NEW YORK (AFP) – The city that never sleeps rang in the New Year with a scaled-down ceremony in Times Square on Friday night, marking 2022 with its famous ball drop and confetti.
New Year has been celebrated in bombastic style in Times Square, at the intersection of Broadway and 42nd Street in the heart of Manhattan, since the turn of the 20th Century.
The coronavirus meant last year’s festivities were a muted affair, with the pandemic-ravaged city’s decision to forgo the usual celebrations meaning Times Square was left strikingly empty.
But outgoing mayor Bill de Blasio kept his promise to bring back the party in 2021.
A crowd limited to 15,000 people, instead of the usual 60,000, all masked and vaccinated, watched as a crystal ball – measuring 3.5 metres and weighing more than five tonnes – was brought down to ring in 2022.
Spectators kissed and hugged when the bell struck midnight, as more than 1.3 tonnes of confetti carrying New Year’s greetings was thrown from the roofs of buildings bordering Times Square.
Times Square was also host to political theatre on Friday night with the transfer of power just after midnight from de Blasio to Eric Adams, a former policeman elected in November on a platform of fighting crime and socio-economic inequalities in the city.
Adams, holding up a portrait of his deceased mother, took an oath on religious scripture alongside his family – having earlier hailed the indefatigability of the city he is now tasked with running.
A sign reminds people to wear face masks as revellers gather on Times Square in New York. PHOTO: AP
The Intermediate Court on Thursday handed a three years and four months’ jail with two canings to a local man who broke into a room to steal property.
Mohammad Nazmenizam bin Abdullah, 23, pleaded guilty to the housebreaking charge and admitted to the statement of facts revealed in court by prosecutor Syafina Abdul Hadzid.
Judge Pengiran Masni Pengiran Haji Bahar heard that the defendant worked for almost a year at a food stall. The shop was housed in Bangunan Koperasi Tanjong Maya, Tutong District.
The prosecutor said investigations revealed that the defendant while working at the food stall on July 3, noticed his employer leaving along with a chef from another stall in the same premises.
Mohammad Nazmenizam went behind the building and headed for a room which he knew was rented by the chef.
He forced open the door using a fork. He stole a phone and its box, and a charger.
He then went back to work and hid them in the stall’s storeroom cabinet.
The defendant sold the stolen items to an unknown buyer through Facebook.
The victim, on realising that his phone was missing, lodged a police report leading to the defendant’s arrest.
The defendant told investigators that he received BND80 from the sales and bought food and petrol for his car.
Prosceutor Syafina also informed court that the defendant holds conviction records related to housebreaking.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – One day after quietly celebrating his 37th birthday at home with his family, LeBron James put on an age-defying performance.
James became the oldest player in NBA history to have a game with at least 40 points and 14 rebounds, scoring a season-high 43 on Friday night as the Los Angeles Lakers rolled to a 139-106 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
According to Sportradar, the oldest player to have a 40-14 game was Larry Bird, who was 35 when he had 49 points and 14 boards for the Boston Celtics in 1992 (which coincidentally also came against the Trail Blazers).
“I don’t feel like I have been in the league 19 years. When I am daily reminded of it, I feel it sometimes,” James said after his 67th 40-point game of his career and sixth in four seasons with the Lakers. “Sometimes you do have to remind people you can still do what you can do at a high level.”
James was 16 of 26 from the field and made five 3-pointers in a game where the Lakers led throughout.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) gets past Portland Trail Blazers forward Norman Powell (24). PHOTO: AP
“If that’s what our team needs to win, I’m okay with that,” said James, who during the last seven games – including Friday – is averaging 36 points and has made 57.8 per cent of his shots from the field. “I’m not a guy who goes out and sees if I can jack up a bunch of shots. The streak I have been on with my scoring I have been efficient. I take pride in that as a player.”
His seven-game streak is not an anomaly: He’s done it four other times. But this is the first since he was with Miami Heat in February 2013. James’ longest stretch is 10 with the Cleveland Cavaliers late in the 2005-06 season.
