What it means to lead a creative life

IN her book, The Creativity Choice: The Science of Making Decisions to Turn Ideas into Action, Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle writes about how to use emotional intelligence to manage the creative process, regardless of industry or job role.

As communicators, we certainly can appreciate her thoughts on this. After all, she is a senior researcher at the Yale Center of Emotional Life.

After all, ‘creativity is the powerhouse that differentiates good organizations from great ones. It goes beyond generating ideas. It is about the long process of developing ideas for more effective performance and the process of building abstract notions into concrete products.’

Fast Company recently interviewed Dr. Pringle, and here she shares one of her top tips for fueling creativity.

Noticing emotions to identify opportunities

‘Entrepreneurs are skilled at identifying opportunities by reading their own and others’ feelings,’ says Dr. Pringle.

She cites Apoorva Mehta who hated everything about the grocery shopping experience, and used this feeling to found Instacart. With this, he created a way to shop for groceries from one’s phone.

Likewise, Melissa Butler founded Lip Bar to counter her frustration with the beauty industry. Its products are vegan and cruelty- free, and offer a wide variety of vibrant lip colors and complexion products.

She encourages innovators inside organizations to do the same. For example, ‘when a supervisor in a food service unit of a major hospital realizes his workers are exhausted, he’s identifying a problem in need of a creative solution.’

As a result, the hospital redesigned the workflow, reducing worker burnout and improving their accuracy on the job.

Taking advantage of thinking/feeling connections

Emotion scientists have discovered moods boost different kinds of thinking.

When we feel positive, energized, and enthusiastic, these are the best times for brainstorming and charting new ideas.

When we are feeling subdued or even sullen, these are times best for critical thinking.

‘To optimize creative work, it takes skill to match different moods and tasks which benefit from them, ‘says Dr. Pringle. Feeling playful? Come up with new ideas for a project. Feeling down? Review and revise.

Generating emotions

Remember we have more power over emotions than we realize. You can create the mood that is more helpful at the moment. Recall a past win. Put on a song that inspires you.

Another skill is generating emotions to communicate and inspire. ‘Leaders skilled at communicating their passion to inspire others end up having workers who are clear about their responsibilities and goals,’ says Dr. Pringle.

Using emotional intelligence to build a climate for creativity and innovation

A Yale study including more than 14,000 people across industries in thee US asked workers to describe how their supervisors act in emotionally fraught situations. It shows that emotionally intelligent supervisors do four specific things.

1. They are skilled at reading emotions and acknowledge them. They realize when people are upset or worried about organizational or industry changes

2. They inspire enthusiasm and model decision-making that takes into account more optimistic and cautious voices.

3. Emotionally intelligent supervisors understand how their decisions or other events affect other people.

4. They are able to successfully manage their own emotions, and also help their team members when they are upset or frustrated.

‘If the goal is creativity and innovation, leaders should develop emotional intelligence skills,’ says Dr. Pringle.

When leaders develop these skills, ‘they notice how their team members feel, demonstrate understanding of how their decisions impact others, and help people deal with challenges at work. Investment in leadership development will pay off in capacity for innovation.’

PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association (IPRA), the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie Dizon, the Senior Vice President for Marketing and Communications of SM, is the former local chair.

Honorary president of Italian luxury brand Fendi named

FENDI recently announced that, from October 1st, Silvia Venturini Fendi is taking on the role of Honorary President of the Italian luxury brand, following her distinguished creative tenure, which included her direction of the women’s collections during the brand’s centennial year.

In her new capacity, she will focus on supporting Fendi’s heritage while continuing to champion the brand worldwide and promoting the house’s rich history, exceptional craftsmanship, and the world of Fendi Casa.

Silvia Venturini Fendi represents the third generation of the Fendi family. From 1992 until 2019, she seconded the late Karl Lagerfeld in the Artistic Direction. Since 1994, she was responsible for the Accessories and Menswear lines and lately, the Women’s collection.

‘These have been truly exciting years, a journey I have walked also in the name of my grandmother Adele, my mother Anna, and her sisters. My heart turns to Karl, an extraordinary master who granted me the honor of working by his side, teaching me the art of sharing, a defining quality in my family’s history of women, while guiding me to nurture and protect my own creative vision so that I could then fly on my own,’ says Silvia. ‘What a wonderful journey it has been, not only creatively but also from a human perspective: first through my bond with Karl Lagerfeld, then with Kim Jones and with my fantastic team, who over the years has become part of my family.’

