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Senate seeks tougher mining safety rules after 20 deaths in Kogi landslide

The Senate yesterday called for tougher safety regulations in Nigeria’s mining sector.

This followed a landslide that claimed 20 lives in a coal mining community in Kogi State.

The Red Chamber also directed the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to carry out a comprehensive audit of all licensed mining operators across the country to strengthen monitoring, enforcement and regulatory compliance.

Besides, the Senate urged the Federal Government, through the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Department (ASMD), to establish a statutory Mining Workers’ Compensation Scheme to be funded by mandatory contributions from licensed mining operators to provide compensation for occupational injuries, permanent disabilities, occupational diseases and deaths arising from mining activities.

In the House of Representatives, the lawmakers yesterday resolved to investigate allegations of corrupt enrichment, including the N2 billion account allegedly linked to a former State Commander of Mining Marshals and similar cases of compromise across the 36 states and the FCT.

The Senate’s resolutions followed the consideration of a motion sponsored by Senator Isah Jibrin Echocho (Kogi East) on the urgent need to address escalating safety risks, environmental hazards and humanitarian concerns associated with unsafe coal mining activities in Ankpa and other coal-bearing communities in Kogi State.

Leading the debate, Echocho recalled that a major landslide occurred on July 14 at Alufele in Enjema District of Ankpa Local Government Area, trapping artisanal miners underground while several trucks reportedly sank into mining pits during loading operations.

He said the incident claimed 20 lives and left several others injured, exposing the dangerous conditions under which many mining activities are carried out.

The senator attributed the recurring accidents to unsafe mining practices, particularly the widespread use of the room-and-pillar mining method without adequate structural reinforcement such as timber, steel or concrete supports.

Echocho also expressed concern over the siting of heavy-duty loading points close to unstable mining pits, warning that the practice further heightens geological instability and endangers miners, truck operators and nearby communities.

He lamented that many artisanal miners operate without formal employment contracts, health insurance, life insurance, social security or occupational hazard cover, leaving victims and their families without financial protection whenever accidents occur.

Contributing to the debate, senators sympathised with the bereaved families and called for adequate compensation for victims.

They also urged authorities to strengthen safety standards to prevent similar tragedies.

The Senate urged the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), in collaboration with the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, to introduce compulsory occupational accident insurance for all miners, including artisanal and small-scale operators working under recognised cooperatives or community mining arrangements.

It urged the Federal Government to establish a Mine Rehabilitation and Victims Support Fund to provide emergency medical care, rehabilitation, compensation for injured miners, educational support for children of deceased miners and means of livelihood for the affected families.

The Senate mandated its Committees on Solid Minerals Development, Environment, Labour, Employment and Productivity, and Health to interface with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on the implementation of the resolutions and report back within six weeks.

Also, adopting a motion on notice sponsored by Abdulmalik Danga (PDP, Kogi), the House of Representatives resolved to investigate the actions and performance of the Mining Marshals across the country to determine if they are operating within their lawful mandate.

The investigation is to cover source of funding for the recent purchase of operational vehicles, all external financial inflows, and the legal/budgetary provisions backing the expenditures of the Mining Marshal as well as statutory compliance of the unit’s creation, structure, and composition to recommend an internationally best-practiced and legally compliant security model.

Danga recalled that on March 21, 2024, the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Interior, inaugurated a specialised security unit known as the Mining Marshals Corps of over 2,200 personnel drawn from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

According to him, the government relied on section 3 of the NSCDC Act alongside the regulatory framework of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 to create the unit, adding that the primary objectives of establishing the Mining Marshals was to secure mining sites, eliminate illegal mining, curb banditry in mineral-rich communities, and safeguard federal revenues generated from the solid minerals sector.

According to him, there reports indicating a deviation from this mandate, characterised by allegations that the Mining Marshals lack deep operational knowledge of the mining sector, resulting in the wrongful apprehension and harassment of legitimate mineral title holders while misrepresenting these actions to the public as successful crackdowns on illegal operators;

He drew the attention of the parliament to grave allegations of financial impropriety within the unit, specifically the reported discovery of over ?2 billion in the bank account of a State Commander of the Mining Marshals.

