Friday, April 11, 2025
25 C
Brunei Town
More

    Tearful Doncic scores 45 on return to Dallas

    LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Luka Doncic shrugged off the raw emotion of his return to Dallas with a dazzling 45-point display against his former club as the Los Angeles Lakers downed the Mavericks 112-97 to punch their ticket to the NBA playoffs.

    Doncic, who joined the Lakers from Dallas in February in one of the most shocking trades in NBA history, was given a rousing reception by Mavs fans packed into the American Airlines Center to pay tribute to their former hero.

    A pre-game video montage was screened in the arena just before Doncic was introduced to the sell-out crowd of 20,841 fans, many wearing t-shirts bearing the words ‘Thanks for Everything’, written in the 26-year-old’s native Slovenian.

    Doncic visibly teared up as he watched the tribute, and looked distraught as he was comforted by Lakers team-mate LeBron James moments before tip-off.

    But after that emotional pre-game ceremony, Doncic quickly snapped into game mode, swiftly getting into his scoring groove to give Mavericks fans a painful reminder of the generational talent that was traded away by the club.

    Doncic scored 14 in the first quarter alone, and added a further 17 in the second period to help the Lakers into a 60-57 half-time lead.

    Doncic’s rate of scoring slowed in the second half, leaving James to produce a trademark fourth quarter burst to close out victory.

    Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks’ Klay Thompson and PJ Washington compete for a rebound as Austin Reaves looks on in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, United States. PHOTO: AP

    But there was still time for Doncic to sign off in style, nailing an imperious three-pointer to push the Lakers into a 108-94 lead shortly before exiting the game to a standing ovation.

    The applause swiftly morphed into chants of “Fire Nico” – a reference to the Dallas general manager Nico Harrison who has been roundly criticised by Mavs for engineering the trade which sent Doncic to Los Angeles in exchange for Anthony Davis.

    Doncic later admitted he had struggled to maintain his composure during the pre-game ceremony.

    “I don’t know how I did it because when I was watching that video I was like ‘There’s no way I’m playing this game’,” he told ESPN. “But all my teammates had my back and were really supporting me.

    “There were so many emotions I can’t even explain. It brought tears to my eyes. I came here as a young kid, aged 18, and they made me feel like it was home. Just a lot of great memories.

    “I love these fans, I love this city but it’s time to move on.”

    The victory means the Lakers, who improved to 49-31, can clinch third seed in the Western Conference if they win one of their final two regular-season games.

    Doncic’s 45 points included seven three-pointers from 16-of-28 shooting, while James finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

    In other games on Wednesday, the battle for playoff places in the Western Conference took an unexpected twist with the already-eliminated San Antonio Spurs scoring an upset 114-111 win over the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco.

    Harrison Barnes’ 27-foot buzzer-beating three-pointer snatched victory for San Antonio, who had trailed by 12 points at the start of the fourth quarter.

    The defeat leaves Golden State’s hopes of grabbing one of the three remaining playoff spots in the Western Conference in a precarious position. The Warriors dropped out of the top six with the loss.

    Elsewhere, the Denver Nuggets’ first game since the shock firing of coach Michael Malone on Tuesday saw the team halt their four-game losing streak with a 124-116 defeat of the Sacramento Kings. Denver are fourth in the standings with a 48-32 record.

    The red-hot Los Angeles Clippers continued their march up the table after extending their winning streak to six games with a 134-117 win over the Houston Rockets, who have already clinched second place in the West. The Clippers (47-32) are fifth, with Memphis sixth.

    Spurs stun Warriors with 114-111 win

    SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Harrison Barnes made a three-pointer at the buzzer after committing a foul moments earlier that could have cost his team, and the San Antonio Spurs stunned the Golden State Warriors 114-111.

    Draymond Green made two free throws with 3.1 seconds left to make it 111-all after Barnes fouled him, then the veteran guard let it fly over Jimmy Butler and was immediately swarmed by his teammates when the horn sounded.

    Keldon Johnson made a go-ahead lay-up with 11 seconds left after tying the game with 32 seconds remaining and finished with 21 points.

