The students participating at the sports festival. PHOTO: LYNA MOHAMAD
The Brunei Malay Teachers Association (PGGMB) organised a sport festival at the Berakas Sports Complex yesterday. Over 600 pupils and teachers from four PGGMB schools, along with 60 students from the Centre for Children with Special Needs (KACA), participated in the event.
Legislative Council member Yang Berhormat Dr Haji Mahali bin Haji Momin officially opened the festival. PGGMB President Haji Abdul Alim bin Haji Othman and association members were also present.
The festival, co-hosted by Tunas Jaya PGGMB Lambak School, saw participation from Madang, Kuala Belait and Sungai Akar PGGMB schools. Tunas Jaya PGGMB Lambak School Headmaster Haji Roslan bin Haji Md Hassan in a speech encouraged pupils to prioritise sports activities from a young age to maintain physical and mental well-being. He said the sport festival encouraged parental involvement in their children’s academic and athletic achievements.
The event included over 10 sports and leisure activities for pupils. – Lyna Mohamad
The students participating at the sports festival. PHOTO: LYNA MOHAMAD
Crowds at the Tourism Development Department’s booth at the Tourism Expo Japan 2024.
PHOTO: TOURISM DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
The Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism concluded its participation in the Tourism Expo Japan 2024, held from September 26 to 29 at Tokyo Big Sight, Japan.
The expo, organised by the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), featured exhibitors from over 150 countries, providing a networking platform in the global travel industry.
Brunei’s presence at the expo included a delegation of seven local agencies, consisting of hotels, travel agents, and the national airline.
Throughout the event, Bruneian representatives participated in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer sessions, connecting with Japanese businesses and the public while offering travel packages.
As a follow-up, the Tourism Development Department will host a familiarisation trip for Japanese travel agents who interacted with Brunei’s representatives during the expo.
Meanwhile last week, the Tourism Development Department, with support from the Embassy of Brunei Darussalam in Tokyo, organised a seminar where 40 agencies attended to share strategies for marketing Brunei’s attractions to Japanese travellers.
Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin accompanied by Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary II Noralinda binti Ibrahim attended the seminar.
According to the Tourism Development Department, the seminar saw a presentation on how Japanese travel agencies can better promote Brunei’s unique offerings.
Representatives from Brunei’s travel agencies had the opportunity to pitch offerings to Japanese counterparts before a networking session. – James Kon
Crowds at the Tourism Development Department’s booth at the Tourism Expo Japan 2024.
PHOTO: TOURISM DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENTThe seminar in progress. PHOTO: TOURISM DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Mark Zuckerberg wears a pair of Orion AR glasses during the Meta Connect conference Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Menlo Park, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Mark Zuckerberg wears a pair of Orion AR glasses during the Meta Connect conference. PHOTO: AP
LONDON (BERNAMA-DPA) – Meta has unveiled its first pair of augmented reality (AR) glasses, which use holograms to overlay digital content on to the real world around the wearer, the German news agency (dpa) reported.
Announced during the tech giant’s Meta Connect event, the company said the prototype device called Orion “might be the most challenging consumer electronics device produced since the smartphone”.
So far, AR devices have been headsets such as Apple’s Vision Pro, which are designed to house all the technology required to power a wearable device capable of projecting holograms in front of a wearer’s eyes.
But Meta said Orion was the result of “breakthrough inventions in virtually every field of modern computing” and was “packed with entirely new technologies” around display and computer chips in order to run the same experiences currently found in headsets on a pair of glasses.
The device can be controlled using voice, eye movement, and hand gestures.
Meta said it was opening up prototype testing for its own staff and “select, external audiences” so it can “learn, iterate, and build towards our consumer AR glasses product line, which we plan to begin shipping in the near future”.
The announcement was the most eye-catching in an array of new products and tools announced by the Facebook and Instagram parent firm during its event, including a new version of its Meta Quest headset.
Meta has been making large strides into artificial intelligence (AI) and it confirmed that it was adding voice interaction to its Meta AI tools for the first time – initially rolling out in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
New versions of Meta’s open-source AI models – Llama 3.2 – were also announced.