‘Since 1992, Silvia has greatly contributed to shape Fendi’s creative direction and has been pivotal to the brand’s international success,’ says Ramon Rose, chairman and CEO of Fendi.

A new creative organization for Fendi will be announced in due course.

Cyprus Department of Meteorology – Forecast for the Sea Area of Cyprus (A)

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (A)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 0600 06/10/2025 UNTIL 0600 07/10/2025

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1013hPa (hectopascal)

Weak low pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine with locally increased cloud coverage at times.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 26°C

Warnings: NIL

At 65, Nigeria is stuck in a vicious circle: It’s time to break it!

President Bola Tinubu cancelled last week’s Independence Anniversary parade at the last minute. No reason was given for the cancellation beyond the government’s ‘deep regret’ for the ‘inconvenience caused’. Given that it was about Nigeria’s 65th anniversary as an independent state, a milestone, the cancellation was significant. Yet, in truth, it was just as well the parade was axed. For it would be an extraordinary act of self-deception to roll out the drums for Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary.

The sad truth is that, beyond the fact of its existence as a political entity, there’s little worthy of jubilation about Nigeria at 65. If that statement sounds outlandish, then consider the following three critical measures of a nation’s success: unity, security and prosperity. Add a fourth: state capacity. How well has Nigeria fared, at 65, on these indices of development? Abysmally, one must say!

Take unity, without which no country can succeed. Is there unity in Nigeria? Is there a shared sense of purpose? Nigeria is a deeply divided country, ethnically, politically, socially, and religiously. As a result of these domestic fissures, virtually every issue in Nigeria is viewed through sectional or sectarian lenses. What about security? Can Nigerians go about their daily activities without fear for life or safety? The answer is no. The spread and impunity of non-state violence routinely blight human lives in Nigeria. Last week, a young Arise TV News anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, died in an armed robbery incident in Abuja. (May her soul rest in peace!) Insecurity has turned Nigeria into a Hobbesian state of nature, where life is ‘nasty, brutish, and short’, as Thomas Hobbes put it in Leviathan.

Then, what about prosperity? Nigeria has one of the lowest per capita incomes in the world and was named the ‘poverty capital of the world’, with most of its citizens living below the poverty line. Yet, generating prosperity and engendering better living standards are part of what define a successful nation. But Nigeria is not generating prosperity for its people; instead of improving their living standards, it is pauperising them. Of course, Nigeria is also a deeply unequal country; the gap between the rich and the poor is so wide that the middle class has virtually vanished. Yet, the expansion of the middle classes is a test of a healthy nation.

Finally, what about state capacity? Well, it’s an open secret that Nigeria acutely lacks state capacity. This is a country where the government can’t deliver basic public services, where things like electricity, clean water, sewage systems, and public health, which citizens of most other countries take for granted, are luxuries. Of course, the Nigerian state is not only ineffective but also corrupt. Nigeria has long been ruled by narrow elites feathering their nets at the expense of society. Nigeria is a country where the government is not accountable and responsive to citizens; where citizens lack effective political rights; where they can’t keep politicians in check or easily get rid of corrupt and inept ones. Elections are not free and fair, thus, the citizens have no genuine voice in the political direction their country takes. With massive rigging, vote-buying and disenfranchisements, how could they? The foregoing is the state of Nigeria 65 years after its independence. If you think 65 years is not long enough to assess a country’s progress, then consider Nigeria’s peers at independence: South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia. Where are they today? Truth is, if Nigeria is not a failed state, it is certainly a fragile one. It has all the well-known symptoms of state fragility. Young and educated Nigerians are fleeing the country in droves to have the chance to experience rich-country living standards and opportunities that elude them at home. But here’s the paradox: the same Nigeria that seemingly can’t govern and transform itself from poverty to prosperity has citizens who are transforming other nations and running world bodies like the World Trade Organisation, ably led by Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a world-renowned technocrat. What, then, is the problem? Well, every symptom has a root cause. So, what are the root causes of Nigeria’s symptoms of state failure or fragility?