    Butler scored 13 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and converted 16 of 17 free throws and Stephen Curry scored 30 with five three-pointers and grabbed eight rebounds, but this loss could jeopardise Golden State securing a top-six playoff seed and avoiding the play-in tournament.

    Stephon Castle also had 21 for San Antonio.

    Green contributed 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists but the Warriors lost a critical game at home for a second straight time.

    Buddy Hield came off the bench to score 12 as the Warriors for much of the game looked like the more energised group as both teams played on consecutive nights – Golden State coming off a 133-95 win at Phoenix and San Antonio a 122-117 road loss to the Clippers.

    Barnes wound up with 20 points against his former team as the Spurs snapped a three-game skid with just their second victory in 10 games.

    TAKEAWAYS

    Rockets: Chris Paul scored 10 of his 12 points in the second quarter facing his team from last season.

    Warriors: Of Golden State’s 45 first-half shots, 29 were 3s.

    KEY MOMENT

    Curry hit back-to-back three-pointers 30 seconds apart early in the third quarter and that gave him the three 3s he needed to reach 300 for the season – his NBA-record sixth season with 300 or more from deep. Klay Thompson and James Harden have each done so once.

    San Antonio Spurs’ Harrison Barnes, Chris Paul and Golden State Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski during an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, United States. PHOTO: AP

    AI surge to double data centre electricity demand by 2030: IEA

    PARIS (AFP) – Electricity consumption by data centres will more than double by 2030, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) applications that will create new challenges for energy security and CO2 emission goals, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said yesterday.

    At the same time, AI can unlock opportunities to produce and consume electricity more efficiently, the IEA said in its first report on the energy implications of AI.

    Data centres represented about 1.5 per cent of global electricity consumption in 2024, but that has increased by 12 per cent annually over the past five years. Generative AI requires colossal computing power to process information accumulated in gigantic databases.

    Together, the United States (US), Europe, and China currently account for about 85 per cent of data centre consumption.

    Big tech companies increasingly recognise their growing need for power. Google last year signed a deal to get electricity from small nuclear reactors to help power its part in the AI race.

    Microsoft is to use energy from new reactors at Three Mile Island, the site of America’s worst nuclear accident, when it went through a meltdown in 1979. Amazon also signed an accord last year to use nuclear power for its data centres.

    At the current rate, data centres will consume about three percent of global energy by 2030, the report said.

    According to the IEA, data centre electricity consumption will reach about 945 terawatt hours (TWH) by 2030.

    “This is slightly more than Japan’s total electricity consumption today. AI is the most important driver of this growth, alongside growing demand for other digital services,” said the report.

    One 100 megawatt data centre can use as much power as 100,000 households, the report said. But it highlighted that new data centres, already under construction, could use as much as two million households.

    The Paris-based energy policy advisory group said that “artificial intelligence has the potential to transform the energy sector in the coming decade, driving a surge in electricity demand from data centres worldwide, while also unlocking significant opportunities to cut costs, enhance competitiveness, and reduce emissions”.

    Hoping to keep ahead of China in the field of artificial intelligence, US President Donald Trump has launched the creation of a “National Council for Energy Dominance” tasked with boosting electricity production.

    Right now, coal provides about 30 per cent of the energy needed to power data centres, but renewables and natural gas will increase their shares because of their lower costs and wider availability in key markets.

    The growth of data centres will inevitably increase carbon emissions linked to electricity consumption, from 180 million tonnes of CO2 today to 300 million tonnes by 2035, the IEA said. That remains a minimal share of the 41.6 billion tonnes of global emissions estimated in 2024.

    PHOTO: AFP

    Clippers win 134-117 against short-handed Rockets

    INGLEWOOD (AP) – James Harden had 35 points and 10 assists and the streaking Los Angeles Clippers beat the playoff-bound Houston Rockets 134-117 for their sixth straight win.

    The Rockets had already locked up the number two seed in the West and will be making their first playoff appearance since the 2020 bubble in Florida. They rested most of their starting line-up, including Dillon Brooks and Alperen Sengun.

