Over 513 kg of trash collected in beach cleanup

September 27, 2024

Volunteers clear trash from the surroundings. PHOTO: DANIEL LIM

Over 513 kilogrammes kilogrammes of garbage was removed from the Sungai Liang Recreational Beach during a clean-up campaign organised by Brunei LNG Sdn Bhd on Friday.

The campaign, held to mark International Coastal Cleanup Day, collected 65 bags worth of trash weighing in total 513.8 kilogrammes from the beach. The campaign was organised by Brunei LNG employees under the BLNGolden Hearts and Brunei LNG Eco Eagles groups in collaboration with Green Brunei.

The Head of Kampong Sungai Liang Mohammad Haszrin bin Bagol was the guest of honour. Also participating were residents from the Mukim Liang Lumut community, along with Politeknik Brunei Lumut and Tutong Sixth Form Centre students.

The collected trash included empty bottles, plastic bags, and various other types of debris detrimental to marine ecosystems.

The International Coastal Cleanup has historically led to the removal of millions of pounds of marine debris worldwide, and by participating, Brunei LNG supports these ongoing efforts to protect marine wildlife and habitats.

Draper ready to take lead for British tennis

Sports

September 27, 2024

621935-01-02 — Italy's Jannik Sinner (R) embraces Britain's Jack Draper after winning their men's semifinals match on day twelve of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on September 6, 2024. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

Britain’s Jack Draper hits a return to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz during their men’s singles match at the Japan Open tennis tournament in Tokyo. PHOTO: AFP

TOKYO (AFP) – US Open semi-finalist Jack Draper says he is ready for the “responsibility” of leading British tennis but thinks it is “unrealistic” to match the achievements of retired great Andy Murray.

Draper this month became the first British man to reach the US Open semi-finals since Murray won the title there 12 years ago.

The 22-year-old lost to eventual champion Jannik Sinner of Italy, who described his beaten opponent as a future Grand Slam champion.

Draper took over as Britain’s men’s number one for the first time in June this year, just over a month before Murray retired at the Paris Olympics.

Draper says he is ready to fill the gap left by the three-time Grand Slam title winner.

“I see it as a responsibility to be the person who’s performing,” Draper said after moving into the Japan Open quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over number two seed Hubert Hurkacz on Friday.

“Andy has had a lot of success over a long period of time, and my biggest respect for him was that he did that with a lot of pressure on his shoulders, especially around Wimbledon time.

“I see it as a responsibility to achieve great things for myself and for British tennis,” he added.

Murray famously ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s champion at Wimbledon when he beat Novak Djokovic in the 2013 final.

He added a second Wimbledon title in 2016 and also won the US Open in 2012 and Olympic gold in both 2012 and 2016.

Fulfill my potential
Draper won his first career ATP title in Stuttgart in June, and said Friday that it was “a tough thing trying to be the next Andy Murray”.

“I’m not thinking of achieving what he’s achieved because I think that would be unrealistic right now,” said Draper.

“I’m going to try and do everything I can to fulfil my potential, whatever that looks like.

“If that is winning Grand Slams and being one of the best players in the world, then amazing.”

Draper is now ranked number 20 in the world but he was outside the top 100 when he played at the Japan Open a year ago.

He suffered multiple shoulder injuries last year and missed huge chunks of the season, including most of the clay swing and all of the grass court season.

He was forced onto the second-tier Challenger circuit but he says the experience made him into the player he is today.

“It was kind of a blessing in disguise because I needed to look at myself, look at my physicality, work on my mentality as well, because I wasn’t ready to be a top player,” he said.

“In the last year I think I’ve done everything right. I’ve really focused on everything that I can control.”

Draper, who will play either American Brandon Nakashima or France’s Ugo Humbert next in Tokyo, said “it’s never really been about the tennis for me”.

“It’s always been about developing the right mindset and developing my body to become robust to play on the tour week in, week out,” he said.

