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 called on the Islamic Da’wah Centre to produce Da’ie (religious preachers) of high calibre. During His Majesty’s unscheduled visit to the Islamic Da’wah Centre in Kampong Pulaie yesterday, His Majesty said the centre’s crucial role as one of the departments under the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) is ensuring Islamic eminence prevails in the country. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.

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 made an unscheduled visit to the Islamic Da’wah Centre (PDI) on Thursday. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.

Positive cases of COVID-19 are told to not carry out antigen rapid test (ART) daily, as the requirement now only calls for ART test to be conducted on the first and sixth day.  The simplified health protocol was announced by Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar at the daily press conference on Thursday. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.

Molnupiravir, an anti-viral pill administered for COVID-19 treatment in helping to reduce the number of cases for Categories 4 and 5, has been provided for a specified number of patients. Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar said this in response to a question on the effectiveness of the anti-viral pill at the daily press conference on Thursday. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin

SINGAPORE (AFP) – Singapore will lift restrictions for all vaccinated travellers from next week, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday hailing it as a “major milestone” in the aviation hub’s efforts to live with COVID-19. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.

THE STAR – The High Court was on Thursday told that the management of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) had conned former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the company’s board of directors (BOD) into entering an investment agreement with its purported business partner PetroSaudi International Limited (PSI).  More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.

CNA – Myanmar’s junta chief created a special command a day after last year’s coup that was solely responsible for deployment and operations of troops in urban areas, and authorised lethal attacks on unarmed civilians, human rights investigators said. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AP) – China’s foreign minister made a surprise stop on Thursday in Afghanistan’s capital to meet with the country’s new Taleban rulers – even as the international community fumes over the former insurgents’ broken promise to re-open schools to girls beyond the sixth grade. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – Australia on Thursday accepted a longstanding New Zealand offer to resettle boat refugees it sent to the remote island nation of Nauru. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) – A coalition of nations that asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open an investigation over possible Russian war crimes in Ukraine met on Thursday to pledge support for the probe. More details in Friday’s Borneo Bulletin.