BATANG KALI, Malaysia (AP) – Rescuers yesterday found the bodies of a mother and her son, raising the death toll from a landslide on an unlicensed campground in Malaysia to 23 with 10 others still missing.
Selangor state fire chief Norazam Khamis told reporters the two bodies were found buried under a metre of mud and debris.
He said there was hope of finding survivors if they clung on to piles or branches or rocks with pockets of air but that chances were slim.
BERNAMA – Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms, said Royal Household Bureau.
In a statement, Royal Household Bureau said King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida took routine COVID-19 tests late on Friday night and the results had returned positive.
“Overall, their symptoms were not severe. The doctors have provided medication. The medical team advised the King and Queen to take a break from royal duties,” it said.
Imams called on Muslims to devote their attention to the Friday sermon attentively and refrain from fiddling with their mobile phones with games, surfing the Internet or the social media, affecting concentration on the message relayed during the sermon.
“Being distracted with a mobile phone while the Friday sermon is delivered is against the Sunnah and is considered a breach of etiquette,” said Imams at yesterday’s sermon.
“We should sit quietly and not let any distraction affects our concentration when the Friday sermon is delivered.
“Such attitude should be left behind as it brings a big loss from reaping rewards that should have been gained when performing the Friday prayers,” they added.
Muslims are also urged to leave their jobs or businesses behind and not to come late to the mosque (when the Imam has sat on the Mimbar or pulpit in a mosque) to perform the Friday prayers.
Imams said there are etiquettes that must be adhered to such as cleansing the body and wearing clean and proper cloth, apply pleasant scents, and take a shower before going to the mosque.
“It is a great loss if the congregants come late to the mosque and are not able to reap the benefits such as forgoing the chance to perform the recommended Sunnat activities such as reciting Al-Quran, performing Istighfar, Selawat praising Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Zikir and so on.
“The Friday sermon is the best way to convey information and reminders of spiritual and worldly messages for Muslims regardless of race and position to gather and pray.
“It is one of the five conditions for the validation of Friday prayer.”
“Performing the Friday prayer doesn’t take much of one’s time and to switch off the phone will not bring any loss. One should leave behind worldly affairs for a moment.
“The attitude of not concentrating during the Friday sermon should be repressed,” said the imams.
Imams also urged all Muslims to perform pious acts on Friday which comes once a week and pray for blessings and guidance from Allah the Almighty.
“It is important to be focussed with the body and soul, be obedient and pious towards Allah the Almighty.”
WASHINGTON (AFP) – It could be the perfect Christmas present for the Donald Trump fan in your life – a USD99 digital trading card showing the former president in various guises including a cowboy, astronaut and fighter pilot.
Trump, whose bid to win back the White House in 2024 appears to be stalling, had hyped that he would be making a “major announcement”.
Speculation had mounted that he could name his vice presidential pick.
But the unveiling of his NFT (non-fungible token) card collection – timed to cash in during the holiday shopping season – instead attracted wide-spread ridicule.
In a promotional video that showed Trump in a muscled-up Superman-style costume with laser-beam eyes, he gave the cards his classic hard sell.
“These cards feature some of the really incredible artwork pertaining to my life and my career. It has been very exciting,” he said.
Former president Donald Trump. PHOTO: AP
“Buy your Trump Digital Trading Cards right now before they are all gone, and they will be gone!”
Slamming the message home, he added, “Remember Christmas is coming and this makes a great gift.”
President Joe Biden, who defeated Trump at the polls in 2020, clapped back at Trump’s self-styled “major announcement”.
“I had some MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS the last couple of weeks, too,” Biden tweeted.
“Inflation’s easing. We brought Brittney Griner home. Gas prices are lower than a year ago. 10,000 new high-paying jobs in Arizona.”
Since Trump announced he would seek to return to the Oval Office, he has suffered a series of setbacks including the defeat of many candidates he backed in midterm elections last month, growing criticism from former allies and multiple legal cases against him.
The NFTs – digital versions of collectible baseball cards – also offer the chance to win prizes such as dinner or a round of golf with Trump, autographs and one-on-one Zoom meetings.
“We are doing a lot. My Official Trump Digital Cards are USD99 which doesn’t sound like very much for what you are getting,” he added.
Department of Museums and Sparks Co as organisers of the ‘Fun at The Hub’ event will be having the Community Development Department (JAPEM) at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports to participate in the weekend activities until its final day tomorrow.
JAPEM Officer Siti Alifah binti Awang Osman said the objective of participating in the final week is to encourage family bonding time and instil harmony as well as strengthen family ties.
“We have been invited to participate in the last three days and aside from the family conversation activity where we would interview members of the public on their opinions about family-oriented programmes available in the country, we have also lined up several other fun-filled activities for everyone to enjoy,” said Siti Alifah.
The department has set up booth alongs for Family Counseling Services, JAPEM, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Ministry of Health as well as organising a lucky draw for visitors.
Winners will be announced on their social media platform by December 19.
Children participate in an activity at one of the booths. PHOTOS: BAHYIAH BAKIRVisitors at a booth
The highlight of the event will be on the last day with a ‘My To Do List’ activity where families will be asked to do some tasks together as well as several traditional games prepared by the Department of Museums.