Let’s turn to the famous book Why Nations Fail, written by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson. The book has sold millions of copies worldwide and recently earned their authors the Nobel Prize in Economics. Its greatest insight is that nations fail because of their political institutions. Why? Because political institutions determine how a country is run, who has power and to what ends that power can be used; they determine the ability of citizens to control politicians and influence how they behave; and they determine the nature of economic institutions and who can take advantage of economic opportunities. In any country where the political structure centralises and concentrates power in the hands of a narrow elite, where there are no effective limitations on the use of power, especially checks against abuses of power and corrupt practices, progress is impossible because the exercise of political power in those circumstances will always put private interests above the public good.

Now, without an iota of doubt, Nigeria is what Acemoglu and Robinson describe as an ‘extractive’ state, where the distribution of power is narrow and unconstrained, where those with political power use their offices to amass wealth and use the wealth to sustain their power, and where there is absolutely no incentive for those in power to provide the basic public services that would improve the quality of life for ordinary people and to engender economic progress and prosperity for many, not a few. That’s the political, economic and social cul-de-sac that Nigeria is trapped in today, 65 years after independence. Historically, critical junctures, defined as major events that can cause a sharp turn in the trajectory of a nation, have disrupted existing balance of political and economic power in many countries, leading to structural transformations. For instance, the English Civil War and the American Civil War had transformative effects on those countries. But critical junctures have never transformed Nigeria from an extractive state to an inclusive one. Rather, any change is path dependent, reinforcing existing institutions, or just tinkering around them, like the piecemeal constitutional amendments. Yet, what Nigeria needs are systemic, root-and-branch structural reforms.

Sadly, Nigeria is caught in a vicious circle. Politicians who enriched themselves through the existing pernicious system, and who bought voters, electoral officers and judges to get to power, will defend the status quo to the hilt. Those in opposition, eyeing political power, will portray themselves as change agents. But if they get power, they too, with the same concentrated and unconstrained power, will do nothing to change the system. So, power struggle is not about transformative change but about capturing the state. That’s the vicious circle that is being perpetuated in Nigeria, deepening poverty, inequality and misery.

Yet, history is not destiny, and vicious circles can be broken. However, that requires everyone – the media, civil society groups and the wider society – to fight for transformative change through coherent and persistent political agitations. Of course, it won’t be easy: vicious circles create powerful forces towards the persistence of the status quo. But path dependency and vicious circles are antithetical to progress and prosperity. Nigeria must break free from them. At 65, it must embark upon a path to unity, stability and prosperity. In other words, it must restructure its polity!

World Teachers’ Day and Africa

Every year on 5th October, the world celebrates World Teachers’ Day, a moment to honour the women and men like Rev. Sr Margaret and Rev. Fr Martins McComboy who dedicate their lives to shaping the minds and hearts of future generations. It is a day to pause and reflect on teachers’ transformative role in building nations, nurturing values, and empowering individuals. For Africa, this commemoration carries a more profound urgency: the continent’s destiny depends on its teachers’ strength, resilience, and inspiration.

Teachers: Architects of the African future

Teachers are more than conveyors of knowledge; they are architects of character and catalysts of transformation. In classrooms from Lagos to Lusaka, from Cairo to Cape Town, teachers can ignite curiosity, cultivate discipline, and unleash potential. In Africa, where over 60 percent of the population is under 25, the teacher is central to unlocking the so-called ‘demographic dividend’. Without quality teaching, the continent’s youthful energy risks turning into frustration, unemployment, and instability. However, with inspired and well-supported teachers, Africa can raise a generation of innovators, leaders, and change-makers. Challenges facing teachers in Africa

Despite their critical role, many African teachers face overwhelming challenges:

1. Teacher Shortages: UNESCO estimates that Africa will need millions of new teachers by 2030 to meet universal education goals. Rural areas are hardest hit.

2. Low Pay and Motivation: Many teachers work under poor conditions, with salaries that barely sustain their families, leading to attrition and low morale.

3. Inadequate Training: Many teachers enter classrooms without sufficient professional preparation or access to continuous development.

4. Overcrowded Classrooms: In some countries, one teacher manages more than 70 students, limiting the possibility of personalised learning.

5. Digital Divide: The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the gulf in digital readiness, leaving teachers and students without access to practical e-learning tools.

The way forward: Reimagining teaching in Africa

World Teachers’ Day must inspire Africa to act decisively in transforming the teaching profession. Some priorities include:

1. Investing in teacher training: Governments and universities must expand teacher education programmes, embedding modern pedagogies, digital skills, and inclusive practices.

2. Improving welfare and recognition: Teachers should be paid decent wages, provided housing and healthcare benefits, and celebrated as national heroes.