    Ivica Zubac had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the Clippers, his first career triple-double and the third by a centre for the team. Kawhi Leonard returned with 22 points and 10 rebounds after sitting out to rest his surgically repaired right knee. Nicolas Batum added 15 points, including the Clippers’ first 12 of the second quarter, before leaving with a sore right groin.

    Reed Sheppard led six Rockets in double figures with 20 points.

    Los Angeles Clippers’ Ivica Zubac’s shot is blocked by Houston Rockets Tari Eason during an NBA basketball game in Inglewood, California, United States. PHOTO: AP

    Art of the deal? How Trump backed down on tariffs

    WASHINGTON (AFP) – It ended not with a bang, but with United States (US) President Donald Trump and two top aides writing a social media post.

    Trump’s decision to pause worldwide tariffs capped an extraordinary week of global panic since he announced the levies on what he called “Liberation Day”.

    After repeatedly denying that he was considering a halt, the first sign that something was up came as markets braced for another brutal session.

    “BE COOL!” Trump urged Americans on his Truth Social network at 9.33am in Washington (1333 GMT) before adding that it was a “GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!”

    Few seemed to take the 78-year-old Republican seriously, and turmoil started to spread to usually safe bond markets.

    But Trump later admitted that he had made the decision “early this morning” on Wednesday to pause the tariffs.

    The author of the Art of the Deal is rarely known for his humility, but he appeared to be in a reflective mood as he answered questions about the decision.

    “Over the last few days, I’ve been thinking about it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he signed a series of executive orders – including one titled “Maintaining Acceptable Water Pressure in Showerheads”.

    Trump said he then huddled early Wednesday with Scott Bessent, his bespectacled US Treasury Secretary, and Howard Lutnick, the brash Commerce Secretary and former trader.

    President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order in the Oval Office of the White House. PHOTO: AP

    “It probably came together early this morning,” said Trump. “We didn’t have access to lawyers. We wrote it up from our hearts, right? It was written from the heart, and I think it was well written too.”

    What emerged was a lengthy post on his Truth Social network at 1.18pm local time (1718 GMT) saying that Trump had “authorised a 90 day PAUSE” in tariffs, except on China, which he punished with even higher levies of 125 per cent.

    Trump’s administration insisted it was all part of a grand strategy that had brought 75 countries to the negotiating table in his quest to reduce America’s trade deficit.

    “Many of you in the media clearly missed the art of the deal,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters afterward.

    Lutnick posted that he and Bessent “sat with the President while he wrote one of the most extraordinary Truth posts of his Presidency.”

    The White House posted a picture of Trump at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, flanked by Lutnick and Bessent, with his mobile phone in front of him.

    It also posted one of Trump’s own posts from 2014, reading: “Deals are my art form. Other people paint beautifully or write poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals.”

    As markets made a turbocharged rebound, Trump hosted a group of racing drivers with their brightly-coloured cars at the White House.

    Trump said the markets had become “a little bit yippy, a little bit afraid – unlike these champions”, as he pointed to the drivers.

    “Liberation Week” turned out to be a frantic one in which the White House struggled to get its message straight about whether or not it was prepared to negotiate.

    Trump spent the weekend in Florida playing golf, but appeared touchy as he flew back to Washington, saying that “sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something” in reference to the tariffs.

    Lutnick, who has become one of Trump’s top cheerleaders, repeatedly said there would be no negotiations, as did trade advisor Peter Navarro.

    But then Bessent was rolled out on Monday to deliver a softer message that, indeed, negotiations might be possible.

    What followed was the remarkable spectacle of Trump’s tariff-sceptical aide Elon Musk publicly branding Navarro “dumber than a sack of bricks”.

    But by Wednesday evening it was over – for 90 days at least – and the White House was keen to turn attention towards the stock markets, where the Nasdaq had its biggest single day leap since 2001, while the Dow Jones had its best day since 2020 and the S&P 500 its best since 2008.

    Trump, who spent most of the week bashing allies and adversaries alike, struck a magnanimous tone about his announcement.

    “It was written as something that I think was very positive for the world and for us,” he said.

    Barca destroy Dortmund in Champions League mismatch

    BARCELONA (AFP) – Robert Lewandowski hit a brace to help a devastating Barcelona rout Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in a one-sided Champions League quarter-final first leg yesterday.

