Murder, magic and misfits

Lifestyle

April 17, 2025

Eight new reads to add to your shelf this month

A look at eight new book releases this month, including an elderly woman who snoops her way into a murder investigation, two writers who compete to tell the story of a reclusive heiress, and three secretariats who try to make it big in 1980s Hollywood.

GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE BY EMILY HENRY

Two writers are competing to tell the story of Margaret Ives, an heiress from a family wrapped in scandals and controversies. Alice Scott and Hayden Anderson are given exactly one month to prove themselves worthy to write about Margaret’s life.

The two of them slowly begin to unravel the truth hidden from the media as they take turns interviewing Margaret. But Margaret is only giving them pieces of her stories, and the two writers are prohibited from sharing their discoveries after having signed a non-disclosure agreement.

TO CATCH A SPY BY MARK ONEILL

A year has passed since former jewel thief John Robie cleared his name in a copycat robbery case with the help of socialite Francie Stevens. John has the opportunity to rekindle their relationship when Francie returns to participate in the upcoming Fashion Week as a model. But before he can do so, he needs to do a favour for his friend.

John’s plan takes a drastic turn when he ends up becoming the target of a dangerous group. In the midst of his investigation, John discovers a spy ring with a malicious motive. Mark ONeill’s To Catch A Spy is the authorised sequel to David Dodge’s classic novel To Catch a Thief.

VERA WONG’S GUIDE TO SNOOPING (ON A DEAD MAN) BY JESSE Q SUTANTO

Life has been good for Vera since she solved a murder case in her teahouse. Her shop is in full swing and she now has a potential daughter-in-law. But Vera finds herself bored, and she can’t help but wish there was something other than the teashop to keep her occupied.

When she comes across a young woman who’s looking for her missing friend, Vera is all too eager to snoop her way into another case.

This time Vera is on a quest to investigate the disappearance of social media influencer Xander, who seems to have it all. But when his body is discovered and the police try to question his social circle, no one seems to know him.

HARD TOWN BY ADAM PLANTINGA

After having survived a deadly prison break, ex-Detroit cop Kurt Argento now lives a peaceful life as a handyman. When Kristin Reed shows up and asks him to find her missing husband, Argento insists he wouldn’t be able to help.

But when Kristin goes missing together with his son, Argento sets off to investigate the family’s disappearance.

He notices there’s a few odd things going on in the town: the overly equipped public safety team, the unusual financial support for small businesses, and one man who seems to have the entire town under his command.

CLIMBING IN HEELS BY ELAINE GOLDSMITH-THOMAS

In an industry where backstabbing and corruption is rampant, three secretariats at the hottest agency in 1980s Hollywood strive to make it big at all costs.

Beanie Rosen, the fast-talking and even faster-thinking Valley girl; Mercedes Baxter, who is well-versed in leveraging on her connections; and Ella Gaddy, the free spirit from a Kentucky household.

THE IMPOSSIBLE THING BY BELINDA BAUER

In the 1920s, collecting exotic eggs was a pastime for the rich. On the cliffs of Yorkshire lay the nests of seabirds, and these eggs were stolen for a lucrative price. One day, a poor young girl managed to retrieve a highly rare egg. Miraculous, even.

A century later, Patrick Fort finds his friend tied up after a robbery. The thieves only took one thing – a box with a scarlet egg in it. Patrick and his friend Nick embark on a quest to find the stolen egg, in which they discover the cruel world of egg trading.

THE AMALFI CURSE BY SARAH PENNER

Nautical archaeologist Haven Ambrose travels to the Positano village to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. The very same place where her father discovered priceless gemstones on his final dive before he passed away.

Now Haven is on a quest to finish what her father started, but strange happenings keep plaguing the town. In the midst of searching for sunken treasures, Haven discovers a centuries-old tale of ancient sorcery and the legendary art of stregheria, a magical ability to harness the ocean.

STRANGERS IN TIME BY DAVID BALDACCI

With their families gone, Charlie Matters and Molly Wakefield find themselves at the mercy of the Second World War.