3. Leveraging technology: E-learning platforms, AI-driven teaching aids, and open educational resources can support teachers and extend their reach, especially in underserved areas. 4. Reducing class sizes: Expanding infrastructure and recruiting more teachers will allow interactive and effective teaching.

5. Empowering teachers as leaders: Teachers should not only be seen as state employees but as partners in policy-making who shape the future of education.

Teachers as nation builders

In Africa’s journey of transformation, teachers are the unsung nation builders. They shape the doctors who heal, the engineers who build, the entrepreneurs who create jobs, and the leaders who govern. The African proverb reminds us: ‘If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ Teachers take us far, collectively and sustainably, by investing in generations we may never see.

History also affirms this truth. From Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, himself a teacher before becoming president, to Nelson Mandela, who famously declared that ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,’ Africa’s most outstanding leaders understood the sacred calling of teachers. Call to action:

On this World Teachers’ Day, I call upon:

Governments: Prioritise education budgets with a focus on teacher development and welfare.

Private sector: Invest in teacher-support initiatives, scholarships, and digital resources as part of corporate social responsibility.

Communities: Restore respect for teachers, ensuring they are valued as mentors and guides.

Teachers themselves: Continue to teach with passion, integrity, and resilience, knowing that you are shaping destinies and transforming societies.

Conclusion

World Teachers’ Day is not just a day to thank teachers; it is a call to reimagine teaching as the cornerstone of Africa’s transformation. The future of Africa will not be determined solely in boardrooms or parliaments, but in classrooms where teachers light the spark of possibility in young minds.

Let us therefore resolve to honour, empower, and support our teachers. The pen that writes the story of Africa’s tomorrow is in their hands.

BACC goes local

Bangkok Art and Culture Centre is a well-known as an art centre in Bangkok. This year, it launched the Local Networking Project to provide a platform for artists from other regions besides the capital. The project involves fieldwork in various locations across the country. Artists have the opportunity to explore local legends, folktales, unrecorded histories and contemporary community lifestyles.

The exhibition “Local Myths” was developed under the Local Networking Project. It displays art pieces created by individuals as well as group artists. The concept of “Local Myths” is intrinsic aesthetics, which focuses on exploring the beauty inspired by local legends, stories, beliefs and ways of life.

Penwadee Nophaket Manont, exhibition curator, explained that the idea of the Local Networking Project came about after she worked with local artists in three southern border provinces and Isan.

“I wanted to work with more artists in rural areas, so I proposed the project to BACC since the idea would bring variety to exhibitions there. When I visited other provinces, I invited artists from Bangkok and other countries to go on these trips with me to observe local artwork and conduct research. The project is not only about creating the exhibition, but also fosters exchanges which ripple through the art ecosystem,” Penwadee explained.

“Working with local artists was eye-opening and helped me realise that they had less opportunity to display their artwork. When an opportunity came up, it challenged them to improve their skills. After a decade of working with local artists, two artists — Prach Pimarnman, a lecturer at Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus and Asst Prof Adisak Phupa, a lecturer at Mahasarakham University — became role models to inspire their students and younger generations. Their artwork is collected by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture. Additionally, their work has been accepted and showcased in many countries.”

Here are some exhibition highlights

Title: Anonymous Letter

Artist Group: Melayu Living

Melayu Living was founded in October 2015, initially as a collective of architects based in southern Thailand. Members include architects from Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, as well as photographers, graphic designers, and columnists — many of whom were either raised in the Deep South or educated in Bangkok and overseas.

Anonymous Letter is presented through installations in the form of a red living room. Everything in the area is red, such as the carpet, the standing lamp, the vase, the flowers, the tea pots and the tea cups. Penwadee explained that red symbolises that the Deep South is a red zone.

“The three southern border provinces are considered war zones or red zones. Though Melayu Living creates art, their work was accused of being funded by terrorists. For this exhibition, the group made copies of anonymous accusation letters they received and used them as part of their installation. The letters are wrapped around the objects and covered with a red material, thus remaining hidden under the red covering.”

Title: Stroke

Artist: Nuriya Waji

The main work at Stroke is a long tie-dyed textile that displays a map of Sai Buri River which runs through Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani. Nuriya, the artist, explained that her father who operates a fishing equipment shop often told her about the Sai Buri River and that inspired her to search for information.

