,’ with even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ‘not able to work any magic’ to persuade the US embassy in Kampala to grant them visas to travel to New York.

‘Many [officials] begged, others pleaded for intervention, but there was nothing much we could do,’ a senior diplomat told this newspaper. Even VP Alupo was allowed only an aide, and diplomats at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also denied visas.

The sources said the five granted visas were drawn from a ‘compromise’ list of eleven officials, later trimmed to seven, and eventually whittled to five.

The US government, in this case its embassy in Kampala, upholds discretion on who is granted an entry visa.

In response to inquiries by this newspaper, the US Embassy in Kampala yesterday maintained: ‘Visa records are confidential under US law; and we cannot discuss the details of individual visa cases.’

Diplomatic sources, speaking to this newspaper, however, attributed the visa rejections to the Ebola outbreak in the region since May 15. Uganda reported 21 confirmed and probable cases and three deaths by July 16. Nonetheless, the country was cleared by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on August 27.

The government has stepped up vigilance and active cross-border surveillance, especially as the outbreak appears to be raging next door in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with 7,400 cases and 3,600 deaths.

Despite Uganda’s containment of the outbreak, sources indicated that the American government, a key benefactor for Kampala’s health programmes, grew tense about the resurgence of cases during the recent week’s long burial rituals and mourning for King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV- who was laid to rest on September 12-during which motley groups of people intermingled.

Kampala and Washington, according to sources, quietly agreed not to raise public alarm about the matter, but to continue monitoring the situation.

Even then, despite the Africa CDC and WHO giving Uganda a clean bill of health, several countries around the world continue to impose entry bans, temporary suspensions, or heightened screening for travellers from Uganda, South Sudan, and DRC.

The US CDC’s website states that travellers from DRC, including US citizens and nationals, who have been in the country within 21 days before departure, will not be allowed to board commercial flights with US destinations. Similarly, US citizens and nationals who have been present in Uganda or South Sudan (and not present in DRC) within 21 days of arrival in the US must only enter through designated airports for enhanced screening.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja faced hurdles last week in entering Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and raised the issue of ‘travel restrictions’ during a meeting with the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The UAE slapped travel restrictions on travel from Kampala on June 6 in response to the Ebola outbreak.

The 81st session of UNGA opens today under the theme ‘Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all’ through next week on Monday. UNGA is the assembly of the 193 UN member countries.

The theme for this year’s meeting comes against the backdrop of continuing setbacks in multilateralism and rising stakes in international diplomacy, first tested by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and further strained early this year by the US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and the joint US-Israeli assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Multilateralism is the prevailing world order agreed upon 81 years ago after World War II and requires countries to follow international norms and principles and adhere to international institutions such as the UN.

However, the system has come under immense strain over the years, especially with some superpowers such as the US acting unilaterally to protect national interests.

VP Alupo is scheduled to address the session tomorrow afternoon alongside the heads of state and governments of Poland, Namibia, Slovakia, Kenya, Serbia, Mozambique, Guinea, Eswatini, Burundi, Germany, Spain, Australia and Rwanda.

Functional, feel-good wellness with Gutta Glow

The brand officially launches on September 16 at Palm Grove and Garden, The Rockwell Club, with a coffee-rave-inspired celebration bringing together media, creators, partners, friends, and guests.

For the four founders, however, the launch is only the beginning.

‘We’re not trying to tell people to completely change their lives overnight,’ says (Jr) Marf. ‘Sometimes, leveling up starts with something as simple as what you choose to drink.’ Adds Mikee.

For more information and updates, follow GUTTA GLOW (@guttaglowofficial) on its official social media platforms.

The brand officially launches on September 16 at Palm Grove and Garden, The Rockwell Club, with a coffee-rave-inspired celebration bringing together media, creators, partners, friends, and guests.

For the four founders, however, the launch is only the beginning.

‘We’re not trying to tell people to completely change their lives overnight,’ says (Jr) Marf. ‘Sometimes, leveling up starts with something as simple as what you choose to drink.’ Adds Mikee.

For more information and updates, follow GUTTA GLOW (@guttaglowofficial) on its official social media platforms.

Highlights: Day 28 of Sara Duterte impeachment trial | Sept. 22, 2026

The Senate impeachment court wrapped up Day 28 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s trial on Tuesday with presiding officer Senator-judge Francis Escudero announcing that Wednesday’s session would be devoted to oral arguments on the conviction-vote threshold, with no witness taking the stand.

Each party will be given 15 minutes to argue, after which senator-judges may ask questions before voting on a motion or appeal-cum-motion for reconsideration filed by Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo.

The threshold debate centers on whether the number of votes required to convict Duterte should remain at 16, a question that has divided the court and now demands a formal ruling.

House lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro of Batangas told the Senate impeachment court that Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima will lead the prosecution panel during Wednesday’s oral arguments, while the defense said it has yet to decide who will lead its team.

Private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan sharpened the prosecution’s case against the vice president following Davao City Mayor Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte’s statement that he was unaware that his sister holds an interest in GenCorp Industries Inc.. Kapunan called it a ‘confession’ and a failure to exercise ‘due diligence.’ GenCorp Industries has extensive links to Davao City through multiple local government contracts and is central to allegations of unexplained wealth in the trial.

The impeachment court served a subpoena on Baste Duterte, with two members of the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms traveling to Davao City to deliver the order personally. The subpoena directs the Davao City Mayor to appear before the Senate from September 28 to 30 at 10 a.m. and to produce certified true copies of relevant documents.

Separately, the prosecution confirmed during Day 28 that Jaime Tan Cruz, identified as an incorporator of businesses in which Sara Duterte declared holding shares, had previously served as special envoy to China for trade and investments under former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Ondo govt, varsity unions resolve wage dispute

The Ondo State Government and unions in the state-owned universities have resolved the lingering dispute over the implementation of the new Federal Government and university unions’ wage structure and allowances.

The agreement followed a series of meetings between officials of the state government, led by Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, and the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU).

Under the agreement, the state government approved the full domestication of the Federal Government-ASUU agreement on the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS) for academic staff of the state-owned universities.

The implementation, according to the government, will take into account the peculiarities of the state, while outstanding issues relating to salary adjustments, allowances and other welfare matters will also be addressed.

Aiyedatiwa, who described education as a cardinal priority of his administration, said the approval was aimed at improving workers’ welfare and ensuring that the state’s universities remained competitive.

He said, ‘Our administration will continue to prioritise the welfare of workers, especially in the education sector, because we understand that a motivated workforce is key to academic excellence.

‘We have approved the FGN-ASUU pact for our universities because we want our institutions to compete favourably and our staff to be at par with their counterparts elsewhere.’

The governor also assured the unions that his administration would continue to engage stakeholders to sustain industrial harmony and prevent incessant strikes in the state’s tertiary institutions.

Reacting to the development, the ASUU chapter of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, commended the governor for what it described as his ‘listening disposition’ and approval of the agreement.

In a letter to the governor signed by its Secretary, Dr Y.K. Kazeem, the union said the intervention demonstrated Aiyedatiwa’s commitment to workers’ welfare and showed that his administration was ‘worker-friendly’.

The unions pledged to reciprocate the gesture by ensuring academic stability and improved productivity in the state-owned universities.

Kano task force arrests 380 suspects, secures 230 convictions in two months

The Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking says it has arrested more than 380 suspects and secured over 230 convictions within two months of its inauguration.

The Chairman of the Task Force, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, disclosed this on Tuesday at a press briefing on the committee’s activities and achievements since its inauguration by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf on July 22, 2026.

Rimin Gado said the Task Force had intensified joint enforcement and dislodgment operations across the state as part of efforts to tackle drug abuse, illicit trafficking, thuggery, and related crimes.

He said the operations had led to the dismantling of several drug joints and criminal hideouts, including areas around Race Course, Filin Idi, Filin Mahaha, Tashar Rami, Kawo, and Tashar Rimi.

According to him, the operations resulted in the arrest of more than 380 suspects and the recovery of assorted illicit substances, including Cannabis sativa, Exol-5, diazepam, pentazocine injections, tramadol, pregabalin capsules, and a designer drug containing methamphetamine.

The chairman also disclosed that security operatives recovered locally made weapons, including knives, cutlasses, daggers, and clubs, allegedly used by suspected drug dealers and thugs to terrorize residents and resist arrest.

Rimin Gado expressed concern over the alleged diversion of about 870,000 Pregabalin capsules from a pharmaceutical company in the state for illicit use.

He called on pharmaceutical companies, pharmacy managers, superintendent pharmacists, and other personnel to strengthen internal controls and ensure transparent supply chains, warning that anyone found culpable would face the law.

On convictions, the chairman said more than 230 suspects had been convicted, including two rubber-solution dealers, Kabiru Isa, popularly known as Mada, and Usman Hamisu, also known as Mani.

He said the two men were convicted for allegedly exposing 43 underage children engaged in street scavenging to intoxicants by supplying them with rubber solution instead of paying them for their services.

Rimin Gado said the rescued children had undergone medical examinations and were receiving counselling and treatment, while efforts were ongoing to identify and reunite them with their families.

