BRUSSELS (AP) – A car slammed at high speed into carnival revellers in a small town in southern Belgium early yesterday, killing six people and leaving 10 more with life-threatening injuries. Several dozen were more lightly injured.
“What should have been a great party turned into a tragedy,” said Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden.
The prosecutor’s office said that in the early stages of the investigation there were no elements to suspect a terror motive, and two locals in their thirties were arrested at the scene in Strépy-Bracquegnies, some 50 kilometres south of Brussels.
LVIV, UKRAINE (AP) – Ukrainian authorities said yesterday that Russia’s military bombed an art school sheltering some 400 people in the embattled port city of Mariupol, where Ukraine’s president said an unrelenting Russian siege would be remembered for centuries to come.
It was the second time in less than a week that city officials reported a public building where residents had taken shelter coming under attack. A bomb hit a Mariupol theatre with more than 1,300 believed to be inside on Wednesday, local officials said.
There was no immediate word on casualties from the reported strike on the art school, which The Associated Press could not independently verify. Ukrainian officials have not given an update on the search of the theatre since Friday, when they said at least 130 had been rescued.
IRBIL, Iraq (AP) – Once a lavish mansion, the sprawling home of an Iraqi Kurdish oil tycoon was laid to waste in a barrage of missiles that struck near a United States (US) consulate complex in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil earlier this week.
Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard said it launched the attack last Sunday, firing off 12 cruise missiles at what it described as a “strategic centre” of the Israeli spy agency Mossad – in retaliation for an Israeli strike in Syria that killed two of the Iranian paramilitary force’s members the previous week.
CEO of the Iraqi Kurdish oil company KAR group Baz Karim Barzinji denies any links to Mossad. The missiles gutted his home but he said he is grateful his family was unharmed.
UPI – An inflatable water park that emcompasses 138,451 square feet in the United Arab Emirates was declared the largest of its kind by Guinness World Records.
The Aqua Fun water park in Dubai was officially dubbed the world’s largest water park by Guinness World Records during celebrations surrounding Expo 2020, which runs until March 30 in Dubai.
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 yesterday sent a congratulatory message to German President Franck-Walter Steinmeier on the occasion of his re-appointment as president of Germany.
COVID-19 antigen rapid test (ART) users must strictly follow the instructions in the COVID-19 Antigen Detection Kit package insert, Director of Laboratory Services at the Ministry of Health (MoH) Dr Hajah Surita binti Haji Mohd Taib told the Sunday Bulletin in an online interview yesterday.
“It is very important to use the proper sample type; other sample types may cause inaccurate or invalid test results. Also, ensure a sufficient amount of a sample is used for testing. Too much or too little may also cause inaccurate results,” she said.
Different ART results (for example, different test line intensity) may be due to the amount of sample load. Hence, the test depends heavily on the quality and sufficient volume of the sample collected. Performing multiple ART screenings at once may also yield inaccurate results during which an individual may have one ART kit return COVID-positive, and another negative. This is because the sample from the later test had insufficient antigen to be detected.
Meanwhile, Dr Hajah Surita said the Department of Laboratory Services has carried out quality assurance assessments to ensure all MoH-authorised art kits are reliable and suitable for supply to the Brunei market.
With regards to the difference in the Newgene test kit packaging, she explained, “I was informed by suppliers in the Sultanate that the manufacturer of Newgene has different packaging for Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam. The MoH-authorised suppliers carry a different packaging. We do not know if the kits are fake. We will know once they undergo the quality assurance test.”
Director of Laboratory Services at the Ministry of Health Dr Hajah Surita binti Haji Mohd Taib. PHOTO: JAMES KON
“Newgene recently introduced the nasal ART kit. The latest packaging is according to the sample type required. If it is nasal, the packaging will carry a nasal label,” she explained.
On the subject of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing for the public, Dr Hajah Surita explained that the current criteria is in accordance with the health protocol stipulating that it will only be administered to individuals with a doctor’s referral and those confused about the ART results after testing both positive and negative.
“Not everyone should take the RT-PCR test anymore. The ART kit is now the default test to screen for the virus,” she said.
Companies are also urged not to send employees to get RT-PCR tested any longer, as “each RT-PCR test cost around BND50”.
In term of cross reactivity with other virus in the test kit, she said, “We check the documentation of ART kit for any cross reactivity with other pathogens. In accordance to the documentation, we found there are no cross reactivity with other pathogens in the kit available.”
“The Brunei government has provided the public access to ART kit, and the MoH through the Laboratory Services will guarantee the quality of ART kits available in Brunei Darussalam.
“We will continue to disseminate information to ensure the ART is done correctly in accordance with the health protocol,” Dr Hajah Surita said.
No injuries were reported after Fire and Rescue Department (FRD) personnel doused a two-storey home inferno in the remote area of Jalan Kecil Tenajor Ratan, Kampong Ratan in Labi on Thursday night.