Industry expert Mike Proulx, vice president research director at analyst firm Forrester, said the announcement of Orion had the potential to be “revolutionary” for the sector.
“There was a stark contrast in Mark Zuckerberg’s excitement when he talked about AI and glasses versus when he talked about Meta Quest,” he said.
“It’s clear that Meta’s future is AI and glasses.
“VR headsets, despite Meta’s assertion, won’t go mainstream. They’re too cumbersome and people can only tolerate them in short bursts
“Glasses, however, put computing power directly into a common and familiar form factor. As the smart tech behind these glasses mature, they have the potential to disrupt everyday consumers’ interactions with brands.
“Meta’s Orion holographic prototype sets the stage for a future where a revolutionary 3D computing platform is within reach and can actually be useful to the everyday consumer.”
Shigeru Ishiba, the new head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), takes part in a press conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on September 30, 2024. Japan's incoming prime minister Shigeru Ishiba said on September 30 he aimed to call snap elections for October 27, as equities plunged on a strong yen and fears that tax hikes are on the cards. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
TOKYO (AFP) – Japan’s incoming prime minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Monday he aimed to call snap elections for October 27, as equities plunged on a strong yen and fears that tax hikes are on the cards.
Ishiba, who was set to be formally appointed as premier on Tuesday after winning the leadership of the ruling party, supports the Bank of Japan’s drive to hike interest rates and has said “there is room” to raise corporate levies.
The leadership contest for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has governed almost uninterrupted for decades, went down to the wire on Friday, with right-winger Sanae Takaichi tipped to win when markets closed.
With Takaichi a fan of former prime minister Shinzo Abe’s unorthodox “Abenomics” economic policies of ultra-low interest rates and tax cuts, the prospect of her winning sent stocks higher and the yen lower.
Takaichi, an arch-nationalist, would also have been the first woman prime minister in a country where men still dominate politics and business.
Ishiba, 67, is a fierce critic of Abe and his last-gasp victory — on his fifth attempt — sent the yen soaring to around 142 per dollar from around 146.50. Investors dumped stocks on Monday, with exporters among the worst hit.
The Nikkei index closed down 4.8 per cent, with Toyota tumbling 7.6 per cent and real estate company Mitsui Fudosan off 8.7 per cent.
Ishiba confirmed on Monday media reports that he aimed to call snap elections for October 27, saying it was “important for the new government to be judged by the people as soon as possible”.
LDP elders are banking on Ishiba, a self-confessed defence “geek” fond of making model ships and planes, to boost the party’s popularity.
Its poll ratings fell sharply under outgoing premier Fumio Kishida, hit by a damaging party slush fund scandal and anger over rising prices.
Shigeru Ishiba, the new head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), takes part in a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Tokyo. PHOTO: AFP
Defence ties
Ishiba vowed on Friday to restore confidence in the LDP after the scandal and to shore up defence ties among neighbours rattled by recent Chinese actions.
He is considering appointing as finance minister Katsunobu Kato, a former chief cabinet secretary who ran in the LDP leadership race, media reports said.
Gen Nakatani, a veteran former defence minister, will return to his old job while Takeshi Iwaya, another former defence minister, will come in as foreign minister, the reports said.
Kishida pledged to double defence spending and deepen military cooperation with the United States and other allies in the region rattled by China’s rise and an unpredictable North Korea.
Ishiba backs the creation of an “Asian NATO” and has said Japan should respond more strongly to Chinese or Russian breaches of its airspace or waters, as has happened repeatedly in recent weeks.
But questions remain over how the government plans to pay for the upgrade and also find enough recruits for the military among Japan’s shrinking population.
Taro Saito, senior economist at NLI Research Institute, told AFP that Ishiba has so far focused on how to improve public finances in Japan, which has one of the world’s highest debt mountains.
“He seems not so interested in policies to boost economic growth, although what is most important for Japan is low growth rather than fiscal health,” Saito said.
Chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, who is reportedly set to remain under Ishiba, declined to comment on Monday on the fall in stocks but said the government would “make judgements with calm heads”.
“We will continue closely watching trends in financial markets at home and abroad with a sense of vigilance and, while cooperating closely with the Bank of Japan, we will do our best in management of the economy and finance,” he said.