“I learned from a researcher that the Sai Buri River used to be the main river of the Deep South but it was turned into canals in several areas. I felt the river is getting sick like humans whose blood vessels narrow, so I named my work Stroke.”

Additionally, Stroke uses the voice of Nuriya’s father to tell the story of the past about Sai Buri River. Since the river was an area of gold panning, the exhibition displays a tiny piece of gold from Sukhirin district in Narathiwat. Besides fabric and gold, Stroke displays samples of soil from locations where the river once flowed.

Nuriya hopes that Stroke will encourage viewers to ponder “how can people live in harmony with nature?”.

Title: Butterfly Effect

Artist: Nithi Roongreang

Butterfly Effect is a collection of lenticular photographs inspired by a landscape photo taken by Nithi’s late mother. His mother’s photo portrays the view in front of his house which shows part of Nong Prachak Silpakorn, a large lake. It is named after Prince Prachak Silpakorn, the founder of Udon Thani.

The area in front of Nithi’s house is currently used as a space for community art activities. Butterfly Effect was created by people in the local art community, who photographed landscapes of Nong Prachak Silpakorn from different angles and periods of times. Photos were printed using lenticular, a printing technology that creates the illusion of 3D movement or depth.

Udon Thani has many historical sites and stories, however, when the province wanted to create a landmark to attract tourists, yellow rubber ducks were chosen to be installed at Nong Prachak Silpakorn Park.

“Udon Thani is a province with a rich history, but it has never used information from its history or cultural heritage to create meaningful landmarks. The yellow ducks have no roots to Udon Thani. Therefore, Butterfly Effect is a display which may help bring about some changes,” Nithi said.

Title: New Normal

Artists from Mahasarakham Mid-field Artspace — Adisak Phupa, Anurak Khotchomphu, Sittikorn Khawsa-ad, Chaiyapat Yachay and Parinya Saenkan

New Normal consists of many mixed media art pieces inspired by the production process of exporting earthworms in Ban Kham Pom, Pathum Rat district in Roi Et. Penwadee explained that the earthworm business in Roi Et started during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Due to a shortage of some herbal medicines during the pandemic, people from China came to survey the area and discovered that the earthworm species in Roi Et could be used to make herbal medicines. Thus, earthworms became a new community economy. The story of community economy is interesting and our team saw it as the beauty within the reality that occurs in specific areas,” explained Penwadee.

One of the many pieces, Fight Everyday is made of a handwoven fabric and plastic sheets which display a map that marks factories and markets engaged in earthworm trading. It offers a magnified view of the community before the emergence of earthworm trade and developments since then.

Title: Motherhood

Artists: Keeta Isran and Hayanee Malee

Motherhood is a mixed media sculpture consisting of patchwork, prints and drawings. The fabrics are beautiful, but at the same time, they carry a heavy burden inside, just like mothers do.

“Although mothers have a lot of responsibility, they are still happy to take care of their children and can joke about their overwhelming work when gathering with other mothers. Motherhood represents femininity and the strength of Muslim women. Some patchworks are from the hem of skirts of women who live in Pattani and Narathiwat,” explained Keeta.

Jiajia Qi’s nomadic mind explores transformation at SAC Gallery

SAC Gallery invites art lovers to navigate the architecture of perception through a nomadic mind during “Only I Am You, Then I Became You”, which is running on the 2nd and 3rd floor, until Nov 8.

This is an immersive, site-specific exhibition held in Asia for the first time by Jiajia Qi, a Netherlands-based Chinese artist whose practice is exploring transformation, intuitive sensing and the search for belonging.

Raised in China and having lived across New Zealand, Egypt, Japan and Europe, Qi carries with her what she calls “nomadic thought of liquid”, a way of being that welcomes ambiguity, listens to space and never clings to certainty.

Rather than imposing form, she allows materials and architecture to guide her. Her installations often take the form of suspended light, evaporating mist, softened sound or slowly shifting matter, each creating atmospheres rather than objects, encounters rather than explanations.

For her, each work emerges through attentive observation and sensory engagement with the surrounding architecture, atmosphere and light. Rather than asserting itself upon space, the work grows from within it, proposing a model of co-existence where nothing dominates, but everything is in flux — responsive, tentative and alive.

Moving between materials both fragile and elemental — powder, water, recycled minerals, air — Qi builds worlds that unfold gradually, where nothing is forced but everything is felt. Her training in sociology, interior architecture and interactive media design contributes to the layered clarity of her installations, which linger in the mind long after the room is left.

