UPI – Animal rescuers in New York said they used wire cutters to free a deer that became trapped in the narrow space between two chain link fences outside a high school.
The Strong Island Animal Rescue League, based in Port Jefferson Station, said the organisation received a call from the Rocky Point School District on Tuesday reporting a deer was stuck between two fences next to Rocky Point High School’s football field.
“When we got there, I immediately started cutting the fence, was able to get it down enough to pull the front half of her body out,” Strong Island Animal Rescue League president Frankie Floridia told Newsday.
Floridia was assisted by Lisa Jaeger, of Jaeger’s Run Animal Rescue, which is also headquartered in Port Jefferson Station.
Floridia said rescuers don’t know how long the deer was trapped, but it was likely there for at least part of the night.
“Sometimes, when they go to jump a fence, they don’t make it; the fences are flexible (so) they fall down in between,” he said.
The deer trapped in the narrow space between two chain link fences outside Rocky Point High School. PHOTO: STRONG ISLAND ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE/FACEBOOK
Two men were found violating provisions in the Immigration Act which stipulates that foreign workers must work under their original employment.
The two foreigners, registered as general labourers, were caught during a raid on a retail shop in Seria town and have been instructed to report to the Kuala Belait Law Enforcement Division of the Immigration and National Registration Department (INRD) for investigation and further action for violating the provisions under Regulation 15 (2), Chapter 17 of the Immigration Act.
The owners of the grocery stores involved were also issued a letter and summoned for further investigation and action.
Immigration officers raid a retail store in Pekan Seria. PHOTO: INRD
NEW DELHI (AFP) – The Indian government extended yesterday a special law giving armed forces sweeping powers in the north-eastern state of Nagaland, days after a botched army ambush killed 14 people.
The killings triggered protests against the law which gives the armed forces sweeping powers to conduct raids, warrantless searches and open fire, with broad protection from prosecution.
But the six-month extension issued by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs said the government believed the state was “in a disturbed and dangerous condition”.
“The use of armed forces in aid of the civil power is necessary,” the government said, justifying the extension of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
Earlier this month, the Indian army shot dead six miners returning to their homes in the state’s Mon district, near the Myanmar border, believing them to be insurgents.
Villagers carry children on their backs and stand by a village square in Oting, in the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland. PHOTO: AP
Another eight people were killed by the troops when they were confronted by an angry crowd. A soldier was killed and a military vehicle was set alight.
Those calling subsequently for a repeal of the AFSPA included the head of the state government, an ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party.
“India is the biggest democratic country in the world. This is a draconian law. So it should be removed from our country,” Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio told reporters after the
killings.
The Indian army said in a statement on Wednesday that a court of inquiry set up to probe the incident was “proceeding expeditiously”.
Nagaland and other states in northeast India, linked to the rest of the country by a narrow land corridor, have seen decades of unrest among ethnic and separatist groups.
While insurgent activity has declined in recent years, the AFSPA governs military deployments in the state.
Six individuals were issued compound fines for violating the directive to stay at home during 10pm to 4am, said Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar during yesterday’s daily press conference. Local offenders Jaliha binti Haij Abu Bakar, Zaidi bin Ismail, Nurhaizah Hanisha binti Hazman, Nur Amirah binti Karia, and Ratino bin Abdullah Litoh as well as foreign offender Sharif Kazi were caught in the Brunei-Muara District.
ABOVE & BELOW: Jaliha binti Haji Abu Bakar and Zaidi bin Ismail. PHOTOS: RBPF
ABOVE & BELOW: Nurhaizah Hanisha binti Hazman, and Nur Amirah binti Karia
ABOVE & BELOW: Ratino bin Abdullah Litoh and Sharif Kazi
LONDON (AP) – England’s National Health Service (NHS) is building temporary structures at hospitals around the country to prepare for a possible surge of COVID-19 patients as the highly transmissible Omicron variant fuels a new wave of infections.
The United Kingdom reported a record 183,037 confirmed new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, 32 per cent more than the previous day.