The Kogi Lawmaker said instead of a formal judicial inquiry, prosecution, or internal disciplinary action, the said Commander (name and state not disclosed) was merely redeployed, fuelling allegations that the Marshals are being compromised by affluent illegal mining syndicates.

He alleged that there exist lack of fiscal transparency surrounding the unit, especially the recent procurement and allocation of operational vehicles to the Marshals without a clear record of legislative appropriation or budgetary allocation from the parent agency, thereby exposing the unit to extrabudgetary expenditure.

He said these operational and financial anomalies directly undermine Nigeria’s economic interests, resulting in mineral revenue leakages, heightened insecurity, and a deterioration of investor confidence in the solid minerals sector.

Senator assures AIG Jimoh of support in battle against insecurity

The Senator representing Lagos Central district, Wasiu Sanni Eshilokun, has assured the Assistant Inspector of Police in charge of Zone 2, AIG Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, of support.

He pledged his continued partnership on policing efforts across Lagos and Ogun states.

The Senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, visited the Zonal Headquarters in Onikan, Lagos, alongside members of his entourage.

According to him, the visit was to strengthen collaboration on public safety and security, commending AIG Jimoh for his professionalism and commitment to protecting lives and property.

He þpraised police officers for maintaining law and order despite ongh9oing security challenges. He urged them to remain steadfast in their duties, assuring them of his continued backing.

Responding, AIG Jimoh thanked the Senator for the visit, describing it as a demonstration of confidence in the Nigeria Police Force and an encouragement to officers making sacrifices to safeguard the country.

The AIG said Zone 2 was committed, under the leadership of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Rilwan Disu, to strengthening community policing and sustaining peace across Lagos and Ogun states. He added that the zonal command would continue working with stakeholders to ensure a safer environment for residents.

Anutin vows to continue peace talks after bomb blast

A car bomb explosion in Narathiwat has prompted a security investigation, with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul pledging continued peace talks and stronger measures to prevent further attacks.

The explosion occurred on Tuesday about 7.20pm outside the former Tanyong police station building in tambon Kaluwo Nuea of Muang district.

Unidentified individuals used a Toyota Soluna loaded with an improvised explosive device, pushing the vehicle towards the police station before it detonated.

The blast damaged nearby property and caused panic among local residents.

Firefighters quickly contained the blaze caused by the explosion, while police, soldiers, EOD officers and forensic experts secured the scene, collected evidence and began a hunt for those responsible.

In response, Mr Anutin on Wednesday said all agencies have been instructed to perform their duties to the fullest, with the highest priority being the protection of residents.

Regarding peace dialogue efforts, he said the efforts would continue under national intelligence chief Thanat Suwannanon, adding that discussions had also been held with Malaysian counterparts.

Mr Anutin said improving intelligence gathering and preventive measures are essential to counter those intent on carrying out such attacks.

According to media sources, deputy Narathiwat governor Wichan Chaisetsampan inspected checkpoints and security posts in the province’s economic safety zone on Monday night.

Meanwhile, the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Forward Command condemned the bombing, describing it as a brutal and immoral attack that endangered civilians and security personnel and sought to undermine peace in the area.

The agency said authorities would work together to identify and prosecute those responsible, while urging the public to report suspicious activity through the Isoc Region 4 Forward hotline 1341 or local security units.

Azerbaijan receives 1.09 million tourists in H1 2026

During January-June 2026, 1.0926 million people from 189 countries visited the Republic of Azerbaijan. This is 10.3% less compared to the same period last year, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the State Border Service, 28.1% of arrivals were citizens of the Russian Federation, 21.0% from Trkiye, 8.2% from Iran, 4.9% from Georgia, 4.6% from Kazakhstan, 3.2% from Uzbekistan, 2.9% from Pakistan, 2.8% from India, 2.6% from Israel, 2.4% from China, 1.8% from Saudi Arabia, 1.6% from Ukraine, 1.3% from Turkmenistan, and 1.1% each from Germany and the United Kingdom. Citizens of other countries and stateless persons accounted for 12.4% of total arrivals.

Of those arriving in the country, 68.7% were men and 31.3% were women.

Compared to January-June 2025, the number of arrivals from European Union member states increased by 9.3% to 54.4 thousand, while the number of arrivals from CIS countries increased by 1.8% to 430.4 thousand. At the same time, the number of arrivals from the Gulf countries decreased by 31.4% to 127.7 thousand, while the number of arrivals from other countries declined by 14.1% to 480.1 thousand.