He also disclosed that the Task Force was prosecuting a former chairman of Rogo Local Government Area, Yahuza Musa, over an allegation involving the administration of pentazocine to a 63-year-old woman.

According to him, a 24-year-old man had also alleged that he spent more than N10 million and surrendered a plot of land to purchase the same injection from the former local government chairman.

Rimin Gado said the former chairman had been charged before a competent court and that the case was ongoing.

In the fight against thuggery, popularly known as ‘Daba’, he said several suspected gang members had been arrested and convicted, including Abdullahi Ahmad, alias Horror; Abubakar Sada, alias Daburi; Abdullahi Sani, alias Sarki Ale; and Umar Aliyu.

He said some of the suspects had allegedly used social media to promote and encourage violent behavior, adding that their convictions would serve as a deterrent to others.

The chairman further disclosed a breakthrough against a phone-snatching syndicate known as ‘Yan Liya’, which allegedly uses commercial tricycles, popularly known as Adaidaita Sahu, to steal mobile phones.

He said the Task Force had arrested a suspected member of the syndicate, secured his conviction, and obtained the forfeiture of a tricycle allegedly used in the criminal activity.

Rimin Gado warned tricycle owners against knowingly allowing their vehicles to be used for criminal activities, saying the Task Force would pursue the forfeiture of any vehicle established to have been used as an instrument of crime.

Beyond enforcement, the chairman said the Task Force had embarked on sensitization campaigns in communities, religious institutions, schools, and markets to educate residents about the dangers of drug abuse.

He said about 125 individuals had also been referred to the Kano Reformatory Institute, Kiru, for rehabilitation.

Rimin Gado said the growing demand for rehabilitation had led to the Kano Reformatory Institute reaching capacity, prompting Governor Yusuf to provide an additional facility in Tofa Local Government Area.

He said the facility would be equipped and put into use immediately to accommodate more people seeking rehabilitation.

The chairman added that the Task Force was engaging industrial stakeholders on employment and skills-acquisition opportunities for rehabilitated youths.

He said the committee’s target was to take 10,000 youths off the streets, rehabilitate them, provide them with skills and reintegrate them into society as productive members of their communities.

Rimin Gado commended Governor Yusuf for what he described as his commitment and political will in establishing the multi-agency task force.

He also acknowledged the contributions of the NDLEA, police, DSS, NSCDC, Customs, Correctional Service, KOSSAP, Vigilante, Hisbah, KAROTA, and other security and community-based organizations.

He urged residents to continue providing timely and relevant information to the Task Force to support efforts to make Kano safer and address the challenges posed by drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

Air hostess heroin case advances

The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) has ordered the indictment of four suspects allegedly linked to a transnational drug trafficking network involving Thai Airways flight attendant Meena Kondo in a heroin smuggling case.

Ms Meena was accused of smuggling heroin into Australia. She was arrested on June 25 at Melbourne Airport, where authorities found about 1kg of heroin in her tote bags.

Watcharin Panurat, director-general at the Office of Investigation, on Monday said Attorney-General Itthiporn Kaewthip signed the indictment order on Sept 18 against four suspects.

They are Uthai “Jojo” Khanapiwat, Nantawat “Nat” Yingphatthanawong, Ekkawit Yongnichakun and Chantra Chanu.

Three male suspects — Mr Uthai, Mr Nantawat and Mr Ekkawit — have been arrested in Thailand. Mr Uthai allegedly acted as the courier, Mr Nantawat allegedly stored the drugs, while Mr Ekkawit allegedly delivered bags containing heroin to Ms Meena.

The four faced charges including jointly participating in a transnational criminal organisation and conspiring to commit drug offences, possessing heroin for sale with intent for commercial purposes, leading to distribution among the public and threats to state security or public safety.

The petition also requests the court to order the seizure of seven Thai elephant-patterned cloth bags and one mobile phone.

A separate investigation will examine allegations that suspects No.3 and No.4 helped others avoid punishment by damaging, concealing, removing or destroying evidence.

He said prosecutors have set up a team to participate in the investigation because parts of the case occurred outside Thailand. The team held a meeting with the Narcotics Suppression Bureau on Sept 9.

After the meeting, prosecutors found that they had not yet pursued another charge.

Investigators and prosecutors subsequently went to the prison to notify the suspects of the additional charge of attempting to export heroin and complete the case file before submitting it to the attorney-general.

The attorney-general assigned prosecutors from the Office of the Narcotics Case Litigation 9 to handle the case.

The prosecutors would file the indictment with the Criminal Court. Three suspects are in custody, while the fourth suspect, Ms Chantra, remains at large.

She is suspected of operating a Facebook account, “Rose Rose”, that contacted Ms Meena for the paid work of transporting the tote bags to Australia.