Baiduri Bank yesterday rolled out the ‘Bank on an experience you can count on’ promotion, in conjunction with its digital banking app being recognised as the ‘Best Mobile Banking App’ for Brunei for the second consecutive year by World Finance recently.
During the promotion period which runs until March 31, 2022, Baiduri b.Digital Personal users will automatically earn a chance to win the latest electronic gadget for selected transactions through the mobile app or on the web. Prizes include a 16-inch Apple Macbook Pro, an 11-inch iPad Pro, a 128GB Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Dual LTE, two Apple Watch Series 7’s and five BND100 vouchers from AV Electronics.
To earn a chance for the draw, Baiduri b.Digital Personal users simply need to perform a fund transfer of at least BND20 to a third party, make bill payments of at least BND20 in a single transaction, or purchase a prepaid top-up (POWERinstant, Progresif or DST) of at least BND10. As an added incentive, new sign-ups to Baiduri b.Digital Personal will automatically earn a chance to win the prizes.
“We are proud of the recognition. We are committed to providing the most secure, user-friendly and reliable digital banking experience for our customers and are constantly finding new ways to make it more seamless,” said Baiduri Bank Head of Retail Bank Lim Kian Chiong.
“As a way of celebrating this milestone, we wish to acknowledge and recognise our customers for their choice to bank digitally – and safely,” he added.
For information, visit the bank’s website at www.baiduri.com. The Baiduri b.Digital Personal app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play Store.
The Baiduri Digital Hub wall displayed at the seating area of a Baiduri Bank outlet. PHOTO: BAIDURI BANK
A group of third-year medical students, under the guidance and supervision of obstetrics and gynaecology specialist from the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital and a group of professor at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), discovered that the perception and understanding of women’s health, by women, is either lacking or misleading.
In response, five students from the Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences (PAPRSB IHS) at UBD initiated a community project to raise awareness on the importance of women’s health at all ages.
Calling themselves Towards Blooming Health (TBH), Mohammad Afiq Izzuddin bin Abdul Aziz, Hadifferas bin Jonity, On Yen Choo, Amni Fasiha binti Haji Amir Abas and Batrisyia Syahirah binti Haji Rakawih started the project supported by various organisations and companies.
The project were conducted virtually from August to October, due to the second COVID-19 wave restrictions.
The group felt that focus sessions on topics relevant to each female age group should be done to ensure they receive proper education, allowing concerns, myths and negative assumptions to be ironed out.
Taking into account limitations such as logistics and time, especially with the directives issued by the Ministry of Health (MoH), the group opted to focus on a few secondary schools.
TBH chose the particular age group due to the lack of awareness on puberty challenges among adolescents.
The group then extended its reach to the public by organising a virtual run and creating educational infographics, available on the group’s Instagram account, @TowardsBloomingHealth.bn.
On the main campaign for secondary schools, the webinar sessions were split into two lectures: for female staff, and for female students particularly from Years 7 and 8, via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
The arrangement allowed TBH to focus their sessions on female medical conditions and puberty. Participants were also encouraged to share their experiences during the sessions.
Associate Specialist at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of RIPAS Hospital Dr Mitra Dhanaraj was also present to smooth over misconceptions.
The online sessions for students at Chung Hwa Middle School, Raja Isteri Girls High School (STPRI) and St George’s School focussed on the importance of the onset of puberty, which varies from person to person and usually begins between eight to 13, with the main sign being menarche.
“Some might find it confusing or even humiliating,” TBH said on the common reactions for an individual going through puberty.
To the medical students, puberty is a topic that desperately needs more comprehension to pave the way for assurance and acceptance of changes in oneself, consequently, reducing stress.
The student session, named ‘Teenagehood’ covered topics from puberty to self care.
The first segment explained the nature of puberty and how it occurs, the common changes that can be expected particularly on menarche or first menses, changes in body shape and weight, changes in height, changes in breast, changes in body hair and acne.
Students were also briefed on the different signs that might indicate a need for medical attention, especially surrounding menstruation.
In addition, common issues faced by adolescents such as acne problems, body odour and moodiness were elaborated.
TBH said that to tackle these, it is important to adopt self-care, particularly in maintaining personal hygiene, controlling and preventing acne, caring for intimate areas, and preparing for periods as well as its associated complications.
For the staff’s talk on female medical conditions, six common conditions affecting the female population in Brunei are urinary tract infection, menorrhagia, polycystic ovarian syndrome, breast cancer, cervical cancer and osteoporosis.