The two teenagers find companionship with bookshop owner Ignatius Oliver, who has just recently lost his wife. The three of them try to survive as bombs continue to rain down on the city. – Aqilah Rahman

Naked rampage leaves four hurt in Singapore

Southeast Asia

April 17, 2025

BERNAMA – A 22-year-old man was arrested yesterday after allegedly slashing another man at Hougang Avenue 8 in the northeastern region of Singapore.

According to police, three officers sustained minor injuries during the arrest.The police said they received multiple calls for assistance at around 1.10pm, and upon arrival, police officers saw the suspect running around naked.

“While officers were effecting the arrest, the man allegedly attacked them with a wooden plank with nails. The three police officers suffered minor injuries,” the police said in a statement. The suspect was subsequently arrested for voluntarily causing hurt by grievous means and for voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty.

A knife and the spiked wooden plank were seized at the scene. Police investigations are ongoing.

The initial victim, a 31-year-old man, was conscious when taken to the hospital, police added.

South Korea wildfire damage doubles to 90,000 hectares

World

April 17, 2025

ANN/THE KOREA HERALD – A joint government survey in South Korea revealed that the extent of forest damage caused by the recent wildfires in North Gyeongsang Province is almost twice the size of earlier estimates, highlighting the severity of the disaster.

The investigation, conducted by local governments in collaboration with the Korea Forest Service and other relevant authorities, found that the wildfires – which blazed across the province from March 21 for nearly ten consecutive days – burned through close to 90,000 hectares of land.

The affected areas included Uiseong, Andong, Cheongsong, Yeongyang, and Yeongdeok.

This revised figure is nearly one and a half times the size of Seoul and significantly larger than the previously announced 45,157 hectares.

The fishing village of Seok-ri in Yeongdeok-eup, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea devastated by a wildfire. PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD

Authorities noted that it is highly unusual for actual damage to greatly exceed the initial estimates.

Typically, the size of a wildfire is calculated based on the area enclosed by fire lines set during suppression efforts.

However, in this instance, the blaze spread more rapidly and widely than anticipated, resulting in a far larger scorched area. The revised damage assessment also positions this wildfire as the most destructive in South Korean history – nearly four times greater than the damage caused by the infamous East Coast wildfire in 2000, which had previously been considered the nation’s worst. In addition to the massive forest loss, the overall economic impact is substantial.

Preliminary estimates place the total cost of damage to public and private property at KRW1.13 trillion (approximately USD795 million).

Hibiscus Petroleum signs USD100m financing deal with Brunei banks

Business

April 17, 2025

Gaza rescuers say 25 killed in Israeli strikes on displaced people

World

April 17, 2025

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories (AFP) – Gaza’s civil defence agency reported on Thursday that a wave of Israeli air strikes hit multiple encampments for displaced Palestinians across the territory, killing at least 25 people.

Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said an overnight strike targeted several tents in the Al-Mawasi area of the southern city of Khan Yunis, resulting in 16 deaths.

A displaced Palestinian woman hangs laundry to dry inside the heavily damaged Islamic University campus where Palestinian families took refuge, in Gaza City on April 16, 2025. PHOTO: AFP

“At least 16 martyrs, most of them women and children, and 23 others were wounded following a direct strike by two Israeli missiles on several tents housing displaced families in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis,” Bassal told AFP.

According to Bassal, two additional strikes on other encampments of displaced people killed eight and wounded several more.

Seven were killed in a strike on tents in the northern town of Beit Lahia, while another attack near the Al-Mawasi area killed a father and his child who were living in a tent, Bassal said.

Webb spots strongest ‘hints’ yet of life on distant planet

April 17, 2025

PARIS (AFP) – Astronomers announced Thursday that they had detected the most promising “hints” of potential life on a planet beyond our solar system, though other scientists expressed scepticism.

There has been vigorous debate in scientific circles about whether the planet K2-18b, which is 124 light years away in the Leo constellation, could be an ocean world capable of hosting microbial life.

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, a British-US team of researchers detected signs of two chemicals in the planet’s atmosphere long considered to be “biosignatures” indicating extraterrestrial life.

On Earth, the chemicals dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide are produced only by life, mostly microscopic marine algae called phytoplankton.