JAKARTA (ANN/JAKARTA POST) – Indonesian delegates, along with representatives from other countries, staged a walkout during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), amidst widespread international condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza and Lebanon.
At the UN headquarters in New York, Indonesian diplomats, along with those from other Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, exited the debate hall shortly before Netanyahu addressed the assembly on Friday night, leaving the room notably half-empty when he began speaking.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Rolliansyah Soemirat informed The Jakarta Post on Sunday that Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi had instructed the Indonesian diplomats to leave on her behalf, as she was engaged in another meeting at the UN.
United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, USA. PHOTO: ANN/JAKARTA POST
As Netanyahu spoke about Israel’s right to retaliate and its plans to “continue degrading Hezbollah,” referring to the escalating conflict with the Iran-backed military group in Lebanon, some remaining delegates in the hall applauded his remarks.
This marked the second occasion this year that Indonesia walked out of a UN meeting regarding Palestine. In January, Retno led an Indonesian delegation out of a UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting just as the then-Israeli permanent representative began their speech.
On Saturday, Retno addressed the UN, calling for an end to Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza and the West Bank. She urged countries that have yet to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state to do so promptly.
File photo of Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan at the Singapore Perspectives conference, organised by the Institute of Policy Studies on Jan 28, 2019. PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
NEW YORK (ANN/STRAITS TIMES) – Singapore has called on United Nations (UN) member states to prevent the normalisation of recent violations of international law, stressing the need for reform in global governance institutions to ensure they are more representative and responsive to contemporary challenges.
Singapore’s Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, during his address at the 79th UN General Assembly on September 28, stated: “The invasion of one country by another, under the pretext of historical errors and grievances, cannot be justified by any means.”
Presenting Singapore’s national statement, Dr Balakrishnan highlighted Article 2 of the UN Charter, which mandates that all member states must refrain from using force against the territorial integrity of others. He also referred to UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 242, which was adopted after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, and affirmed the “inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war.”
“If the notion that ‘might is right’ is allowed to prevail, the world will become a very dangerous place, especially for small states,” Dr Balakrishnan warned, adding that this would lead to a descent into chaos and conflict. He stressed that all countries, regardless of size, share the responsibility to work together to preserve peace and protect lives.
File photo of Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan at the Singapore Perspectives conference, organised by the Institute of Policy Studies on Jan 28, 2019. PHOTO: ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES
Dr Balakrishnan underscored the vital role of the UN as an arena for dialogue and cooperation, calling for a renewed commitment to multilateralism and strengthening the UN’s role in promoting peace and sustainable development.
He emphasised the need for Singapore and other small states to consistently stand for the adherence to international law and the UN Charter, urging member states to return to the core mission of the UN – maintaining international peace and security. “We must restore respect for the rule of law and the UN Charter, which has underpinned global peace and security for the last 80 years,” he added.
Dr Balakrishnan also stressed that global governance institutions, particularly the UNSC, must reflect the needs of small and developing states. He called for reforms to make the UNSC more transparent, accountable, and reflective of contemporary realities.
Highlighting the special responsibility of the Security Council’s five permanent members – the US, UK, France, Russia, and China – Dr Balakrishnan said they must demonstrate leadership by cooperating to maintain international peace and security. He added that the lack of trust among major powers has exacerbated conflicts in regions such as Ukraine, the Middle East, and Sudan.
The Foreign Minister welcomed the “veto initiative,” which requires UNSC permanent members to be accountable to the UN General Assembly when casting a veto. While acknowledging this as a positive step, he stressed the need for further reforms to enhance the UNSC’s transparency and accountability.
Dr Balakrishnan reaffirmed Singapore’s commitment to multilateralism, stating that small states like Singapore cannot afford to take sides or become entangled in great power rivalries. “For small states, multilateralism and international law is not an option; it is an existential necessity,” he said. He emphasised that Singapore’s priority is to defend its sovereignty, exercise its autonomy, and chart its own future.
He also expressed Singapore’s support for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ New Agenda for Peace, which encourages cooperation and collective action to address shared global challenges. Singapore stands ready to work with other UN member states to strengthen the UN’s role in preventive diplomacy, mediation, and conflict prevention.
