Chinese communities across the country welcomed family and friends to their homes yesterday, as they celebrated the first day of Chinese New Year together. More details in Wednesday’s Borneo Bulletin.

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday attended a Chinese New Year (CNY) open house at the residence of Pehin Kapitan Lela Diraja Dato Paduka Goh King Chin. More details in Wednesday’s Borneo Bulletin.

MADRID (AFP) – Spain, Britain, France and other European Union (EU) nations yesterday recogni-sed Venezuela’s opposition chief Juan Guaido as interim leader after President Nicolas Maduro defiantly rejected an ultimatum to call snap elections. Russia, one of the main allies of Maduro’s regime, slammed what it dubbed European “interference” in the oil-rich but impoverished Latin […]

THE Islamic Religious Council presented tithe to victims of house fires in Kampong Bolkiah ‘A’, RPN Kampong Meragang and a collapsed house in Kampong Pekan Lama during a ceremony at the Ministry of Religious Affairs yesterday. The money was taken from the provisions of tithe fund for the poor and destitute category. More details in […]

IN THE run-up to Chinese New Year, free giveaways of traditional red packets and festive cookies were held yesterday at Telekom Brunei Berhad (TelBru)’s 10 branches across Brunei. At the Panaga TelBru branch in the Belait District, customers were personally welcomed by TelBru Chief Executive Officer David Holliday, who also visited the other outlets to […]

PARIS (AFP) – France’s ‘yellow vest’ movement demonstrated against alleged police violence in rallies across the country on Saturday, as lawyers denounced the treatment of protesters in the courts. The latest marches – the 12th in a row – came a day after France’s top court threw out a bid to ban weapons that fire 40-millimetre […]

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A peace deal has been reached between the Central African Republic government and 14 armed groups after their first-ever direct dialogue aimed at ending years of conflict, the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) announced last Saturday. The peace deal represents rare hope for the impoverished, landlocked nation where interreligious and […]

TEHRAN (AFP) – Iran announced the “successful test” of a new cruise missile with a range of over 1,350 kilometres last Saturday, coinciding with celebrations for the country’s 1979 revolution. “The test of the Hoveizeh cruise missile was carried out successfully at a range of 1,200 kilometres and accurately hit the set target,” Defence Minister […]

JERLUN (Bernama) – Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) Vice-President, Datuk Mahfuz Omar urged the government to review the demerit point system under the Automated Awareness Safety System (AWAS) which is seen as a burden to the people. He said the system is seen as unfair and should be abolished because if one is summoned under the […]

MINISTER of Culture, Youth and Sports Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Awang Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin launched the Persons with Different Abilities Skills Exposure Programme at the Youth Development Centre (PPB), Salambigar on Saturday. The programme will have three sessions a year, offering different […]

The Charity Walk, Run and Cycle event, a collaboration between the Brunei Council on Social Welfare (MKM), the Health Promotion Centre (HPC), the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Pantai Jerudong Specialist Centre (PJSC), was held at Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien yesterday. Minister of Health, Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham […]

|     Fizah HAB     | HER Royal Highness Princess Hajah Majeedah Nuurul Bolkiah attended the opening night of the third Musical Mania at the Jerudong International School (JIS) Arts Centre last night. The musical will continue today for both 1.30pm Matinee and 7.30pm evening show. The event featured live performances of songs from popular musicals including […]

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong customs officers have intercepted a record 8.3 tonnes of pangolin scales and hundreds of elephant tusks worth more than USD8 million combined, underscoring the threat to endangered species from demand in Asia. Acting on a tip-off from mainland Chinese authorities, local officials found the haul in mid-January in a […]

MOSCOW (AP) – Following in the footsteps of the United States (US), Russia will abandon a centrepiece nuclear arms treaty but will only deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles if Washington does so, President Vladimir Putin said yesterday. US President Donald Trump accused Moscow on Friday of violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with “impunity” […]

|     Hakim Hayat     | THE first round of HECAS 2019 online application to the local Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) such as Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) and Politeknik Brunei (PB) for the academic year 2019/2020 commences on Monday at 8.30am and ends on February 26 at […]

|     Fizah HAB     | CROCODILES are becoming a common sight in the Brunei River, said Dayangku Kemariah binti Pengiran Duraman in a recent interview with the Weekend Bulletin. “It is becoming a cause for concern, especially to the residents of Kampong Ayer and the public, when crocodiles as big as four metres long are seen […]

|     Hakim Hayat     | HIS Royal Highness Prince General Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, and General of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) on Thursday received in audience Vice Chief of the Defence Staff of the United […]