    Hansi Flick’s Barca are a step away from reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 2019 and extended their unbeaten run to 23 matches.

    The five-time winners took the lead against last year’s runners-up through red-hot winger Raphinha before Lewandowski reached 40 goals for the season with his double.

    Teenager Lamine Yamal was an unstoppable force throughout and deftly prodded home Barcelona’s fourth as Dortmund collapsed.

    Barca, who last lifted the trophy in 2015 are aiming to seal a final four clash against Inter Milan or Bayern Munich when they visit Germany.

    Flick selected his typical side, with only one decision to make – he opted for Fermin Lopez over Gavi in attacking midfield to support the dynamic forward trio.

    La Liga leaders Barcelona seized control from the start, with Gregor Kobel saving well from Yamal and Lewandowski.

    Borussia Dortmund’s Sehrou Guirassy jumps for the ball next to Barcelona’s Jules Kounde and Pablo Gavi. PHOTO: AFP

    Spain starlet Yamal, 17, fired across the face of goal and then over as he ran riot, Dortmund unable to slow him down. Barcelona took the lead after Karim Adeyemi needlessly gave away a free-kick in a dangerous area, pulling Jules Kounde back by his dreadlocks while trying to burst forward on the counter.

    Lopez whipped it to the back post, with Inigo Martinez nodding the ball towards Pau Cubarsi, who turned it towards goal.

    The young defender’s effort beat Kobel and was heading over the line before the tournament’s top scorer Raphinha slid in to make sure, claiming his 12th goal. The Brazilian winger faced a nervous wait while VAR worked to confirm his 25th-minute strike was onside.

    Yamal and Raphinha zipped forward in search of a second but could not get the final ball right, before Serhou Guirassy spurned a huge chance for the visitors to level.

    With Dortmund’s first slick attacking move of the game, the forward, who has 10 goals in the competition, was played in but snatched badly at a bouncing ball with just Wojciech Szczesny to beat.

    Unsurprisingly Niko Kovac’s Dortmund came to regret Guirassy’s misses, with Lewandowski netting his 10th of the tournament early in the second half.

    Yamal clipped a cross to Raphinha, who looped a header over to Lewandowski at the far post to nod home from virtually under the crossbar three minutes after the interval.

    Lopez struck the post and lashed inches over as Barcelona searched for a third to kill the tie off.

    It arrived after 66 minutes, with Lopez teeing up Lewandowski to drill home at the near post.

    This was the former Dortmund striker’s 29th goal in 28 matches against his old club, and his 99th in a Barcelona shirt since joining in 2022. Yamal, who had toyed with Dortmund’s defence all night, deservedly got on the scoresheet as the visitors left themselves wide open and Raphinha sent the youngster through on goal.

    Number of millionaires in London falls as wealthy flee

    LONDON (AFP) – Thousands of millionaires fled London in the past year with some moving to the United States (US) or Asia driven out by high taxes and Brexit, according to a report.

    The exodus continued a decade-long trend that has been attributed to tax increases, failure to recover from the 2008 financial crisis and Britain’s acrimonious departure from the European Union.

    Some 11,300 dollar millionaires exited London in 2024, found the annual World’s Wealthiest Cities Report published by advisory firm Henley & Partners and data intelligence company New World Wealth.

    London now has 215,700 dollar millionaires, down from 227,000 in 2023, the report found.

    The British capital was pushed into sixth place last year by Los Angeles, which overtook it with 220,600 millionaires.

    Head of research at New World Wealth Andrew Amoils said the “growing dominance” of the US and Asia in tech had caused” several wealthy tech entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom (UK) to reconsider their base”.

    “Brexit has arguably had an exacerbating effect on this,” he said, in comments e-mailed to AFP.

    He added that capitals gains tax and estate duty rates in the UK are “amongst the highest in the world, which deters wealthy business owners and retirees from living there”.

    Amoils also cited the “dwindling importance” of the London Stock Exchange, which now ranks 11th in the world by market capitalisation, and the ascendance of nearby financial hubs such as Frankfurt and Dubai.