Air travel remained the dominant mode of entry, accounting for 71.1% of arrivals, followed by rail and road transport at 27.5%, while 1.4% arrived by sea.

Meanwhile, the number of Azerbaijani citizens travelling abroad fell 5.1% year-on-year to 937,400 in the first six months of 2026, remaining 2.7 times below the level recorded in the first half of 2019.

Of Azerbaijani citizens traveling abroad, 41.5% traveled to Trkiye, 17.1% to the Russian Federation, 11.7% to Georgia, 6.2% to Iran, and 23.5% to other countries. Compared to the same period last year, travel to Trkiye increased by 3.5%, travel to Georgia increased by 0.2%, while travel to the Russian Federation decreased by 3.0%, and travel to Iran declined by 41.0%.

Among Azerbaijani citizens traveling abroad, 66.5% were men and 33.5% were women.

During the reporting period, 69.8% of Azerbaijani citizens traveling abroad used air transport, 28.1% used rail and road transport, and 2.1% traveled by sea.

Housing program reaches halfway mark amid rising construction costs and geopolitical risks

THE Marcos administration is halfway toward meeting its recalibrated housing target, but an economist warned that renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East could slow the pace of affordable housing construction by driving up building costs.

Data obtained by the BusinessMirror from the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) showed the government had produced or financed 575,693 housing units from July 2022 to June 2026.

Of the total, 81,295 units were delivered through direct housing provision, 368,731 were assisted through government financing programs, while 125,667 units were produced under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.

The total figure represents almost 51 percent of the administration’s recalibrated target of 1.13 million housing units by the end of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s term.

Earlier this year, the DHSUD recalibrated its housing goal for the Marcos administration to 1.13 million housing interventions, consisting of both directly built housing units and indirect forms of housing assistance. The latest target replaced the administration’s earlier goal of addressing 3.2 million housing needs by 2028.

Ateneo de Manila University economist Ser K. Peña-Reyes said the figures indicate progress but warned that several risks over the administration’s remaining two years could slow the construction and turnover of new housing units.

‘Affordable housing projects operate on relatively thin margins and are highly sensitive to cost increases,’ Peña-Reyes told the BusinessMirror.

He said housing projects are particularly vulnerable because construction materials such as cement, steel, copper, aluminum and imported finishing materials account for a significant share of total building costs.

If global commodity prices remain elevated or rise further because of geopolitical tensions, the economist said developers may have to absorb the higher costs, scale back projects, or delay construction.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the average cost of construction in May stood at P12,778.68 per square meter, 6.7 percent higher than the P11,974.75 recorded in the same month last year.

Separate PSA data also showed that both wholesale and retail prices of construction materials in Metro Manila have been on an upward trend.

As of June, wholesale prices rose by 2.9 percent, sharply higher than the 0.2 percent increase recorded in the same period last year. Meanwhile, retail prices increased by 1.8 percent, up from 1.1 percent a year earlier.

‘For government housing projects with fixed budgets, cost overruns can mean fewer housing units are ultimately delivered unless additional funding is appropriated,’ Peña-Reyes added.

Aside from pushing building costs, he said a sustained increase in global oil prices due to the Middle East conflict could also ripple across the construction sector by raising transportation costs for building materials, pushing up logistics and distribution expenses, and fueling broader inflation that could keep financing costs elevated.

The economist also said expected minimum wage adjustments across several regions in the coming months could add to the financial pressures facing housing projects.

Higher labor costs, he said, may lengthen construction timelines, including for government-backed housing initiatives, while further increasing project costs.

Peña-Reyes said the government’s biggest challenge in meeting its housing targets is likely not the demand for housing but the combined impact of rising construction costs and implementation bottlenecks.

‘If construction inflation stays moderate, the administration could continue expanding housing output, albeit below its original one-million-units-per-year ambition,’ he said.

‘However, if another major oil price shock or prolonged geopolitical disruption occurs, the government will likely have to either allocate more resources to housing or accept that fewer units can be delivered within the same budget.’

China’s durian imports from Thailand and Malaysia soar as glut pressures growers

China’s durian imports rose 47%, year on year, in the first half of 2026, with Thailand and Malaysia posting particularly strong gains, according to customs data, as Southeast Asian exporters offloaded a glut of the fruit that had sparked a price drop.