Her site-specific, experiential installations were exhibited at leading art spaces across Europe and Asia where she has completed more than 15 residencies.

SAC Gallery is on Sukhumvit 39 and opens daily from 11am to 6pm, except Monday. There is no admission fee.

Rookie Aldeguer wins Indonesian GP as Marquez crashes out

Newly crowned world champion Marc Marquez and polesitter Marco Bezzecchi crashed out at high speed after colliding in the opening lap as Spanish rookie Fermin Aldeguer won a chaotic Indonesian MotoGP yesterday.

Spanish great Marquez “suffered an injury to his right collarbone” and will fly to Madrid for medical tests, his Ducati team tweeted, with fears he may have a fracture.

Ducati-Gresini rider Aldeguer pulled away and cruised to a maiden victory after Bezzecchi ran into the back of Marquez, sending both flying off their bikes.

Aldeguer finished more than six seconds ahead of KTM’s Pedro Acosta in second and nearly eight seconds in front of teammate Alex Marquez in third.

“I don’t believe it. I am super happy. To be a rookie, we are doing incredible work. We have to continue like this,” said Aldeguer, 20, who secured his first MotoGP win.

Bezzecchi dominated in qualifying on Saturday with a lap record at the Mandalika track, but the Italian had a disastrous start yesterday in humid conditions on Lombok island.

After slipping from pole to seventh behind Marquez, he tried to overtake the seven-time world champion but slammed into the back of him.

It sent the pair sliding into the gravel. Both walked away from the collision with Marquez — who has a history of bad injuries — clutching his right shoulder.

Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi said there was evidence of a fracture on Marquez’s right shoulder.

Marquez was crowned MotoGP champion last week at Japan’s Motegi and had already set a single-season points record for a MotoGP rider of 545 before yesterday’s race.

His points total was boosted by a sixth-place finish in the sprint because Luca Marini was hit with a post-race tyre pressure penalty.

Despite Aldeguer storming to victory there was a dramatic battle for the podium places between half a dozen riders.

Alex Rins’ Yamaha began to falter and he fell out of podium contention as Alex Marquez rose to take third and increase his grip on second place in the overall standings behind his brother.

Brad Binder finished fourth, followed by Marini, Raul Fernandez and Fabio Quartararo.

Marc Marquez’s Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia, who started a lowly 16th on the grid, crashed out when he was last on the track in what was a dismal weekend for the two-time world champion.

Joan Mir and Enea Bastianini also crashed out.

Only 19 riders made it to the race’s start line yesterday, with Maverick Vinales withdrawing with an ongoing shoulder injury.

Honda-LCR’s Somkiat Chantra finished in 13th place. The Thai rider, who will switch to the FIM Superbike World Championship next season, now has six points with four races remaining.

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan lead shift from bilateral energy ties to regional green integration

In a world increasingly driven by clean energy ambitions, Azerbaijan is positioning itself not merely as a producer or transit country-but as a regional architect of green energy connectivity. Its recent high-level engagements in Kazakhstan underscore a critical dimension of this strategy: leveraging partnerships with Central Asian countries to construct a multi-vector, sustainable energy corridor between East and West.

During “Kazakhstan Energy Week” in Astana, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy, Parviz Shahbazov, held a series of strategic meetings with Kazakh officials and international energy leaders. The agenda was clear: deepen bilateral and multilateral cooperation in green energy, enhance trans-Caspian energy connectivity, and accelerate joint regional infrastructure initiatives aimed at transforming the Caspian basin into a pivotal green energy corridor.

Azerbaijan’s energy transition is not simply about replacing fossil fuels. It’s about ensuring long-term geopolitical relevance in a shifting energy landscape. As global markets move beyond hydrocarbons, countries that control the flow of clean energy will command new forms of influence. By integrating itself into Central Asia’s renewable energy ambitions, Baku is ensuring that Azerbaijan remains at the center of the evolving Eurasian energy map.

This strategy is most visible in the “Central Asia-Azerbaijan Green Energy Corridor,” a project that seeks to connect renewable energy-rich countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to European markets via Azerbaijan. The initiative is more than a pipeline-it is a power bridge, combining electricity interconnectors, green hydrogen potential, and fiber-optic infrastructure that also supports digital transformation.