Shigeru Ishiba: Abe-critic wins Japan top job at last

World

September 27, 2024

Shigeru Ishiba celebrates after he was elected as the new head of Japan’s ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) leadership election in Tokyo. PHOTO: AFP

TOKYO (AFP) – Shigeru Ishiba, who will be Japan’s next prime minister after winning his party’s leadership vote on Friday, is a seasoned lawmaker known for his in-depth security policy knowledge.

A former defence minister, Ishiba’s push to boost the military and call for the creation of an Asian NATO could rile Beijing, but he is careful with his words concerning China.

He argues that Japan’s military should be able to take a stronger response when territorial airspace or waters are breached. Currently a warning shot is the only option, and China is “well aware” of that, he has said.

Although he is relatively popular with the public, Ishiba has had four failed bids to lead his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), including a 2012 try against his arch-rival Shinzo Abe before prevailing this time against a nationalist.

Shigeru Ishiba joins hands with other candidates as he acknowledges his victory. PHOTO: AFP

For a long time Ishiba alienated party heavyweights with his “outspoken criticism of LDP policies under Abe”, said Yu Uchiyama, a politics professor at the University of Tokyo.

But recently he has been “vocal about the need for the LDP to turn over a new leaf when it comes to the funding scandal and other issues”, which may have worked in his favour.

He has also proposed creating a government agency in charge of disaster prevention in the earthquake-prone country that is also frequently hit by typhoons and heavy rains.

“My life’s work is security, disaster prevention, and the revitalisation of rural regions,” Ishiba said in a recent interview with the Mainichi Shimbun daily, pledging to focus on these issues as prime minister.

Don’t repeat mistakes
Ishiba, whose politician father was at one point a Cabinet minister, grew up in the remote rural region of Tottori.

He read law at university and became a banker before entering politics, winning his first parliamentary seat with the LDP in 1986, aged 29.

During his long career, the father of two has held several key posts including LDP secretary general and minister for agriculture.

The political veteran is a fan of trains, 1970s pop idols and making military models — including one of a Soviet aircraft carrier for the visit of a Russian defence minister.

In the run-up to Friday’s vote, Ishiba pledged to boost the economy by encouraging domestic investment in the chip and AI sectors among other policies, such as using nuclear power alongside renewables to fuel the resource-poor country.

He supports the Bank of Japan’s exit from its longstanding unorthodox monetary easing policies – championed by Abe – and has said “there is room for raising the corporate tax”.

The money raised by this tax hike will help the government in its existing plan to ramp up defence spending to the NATO standard of two percent of GDP by 2027, according to Ishiba.

He aims to raise Japan’s low birth rate through measures including a review of the country’s notorious long working hours and expanding support for parents, and wants to fight rural depopulation by revitalising regional economies.

Ishiba has said he is uniquely qualified for the job because he has experienced many setbacks when tackling tough social issues, such as agriculture reforms.

“I have always asked myself why and how things didn’t always go well. I don’t want future generations to repeat the same mistakes,” he said in a debate on Wednesday.

‘Broken’ news industry faces uncertain future

Features

September 27, 2024

PARIS (AFP) – From disinformation campaigns to soaring scepticism, plummeting trust and economic slumps, the global media landscape has been hit with blow after blow.

World News Day, taking place on Saturday with the support of hundreds of organisations including AFP, aims to raise awareness about the challenges endangering the hard-pressed industry.

Broken business model
In 2022, UNESCO warned that “the business model of the news media is broken”.

Advertising revenue – the lifeline of news publications – has dried up in recent years, with Internet giants such as Google and Facebook owner Meta soaking up half of that spending, the report said.

Meta, Amazon and Google’s parent company Alphabet alone account for 44 per cent of global ad spend, while only 25 per cent goes to traditional media organisations, according to a study by the World Advertising Research Center.

Platforms like Facebook “are now explicitly deprioritising news and political content”, the Reuters Institute’s 2024 Digital News Report pointed out.