Dr Balakrishnan reiterated Singapore’s support for achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and announced the renewal of Singapore’s capacity-building programme for the Forum of Small States (FOSS). The “FOSS for Good” initiative will focus on digital-themed programmes to support the Global Digital Compact, a framework for global governance of digital technologies and artificial intelligence.
Additionally, the Foreign Minister highlighted Singapore’s ratification of the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, a key step in strengthening the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He praised the outcomes of the recently concluded Summit of the Future, including the adoption of the Pact for the Future, the Declaration on Future Generations, and the Global Digital Compact, as significant milestones in reinvigorating international cooperation.
“Singapore will continue to share its development experience and support fellow small states in their efforts to achieve peace, security, and sustainable development,” Dr Balakrishnan said in closing.
SEOUL (AFP) – A South Korean court handed a three-year jail term on Monday to a former Seoul district police chief over a crush that killed more than 150 people, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Tens of thousands of people – mostly in their 20s and 30s – had been out on October 29, 2022, to enjoy the first post-pandemic Halloween celebrations in the popular Itaewon nightlife district.
But the night turned deadly when people poured into a narrow, sloping alleyway between bars and clubs, the weight of their bodies and a lack of effective crowd control leading to scores of people being crushed to death.
Former Yongsan district police chief Lee Im-jae was found guilty of failing to prevent the crush – the first police officer to be convicted for their direct role in the disaster.
“It was foreseeable that there would be a large crowd of people in the sloped alley of Itaewon that would lead to serious danger to life and physical safety on the Halloween weekend in 2022,” the Seoul Western District Court said in the guilty verdict, Yonhap reported.
Another former officer in charge of the Yongsan police emergency centre was sentenced Monday to two years in jail on the same charges.
The court is also set to deliver another verdict later in the day to local official Park Hee-young, head of the Yongsan Ward office, on similar charges.
Trials ongoing
Earlier this year, two former senior police officers were jailed for destroying evidence linked to the crush, making them the first police to be sentenced in connection to the incident.
The court ruled that in the aftermath of the disaster, they had ordered the deletion of four internal police reports which had identified in advance safety concerns over possible overcrowding in the area.
Kim Kwang-ho, the former head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, has also been on trial, and is awaiting a verdict on charges of professional negligence resulting in injury or death.
Prosecutors are seeking a five year term for the ex-chief, with a verdict expected next month.
Kim has denied wrongdoing, telling the court in April: “Instead of seeking a scapegoat, real preventive measures should be carried out”, broadcaster JTBC has reported.
District level officials have been prosecuted over the disaster, but no high-ranking members of government resigned or have faced prosecution, despite criticism from victims’ families over a lack of accountability.
South Korea’s rapid transformation from a war-torn country to Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a global cultural powerhouse is a source of national pride.
But a series of preventable disasters – such as the 2022 crush and the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking that killed 304 people – has shaken public confidence in authorities.
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, announced the establishment of a civil service transformation committee to ensure continuous progress in government operations.
The committee, which will be led by the Prime Minister’s Office, will include members from the private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). His Majesty said this diverse membership would allow policies and transformations to be approached holistically, with a focus on the ‘Whole of Nation’ and ‘Whole of Government’ approaches.
The monarch made this announcement during a titah at the 31st Civil Service Day celebration at the International Convention Centre (ICC), Berakas, on Monday.
His Majesty underscored the need for public servants to continue upholding the government’s vision, despite the successes already achieved, and to strive for further improvements in capabilities.
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 delivering the titah at the 31st Civil Service Day celebration at the International Convention Centre (ICC), Berakas, on Monday. PHOTO: RAFI ROSLI
In today’s complex world, the monarch emphasised, the public service must seek new opportunities, add value, and adopt forward-thinking strategies to ensure continuous advancement.
“Every public servant forms the backbone of the nation’s programmes. Without their efforts, national plans would be in vain,” His Majesty said, stressing that Civil Service Day is not just a celebration but also a moment for public servants to renew their commitment to a brighter future.