    The Times newspaper said tax advisers revealed some people were moving to countries such as Portugal, Spain, Greece, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Italy, where taxes are lower or people can pay a fixed annual fee to avoid them.

    According to the study, London’s millionaire population has slumped 12 per cent since 2014.

    Moscow is the only other city in the top 50 which has fallen, suffering a 25 per cent decline.

    Paris has recorded a five per cent rise in millionaire residents since 2014, with the San Francisco Bay area also soaring by 98 per cent and Singapore enjoying a 62 per cent millionaire growth.

    New York City has the most millionaires in the world with 384,500.

    People walk along the Southbank, backdropped by skyscrapers and offices in the City of London. PHOTO: AFP

    Istiadat Bersiram Ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman

    A Doa Selamat and Kesyukuran Istiadat Bersiram Ceremony of Her Royal Highness Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah on the occasion of the birth of Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Daniya Rahmatul Bolkiah binti Pengiran Suami Abdullah Al-Hashimi took place at the surau of Istana Nurul Iman yesterday in the presence of Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Maharaja Setia Laila Diraja Sahibul Irshad Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Rahim bin Pengiran Indera Mahkota Pengiran Anak (Dr) Kemaludin Al-Haj.

    The ceremony began with the entrance of four awang-awang to place the Dian Empat at a specific spot followed with three awang-awang bringing in the Surat Dikir, Bantal Geguling and Pabarahan.

    A recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah was led by Begawan Pehin Khatib Dato Paduka Haji Awang Hamidon bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Haji Awang Abdul Hamid, followed with Dikir Syarafil Anam (Dikir Assalamualaika, Khairuman, Bisyahrin, Alham and Badad) and the Dikir Marhaban.

    At the verse of “Ya Habibi”, 17 shots of the canon were then released by the Canon Team of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces at Istana Nurul Iman compound. To bless the ceremony, a Doa Selamat was read by Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Setia Haji Awang Salim bin Haji Besar.

    Among those present at the ceremony were Pengiran-Pengiran Cheteria, Cabinet ministers, Privy Council members, deputy ministers, Pengiran-Pengiran Peranakan, Pehin-Pehin Manteri and Manteri-Manteri Hulubalang, Legislative Council (LegCo) members, permanent secretaries, deputy permanent secretaries and senior government officers.

    Meanwhile, spouses of the Pengiran-Pengiran Cheteria, Cabinet ministers, Privy Council members, deputy ministers, Pengiran-Pengiran Peranakan, Pehin-Pehin Manteri and Manteri-Manteri Hulubalang, LegCo members, permanent secretaries, and other female guests were seated at the Balai Singgahsana Indera Kenchana of the Istana Nurul Iman.

    Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Daniya Rahmatul Bolkiah is the first child of Her Royal Highness Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah and Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Suami Abdullah Nabil Mahmoud Al-Hashimi, and was born on Wednesday, 28th of Rabiulawal 1446 Hijrah corresponding to October 2, 2024 at Portland Hospital, London, United Kingdom, at 9.55am. – Lyna Mohamad

    Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Maharaja Setia Laila Diraja Sahibul Irshad Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Rahim bin Pengiran Indera Mahkota Pengiran Anak (Dr) Kemaludin Al-Haj; Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Sanggamara Diraja Major General (Rtd) Pengiran Haji Ibnu Basit bin Pengiran Datu Penghulu Pengiran Haji Apong; Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Bahar; Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Haji Muhammad Ruzaini bin Pengiran Dr Haji Mohd Yakub; and Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Suami Abdullah Nabil Mahmoud Al-Hashimi during the Doa Selamat and Kesyukuran Istiadat Bersiram Ceremony of Her Royal Highness Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah on the occasion of the birth of Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Daniya Rahmatul Bolkiah binti Pengiran Suami Abdullah Al-Hashimi at Istana Nurul Iman yesterday. PHOTO: RAFI ROSLI
    Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Maharaja Setia Laila Diraja Sahibul Irshad Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Rahim bin Pengiran Indera Mahkota Pengiran Anak (Dr) Kemaludin Al-Haj; Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Sanggamara Diraja Major General (Rtd) Pengiran Haji Ibnu Basit bin Pengiran Datu Penghulu Pengiran Haji Apong; and Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Bahar at the ceremony. PHOTO: RAFI ROSLI
    Ceremony in session. PHOTO: RAFI ROSLI
    Cabinet ministers at the ceremony. PHOTO: RAFI ROSLI
    Attendees at the ceremony. PHOTO: RAFI ROSLI
    Seventeen shots of canon released at Istana Nurul Iman compound. PHOTO: RAFI ROSLI