Team A Leading Officer at Labi Fire Station ASO Ermi Hasbullah led eight personnel from Labi Fire Station and Sungai Liang Fire Station to the scene after the 7.57pm distress call was received. The team sprang into action after arriving to find the wooden home engulfed in flames.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The public is reminded to ensure electrical wires are maintained and serviced by an accredited company in accordance to standards issued by the Department of Electrical Services (DES); unused electrical appliances be switched off before leaving home; and to have fire blankets and extinguishers readily available at home.
The FRD conducts safety programmes such as the Fire Marshal Course, Life Saver 995 and fire safety briefings to help disseminate information on safety in dealing with emergencies.
In the event of an emergency, the FRD can be reached at hotline 995.
Fire and Rescue Department (FRD) personnel sprang into action to douse a two-storey home inferno in the rural area of Jalan Kecil Tenajor Ratan, Kampong Ratan in Labi on Thursday night. The firefighting team was dispatched after a distress call was received minutes before 8pm. PHOTO: FRD
Frontliners and the public joined an online Doa Kesyukuran meet marking the second anniversary of the COVID-19 Youth Volunteer assembly.
The event aimed to recognise the extensive contributions of volunteers and foster relations among attendees.
Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman led the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah.
Institut Tahfiz Al-Quran Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (ITQSHHB) Education Officer Siti Hanisah binti Haji Othman delivered a special talk discussing the blessings of being a volunteer.
Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) graduate cum volunteer Muhamad Waqiyuddin Fakhri Haji Damit led the recitation of Doa Kesyukuran, while volunteer Haji Abdul Afiq bin Zainuddin led the recitation of Doa Allah Peliharakan Sultan dan Brunei Darussalam.
Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin, Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin offered words of encouragement to the youth, volunteers and participants.
Event chair and COVID-19 Youth Volunteer Secretariat Leader Muhammad Abdul bin Wafi Haji Sofian delivered a closing speech.
The event was held in collaboration with the Youth and Sports Department and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.
Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman, Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin join others in the online event. PHOTO: COVID-19 YOUTH VOLUNTEER
Brunei Darussalam logged 1,465 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, bringing the nationally tally of confirmed cases to 123,422, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah said at the press conference yesterday.
Of the new cases, 1,244 were based on antigen rapid test (ART) results uploaded onto the BruHealth app, while 221 cases were detected from the 1,814 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests conducted over the past 24 hours.
Two COVID-19 deaths were also reported in the past 24 hours, but categorised as being not COVID-19 related.
The Sultanate recorded the recovery of 3,601 cases, bringing the total number of recoveries to 108,819. Meanwhile, the number of active cases stands at 14,423.
Eleven cases are in Category 4, and six are in Category 5, bringing the treatment capacity at the National Isolation Centre to 6.5 per cent. The bed occupancy rate at isolation centres is 6.3 per cent, with 215 active cases placed at isolation centres and hospitals, and 14,208 cases undergoing home self-isolation.
As of March 18, the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme recorded 59.4 per cent of the populace having received the booster, while over 94 per cent of the populace had received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Meanwhile, the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) detected two violations during Operasi Peralihan, the movement restriction measure from midnight to 4am, one of which was breaching the stay-at-home directive.
Foreigner Sajib Pal was issued a compound fine for violating the stay- at-home directive in Brunei-Muara District.
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah speaks at the press conference. PHOTO: HAKIM HAYATSajib Pal. PHOTO: RBPF
Alliance Française (AF) de Brunei Darussalam presented the ‘French Corner’ at the residence of French Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Bernard Regnauld-Fabre to mark Francophonie Day yesterday.
Guest of honour Bernard Regnauld-Fabre attended the event alongside French teachers in the Sultanate.
Every March 20 sees the world celebrating International Day of the Francophonie – launched by La Francophonie International Organisation – and United Nations French Language Day.
AF de Brunei Darussalam Executive Director Elodie Simon-Hicks said to mark Francophonie this year, AF introduced the French Corner – a unique service offering curated French delicacies to be served and enjoyed at home.
She shared that celebrating la Francophonie is to recognise the potential of language and culture to unite people, to create spaces of solidarity and mutual understanding, and to reflect our common culture.
French Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Bernard Regnauld-Fabre and Alliance Française (AF) de Brunei Darussalam Executive Director Elodie Simon-Hicks at the event. PHOTOS: ADIB NOORThe French Corner is a unique service allowing French delicacies to be served and enjoyed at home
The promotion of peace, democracy, human rights, education, compliance with international law and women empowerment is at the heart of Organisation Internationale de La Francophonie’s key missions.
In the Sultanate, the French language is taught at schools like Jerudong International School (JIS), Brunei International School, polytechnic school as well as at university level. Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) proposed a French language teaching within its Language Department.
“Previously, various events would be held in celebration of Francophonem. This year, the French Corner will allow everyone to enjoy French cuisine at their doorstep,” she said.
Apart from the French Corner, AF de Brunei Darussalam will also hold online quizzes on its social media platforms.