“We welcome everyone especially families to come and join in the bonding activities and further enlivening our event,” she added.
A visitor who was at the event praised the set up of the booths in an open area adding that it would be better with a sheltered pathway, considering the unpredictable weather conditions experienced lately.
He added that while it is a good initiative by the relevant organisers to hold such family bonding events, they should also give extra thought to facilitating visitors, especially those with big families, particularly in terms of providing an ample parking space.
“Otherwise, this is a good initiative to have people spend their year-end holiday on home ground and have more quality family time, especially with festivals such as this that offer engaging fun games for the whole family,” said the visitor.
His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office presenting the Royal Patron Award to Ministry of Health during Brunei ICT Awards (BICTA) 2022 Award Ceremony
Brunei ICT Awards (BICTA) serves as a platform to showcase ICT talents with the experienced panel of the judges and criteria adhering to Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) standards.
Lyna Mohamad
Brunei Darussalam’s representatives did the country proud at the recent Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards 2022 as they returned home last Tuesday with two winning and two merit awards.
Held recently in Pakistan, the APICTA Awards is an annual international awards programme which aims to raise ICT awareness in the community and assist in bridging the digital divide.
MoH wins Inclusions & Community Services – Health and Wellbeing category
Every year, through thorough assessments by experienced judges comprising technology experts from various industries, members of the academia as well as government sector representatives, outstanding local ICT innovations were identified in Brunei ICT Awards (BICTA), and given recognition to seek further success in the global arena through participation in APICTA Awards. BICTA, jointly organised by Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications (MTIC), Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI) and Infocom Federation of Brunei (IFB) continues to serve as platform for individuals, students and local enterprises to showcase their ICT talents.
As BICTA judging criteria adheres to APICTA standards, the judges highlighted how this year’s entries have showcased more of the local entrepreneurs’ talents, demonstrating higher standard and quality products. The BICTA 2022 winners and participants with products that have the most potential were subsequently nominated to represent Brunei Darussalam in the APICTA Awards 2022.
Brunei Darussalam was represented by the Ministry of Health (MoH) who won the Winner and Merit Awards for BruHealth app; Rumine Corporation who also won a Winner Award for TechSim; Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Girls Religious Arabic Secondary School (SUAMPRIPAHS) who won a Merit Award for SignSpeak; and Sekolah Menengah Berakas with a product called MidoriSAWI.
Rumine Corporation wins Inclusions & Community – Sustainability and Environment or EducationBrunei reps at APICTA Awards 2022 Opening Ceremony
Prior to APICTA Awards 2022, each team was mentored by experienced judges and industry experts, covering various aspects of the judging criteria to ensure they were well-prepared to pitch their product on the Asia Pacific stage.
Representatives from the MoH were Mohammad Eswady bin Brahim and Mohammad Kamarulariffin Zaki bin Harith Fadzilla. Unlike other products that focus on different services separately such as contact tracing and health/well-being, BruHealth has an integrated system and manages the whole population, which impressed the judges.
“Alhamdulillah, MoH and BruHealth received the recognition for all the years of hard work, teamwork and dedication during and after the pandemic. Most importantly, BruHealth’s successes in APICTA 2022 were attributed to the whole of government and whole of nation approach in fighting the pandemic,” said Mohd Eswady.
More features will be added to the app such as the Health Index and Risk Assessment after the pilot study is completed, as well as other Population Health Management campaigns and a digital therapeutic solution for certain diseases.
Fellow Winner award recipient Rumine Corporation, represented by Sarinah binti Ziziumiza and Nursheila binti Ziziumiza, is a technology software company that enables any business or industry to create their own customised augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), extended reality (XR) and applied games.
Their product TechSim is a digital enabler tool for education and training simulation platform, which can be used across various fields, said Sarinah. The development of TechSim stemmed from the need to upgrade, retrain and assess their skills to remain relevant in the industry as things rapidly change with the Industrial Revolution 4.0. The immersive training platform is effective for practising critical thinking skills and motor skills, in addition to shortening the training time and delivering consistent results safely, by using XR technology that can track the body and provide an assessment guidance system.
The representative expressed their gratitude for the kind gestures given by the BICTA and APICTA organisers and mentors for the opportunity to compete at APICTA Awards 2022. Rumine Corporation hopes that the immersive training platform can reach a larger audience via partnership and collaboration, especially where the industry is increasingly shifting to remote and hybrid workplace environments.
Rumine Corporation demonstrating TechSimSUAMPRIPAHS presents to APICTA Awards virtually
“We will continue with our efforts to raise the awareness in using innovative ICT solutions for education and training so more can embrace new ways to train, sustain and develop their employees to remain competitive and agile,” added Sarinah.
Meanwhile, SUAMPRIPAHS was represented by Aleeya Farhanah binti Haji Mohd Azim, Nurazineeiq @ Nur Farisah Watsiqah binti Hj Marjuki and Nur Atiyah Aqilah binti Haji Hasnan. During their first BICTA bootcamp, one of the team members came up with an idea on how to help people with disabilities such as blind or deaf people by using a mobile app called SignSpeak.