In line with the theme of adapting to a fast-changing world, His Majesty called on the public service to be ready to face emerging challenges. His Majesty also noted that innovation and technology are essential to achieving public service goals, saying that these tools will not only enhance service efficiency but also provide valuable experience to relevant agencies.
His Majesty highlighted the importance of utilising the latest technologies, such as big data systems and mobile applications, to develop more accurate public service strategies and better meet public needs. He also emphasised that innovation in public service must extend beyond the introduction of new systems to include shifts in mindset and work practices.
These, His Majesty said, are the foundations of the transformation needed in civil service, requiring comprehensive changes in how public servants work and engage with the community.
In conjunction with Civil Service Day, His Majesty also launched a book titled Tokoh Jasawan Negara, which highlights the leadership of His Majesty’s late father, Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam.
His Majesty paid tribute to Al-Marhum’s visionary leadership and dedication to public service. Al-Marhum, known for his integrity, professionalism, and discipline, was instrumental in shaping the nation’s public service through responsive policies aimed at the well-being of the people.
His Majesty concluded by urging the nation to continue Al-Marhum’s legacy, upholding and advancing the progress and well-being of the people and the country. – AZLAN OTHMAN
TOPSHOT - A man carrying a sack of flour wades through flood waters after the Bagmati River overflowed following heavy monsoon rains in Kathmandu on September 28, 2024. Floods and landslides caused by heavy downpours in Nepal killed at least 10 people across the Himalayan country, with rescue teams searching for 18 missing, a disaster official said on September 28. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
A man carrying a sack of flour wades through flood waters after the Bagmati River overflowed following heavy monsoon rains in Kathmandu. PHOTO: AFP
KATHMANDU (AFP) – Search and rescue teams in Nepal’s capital picked through wrecked homes on Monday after waters receded from monsoon floods that killed at least 192 people around the Himalayan republic.
Deadly floods and landslides are common across South Asia during the monsoon season from June to September, but experts say climate change is making them worse.
Entire neighbourhoods in Kathmandu were inundated after the heaviest rains in more than two decades, with the capital temporarily cut off from the rest of Nepal after landslides blocked highways.
“Our focus is on search and rescue, including people who have been stranded on highways,” home ministry spokesman Rishi Ram Tiwari told AFP.
“192 people have been reported dead, and another 31 are missing,” he added.
At least 35 of those killed were buried alive when earth from a landslide careened into vehicles on a highway south of Kathmandu, Nepal Police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki told AFP.
Rescuers in knee-high rubber boots, meanwhile, were using shovels to clear mud from the worst-hit riverside neighbourhoods around Kathmandu, many of them unauthorised slum settlements.
A damaged vehicle is seen amid mud and debris in a flood-affected area following heavy monsoon rains in Kathmandu. PHOTO: AFP
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, a Nepal-based think tank, said the disaster had been made worse by unplanned urban encroachment around the Bagmati River, which courses through the capital.
Nepal’s army said that more than 4,000 people had been rescued, with helicopters, motorboats and rafts used to bring stranded households to safety.
Bulldozers were being used to clear nearly two dozen sections of major highways leading into Kathmandu that had been blocked by debris.
– ‘All of it is stuck’ –
Merchants in Kathmandu said that damage to intercity roads had drastically cut the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables into the capital.
“The farmers have their produce ready but with the highways blocked, all of it is stuck,” Binay Shrestha, who works at one of the city’s main produce markets, told AFP.
A damaged vehicle is seen amid mud and debris at a vegetable market in a flood-affected area following heavy monsoon rains. PHOTO: AFP
Nepal’s weather bureau said preliminary data from stations in 14 districts measured record-breaking rain in the 24 hours to Saturday morning.
A monitoring station at the Kathmandu airport recorded about 240 millimetres (9.4 inches) of rain, the highest figure since 2002.
The summer monsoon from July to September brings South Asia 70-80 percent of its annual rainfall and is vital for agriculture and food production in a region home to around two billion people.
But monsoon rains also bring widespread death and destruction in the form of floods and landslides.
Experts say climate change has worsened their frequency and intensity.
More than 300 people have died in Nepal in rain-related disasters this year.