The Lakers were up 69-54 at halftime on 27 points from James, who went coast-to-coast for a dunk to give Los Angeles a 53-37 advantage midway through the second quarter. He topped the 40-point mark on a 3-pointer from 27 feet out with 8:25 remaining to put the Lakers up 109-84.
Los Angeles’ largest lead was 35 in the game’s final minute.
“This is just LeBron James playing at a superior level more than what is happening around him,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “While (Anthony Davis) is out, he is intent on doing everything he can to pile up wins and play at an extra-high level.”
Malik Monk scored 18 points, Carmelo Anthony added 16 points and Russell Westbrook (15 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists) recorded his ninth triple-double this season for the Lakers, who had dropped six of their last seven coming into the game.
Portland’s Ben McLemore came off the bench to tie his season-high with 28 points in his first game back after clearing the league’s health and safety protocols. Damian Lillard added 18 points for the Trail Blazers, who have dropped four straight and 11 of their last 13.
“I don’t think we played with enough force. They dictated the start,” said Portland assistant coach Scott Brooks, who is directing the team while head coach Chauncey Billups is in the league’s COVID-19 protocols. “They were attacking on both ends of the floor and we were back on our heels. You can’t do that against good teams. We gave them too much respect.”
PARIS (AFP) – Car advertisements in France will have to include messages encouraging people to consider less-polluting travel alternatives from 2022 as part of the government’s drive to rein in CO2 emissions.
The requirement, set to come into force in March, was confirmed in the government’s Official Journal this week after years of lobbying from environmental groups – many of which seek an outright ban on automobile ads.
Similar to mandatory reminders to eat healthy on food and drink ads, the standardised messages will suggest that drivers adopt more environmentally responsible options when possible.
Carmakers will have three choices: ‘Consider carpooling’, ‘For day-to-day use’, ‘take public transportation’ or ‘For short trips, opt for walking or cycling’.
They will be required for all media – print, TV, radio or Internet – and must also include the hashtag “#SeDeplacerMoinsPolluer” (Move and Pollute Less).
The ads will also have to include a vehicle’s CO2 emission class, a new ranking system to inform consumers about the environmental impact that is part of a widespread climate action law approved by lawmakers in July.
So far automakers appear ready to comply, if not enthusiastically.
“It means that overall, we have to find alternatives to the automobile. It’s the first time we’ve had such a direct message from the government,” head of Hyundai France Lionel French Keogh. told AFP.
“We are going to adapt – moving toward zero-emission vehicles is the course of history,” he added.
“But there is an irony: they make no distinction between the type of motorisation.
It’s a bit counterproductive to the government’s aim of promoting electric vehicles,” he said.
Volkswagen, the third-biggest car seller in France, after Stellantis and Renault, said “We will comply with the legislation and analyse how best to comply with our advertising agency.”
As part of the new French law, advertising for the most polluting vehicles – those that emit more than 123 grammes of carbon dioxide per kilometre, including many popular SUVs – will be completely outlawed from 2028.
LAS VEGAS (AP) – The annual CES gadget convention will be three days instead of four following an uptick of COVID-19 cases and the withdrawal of some of its best-known tech presenters.
Convention organiser The Consumer Technology Association announced in a statement on Friday that CES will run from January 5-7, one day shorter than planned. The event still has over 2,200 exhibitors confirmed to show off their products at the Las Vegas convention, spokeswoman Jeanne Abella said.
The announcement follows the withdrawal of tech giants from CES last week citing health risks of the Omicron variant, including cellphone carriers like T-Mobile, whose CEO had been slated to deliver a keynote speech.
Computer maker Lenovo and social media companies like Twitter and Facebook parent company Meta also cancelled plans to attend. News outlets including CNN said they would cancel or reduce coverage.
CES was held entirely virtually last year. It will be a hybrid of online and in-person this year, with organisers offering digital registration allowing access to around 40 livestreamed events, Abella said.
On the convention floor, attendees will be required to show proof of vaccination and wear masks. Organisers are asking participants to get COVID-19 tests before they arrive, but negative results are not required.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 39 points and the Utah Jazz beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-108 on Friday night.
