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Thailand Makes History by Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage in Southeast Asia
In a groundbreaking decision, Thailand has become the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. The historic parliamentary vote saw the Senate Upper House pass the changes to the marriage law with 130 votes in favor, four against, and 18 abstentions.
This new law grants same-sex couples equal rights to those of heterosexual couples, including adoption and inheritance rights.
Kevin Pehthai Thanomkhet, 30, expressed his relief and joy, stating, “My partner has one boy and I want to have legal rights to formally adopt him as my child and to have a say about his well-being. This bill will allow it.”
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who has been a strong advocate for the LGBTQ community, announced that he would open his official residence for celebrations with activists and supporters.
Since the Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001, more than 30 countries worldwide have followed suit. In Asia, however, only Taiwan and Nepal recognize marriage equality.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid tribute to late Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs, recalling his contributions to the creative industry and his impact on Nigeria’s cultural identity.
In his tribute, Tinubu described Jacobs as a giant of the Nigerian creative industry and said “He was a giant of the Nigerian creative industry. His passing is a great loss to Nigeria, the African film industry and the global community of lovers of the performing arts. His remarkable body of work will continue to speak to generations yet unborn.
“The nation recognises the enormous contributions of Nigeria’s creative practitioners to the country’s cultural identity, global image and economic development. Olu Jacobs played a big role in creating this identity.”
Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency over the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard drugs and consumer products in Nigeria.
Adeyanju also called for the removal of the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, as well as the heads of other regulatory agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
“Nigerians are being exposed to dangerous products daily, from fake and substandard medicines to unsafe consumer goods, with reports of drugs being sold wholesale in the open under the hot sun. No responsible government should expose its citizens to such risks and expect mortality rates not to rise.”
Adeyanju also called out NAFDAC over what he described as failures in regulating the circulation of counterfeit and substandard products in the country.
It can be noted that various counterfeit products continue to circulate in Nigerian markets, while NAFDAC has also reported seizures and destruction of counterfeit, expired and substandard products.
Lagosians have lamented heavy traffic caused by ongoing construction work at Kara Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The Federal Government announced that repairs on the damaged expansion joints at Kara Bridge would begin on September 8, 2026. The project, initially scheduled to begin in August, was delayed to allow further traffic management planning due to concerns over its impact on motorists.
Since work began, traffic around the Kara area has become heavy, with Lagosians sharing updates on social media about spending two hours or more on the road.
Some commuters say the delays have made their 9-to-5 routines difficult, with several hours spent travelling to and from work.
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