Thailand exported nearly US$3.79 billion worth of the pungent spiky fruit shipped to China in the first half of 2026, the Chinese customs data showed, taking an 81% share of the market. Thai shipments reached $2.56 billion in the first half of 2025, also nearly 81% of the total.

Vietnam came in second place over the first six months of 2026 with $846 million, or 18%, of the total inbound shipments.

Thai durians maintain an edge in preference for Chinese consumers, with a mature logistics and quality-control infrastructure that has given the fruit a sterling reputation. Vietnam, which received approval to ship fresh durians to China in 2022, ramped up exports last year but has been stung by occasional quality-control issues.

Malaysia, a relative newcomer in the Chinese fresh durian market, shipped $30.26 million worth of the fruit to China in the first six months of this year, up 342% compared with the same period in 2025, the data showed.

The import volume in the first half of 2026, from all countries, was 1.07 million tonnes, up from 708,000 in the first six months of last year.

Expansion of China-Laos Railway services and Chinese e-commerce have elevated Southeast Asia’s durian exports to China – the world’s biggest market with 90% of all durians consumed.

Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are “experiencing an oversupply” during the main durian harvest season – in progress now – as orchards reach full production and grow faster than demand, said Lim Chin Khee, an adviser to the Durian Academy, a Malaysian institution that trains growers.

“Demand from China remains strong in the long term, but it has not expanded at the same pace as production, resulting in downward pressure on prices during the peak season,” Lim said. Southeast Asian media outlets estimated price drops in China of 14 to 20% year-to-date.

“Wholesale prices in China have softened due to increased supply from multiple origins, higher inventories and more cautious consumer spending.”

Agricultural officials in Malaysia, where Lim said that a maturation of durian trees planted six to 10 years ago was exacerbating the glut, have asked China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) to open a land-based shipping route, the Southeast Asian country’s state news agency Bernama reported on July 2.

The land route would shorten delivery times.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has separately promised durian growers in the southern state of Johor that he would discuss falling durian prices with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a visit to Beijing in August.

The Vietnamese government is also still working with China to boost durian exports by improving quality, said Nguyen Thanh Trung, a political scientist at Fulbright University in Vietnam.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, GAC deputy director Wang Jun pointed to durians as an example of how expanding import channels had boosted consumer choices.

“Sources of imported durians have continued to expand,” Wang said. “The fruit is now widely available at neighbourhood fruit shops, offering consumers more choices at more affordable prices.”

Plateau youths urge Tinubu to review college CEO appointment

The Concerned Plateau Youth Forum has called on President Bola Tinubu to review the appointment of Prof. Abdullahi Ahmed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, saying the process should reflect the Federal Character Principle.

The group made the appeal during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, where it expressed dissatisfaction with the appointment and urged the President to order a fresh and transparent selection process.

Addressing journalists, the forum’s convener, Nanla Nanzin, said the college, which is located in Plateau State and operates under the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), should be headed through a process that promotes equity, fairness and constitutional provisions on federal appointments.

According to Nanzin, Plateau State has qualified professionals in animal health, veterinary medicine and agricultural administration who are capable of leading the institution.

He alleged that qualified Plateau indigenes were overlooked in the appointment process and claimed that key stakeholders, including traditional rulers, youth groups and the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, were not adequately consulted.

Nanzin also expressed concern that the appointment could create avoidable tension if left unaddressed, while alleging a pattern of exclusion of Plateau indigenes from leadership positions in federal institutions located in the state.

He maintained that its position was not based on ethnicity, but on what it described as the need to uphold equity, justice and the Federal Character Principle enshrined in the Constitution.

Besides appealing to President Tinubu, Nanzin urged the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to engage the Presidency on the matter and called on Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang to intervene in defence of the state’s interests.

He also appealed to the Minister of Livestock Development to ensure fairness in appointments under the ministry, while asking the National Assembly to investigate the process leading to the appointment.

Nanzin further called on the Plateau State House of Assembly to pass a resolution on the matter and forward it to the Presidency, and urged the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria and other stakeholders to intervene.

He said the forum remained committed to peaceful engagement and was not calling for the shutdown of the institution.