Mitchell added six rebounds and five assists in his return from a two-game absence due to a back strain. With both Mike Conley and Joe Ingles sidelined, he handled point guard duties in his first game back and shot 57 per cent from the field, including six of 11 from 3-point range.
Bojan Bogdanovic added 24 points and 12 rebounds, Jordan Clarkson chipped in 20 points and Rudy Gobert added 14 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks.
Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards scored 26 points in his return after a six-game absence due to health and safety protocols. Malik Beasley added 22 points for the Timberwolves.
Minnesota was short-handed offensively with both Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell still sidelined due to health and safety protocols.
After Patrick Beverley hit a go-ahead 3-pointer a minute into the fourth quarter, the Jazz scored 22 unanswered points to pull away from the Timberwolves. Mitchell ignited the run with back-to-back baskets and scored 12 points during the outburst. Gobert and Mitchell finished it off with back-to-back baskets that gave Utah a 113-92 lead with 5:51 left.
Utah built a 13-point halftime lead, going up 63-50, by knocking down 3-pointers and repeatedly getting to the free throw line.
The Jazz made seven outside baskets – with four coming from Mitchell – and shot 54 per cent from the perimeter before halftime. Utah also shot 22 of 26 on free throws in the first half. Bogdanovic and Gobert each had eight free throw attempts, equaling Minnesota’s total free throw attempts in the first two quarters.
Minnesota rallied in the third quarter and erased Utah’s lead. Jaden McDaniels capped a 12-2 run with a go-ahead jumper that gave the Timberwolves a 79-78 edge. Edwards and Naz Reid each scored a pair of baskets to fuel the spurt.
Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic loses control of the ball. PHOTO: AP
The Philippine Embassy in Brunei Darussalam, together with Filipino community representatives, paid tribute to Philippine national hero Dr Jose Rizal at the embassy grounds in the Diplomatic Enclave on Thursday to commemorate the 125th anniversary of his martyrdom.
Philippine Chargé d’Affaires Pete Raymond V Delfin led the flag-hoisting and wreath-laying ceremonies, followed by a brief programme.
Newly-appointed Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Marian Jocelyn R Tirol-Ignacio, who arrived in the Sultanate the previous day and underwent quarantine procedures, delivered a virtual message in her first official event with the Filipino community.
Themed ‘Rizal: For Science, Truth and Life’, the Philippine ambassador underscored the relevance of Dr Rizal’s life and example today, and cited his steadfast sense of purpose and patriotism as a vital guidepost for the present generation in confronting the challenges brought forth by the pandemic.
The event concluded with a screening and brief discussion of Rizal’s Pen, a short film about a young man discovering the relevance of Jose Rizal’s writings to present-day Philippine realities, followed by a fellowship breakfast among embassy personnel and Filipino community members.
Staff of the Philippines Embassy in Brunei Darussalam and the Filipino community representatives paying tribute. PHOTOS: PHILIPPINE EMBASSYPhilippine Chargé d’Affaires Pete Raymond V Delfin leading the wreath-laying rites
DAR ES SALAAM (XINHUA) – Heavy downpour and strong winds have demolished more than 20 houses leaving one person dead and some 100 others homeless in Tanzania’s northern district of Handeni in Tanga region, an official said on Friday.
The rains and strong winds that hit Kwamatuku village on Thursday also destroyed infrastructure, including electric cables and roads, said Handeni District Administrative Secretary Mashaka Mgeta.
Mgeta said a girl, who was selected to join secondary education in January 2022, was swept away as she tried to cross over a flooded ravine on her way back from her family’s farm.
Mgeta, who visited victims of the torrential rains, said the government is assessing the loss caused by the rains before it provides relief supplies to those in dire need. He said the government is also working hard to restore the damaged infrastructure.
People crossing a river between Pangani and Tanga town with the help of a rope in Tanzania. PHOTO: XINHUA
KUALA LUMPUR (CNA) – Johor became the latest Malaysian state to be hit by floods, with the number of evacuees rising steadily yesterday.