Deputy State Mufti Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Japar bin Haji Mat Dain @ Maidin yesterday left for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to attend the Global Conference of Human Fraternity. According to the State Mufti’s Office, the two- day conference hosted by the Muslim Council of Elders will convene prominent international religious, […]

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, Minister of Defence and Supreme Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), consented to award the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) Command Badge to Chief of Staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense […]

His Royal Highness Prince General Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, and General of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) on Thursday received in audience Vice Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom General Sir Gordon […]

As part of a continuous initiative to learn more about the current efforts made in the development of agriculture, fishery and forestry, Legislative Council (LegCo) members made the fourth and final work visit to several sites in the Tutong and Belait districts yesterday. Organised by the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT), the visit […]

MINISTER of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong advised the country’s Village Consultative Councils (MPK) to not be content with the amount of revenue raised from the products of the ‘One Village, One Product’ (1K1P) initiative, urging them to step up efforts to […]

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 received in audience Vice Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom (UK) General Sir Gordon Messenger yesterday afternoon. General Sir Gordon Messenger was accompanied by British High Commissioner […]

BEIRUT (AP) – It only took a few days for al-Qaeda-linked militants to seize more than two dozen towns and villages in northern Syria from rival insurgents earlier this month, expanding and cementing their control over an area the size of neighbouring Lebanon. The advance by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), or the Levant Liberation Committee, […]

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) – The death toll from the sinking of two migrant boats off the coast of Djibouti rose to 28 yesterday, the UN migration agency said. “Twenty-three bodies were recovered this morning and the coast guard continues (its) search,” Lalini Veerassamy, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Chief of Mission in Djibouti told […]

YAOUNDÉ (AFP) – Cameroon opposition leader Maurice Kamto, who claims to have been cheated out of the presidency in elections last year, was arrested in the country’s economic capital Douala on Monday, a senior party member said. “Mr Kamto was arrested at the home of (supporter) Albert Dzongang,” said Emmanuel Simh, vice-president of the opposition […]

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Retired Israeli military chief Benny Gantz launched his long-awaited political campaign yesterday, seeking to position himself as the first serious challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decade-long rule. Flaunting a tough military pedigree, Gantz’s emergence in the polls as Netanyahu’s top rival highlights how security rules supreme in the minds […]

|     Azlan Othman     | 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 drew attention to the overall quality and stability of the building structure at the newly opened Rimba Arabic School in Gadong. “There are two authorities […]

|     Azlan Othman     | BRAIN damage, depression, heart palpitations, and erosion to the tooth enamel. These are but a few of the many harmful effects of syabu use. Syabu, the local term for methamphetamine, is commonly consumed by drug addicts in the country. Speaking at an educational briefing on drugs prevention for 35 graduates from […]

|     Syazwani Hj Rosli     | AUSTRALIAN High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Nicola Rosenblum presided over the launching of the ‘Boundless Plains: the Australian Muslim Connection photographic exhibition’ at the first floor of the Mabohai Shopping Complex yesterday. The guest of honour was Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji […]

|     Hakim Hayat     | A TOTAL of 104 local graduates have been selected for the posts of contract-based English Language and Mathematics specialist teachers under a project by the Ministry of Education (MoE). The second cohort of the project was welcomed in an induction programme launch at the MoE Complex in Jalan Airport Lama yesterday. […]

|     Hakim Hayat     | MUKIM and village consultative councils have been urged to organise activities involving all levels of the community, while youth are encouraged to be at the forefront of such programmes, in line with the Brunei Government’s initiatives in ensuring a cohesive and strong bond between families, Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Orang […]

|     Danial Norjidi     | THE Government of 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 through the Ministry of Health (MoH) is providing auditory implant surgery services this year at Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital with […]

|     Azlan Othman     | RESPONDENTS from Brunei Darussalam to a recent regional survey have pinpointed “economic downturn” as the top security challenge in Southeast Asia. In the ‘State of Southeast Asia: 2019’ online survey conducted by the ASEAN Studies Centre of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute between November 18 and December 5, 2018 to seek the […]