The researchers emphasised caution, saying that more observations were needed to confirm these findings, and that they were not announcing a definitive discovery.

But the implications could be huge, according to Nikku Madhusudhan, a Cambridge University astrophysicist and lead author of the study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

An artist’s conception of a Hycean exoplanet like K2-18b orbiting a red dwarf star. PHOTO: University of Cambridge

“What we are finding at this point are hints of possible biological activity outside the solar system,” he told a press conference.

“Frankly, I think this is the closest we have come to seeing a feature that we can attribute to life.”

But outside experts pointed to disputes over previous discoveries about the exoplanet, adding that these chemicals could have been created by unknown means having nothing to do with life.

Chemical clues

More than eight times the mass of Earth and 2.5 times as big, K2-18b is a rare exoplanet that orbits its star in a habitable or “goldilocks” zone.

This means it is neither too hot nor too cold to have liquid water, considered the most important ingredient for life.

Telescopes observe such far-off exoplanets when they cross in front of their star, allowing astronomers to analyse how molecules block the light streaming through their atmosphere.

In 2023, the Webb telescope detected methane and carbon dioxide in K2-18b’s atmosphere, the first time such carbon-based molecules were detected on an exoplanet in a habitable zone.

It also detected weak signals of the chemical DMS, leading astronomers to turn Webb towards the planet again a year ago, this time using its mid-infrared instrument to detect different wavelengths of light.

They found much stronger signs of the chemicals, though still well below the “five sigma” threshold of statistical significance scientists seek for such discoveries.

Even if the results are confirmed, it would not necessarily mean that the planet is home to life.

Last year, scientists found traces of DMS on a comet, which suggested it can be produced in non-organic ways.

However the concentration of the chemical observed on K2-18b appears to be thousands of times stronger than levels on Earth, strongly suggesting a biological origin, Madhusudhan said.

Are we alone in the universe?

K2-18b has long been considered the premier candidate for a “hycean planet” — an ocean world bigger than Earth with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.

These planets would not be expected to be home to intelligent alien life, but rather tiny microbes similar to those in Earth’s oceans billions of years ago.

Some research has questioned whether the currently proposed hycean planets are too close to their stars to support liquid water, including K2-18b, which orbits its star every 33 days.

Raymond Pierrehumbert, a planetary physics professor at Oxford University, has conducted separate research indicating K2-18b is too hot for life.

If the planet did have water, it would be “hellishly hot” and uninhabitable, he told AFP, adding that oceans of lava were more plausible.

Sara Seager, a professor of planetary science at MIT, called for patience, pointing to previous claims of water vapour in K2-18b’s atmosphere that turned out to be a different gas.

And within our solar system, Mars, Venus and moons such as Saturn’s Enceladus all have “more chance to be realised as life-hosting,” she told AFP.

Madhusudhan estimated that it would take just 16 to 24 more hours of Webb’s time to confirm their findings, which could happen in the next few years.

Even beyond K2-18b, Madhusudhan said Webb and future telescopes could allow humanity to discover life outside our home planet sooner than one might think.

“This could be the tipping point, where suddenly the fundamental question of whether we’re alone in the universe is one we’re capable of answering,” he said.

Business ordered to clear illegal structures on public walkway

National

April 17, 2025

A business premises in Kampong Tanjong Bunut, Mukim Kilanas, was found to have unlawfully occupied a portion of a public walkway for commercial use, prompting enforcement action from the Department of Town and Country Planning under the Ministry of Development.

According to a press release, the premise owner had erected permanent fixtures on the side of the walkway without securing Planning Permission from the Planning Authority, thereby violating Section 23(2) of the Town and Country Planning Order, 2015 (TCPO). The unauthorised use not only constituted a change in land use but also posed an obstruction to public access and safety.

Following an investigation, the Planning Authority issued an Enforcement Notice directing the owner to remove all illegal structures and cease related commercial activities on the public walkway. The department confirmed that the owner has since complied with the order, and the walkway has been restored for public use.