    TVET scheme now open for eligible ‘O’ Level school leavers

    The Ministry of Education (MoE) through the Department of Scholarship Management announced that applications for the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Scheme (TVET) for the academic session 2025/2026 specifically for eligible ‘O’ Level school leavers to pursue higher education at local private higher institutions is now open starting yesterday until May 10 at 4pm.

    The TVET scheme is one of the cooperation projects between the MoE, Manpower Planning Office (PPTM), Prime Minister’s Office and Job Centre Brunei (PPB), Prime Minister’s Office.

    This scheme is offered by the Government of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam to provide programmes geared towards employment whilst improving qualifications and skills of the local population.

    The public, especially ‘O’ Level school leavers who meet the set requirements are welcomed to apply for the TVET Scheme.

    Surat Pemberitahuan with reference 07/2025 and the TVET Scheme application form can be obtained from the MoE website at www.moe.gov.bn. Completed forms and all required documents must be submitted via local private higher institutions listed not later than May 10 at 4pm.

    Students showcase smart halal creations at Level Up

    Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), through the Halalan Thayyiban Research Centre (HTRC), recently held the HTRC Product and Service Invention: Level Up Competition at its Sinaut Campus in the Tutong District, showcasing a wide range of innovative products and services developed by students from the centre.

    The competition aimed to harness scientific and technological knowledge to produce impactful, market-ready innovations that uphold Halalan Thayyiban values.

    Director of the HTRC Pengiran Dr Hajah Norkhairiah binti Pengiran Haji Hashim was present as the guest of honour to officiate the event.

    Also in attendance were representatives from the Halal Food Control Division, Syariah Affairs Department at the Ministry of Religious Affairs; the Health Innovation Lab at the Ministry of Health; as well as academic staff and students from UNISSA.

    The Best Presenter award went to Dayangku Siti Zahrah binti Pengiran Haji Md Arul Faeizal. First place went to Cahaya Borneo for their fusion-style traditional dessert, Putri Mandi Ice Cream. A creative twist on a local favourite, the ice cream blends the flavours of Brunei’s beloved putri mandi into a frozen treat. Developed using a halal-certified base and local ingredients, the product aims to introduce traditional flavours to younger generations and tourists.

    Second place was awarded to Thalathah for their Islamic-themed educational card game titled Wahid.

    The game is designed to promote Islamic values in a fun and interactive way, ideal for children and teenagers, encouraging moral development while fostering family engagement.

    Third place went to Hal.Lab for their natural lip scrub product, Beet n Bloom. Made from halal-certified, plant-based ingredients, the minimalist lip care item is designed to exfoliate and moisturise, appealing to health-conscious and environmentally aware consumers.

    The competition not only nurtures critical thinking and technical skills among students but also aligns with Brunei’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being; SDG 4: Quality Education; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; SDG 13: Climate Action; and SDG 15: Life on Land.

    The initiative reflects UNISSA and HTRC’s continued support for national efforts to advance the halal industry through sustainable and impactful innovation. Products from the competition are now being further developed for research and prepared for international invention competitions.

    Director of the Halalan Thayyiban Research Centre Pengiran Dr Hajah Norkhairiah binti Pengiran Haji Hashim in a group photo. PHOTO : UNISSA
    ABOVE & BELOW: Cahaya Borneo with fusion-style traditional dessert, Putri Mandi ice cream; Thalathah with their Islamic-themed educational card game titled ‘Wahid’; and Hal.Lab with their natural lip scrub product, Beet n Bloom. PHOTO : UNISSA
    PHOTO : UNISSA
    PHOTO : UNISSA
    ABOVE & BELOW: Photos show participants in the competition. PHOTO : UNISSA
    PHOTO : UNISSA
    PHOTO : UNISSA

    Trending News