Over than 1,000 people have been evacuated as of 4pm. Nearly 20 relief centres have been set up in two districts – Segamat and Tangkat – after a continuous downpour since Friday night.
Besides Johor, the number of residents evacuating from floods in Pahang, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan also continued to rise yesterday as the four states brace for more heavy rain.
An orange alert has been issued by the Malaysian Meteorological Department, forecasting rain in those states until tomorrow.
Three rivers in Johor – Sungai Segamat, Sungai Muar and Sungai Tangkak – have already exceeded dangerous levels, according to State Health and Environment Committee Chairman R Vidyananthan.
A man salvages items from his house after it was submerged in floodwaters in Shah Alam, Selangor. PHOTO: AFP
The waters in another three rivers in Pahang and two in Negeri Sembilan have also risen to dangerous levels, according to the Drainage and Irrigation Department’s InfoBanjir portal.
Floods in Malaysia have displaced tens of thousands of people since December 17 after unusually heavy rainfall caused flooding in several states.
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said yesterday authorities are focussing on seeking comprehensive long-term solutions to the flood problem.
This will be the main agenda of the National Disaster Management Committee once the post-flood operations are completed, he said. The work is expected to involve state governments, government ministries and agencies, as well as experts in related fields.
“We will seek out and discuss whatever modules that are suitable to resolve this problem, and if it cannot be implemented simultaneously throughout the country, focus will be given to districts or areas at high risk of flooding,” said Ismail Sabri after presenting aid under a flood relief programme in Pahang. “A long-term plan involves huge costs but it helps to reduce the costs incurred by the government each time it floods. So far, we have spent RM1.4 billion (USD335 million) on aid alone and this amount is expected to increase because we have not yet received the full report on damage,” he said.
Ismail Sabri said the plan for long-term solutions was discussed during the time of the Barisan Nasional government, but it was not continued.
Potential measures include more flood mitigation projects, deepening rivers and other waterways such as in Kedah and building projects like Kuala Lumpur’s SMART Tunnel for flood management in high-risk urban areas such as Shah Alam in Selangor, he said.
“For low-lying areas that are prone to flooding, we can revisit the flood resettlement programme implemented in the 1970s. This calls for discussions with state governments to identify suitable high grounds and the federal government can help in terms of allocations,” said Ismail Sabri.
The prime minister said solutions adopted by other countries could also be considered if suitable for Malaysia, including the “sponge city” concept used in China to help slow the flow of floodwaters or the river dikes of the Netherlands.
JAKARTA (AFP) – Indonesia, the world’s biggest exporter of coal used in electricity generation, yesterday said it has banned January exports of the fuel in a move aimed at safeguarding its domestic power supply.
Rising demand for electricity in the country risks widespread blackouts unless more supplies are diverted to power stations, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said in a statement.
Indonesia exports the majority of its coal but mandates that producers must set aside minimum amounts to supply the nation’s power plants.
The decision comes against a backdrop of surging demand, as post-pandemic economic growth across the world drives electricity needs that cannot be met from less-polluting alternatives.
The International Energy Agency last month said global demand for coal, the world’s biggest source of greenhouse gases, hit a record in 2021 and would be sustained into 2022, threatening plans set out at last year’s COP26 climate change conference to cut emissions.
Last January, Indonesia exported almost 30 million tonnes of coal, according to the Central Statistics Bureau.
The export ban was imposed after coal miners failed to meet the so-called Domestic Market Obligation (DMO), under which they are obliged to supply at least 25 percent of a mine’s approved production plan at a maximum sales price of USD70 per metric tonne – less than half the global benchmark price.
The temporary export ban would prevent almost 20 power plants providing a total of 10.9 gigawatts of power from shutting down, a senior official at the ministry, Ridwan Jamaludin, said in a statement yesterday.
The government would re-evaluate the policy after January 5, he said.
“We can’t let the companies’ disobedience to comply with the DMO disrupt the investment climate and the national economy,” he said.
Indonesia has pledged to stop building new coal-fired power plants from 2023 and to be carbon neutral by 2060.
Coal being unloaded from a barge at the Suralaya coal power plant in Indonesia. PHOTO: AFP