The illegal extension in question which has since been removed. PHOTO: Department of Town and Country Planning

The department reminded the public that any form of land development, subdivision, consolidation, or activity within conservation areas requires prior Planning Permission under Section 23 of the TCPO. Non-compliance is a punishable offence, with fines up to BND200,000, and for continuing offences, an additional BND10,000 for each day the offence persists after conviction.

The public is urged to adhere to planning regulations to ensure public safety and proper urban management.

Weinstein asks to sleep in hospital, citing prison ‘mistreatment’

Entertainment

April 17, 2025

NEW YORK (AFP) – Harvey Weinstein’s lawyers asked Wednesday he be allowed to spend the night in the hospital during his retrial on rape charges, saying the movie mogul’s health was deteriorating rapidly because of “mistreatment” in New York’s notorious Rikers prison.

In papers filed with the court, a lawyer said 73-year-old Weinstein had received lacking care in prison while suffering from a number of “serious medical conditions,” including leukemia, diabetes, thyroid problems, obesity, back pain, sciatica and other health woes.

“He is consistently mistreated for serious infections, medication is given incorrectly, or not at all, he is experiencing unhealthy and atypical weight gain, and he is forced to endure freezing temperatures while not even being provided clean clothing,” said lawyer Imran Ansari.

All this justifies transferring Weinstein for observation to Bellevue Hospital where he has already been taken in recent months for urgent health care, the attorney said.

Harvey Weinstein attends his retrial on rape and sex assault charges at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on April 16, 2025. PHOTO: AFP

Weinstein is back in court because his 2020 conviction by a jury was overturned last year by an appeals court that ruled that the way witnesses were handled in the original New York trial was unlawful.

The voiding of the jury’s verdict by the New York Court of Appeals was a setback to survivors of the #MeToo movement against sexual violence and the promotion of justice for them.

Looking feeble, Weinstein is attending the retrial from a wheelchair and his lawyers have complained repeatedly that in prison he does not get proper medical care.

Situated in the East River between the Bronx and Queens boroughs, Rikers Island prison has long had a reputation for overcrowding, unsanitary conditions and violence.

High profile prisoners have included John Lennon’s killer Mark David Chapman, rapper Tupac Shakur, Sex Pistols musician Sid Vicious and ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

Conviction overturned

The onetime Miramax studio boss was charged with the sexual assault of former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006, the rape of aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013, and a new count for an alleged sexual assault in 2006 at a hotel in Manhattan.

In 2020, a jury of New Yorkers found Weinstein guilty of two out of five charges — the sexual assault of Haleyi and the rape of Mann.

But the conviction and the 23-year prison sentence were overturned in April 2024.

In a hotly debated four-to-three decision, New York’s appeals court ruled that jurors should not have heard testimonies of victims about sexual assaults for which Harvey Weinstein was not indicted.

Since his downfall, Weinstein has been accused of harassment, sexual assault or rape by more than 80 women, including actors Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lupita Nyong’o and Ashley Judd.

Weinstein has never acknowledged any wrongdoing and has always maintained that the encounters were consensual.

Accusers describe the movie mogul as a predator who used his perch atop the cinema industry to pressure actors and assistants for sexual favors, often in hotel rooms.

By Wednesday, nine jurors had been selected out of the required 12, not including the six alternates also needed.

Several dozen prospective jurors have indicated they could not give Weinstein a fair trial because of what they know about the case.

Judge Curtis Farber said he hopes to conclude jury selection this week, allowing the trial to get fully underway next Monday or Tuesday.

Struggling cocoa farmers are worried about US tariff plans

Features

April 17, 2025

N’GATTAKRO, Ivory Coast (AP) — Jean Mari Konan Yao says he’s struggling as a cocoa farmer in the west African nation of Ivory Coast, which produces almost half the world’s cocoa supply of the raw ingredient used in chocolate.

Like many in Ivory Coast — the world’s biggest cocoa producer — Konan Yao says cocoa has long provided a lifeline for him, but adverse weather and plant diseases have hurt harvests in recent years.

Now, cocoa farmers worry even more over President Donald Trump’s plans to impose a 21 per cent tariff on products from Ivory Coast — the highest among West African nations.