While early data suggests Omicron is less likely to cause serious illness than earlier variants, public health officials think the sheer number of infections could lead to a jump in hospitalisations and deaths.
In response, the NHS will begin setting up “surge hubs” this week at eight hospitals around England, each with the capacity to treat about 100 patients. Staff are preparing plans to create as many as 4,000 “super surge” beds should they be needed, the NHS said yesterday.
“We do not yet know exactly how many of those who catch the virus will need hospital treatment, but given the number of infections we cannot wait to find out before we act, and so work is beginning from today to ensure these facilities are in place,” NHS England Medical Director Stephen Powis said in a statement.
The number of people in England hospitalised with COVID-19 increased to 10,462 on Wednesday from 7,366 on December 24, government figures show. Wednesday’s number was the highest since March 1. The figure is still well below the peak of 34,336 recorded on January 18.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resisted implementing new restrictions on business and social interactions during the holiday season, instead emphasising an expanded vaccine booster programme to control the spread of Omicron.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a Covid vaccination centre. PHOTO: AP
The Magistrate’s Court yesterday handed a four years’ jail sentence to a local man for auto thefts after considering a long list of previous convictions along with mischief and drugs offences from 2007 to 2018.
Mohd Yasmin bin Mohd Yussof, 36, pleaded guilty to three charges of stealing vehicles.
DPP Hajah Rozaimah binti Haji Abdul Rahman revealed that the defendant stole a van from Simpang 5, Jalan Gadong sometime between August 14 and 15.
The defendant also stole a car from an office in Kampong Menglait sometime between October 31 and November 1.
With the aid of another person, the defendant stole another vehicle from a flathouse in Kampong Berangan sometime between November 25 and 26.
The owners lodged police reports on realising their vehicles had gone missing and led to the defendant’s arrest.
The Royal Brunei Police Force is seeking a 43-year-old Bangladeshi Ali Hossain (pic below) who had run away from his employer. His passport bears the number BR0596753.
Those with information can contact the Berakas Police Station at 2330412 or police hotline 993.
ROME (AP) – An Italian court has ordered Costa Crociere cruise line to pay EUR92,700 (USD105,000) to a passenger who was aboard the Costa Concordia when it crashed and capsized off Tuscany in 2012, in one of the few civil lawsuits to have reached a verdict against the company.
The Genoa court recognised that passenger Ernesto Carusotti suffered post-traumatic stress as a result of the disaster, which killed 32 people, according to the Codacons consumer group which represented him.
Costa, which is part of the United States (US)-based Carnival Corp, declined to comment
on Wednesday.
Some 4,200 passengers and crew were aboard the Concordia when it slammed into a reef January 13, 2012, off Tuscany’s Giglio island. The captain, Francesco Schettino, is serving a 16-year prison sentence after he was convicted of manslaughter, causing the shipwreck and abandoning the vessel.
Prosecutors say Schettino intentionally brought the ship too close to shore in a stunt, and then abandoned the listing liner while passengers and crew were still aboard.
The Costa Concordia leans on its side after running aground in 2012. PHOTO: AP
During Schettino’s trial, Costa told the Florence court it had paid out EUR84 million in compensation to passengers, crew and relatives of the 32 dead, according to Italian media reports at the time. But a small percentage of people refused the compensation package and pursued lawsuits.
According to Codacons, Genoa Judge Paolo Gibelli ruled that Costa Crociere was liable not only for the shipwreck itself but for the traumatic experience that Carusotti suffered.
It ordered Costa pay Carusotti EUR77,000 in damages plus EUR15,692 in legal fees.
In a statement, Codacons said the award was a “very important victory” since it showed the “total incongruity” of Costa’s compensation package to most of the victims.
Two first prize winners of the Khat Competition (National Level) 2021 – Muhammad Nazir bin Haji Othman and Khairol Helmy bin Abdullah – received BND2,000 each during a prize presentation ceremony organised by the Islamic Calligraphy and Arts Studies Centre of Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (PPKKI-YSHHB) at the multipurpose hall of its building complex in the capital yesterday.