The TBH team listed out the etiology, signs and symptoms, and precautionary steps as an attempt to empower women and girls with knowledge and reassurance that the nation’s medical team will assist and support them, especially if abnormalities are encountered.
CNA – Samsung BioLogics yesterday denied a media report that said the South Korean firm was in talks to buy United States (US) drugmaker Biogen.
Korea Economic Daily reported on Wednesday, citing investment banking sources, that Biogen approached Samsung to buy its shares, which could be valued at over USD42 billion.
Biogen is valued at USD34.67 billion, according to Refinitiv data.
Samsung BioLogics, the biotech unit of Samsung Group, said in a regulatory filing that the report was “not true”, without giving any more details.
Biogen said it does not comment on market rumours or speculation. Its stock closed up 9.5 per cent on Wednesday.
Any such deal would be the biggest overseas acquisition ever by a South Korean company.
The largest so far was in 2016, when Samsung Electronics bought auto electronics maker Harman International Industries in an USD8 billion deal.
Samsung Group said earlier this year it will invest USD206 billion in the next three years to expand its footprint in biopharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and robotics in the post-pandemic era.
In June, Biogen’s controversial Alzheimer’s drug won US regulatory approval, becoming the first new treatment for the memory-robbing disease in nearly 20 years, despite an outside advisory panel’s view that the company had not proven the treatment’s clinical benefits.
Boustead Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor of Nissan cars in Brunei, officially unveiled the new Nissan Terra 2021 during an exclusive launch for members of the media and influencers at the Jerudong Park Amphitheatre on Sunday.
Three units of the new Nissan Terra were displayed, each with its own concepts relating to the theme of the vehicle, ‘Your partner for family adventures’.
“The new Nissan Terra has been re-designed as a vehicle to be enjoyed by the whole family, while giving you more confidence and excitement for various outdoor family adventures, as the car can go anywhere while giving an exceptional confirm for everyone on board,” said Nissan Sales Supervisor Shirley.
Similar to the previous generation, the new Nissan Terra is powered with a 2.5L turbo-charged diesel engine, with a maximum power of 188 horsepower and a maximum torque of 450Nm, delivering optimised acceleration performance and a smooth yet powerful drive.
The latest Nissan Terra is offered in two variants – the 2WD High grade and the 4WD Premium grade. Both are available in five colours – red, black, white, grey and silver.
ABOVE & BELOW: Guests taking a look at the new Nissan Terra 2021 cars; and a test driving session. PHOTOS: ADIB NOOR
Apart from offering 4WD, the premium grade also features Nissan’s intelligent mobility technology for a safer and more confident drive.
The safety features includes an around view monitor, a monitor that provides a virtual 360 degrees scene of the car in bird’s eye view. There is also a hill start assist, which helps to manage steep inclines and hill ascents, preventing the car from rolling backwards.
The new Terra 4WD also has an intelligent rear view mirror that enables drivers to see traffic conditions behind the car through its build-in LCD monitor.
The public is welcomed to visit the Nissan Showroom in Beribi or Kuala Belait starting January 3.
UPI – Firefighters in Montana came to the rescue of two dogs that plunged into the frigid waters of the Missouri River amid subzero temperatures.
Great Falls Fire Rescue said crews responded to the river, just below Broadwater Bay, after a witness reported seeing the two canines fall through the ice into the water while chasing geese.
Firefighters fished the two canines out of the water, and determined they were not injured, but were having trouble moving their legs due to exposure to the cold water.
“It was really cold out, so the water is just dripping off of them, turning into icicles,” Great Falls Emergency Services EMT Emily Boor told KRTV. “We asked the Animal Control gal if her kennels were heated, and she said they’re not, and we said, we have a heated ambulance and blankets, so we put them right up.”
The dogs were warmed up and taken to the City of Great Falls Animal Shelter. It was unclear whether the canines have owners or if they were strays.
The Great Falls Police Department said the “feels like” temperature at the time of the rescue was -24 degrees.
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (AP) – Veteran New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor said he will retire from international cricket after the current domestic season.
The second test against Bangladesh next month, in which he likely will equal Daniel Vettori’s record of 112 tests for New Zealand, will be his last.
Taylor won’t play in the Black Caps test series against South Africa in February but will play one-day international (ODI) series against Australia in Australia in February and against the Netherlands at home in late March and early April.
The fourth ODI against the Netherlands in Taylor’s home town of Hamilton on April 4 will be his last match for New Zealand.
“It’s been an amazing journey and I feel incredibly fortunate to have represented my country for as long as I have,” Taylor said in a statement yesterday.