Child account removals on TikTok in Kenya fall sharply

China social media company TikTok removed 48,739 accounts suspected to belong to users under the age of 13 in the quarter to March 2026, marking a 47.98 percent drop compared to the preceding quarter’s 93,704-signalling the gains of previous purges on child users.

Children aged 13 and over are allowed to use the TikTok platform, which is highly popular with teenagers.

‘TikTok removed 48,739 accounts suspected to belong to users under the age of 13, a violation of its Community Guidelines, highlighting the platform’s commitment to protecting younger users online,’ the platform said.

The social media company disclosed that overall, it removed 884,591 videos in Kenya for violating its community guidelines.

This is a jump from the previous quarter to December, when 820,552 videos from the country were taken down, pointing to an increasing generation of content from Kenya that does not meet its safety rules and a heavy reliance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) moderation tools to police content.

TikTok’s Community Guidelines ban content that promotes violence, criminal activity, hate speech, harassment, or abuse. Users are not allowed to post material that encourages violence.

‘In the first quarter of 2026, TikTok removed 884,591 videos for violating its Community Guidelines in Kenya. 99.7 percent of these videos were proactively removed before anyone reported them, while 96.3 percent were taken down within 24 hours of posting,’ said TikTok.

‘These figures underscore TikTok’s continued investment in advanced detection systems and rapid response mechanisms designed to limit the spread of harmful content.’

Social media companies, including Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, are turning to AI-powered content moderation to detect, flag, and remove harmful content, such as graphic violence and hate speech.

These systems utilise machine learning and natural language processing to handle vast volumes of data, reducing the burden on human teams. While AI accelerates the process, human moderators are mostly still used for final, nuanced, or borderline decisions.

‘Automated removals, including those by AI, now make up more than 96 percent of total removals,’ the social media platform said.

In Kenya, TikTok interrupted 103,847 LIVE rooms for violation of guidelines in the quarter to March 2026.

The platform recorded a proactive removal rate of 99.7 percent in Kenya in the three months to March 2026. Proactive removal means identifying and removing a video before it’s reported, which was significantly high, aided by the use of AI.

TikTok removed 96.3 percent of the harmful videos within 24 hours of posting on the platform.

‘In Quarter 1 of 2026, TikTok removed 14,261 videos under our policy for edited media and AI-generated content (AIGC),’ the firm added.

TikTok requires creators to label realistic AIGC. The site forbids content related to human trafficking, sexual exploitation, or abuse of adults or children.

While TikTok welcomes political conversations, remarks that create or pose a substantial danger of harm are removed.

Harassment, bullying, and doxing are also prohibited.

To safeguard users’ mental health, content that depicts suicide, self-harm, risky stunts, or eating disorders is prohibited.

Additionally, TikTok prohibits graphic violence, animal abuse, and explicit sexual content. It also eliminates false information, especially about elections, public health, and civic processes, and mandates that AI-generated or significantly modified media be disclosed.

’Fed Govt committed to implementing deals from Nigerian-German Bi-national Commission’

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has asserted that Nigeria is committed to implementing the outcomes of the Nigerian-German Bi-National Commission.

This is as trade volume between both countries increased by 10% in 2025.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who reiterated Nigeria’s commitment during an audience with the visiting German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Johann Wadephul, in Abuja also said that Nigeria is firmly committed to strengthening its relationship with Germany.

She also highlighted areas of collaboration between both countries, which include renewable energy, digital innovation, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure development and the green economy.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu said: ‘Nigeria remains firmly committed to strengthening its relationship with Germany in a manner that delivers tangible benefits for our peoples while contributing to regional and global peace, security and sustainable development. We believe there is considerable scope to deepen our collaboration in emerging areas such as renewable energy, digital innovation, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure development and the green economy.’

Stressing the importance of the Bi-national Commission, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said: ‘The Nigerian-German Bi-national Commission has continued to serve as the cornerstone of our bilateral engagement. The successful convening of the 2025 Session of the Commission reaffirmed our shared commitment to expanding cooperation across key sectors and provided a practical roadmap for advancing our strategic partnership.