Muhammad Nazir won first place in the traditional category, while Khairol Helmy came in top spot of the contemporary category.
Meanwhile, in the traditional category, Muhammad Riziman bin Haji Usin came in second, followed by Mohammad Adiyusnira bin Haji Johari in third. Muhammad Azizi bin Haji Mohd Jamil and Saiful Nasri bin Haji Sabri received consolation prizes.
In the contemporary category, Haidi Sewardi bin Haji Mohidi came in second, followed by Haji Zamady bin Haji Mohammad in third. Mohammad Syafi’ie bin Shahram and Mohammad Ali Saifullah bin Haji Mohammad Alisam received consolation prizes.
The second prize winners for both categories received BND1,500 each, the third prize winners BND1,000 each and consolation at BND500 each.
Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof as the guest of honour handed over the cash prizes in his capacity as Chairman of the Yayasan Board of Directors.
Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar as Deputy Chairman of the Yayasan Board of Directors and Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Pengiran Dato Seri Paduka Haji Bahrom bin Pengiran Haji Bahar as board member and PPKKI-YSHHB Administrative Board Chairperson were also present.
The winners of the Khat Competition (National Level) 2021 was announced yesterday at Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Shopping Complex. Minister of Defence II and Chairman of the Yayasan Board of Directors Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof was the guest of honour who presented prizes to the winners.Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar tours the exhibition. PHOTOS: BAHYIAH BAKIRABOVE & BELOW: Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof presenting cash prizes to first prize recipients Muhammad Nazir bin Haji Othman and Khairol Helmy bin Abdullah
The event also saw Permanent Secretary (Planning, Land Use and Environment) at the Ministry of Development Dr Nor Imtihan binti Haji Abdul Razak as Acting Managing Director of YSHHB and PPKKI-YSHHB Administrative Board Deputy Chairperson, along with administrative members and senior officers of YSHHB.
The competition, held from September 20 to November 30, saw 12 entries for the traditional category and 38 entries for the contemporary category.
The event aimed to identify and highlight local talents in calligraphy at national, regional and international levels, as well as to produce masters of the Islamic arts among Muslim youth, in line with PPKKI-YSHHB’s aim to dignify Jawi writing, particularly Islamic calligraphy.
The showcase will be available for public viewing at the lobby area of Block C, Yayasan Complex for one week, in support of the Brunei December Festival 2021 initiated by the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism.
Winner Muhammad Nazir expressed his gratitude in being chosen as one of the first prize winners, owing it to his supportive instructors and family members who provided him a space to work on his artworks, which he said, was not an easy task considering the time given was only a month.
“Alhamdulillah, my wife also helped me by evaluating my work,” he said, adding that it is important to have blessings and prayers from parents, which he believed was one of the factors in winning the competition.
Meanwhile, winner Khairol Helmy said before he started on his art work, he did a lot of research including references from friends. This helped him to create an idea for his art work.
Support from his family also kept him motivated all the way.
He also expressed gratitude for the knowledge and skills gained from the workshops he attended locally and abroad.
TORONTO (AP) – Coronavirus infections set new one-day highs in six Canadian provinces Wednesday, prompting several provinces to impose more restrictions in hopes of containing the spread of the Omicron variant.
The biggest jumps were in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, which are the country’s most populous provinces. Quebec reported more than 13,000 new cases in the previous 24 hours, Ontario had 10,436 and British Columbia listed 2,944.
Manitoba, Alberta, and Newfoundland and Labrador also set new records. Manitoba reported 947 new infections, which broke the previous high of 825 set just a day earlier. Alberta said it had 2,775 and Newfoundland and Labrador reported 312.
British Columbia announced it is delaying the full return to classrooms after the holiday break to give school staff time to implement enhanced health measures. Staff and students whose parents are health workers will return to schools on January 3 or 4 as planned. All other students return on January 10.
Officials in Newfoundland and Labrador said its schools would shift to remote learning after the holiday break.
Healthcare workers prepare for the opening of a vaccination site in Ontario. PHOTO: AP