Throughout the journey, the team learned a lot of new information and skills regarding on technical part from their mentors and supervisors. “Alhamdulillah after winning this APICTA awards, our product gets its recognition from the people in Brunei. With this it gave us a big encouragement to expand our product SignSpeak more and will give a better version of us in the future,” said the school representative.
The team will continue their research and development on what features need to be included. They will also continue collaborating with Persatuan Orang Kurang Pendengaran for further market testing and see how far it is sustainable in the long term.
WELLINGTON (AFP) – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is raising money for a prostate cancer charity by auctioning off a transcript of a parliamentary exchange in which she made a derogatory remark against a political opponent.
Bidding for a framed copy of the document, signed by Ardern and the insult’s target, political rival David Seymour, had reached NZD45,500 (USD29,000) yesterday in an online auction.
New Zealand’s premier was overheard muttering the insult following a heated exchange between the pair at a parliamentary session on Tuesday.
A microphone picked up an exasperated Ardern making the derogatory remark in reference to Seymour as she retook her seat after answering a barbed question from the MP.
Seymour, leader of the right-liberalist ACT party, petitioned the Speaker of New Zealand’s Parliament for an apology by Ardern, which meant her comment was entered into the official record, known as the Hansard.
File photo shows New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden during the New Zealand 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup celebrations event at Parliament in Wellington. PHOTO: AFP
Ardern later texted an apology to Seymour, who came up with the idea of joining forces to raise money for charity.
“We are thrilled it’s got such good support,” Seymour told AFP yesterday, with bidding due to close on December 22.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Ardern said she had signed the official transcript with Seymour “in the spirit of good sportsmanship and a good cause”.
Seymour said the prime minister needed little persuasion.
“I suggested we sign a copy of the Hansard and auction it off to raise money for the foundation and pricks everywhere,” he added.
Seymour said her insult “was not significant in terms of the stuff that goes on, people were surprised as it’s so out of character” for Ardern.
He added he hoped the signed document would go “for a lot of money. It’s a pretty unusual occurrence and a good cause”.
Brunei Darussalam yesterday recorded 489 recoveries, bringing the national tally to 262,218.
Meanwhile, four COVID-19 cases are placed under Category 4 for close monitoring.
The Ministry of Health announced the latest COVID-19 situation in its daily report yesterday.
A total of 87.1 per cent of children aged five to 11 in the country have been inoculated with two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine while 62.3 per cent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 have been administered the third dose.
The overall population that has received the fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is at 11.4 per cent. The coverage rate of the populace with three shots of the COVID-19 vaccine remains at 78.9 per cent.
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervised the test of a “high-thrust solid-fuel motor” for a new strategic weapon, state media reported yesterday, a development that could allow him to possess a more mobile, harder-to-detect arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles that can reach the mainland United States (US).
Thursday’s “static firing test” of a missile engine at the country’s northwest rocket launch facility was the first of its kind in North Korea, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. It said that the test provided “a sure sci-tech guarantee for the development of another new-type strategic weapon system”.
Kim praised scientists and technicians over the test, saying he expected the new weapon would be built “in the shortest span of time”, KCNA said.
North Korea is likely referring to a solid-fuelled ICBM, which is among an array of high-tech weapons systems that Kim vowed to introduce during a major ruling Workers’ Party conference early last year.
Other weapons systems Kim promised to manufacture include a multi-warhead missile, underwater-launched nuclear missiles and spy satellites.
The latest motor test showed that North Korea is determined to carry out Kim’s vows to develop such sophisticated weapons systems despite its pandemic-related domestic hardships and US-led international pressures to curb its nuclear programme. In recent months, North Korea has test-fired a barrage of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles including last month’s launch of its developmental, longest-range liquid-fuelled Hwasong-17 ICBM designed to carry multiple warheads.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervises a test of ‘high-thrust solid-fuel motor’ at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in North Korea. PHOTO: AP
Some experts say North Korea would eventually use an expanded arsenal to seek sanctions relief and other concessions from the US.
“We’d been expecting a test of this kind for a while. Large-diameter, solid propellant rocket motors will enable North Korea to deploy larger submarine-launched missiles and, more importantly, more survivable and responsive intercontinental-range ballistic missiles,” said an expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Ankit Panda.
“Unlike liquid propellant missiles, solid propellant missiles are fuelled at the time of manufacture and can thus be released far more quickly in a war, all else being equal,” Panda said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d look to do additional testing and development of these motors before moving to flight-testing.”
The fuel in solid-propellant rockets is already loaded inside, which helps to shorten launch preparation times, increase the weapon’s mobility and make it harder for outsiders to detect what’s happening before liftoff. North Korea already has a growing arsenal of short-range, solid-fuelled ballistic missiles targetting key locations in South Korea, including US military bases there.
KCNA said on Thursday’s test was meant to verify specific technical features of the motor based on “the thrust vector controlling technology” and that the test showed all the technical indices proved its reliability and stability.
The technology refers to an ability to allow rockets to steer directions with the gimballing of exhaust nozzles, some analysts said after examining North Korea-dispatched photos of the test.