Traffic from social to news sites has sharply declined as a result, causing a drop in revenue.

Few are keen to pay for news. Only 17 per cent of people polled across 20 wealthy countries said they had online news subscriptions in 2023.

Such trends, leading to rising costs, have resulted in “layoffs, closures, and other cuts” in media organisations around the world, the study found.

Eroding trust
Public trust in the media has increasingly eroded in recent years.

Only four in 10 respondents said they trusted news most of the time, the Reuters Institute reported. Meanwhile, young people are relying more on influencers and content creators than newspapers to stay informed.

For them, video is king, with the study citing the influence of TikTok and YouTube stars such as American Vitus Spehar and Frenchman Hugo Travers, known for his channel HugoDecrypte.

Growing disinformation
The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has renewed concerns about disinformation – rife on social platforms – as the tool can generate convincing text and images.

In the United States, partisan websites masquerading as media outlets now outnumber American newspaper sites, the research group NewsGuard, which tracks misinformation, said in June.

“Pink slime” outlets – politically motivated websites that present themselves as independent local news outlets – are largely powered by AI. This appears to be an effort to sway political beliefs ahead of the US election.

As part of a national crackdown on disinformation, Brazil’s Supreme Court suspended access to Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter.

The court accused the social media platform of refusing to remove accounts charged with spreading fake news, and flouting other judicial rulings.

“Eradicating disinformation seems impossible, but things can be implemented,” Reporters Without Borders (RSF) editorial director Anne Bocande told AFP.

Platforms can bolster regulation and create news reliability indicators, like RSF’s Journalism Trust Initiative, Bocande said.

Alarming new player
AI has pushed news media into unchartered territory.

US streaming platform Peacock introduced AI-generated custom match reports during the Paris Olympics this year, read with the voice of sports commentator Al Michaels – fuelling fears AI could replace journalists.

Despite these concerns, German media giant Axel Springer has decided to bet on AI while refocusing on its core news activities.

At its roster, which includes Politico, the Bild tabloid, Business Insider and Die Welt daily, AI will focus on menial production tasks so journalists can dedicate their time to reporting and securing scoops.

In a bid to profit from the technology’s rise, the German publisher as well as The Associated Press and The Financial Times signed content partnerships with start-up OpenAI.

But the Microsoft-backed firm is also caught in a major lawsuit with The New York Times over copyright violations.

Quiet repression
With journalists frequently jailed, killed and attacked worldwide, “repression is a major issue,” said RSF’s Bocande.

A total of 584 journalists are languishing behind bars because of their work. The war in Gaza sparked by Palestinian militant group Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel has already left a “terrible” mark on press freedom, Bocande added.

More than 130 journalists have been killed by Israeli airstrikes since October 7, 2023, including 32 while “in the exercise of their duties”.

She said a “quiet repression” campaign is underway in countries around the world, including in democracies – with investigative journalism hampered by fresh laws on national security.

At 99, Malaysia’s ex-PM still has the need for speed

Southeast Asia

September 27, 2024

(ANN/THE STAR) – At 99 years old, Malaysian Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad continues to defy age, as demonstrated during a recent outing at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), where he was seen enthusiastically driving a car.

In a video shared on his Facebook page, the nonagenarian was first spotted in the passenger seat of an Audi Q5 SUV, driven by SIC’s non-executive chairperson, Tan Sri Mohamed Azman Yahya. Later in the footage, Dr. Mahathir took the wheel himself, reaching speeds of 154 km/h.

During the drive, Azman asked Dr. Mahathir about his vision for the racing circuit and the introduction of Formula One in Malaysia, a project initiated during his first term as Prime Minister.

Malaysian Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad seen enthusiastically driving a car in this video grab. PHOTO: ANN/THESTAR

“We don’t have many tourist attractions, and hosting a race would stimulate interest among tourists and visitors from abroad. We also need to entertain people,” Dr. Mahathir replied, emphasising the need for real-life action rather than merely watching it on television.