‘Since that meeting, Nigeria has remained committed to implementing the agreed outcomes. We have continued to advance economic reforms aimed at improving the investment climate, strengthening governance, expanding opportunities for private sector participation and promoting sustainable economic growth. We have also intensified engagement with German institutions and investors in sectors of mutual priority, while sustaining cooperation on migration management, vocational education, renewable energy and security.’ She, therefore, said that Nigeria is looking forward to the next session of the Bi-national Commission ‘as an opportunity to review the progress made, address outstanding issues and identify new areas of cooperation that reflect the changing realities of our economies and the aspirations of our peoples.’

She also commended Germany for its longstanding support for the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, saying ‘Germany has remained a dependable partner in promoting regional integration, democratic governance, peace-building, conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance and institutional capacity development within the West African region.’

‘As the current regional security landscape continues to evolve, particularly with the threats posed by terrorism, violent extremism, unconstitutional changes of government and transnational organized crime, sustained international partnerships remain indispensable. Nigeria welcomes Germany’s continued collaboration with ECOWAS and looks forward to even greater cooperation in strengthening regional peace, security and economic resilience,’ she added.

The minister also used the opportunity to invite German businesses to tap into opportunities created by the ongoing reforms by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s led administration.

The minister expressed hope of a better relationship between the two countries.

In his remarks, Wadephul noted the longstanding strategic relationship that has existed between his country and Nigeria for over 65 years.

He recalled that Germany opened its embassy in Lagos barely three days after Nigeria gained Independence in 1960.

The visiting minister, who was accompanied by top officials of government and businessmen, disclosed that as Nigeria’s biggest European trading partner bilaterally, the volume of trade grew by 10 per cent last year.

He assured that the Nigeria-Germany Business Forum will continue to deepen trade among the two countries, adding that with his visit, many more German investors will be investing in the country.

He further noted his country’s interest in Nigeria’s energy sector, stressing that the Nigeria-Germany Bilateral Commission was performing optimally.

He also reiterated that Germany would continue to support the West African Economic Community (ECOWAS) in tackling insecurity in the region caused by terrorism and violent extremism in the Sahel.

He looked forward to working closely with his Nigerian counterpart in bolstering the strategic relationship between the two countries.

Panitchaphon keeps Thai hopes alive

Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul kept the Thai hopes alive in Changzhou after the 21-year-old rising star booked his berth in the last 16 of the US$2 million BWF China Open on Wednesday.

Panitchaphon is the only Thai player left in the men’s singles event after Kunlavut Vitidsarn suffered a shock early exit on Wednesday in the season’s final Super 1000 tournament.

Panitchaphon edged Koki Watanabe of Japan in two tough games, 21-19, 21-19, to advance to the last 16 after 43 minutes. Awaiting the Thai star in the last 16 on Thursday is home favourite and world No.1 Shi Yuqi of China.

Shi came through his first round match when his Singaporean opponent Jason Teh retired with an injury during the second game on Tuesday.

Meanwhile world No.2 Kunlavut suffered a shock loss in his opening match against the 30th-ranked Rasmus Gemke of Denmark, 21-13, 8-21, 21-19 in 71 minutes.

The loss continues a poor spell for the Thai star, who lost to Yushi Tanaka — another opponent he should have beaten — in the quarter-finals of the Japan Open last week. Kunlavut won his only title this year at the season-opening Malaysia Open back in January.

The Thai contingent suffered more blows as both Supanida Katethong and Pornpawee Chochuwong crashed out in the opening round of the women’s singles event.

Supanida tamely lost to Akane Yamaguchi 21-13, 21-1 — her 10th consecutive loss against the Japanese — while Pornpawee, the eighth seed, retired during her first round match against Huang Yu-hsun of Taiwan.

Women’s singles player Pitchamon Opatniputh and mixed doubles pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Supissara Paewsampran were scheduled to play their first round matches later on Wednesday.

Also on Thursday, Ratchanok Intanon and Busanan Ongbamrungphan, who both needed three games to overcome their first round opponents on Tuesday, will play Nguyen Thuy Linh of Vietnam and sixth seed Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia respectively.

Mixed doubles pair Pakkapon Teeraratsakul/Sapsiree Taerattanachai will take on sixth seeds Tom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue of France while women’s doubles players Benyapa Aimsaard/Nuntakarn Aimsaard will play either Kim Hye-Jeong/Kong Hee-Yong of South Korea or Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Meilysa Trias Puspitasari of Indonesia.