“It’s been such a privilege to play with and against some of the greats of the game and to have created so many memories and friendships along the way. But all good things must come to an end and the timing feels right for me.”
Ross Taylor in action. PHOTO: AP
Taylor will retire as New Zealand’s top-scorer in test and one-day international matches. He has 7,584 test runs and 19 centuries, second only to current captain Kane Williamson, and 8,581 runs in ODIs, ahead of Stephen Fleming (8,007). His 21 ODI centuries also are a New Zealand record.
Taylor made his test debut against South Africa in 2008 and played the first of 233 ODIs against the West Indies in 2006. He has also played 102 Twenty20 internationals, becoming the first player to play more than 100 matches for New Zealand in all three formats.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead said Taylor unquestionably in one of the country’s greatest players.
“Ross has always been a hugely respected member of the side and we’re thankful for his contributions to the Black Caps over an incredible career,” Stead said.
“His skills and temperament as a batsman have been world-class and his ability to perform at such a high level for so long speaks volumes of his longevity and professionalism.”
Williamson also praised the achievements of his long-time batting partner.
“Ross has been at the core of the side for so long and can be extremely proud of having brought the game in this country to a better place,” Williamson said.
FRANKFURT (AFP) – On the 23rd floor of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) towering Frankfurt headquarters, on the other side of a security door, anti-counterfeiting experts are poring over some of the best fake banknotes in the eurozone.
The room, off limits to outsiders, at first glance recalls a high school science lab – an unusually well-equipped one.
Lined up on the workbenches are 3D microscopes, ultra-sensitive scales and special devices designed to detect around a dozen of the safety features embedded in genuine euro banknotes – and spot the forgeries.
The analysis done by the handful of specialists in the room helps the ECB keep up to date with the latest counterfeiting techniques, and hopefully stay a step ahead.
Twenty years after the launch of the single currency, the risk of a eurozone citizen holding a fake euro note is “very slim”, head of the ECB’s currency development division Jean-Michel Grimal said.
And the chances have been getting slimmer by the year.
ABOVE & BELOW: Counterfeit expert at the Counterfeit Analysis Center of the European Central Bank Eric Languillat inspects the scanned image of a EUR10 bill; and Languillat uses a microscope to check a EUR50 note. PHOTOS: AFP
According to the ECB – responsible for issuing bills while the central banks of the 19 eurozone nations each produce their own coins – banknote counterfeiting fell to a historically low level in 2020.
Around 460,000 fake euro bills were taken out of circulation last year, an 18-per-cent drop on 2019.
By comparison, there are currently 27 billion genuine euro notes out there.
The safety of euro banknotes has contributed to the “strong trust” eurozone citizens have in the single currency, Grimal said, with recent surveys putting support for the euro at around 80 per cent.
HELPING POLICE
The lab’s biggest treasure is a large iron cabinet that requires two people to open it, each only knowing part of the secret combination.
Inside is a trove of nearly 1,000 fake banknotes, from five- to 500-euro bills, that have been studied over the past two decades.
Every eurozone country has its own counterfeiting detection centre, but Frankfurt holds the most “interesting” examples because they are considered the best imitations, said Eric Languillat, one of the ECB’s counterfeiting experts.
The analysis done here also helps to give “a quantitative view of the (fake) notes circulating in Europe”, he said.
The findings are shared with police services like the European Union (EU) police agency Europol to help them track down counterfeiting networks.
The ECB’s research and development teams, tasked with constantly improving the quality and security of euro bills, also feed off the lab’s discoveries.
“If we notice the counterfeiters using certain technological methods, the R&D teams will look at what they can put in place to counteract them,” said Grimal.
The ECB’s tampering-fighting efforts come at a price, requiring a sizable annual budget.
But the money spent “is a good investment compared to the cost of a counterfeiting crisis”, said Grimal.
‘FEEL, LOOK, TILT’
The Frankfurt analysts examine the bills into the smallest details.
On one computer screen, a genuine EUR20 note is blown up to nearly 70 times its size, revealing the tiny waves inside the “20” figure, resembling the ridges of a ploughed field, and quite a challenge to imitate.
Citizens don’t necessarily “have the instinct to look closely at notes”, said Languillat.
That’s why the ECB has for years encouraged the public to use the “feel, look, tilt” method to check that what they’re holding is the real thing – no microscope required.
Special printing ensures no other notes feel like euro notes, holding a bill up to the light reveals the watermark and security thread, while tilting it changes the hologram and colour-shifting images.
“If you look carefully at a banknote, the quality of a fake is generally pretty bad, it should be easy to spot,” he said.