He recounted discussions with former SIC chairman Tan Sri Basir Ismail, reflecting on their belief that establishing the circuit was a worthwhile investment.

Dr. Mahathir noted that the track was originally envisioned to host Formula One races and expressed pride in Malaysia’s achievement in bringing this prestigious motorsport to the nation. “We were the first developing country to host Formula One,” he stated.

The Sepang circuit, inaugurated by Dr. Mahathir in 1999, has since become a significant landmark in Malaysia’s motorsport history.

Imams urge workers, especially public servants, to uphold trust

National

September 27, 2024

In the Friday sermon today (Sept 27), imams emphasised the importance of trust for workers, particularly public servants, urging them to exercise caution in fulfilling their responsibilities to avoid betrayal.

The sermon highlighted several key areas of concern, including maintaining proper working hours, being honest in financial dealings, and avoiding involvement in corruption or fraud. Imams called for a commitment to integrity, diligence, and sincerity, warning against the oppression and exploitation of others for personal gain.

For illustration purposes only. PHOTO: FREEPIK

As the nation prepares to celebrate Civil Service Day next Monday, the imams urged public servants to embody responsibility, efficiency, integrity, responsiveness, and sincerity in their roles. They reminded everyone that trust and responsibilities extend beyond the workplace to encompass family, society, religion, and the nation as a whole.

A trustworthy worker, they noted, views their job as a sacred responsibility, one for which they will be held accountable before Allah the Almighty.

Imams encouraged individuals to uphold their duties to the best of their abilities, utilising their skills and expertise without negligence or deceit.

As Muslims, imams said that it is essential to recognise that our actions in this world carry consequences, either rewards or punishments, in the hereafter. “Betraying trust or neglecting responsibilities can lead to severe repercussions on the Day of Resurrection”.

Ultimately, fulfilling entrusted responsibilities should be seen as a pious act that meets the needs of the community, the imams concluded. – AZLAN OTHMAN

Indian artisans tackle waste with creative upcycling

September 27, 2024

A visually impaired man makes a decorative recycled product as part of the Avacayam employment programme by the Society for Child Development, in New Delhi. PHOTO: AFP

NEW DELHI (AFP) – The world’s most populous nation India has a waste problem to match, but one group hopes their efforts can inspire change in one of the top polluters of plastic.

At a bustling workshop north of the capital New Delhi, artisan Ram Babu turns a discarded cigarette packet into a papier mache candle.

Babu, a 28-year-old amputee, is among scores of people with disabilities who have been trained to turn “trash to cash” and do their bit for the environment.

“It feels good to work despite my challenging situation,” beamed Babu, as he deftly covered the packet with clay, using sprinkles of water.

A person with disability, recycles plastic waste as part of the Avacayam employment programme by the Society for Child Development, in New Delhi.

Life held little hope for Babu after he lost his right hand and leg in a train accident in 2005.

But he found courage again when he stumbled upon the Avacayam employment programme, run by the Society for Child Development, a New Delhi-based charity.

The word “Avacayam” comes from Sanskrit, and roughly translates to “gathering flowers”.

Avacayam participants turn orange and yellow flowers that were offered in temples and later gathered up into incense sticks and coloured powder used widely in festivals.

They also transform fallen idols of Hindu gods and goddesses — often left piled under sacred trees — into sacred powder for temple rituals.

Tons of waste
“I have been working for more than 14 years now. My life has found a new direction and purpose,” said Babu, who earns 10,000 rupees (USD120) a month.

Others like Babu make decorative items, bags and pouches out of recycled waste, which is collected every day at their sprawling centre.

Plastic bottles are also reused to make a variety of craft products.

The group’s efforts scrape the surface.