During his speech at the APRECA Ministerial Roundtable, Shahbazov emphasized that this corridor represents not only a technical solution but a strategic transformation. “The creation of the geostrategic Trans-Caspian Green Energy Corridor, which will connect the electricity systems of our countries for the first time in history, is fully consistent with the policy priorities of President Ilham Aliyev,” Shahbazov said. “It opens up broad opportunities for the development of the Middle Corridor as a green bridge connecting Europe with Asia and China through the Caspian Sea.”

The traditional Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan energy partnership, long centered around hydrocarbons, is evolving. While Kazakh oil continues to be shipped through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline-with 3.38 million tons transported since 2023-both sides are clearly pivoting toward long-term green cooperation.

In meetings with Kazakhstan’s Minister of Energy Erlan Akkenzhenov and Minister of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev, discussions moved beyond oil logistics to include infrastructure modernization, the feasibility study of the green energy corridor (expected to launch in November), and the future role of the Zangezur Corridor and Middle Corridor in supporting green energy trade.

Kazakhstan’s full backing for the green energy corridor was made explicit by Minister Akkenzhenov, who reiterated Astana’s support for this “strategically important project,” underscoring its alignment with both countries’ long-term energy diversification goals.

Azerbaijan is not acting alone. Its coordination with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan under the Caspian Green Energy Corridor initiative-formalized in April 2025-is a model of regional green diplomacy. Backed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the tripartite agreement aims to interconnect the energy systems of all three countries and create a viable, scalable route for clean energy exports to Europe.

The groundwork was laid during the COP29 summit in Baku in 2024, where the leaders of the three countries signed a landmark strategic agreement on green energy. Today, the partnership is being operationalized with feasibility studies, stakeholder engagement, and alignment with broader initiatives like APRECA (Accelerated Partnership for Renewable Energy in Central Asia), coordinated by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

In a meeting with IRENA Director General Francesco La Camera, Azerbaijan reaffirmed its commitment to aligning its national and regional initiatives with global decarbonization goals, particularly in developing shared infrastructure, energy storage systems, and smart grids.

Traditionally viewed as a transport and trade route connecting China to Europe via Central Asia and the South Caucasus, the Middle Corridor is now being redefined as a “green corridor.” With Azerbaijan’s leadership, the region is exploring how electricity interconnectors, renewable power flows, and even fiber-optic data lines can turn this transport route into a full-spectrum infrastructure artery.

Incorporating the Zangezur Corridor into this architecture adds another layer of strategic depth. By strengthening east-west logistics while embedding clean energy systems into transport frameworks, Azerbaijan is turning geography into long-term advantage.

Moreover, Azerbaijan is also pursuing parallel routes for green energy export, such as the Caspian-Black Sea-Europe, Azerbaijan-Turkiye-Europe, and Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkiye-Bulgaria corridors. These initiatives reflect a deliberate strategy of diversification-not only in energy sources but in partnerships and export pathways.

Azerbaijan’s green energy diplomacy with Kazakhstan-and the broader Central Asian region-is a case study in how energy transitions can be strategically leveraged for regional influence, economic diversification, and geopolitical security.

As global energy systems become increasingly decarbonized and interconnected, Azerbaijan’s proactive efforts to lead, connect, and innovate in the Caspian region position it as a central node in Eurasia’s energy future. What began as a fossil-fuel transit hub is rapidly becoming a linchpin of green energy geopolitics.

With the support of international financial institutions, alignment with global sustainability goals, and a growing network of strategic partnerships, Azerbaijan is not just adapting to the energy transition-it is shaping it.

Iran to launch upgraded ‘Do-Namay 1’ communications satellite by year-end

Iran is preparing to launch its latest upgraded communications satellite, ‘Do-Namay 1,’ by the end of 2025, a senior Iranian aerospace official revealed on Sunday, Azernews reports.

Speaking to Tasnim News Agency, Hossein Shahrabi, head of Tehran-based aerospace firm Omid Faza, confirmed that the satellite is scheduled to launch in December, using the same launch vehicle that successfully deployed the Kosar and Hodhod satellites in 2024.

Shahrabi highlighted technical upgrades in the new satellite, including enhanced imaging capabilities and an S-band communication link for more robust data transmission.

‘The issue linking attitude control to solar energy absorption has been resolved,’ Shahrabi stated, referring to a key technical challenge affecting previous missions.

The launch is part of Iran’s broader push to expand its indigenous space and satellite technology, amid growing interest in satellite-based communications across the region.