Following the introduction of Changin Automobile to the Brunei market, authorised distributor GHK Motors Changan Brunei invited members of the media and influencers to take a closer look and test drive the subcompact sedan, Changan Alsvin, at the Changan Showroom in Sumbangsih Bahagia, Beribi yesterday.
The event saw the media being briefed on available models prior to the test drive, conducted with adherence to the standard operating procedures and health guidelines.
Being committed to bringing ‘dream cars’ to locals who love life with enthusiasm and technology, GHK Motors took pride in bringing the Changan brand to the local consciousness.
Starting with the launch of the Alsvin, GHK Motors hopes to bring the best experiences to local consumers through its beautiful styling and quality but without the premium price tag that normally comes with it.
As the number one automotive brand for the last 10 years in China, Changan Automobile invests five per cent of its annual revenues into research and development, having the best capability in automotive technology which allows them to introduce level three autonomous driving in China.
Under the Changan flagship, there is a wide range of beautifully designed and high-quality sedans, SUVs, MVPs and LCVs, as it is well on its way to electrifying all of its models by next year.
The brand aims to provide high quality products and service to customers to fulfil its mission of “pioneering auto culture and benefit human life” and striving towards its ambitious vision of “building the world’s leading automobile enterprise”.
Changan Alsvin sedans on display at the Changan Showroom in Sumbangsih Bahagia, Beribi. PHOTO: BAHYIAH BAKIR
WASHINGTON (AFP) – From the Mars Ingenuity helicopter’s first powered flight on another world to the launch of the James Webb telescope that will peer into the earliest epoch of the Universe, 2021 was a huge year for humanity’s space endeavors.
Beyond the science milestones, billionaires battled to reach the final frontier first, an all-civilian crew went into orbit, and Star Trek’s William Shatner waxed profound about what it meant to see the Earth from the cosmos, as space tourism finally came into its own.
Here are selected highlights.
RED PLANET ROBOT DUO
NASA’s Perseverance Rover survived its “seven minutes of terror”, a time when the craft relies on its automated systems for descent and landing, to touch down flawlessly on Mars’ Jezero Crater in February.
Since then, the car-sized robot has been taking photos and drilling for samples for its mission: determining whether the Red Planet might have hosted ancient microbial life forms. A rock sample return mission is planned for sometime in the 2030s.
With its state-of-the-art instruments, ‘Percy’, as the helicopter is affectionately known, can also zap Martian rock and chemically analyse the vapour.
The rocket carrying the James Webb telescope launches; and a livestream of the separation in space. PHOTOS: AP
A Soyuz-2.1B rocket booster with a Fregat upper stage lifts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome
Percy has a partner along for the ride: Ingenuity, a two-kilogramme rotorcraft that in April succeeded in the first powered flight on another celestial body, just over a century after the Wright brothers’ achieved the same feat here on Earth, and has performed many more since.
“Perseverance is sort of the flagship mission, it’s doing a long-term detailed investigation of this fascinating area of Mars,” Jonathan McDowall, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told AFP.
By contrast, “Ingenuity, is one of these cute, small, cheap little technology demos that NASA can do so well,” he added.
The insights gained from Ingenuity could help scientists develop Dragonfly, a planned thousand-pound drone copter, to search for signs of life on Saturn’s moon Titan in the mid-2030s.
PRIVATE SPACEFLIGHT TAKES OFF
An American millionaire became the world’s first space tourist in 2001, but it took 20 more years for the promise of private space flight to finally materialise.
In July, Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson faced off against Blue Origin’s Jeff Bezos to be the first non-professional astronaut to complete a suborbital spaceflight.
While the British tycoon won that battle by a few days, it was Blue Origin that raced ahead, launching three more flights with paying customers and celebrity guests.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX entered the fray in September with a three-day orbital mission around the Earth featuring an all-civilian crew on Inspiration 4.
“It’s really exciting that finally, after so long this stuff is finally happening,” said space industry analyst Laura Seward Forczyk, author of the forthcoming book Becoming Off-Worldly, intended to prepare future space travellers.
But it was William Shatner, who played the swashbuckling Captain Kirk on the 1960s TV series Star Trek who stole the show with a moving account of his experience.
“What you’re looking down on is Mother Earth, and it needs protecting,” he told reporters.
A Russian crew shot the first feature film in space aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in 2021, and Japanese tourists made their own visit there on a Russian rocket.
For a few minutes on December 11, there were a record 19 humans in space when Blue Origin carried out its third crewed mission, the Japanese team were on the ISS along with its normal crew, and Chinese taikonauts were in position on their station.