People with disabilities, recycle waste flowers as part of the Avacayam employment programme by the Society for Child Development. PHOTO: AFP

In India, municipal governments with limited resources often struggle to manage mountains of waste, with towering piles of foul-smelling rubbish littering the edge of New Delhi.

India generates more than 65 million tons of waste in a year, according to a report by The Energy and Resources Institute, a New Delhi-based research group, but only around a fifth is processed and treated.

A study in Nature published this month named India as the largest plastic pollution emitter, producing nearly one-fifth of global plastic emissions.

Global experts – including the multi-nation “High Ambition Coalition” – argue the focus must not only be on waste treatment, but urgently required control measures on plastic production itself.

Charity groups such as Avacayam say they set an example, doing what they can.

“We collect waste and trash from offices, homes and factories,” said Madhumita Puri, the founder of the Society for Child Development.

“Then we recycle them to make beautiful things which can be enjoyed again.”

Puri said the work also helps people with disabilities live a life of dignity.

Abdul Sheikh, whose legs were stunted by polio, had little means of employment until Puri’s charity knocked at his door.

“I learnt that day that we should never lose hope in the face of adversities,” said Sheikh, 30, who makes decorative papier mache items.

“Now I don’t have to depend on others for anything. I don’t have legs but today I am standing on my feet.”

Madhumita Puri (C), founder and executive director of the Society for Child Development, speaks to people with disabilities at the Society for Child Development centre in New Delhi. PHOTO: AFP

Australia sees surge in mpox cases

World

September 27, 2024

MED WHO Mpox — FILE - This undated image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shows a colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox particles (red) found within an infected cell (blue), cultured in the laboratory that was captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Md. (NIAID via AP, File)

SYDNEY (AFP) – Australia has seen a rapid rise in mpox cases in the past three months, with one health expert concerned that low vaccination rates could be driving a spike outside cities.

So far this year, 737 cases have been recorded, with the vast majority of cases occurring in the last few months.

In comparison, there were 26 cases last year and 144 cases in 2022. The majority of this year’s new cases occurred in the southeastern states and all but two cases were reported in women.

A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care told AFP that cases have been increasing since May this year.

Australia has responded by lifting restrictions on who can be vaccinated, allowing for “people of all ages who are at risk of exposure to mpox” to be eligible.

Matthew Shields, a Sydney sexual health physician and GP, told the national broadcaster ABC that the virus was being detected outside metro areas – where vaccination rates are lower.

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals that can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact.

Deadly in some cases, it causes fever, muscular aches and large boil-like lesions on the skin.

The virus gained international prominence in May 2022, when clade 2b spread around the world, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men.

In July 2022, the World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, its highest level of alarm.

Australia has yet to report a case of the new clade 1b variant of mpox that is believed to be more dangerous.

Emotional Almodovar wins lifetime award at San Sebastian festival

Entertainment

September 27, 2024

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar receives the Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his career from the British actress Tilda Swinton, during the 72nd San Sebastian International Film Festival. PHOTO: AFP

SAN SEBASTIAN (AFP) – Oscar-winning Spanish director Pedro Almodovar received a lifetime achievement award at Spain’s San Sebastian film festival on Thursday, getting teary-eyed as he was given a prolonged standing ovation.

“Cinema has given me everything. Much more than I could have imagined,” said Almodovar, who turned 75 on Wednesday, after he picked up the prize.

The Donostia award for “extraordinary contributions to the world of cinema” was handed to him at a ceremony attended by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Almodovar began his cinema career with kitschy black comedies, such as his first feature Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls on the Heap which premiered at San Sebastian in 1980.

He burst onto the international scene with his 1988 Oscar-nominated dark comedy Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, which tells the story of a woman who had just been dumped by her lover. Her apartment becomes the scene of hostage situations and accidental overdoses.

Over time however, a more serious element of the prolific Spanish director emerged.

That is exemplified in films such as 2002’s Talk to Her – which won Almodovar the Oscar for best original screenplay, rare for a non-English film.