Although Trump has suspended the tariff plans for 90 days pending further review, authorities in Ivory Coast have warned that such tariffs could send the price of cocoa even higher and destabilise the local market by slowing their sales.

Ivory Coast produces between 2 million and 2.5 million metric tons of cocoa annually, with around 200,000 to 300,000 metric tons exported to the United States, according to the Coffee and Cocoa Council.

In 2023, Ivory Coast exported USD3.68 billion worth of cocoa beans, its second biggest export after gold. The US was its fourth-largest importer of cocoa beans, after the Netherlands, Malaysia and Belgium, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

For most local cocoa growers, any US tariff could further shake a market already struggling with decreasing yields and shrinking funding that has limited farmers’ ability to meet global demands for chocolate.

FILE – Sylvain N’goran, who has been a cocoa farmer for the past 17 years, holds cocoa beans in his hands in the village of Bocanda, north of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Oct. 24, 2022. PHOTO: AP

FILE – Cocoa pods hang on a tree in Divo, West-Central Ivory Coast, Nov. 19, 2023. PHOTO: AP

“If we hear the American president is going to put a tax on the price of cocoa, it’s really not good for us, it doesn’t help us,” said another cocoa farmer, Salif Traoré.

Already, cocoa prices were rising in the country, in part because of insufficient and irregular rainfall in Ivory Coast.

The UK-based Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit research firm has noted a 32 per cent rise in the price of cocoa imported into the United Kingdom over the last three years, partially due to extreme weather conditions in parts of Africa where it’s mainly grown. Together, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon produce about three-quarters of the world’s cocoa.

Cocoa is traded on a regulated, global market. In Ivory Coast, the government usually sets cocoa prices at the onset of each season, with prices reflecting market trends and global prices. The local prices are, however, lower than the global market rates, thereby limiting the farmers’ profit from high global prices.

Authorities say they are already considering cocoa price increases if the US tariff comes into effect.

“Donald Trump’s customs tax is causing us problems. We are already feeling the effects,” said Boss Diarra, coordinator of the local cocoa farmers’ union in Bouaflé in central Ivory Coast. He pointed to bags of cocoa that he said farmers have been unable to sell.

Meanwhile, a US tariff could mean more cocoa for European markets, said Bruno Marcel Iritié, researcher at the Ivorian Félix Houphouët-Boigny Polytechnic Institute. Some of the top importers of Ivory Coast cocoa are in Europe, market data show.

European customers “will inevitably buy cheaper because when there is too much, the customer is king,” Iritié said.

Brunei raises over BND5.8m for Gaza; Collection period extended

National

April 17, 2025

The Humanitarian Fund for Palestinians in Gaza 2023 has collected a total of BND5,819,588.42 as of April 17, 2025, reflecting the continuous generosity and solidarity of the Bruneian public towards the plight of Palestinians.

Of the total amount, BND1,399,545.00 has been utilised for the delivery of humanitarian aid in the form of ready-to-eat meal packets, which were successfully air-dropped into Gaza between March 13 and 15, 2024. This leaves a remaining balance of BND4,420,043.42 in the fund.

With the consent 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, the collection period for the humanitarian fund has been extended for another six months, from April 19 to October 18, 2025.

The extension provides the public additional time to contribute towards easing the hardship faced by the people of Gaza, who continue to suffer from the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

FILES – People take part in the Second Palestine Solidarity Walkathon event at Bandar Seri Begawan on 24 Nov 2024. PHOTO: RAFI ROSLI

Members of the public may continue to channel their donations through several existing platforms under the fund, including: SMS Brunei Prihatin, handled by DST, Progresif and imagine; Donation boxes placed at mosques, suraus, and other places of worship, as well as in public buildings, commercial centres, and banks across the country in collaboration with the Association of Banks; And charity activities organised for the specific purpose of collecting donations.

The government continues to encourage individuals, companies, and organisations to support this national initiative and show unwavering compassion for the people of Palestine.

The Humanitarian Fund for Palestinians in Gaza 2023 was launched to coordinate national efforts in providing much-needed aid to civilians affected by the conflict in the region.

Borneo Bulletin OnlineThe Independent Newspaper in Brunei Darussalam, Sabah and Sarawak

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