The sight of wealthy elites gallivanting in the cosmos hasn’t been to everyone’s liking, however, and the nascent space tourism sector triggered a backlash from some who said there were more pressing issues to face, such as climate change, here on Earth.
GLOBALISATION OF SPACE
During the Cold War, space was dominated by the United States and the former Soviet Union.
Now, in addition to the explosion of the commercial sector, which is sending up satellites at a dizzying pace, China, India and others are increasingly flexing their space flight muscles.
China’s Tiangong (Palace in the Sky) space station – its first long-term outpost – was launched in April, while its first Mars rover, Zhurong, landed in May, making it the only the second country to achieve such an exploit.
“In the past 20 years since China finally decided to go big on space, they’ve been in catch up mode,” said McDowall.
“And now they’re kind of there, and they’re starting to do things that the US hasn’t done.”
The United Arab Emirates placed a probe into Martian orbit in February, becoming the first Arab nation and fifth overall to reach the planet.
Russia meanwhile launched a missile at one of its own satellites, becoming the fourth country to hit a spacecraft from the ground, in a move that reignited concerns about the growing space arms race.
Washington slammed Moscow for its “reckless” test, which generated over 1,500 pieces of large orbital debris, dangerous for low Earth orbit missions such as the ISS.
COMING SOON…
The year closed out with the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, a USD10-billion marvel that will make use of infrared technology to peer back 13 billion years in time.
“It’s arguably the most expensive, single scientific platform ever created,” said chief advocate of the Planetary Society Casey Drier.
“To push the boundaries of our knowledge about the cosmos, we had to build something capable of accessing that ancient past,” he added.
It will reach Lagrange Point 2, a space landmark a million miles from Earth, in a matter of weeks, then gradually start up and calibrate its systems, coming online around June.
Also next year, the launch of Artemis 1 – when NASA’s giant Space Launch System (SLS) will carry the Orion capsule to the Moon and back, in preparation for America’s return with humans later this decade.
NASA plans to build lunar habitats and use lessons learned there for forward missions to Mars in the 2030s.
Observers are encouraged that the programme launched by former president Donald Trump has continued under Joe Biden – even if he hasn’t been as vocal in his support.
Finally, sometime next fall, NASA’s DART probe will smash into an asteroid to kick it off course.
The proof-of-concept test is a dry run should humanity ever need to stop a giant space rock from wiping out life on Earth, as seen in Netflix’s new hit film Don’t Look Up.
MIAMI (AP) – The NBA postponed Wednesday’s game between Miami and San Antonio after a combination of injuries and positive COVID-19 tests left the Heat unable to meet the league’s requirement of eight available players.
It was the 10th game postponed in the NBA this season because of virus-related issues. None has been rescheduled at this point.
Miami had 12 players listed as out for the game against the Spurs for a variety of reasons. The Heat beat Washington on Wednesday with eight players available – and of those, only five would have been able to play in San Antonio.
Gabe Vincent, who played 35 minutes in Tuesday’s win, learned after the game that he had a positive test and couldn’t travel. Jimmy Butler was ruled out for Wednesday after spraining his right ankle with about a minute left in the Wizards’ game and KZ Okpala was unable to play because of an injury he sustained on Tuesday as well.
The Heat also added PJ Tucker and and Zylan Cheatham, neither of whom played on Tuesday, to the health and safety protocols. And Tuesday’s game came after Miami guard Max Strus – who had been feeling no symptoms – was pulled after he warmed up, because of a positive test that required him to enter the protocols.
“That’s the perplexing thing about this right now, this variant,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I think we’ve gotten to a point – I’ve said it before – we need more information. Are there more asymptomatic cases? All of this is with the caveat of double vaccination, with a booster and then asymptomatic, what does that mean and what adjustments can we make there? I think it leads to a lot of confusion.”
Miami had tried to get roster help on Wednesday – ironically – from the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League affiliate, in part because those players could get to San Antonio relatively quickly and in time to play on Wednesday. Miami was in the process of signing Austin centre Aric Holman to a hardship contract, and it likely will need more reinforcements before its next scheduled game tonight in Houston.
Almost every team in the NBA has been dealing with a virus-related issue in recent days, with 119 players known to be in the protocols by Wednesday evening. That figure, which changes often as players test in and out, does not include coaches, staff and others in the protocols – including referees.
The NBA said on Wednesday that referee Justin Van Duyne had entered protocols, leaving the league with a two-man crew to work the game between Phoenix and Oklahoma City.