In the same vein more recently was Pain and Glory from 2019, a reflection on his career as a film-maker, which earned two Oscar nominations.

Couldn’t stop crying
Ahead of the ceremony, Almodovar told reporters he had been overwhelmed with “just an enormous amount of emotion” as he reflected on his decades-long filmmaking career when he arrived in the northern city of San Sebastian for the festival.

“I couldn’t stop crying and had tears running down my cheeks,” he said. “It’s been much more emotional than I expected – almost excessively emotional.”

His first feature film in English, The Room Next Door, starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, will screen later on Thursday at the festival.

A meditation on death and friendship set in New England, Swinton plays a war correspondent suffering from terminal cancer. Moore, her friend and a successful novelist, agrees to be at her side in her final moments.

The film won the Golden Lion, the top prize at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month.

It was Swinton who presented Almodovar with the Donostia award, praising his “unparalleled contribution to world culture and for inspiring in us such a devoted affection.

“Your work is good for the world. We thank you for it from the bottom of our hearts. You will live forever,” she added.

“For me, cinema is a blessing or a curse,” said Almodovar. “I can’t imagine any other kind of life in which I can write and direct non-stop.”

He paid tribute too, to many of the actors who have worked with him, including Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas, Cecilia Roth and Rossy de Palma.

San Sebastian, the highest-profile film festival in the Spanish-speaking world, wraps up on Saturday.

New pair of giant pandas arrive in Hong Kong

Lifestyle

September 27, 2024

Hong Kong China Pandas — In this photo released by Ocean Park Hong Kong, Giant Panda An An is seen at the Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in southwestern China's Sichuan province, in September 2024. (Ocean Park Hong Kong via AP)

Giant Panda Ke Ke is seen at the Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in southwestern China’s Sichuan province. PHOTO: AP

HONG KONG (AP) – Hong Kong welcomed a new pair of giant pandas gifted by Beijing on Thursday with a lavish ceremony, raising hopes for a boost to the city’s tourism.

An An and Ke Ke are the third pair of giant pandas to be sent to the city from mainland China since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Their arrival came after their new neighbor, Ying Ying, gave birth to twins last month and became the world’s oldest first-time panda mother on record.

The newcomers bring the Ocean Park panda population to six, including the father of the twins, Le Le. Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong Kin-Yee noted that would make three generations of giant pandas at the popular Hong Kong zoo and aquarium attraction.
Chief Executive John Lee said An An is a five-year-old male panda who is agile, intelligent and active, while Ke Ke, a five-year-old female, is good at climbing, cute and has a gentle temperament.

The new arrivals will be in quarantine for two months to adapt to their new home. Lee expressed hope that the public could meet the new bears in mid-December.

In October, the government will invite residents to propose new names that showcase the pandas’ characteristics.

Tourism industry representatives are optimistic about the potential impact of housing six pandas, hoping it will boost visitor numbers in Hong Kong. Officials have encouraged businesses to capitalize on the popularity of the new bears and newborn cubs to seize opportunities in what some lawmakers have dubbed the “panda economy.”

Pandas are considered China’s unofficial national mascot. The country’s giant panda loan programme with overseas zoos has long been seen as a tool of Beijing’s soft-power diplomacy. Giant pandas are only found in China’s southwest and their population is under threat from development.

But caring for pandas in captivity is expensive.

A zoo in Finland agreed with Chinese authorities to return two loaned giant pandas to China more than eight years ahead of schedule because they were too costly for the facility to maintain amid declining visitors.

Hong Kong’s Ocean Park has been hosting pandas since 1999, when the first pair, An An and Jia Jia, arrived in the financial hub shortly after the former British colony returned to China.

Jia Jia, who died at 38 in 2016, is the world’s oldest-ever panda to have lived in captivity. The average lifespan for a panda in the wild is 18 to 20 years, while in captivity it’s 30 years, according to the Guinness World Records.

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

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