MALMÖ, Sweden (AFP) – Cheese teeming with squirming maggots, sheep’s eye juice and mouse beverage: the ‘Disgusting Food Museum’ explores why a dish seems delicious to some, but for others is stomach-churning.

On show for three months at an old slaughterhouse in the southern Swedish city of Malmo, the exhibit – created by Samuel West, who previously served up the Museum of Failure – promises to shock the senses.

“Disgust is always subjective because it comes with what we grew up with. It’s kind of an indoctrination,” said museum director Andreas Ahrens.

“If we grew up with something, we don’t find it disgusting,” he said.

To highlight the point, the exhibition puts foods from around the world on an equal footing, so lobster and foie gras are presented in the same way as chewy kiddie sweets and rabbits’ heads.

Gastronomic explorers are warned on entry: the exhibit is not for the squeamish. But, conveniently, the entry ticket is – a sickness bag.

Bag in hand then, visitors venture off on a world tour of specialities, some of which may seem to a Western palate like ingredients in a witch’s brew but are considered delicacies. “The Disgusting Food Museum exists to let people explore the world of food and to see both their own food and (other food) from the lens of another culture,” said Ahrens.

Its founder “began by thinking of other museums that don’t exist that he would like to visit, and that led to the Disgusting Food Museum”, he added cheerfully.

Cheese and fermented shark

“I think it is by far one of the most interesting museums I’ve been to,” said Charlie Lam, a 23-year-old Hong Kong student.

Touring the exhibit with friends, she inspects the 80 dishes on display, cautiously sniffing some, and, when curiosity gets the better of her, tasting a few.

She said she’ll never forget the Su Callu, an ineffable Sardinian cheese served in dried tripe with a lingering aftertaste of ammonia, or the Icelandic delicacy of fermented shark, known as hakarl.

And she finds salty licorice, a hugely popular candy in the Nordic countries, and stinky British and French cheeses as off-putting as some of the non-Western foods are to European tastes.

Touchy feely

Many of the dishes are freshly prepared and visitors are encouraged to poke and prod some of them, and of course have a taste – museum staff make sure nobody leaves without trying at least one item.

“If it would be just fake food, or just plastic or things in a can, it wouldn’t be as interesting. It wouldn’t be as fun,” said Ahrens, who happily guides people through the tables of food.

“So it’s an important part of the experience for the guest.”

Some dishes are displayed on a video screen, such as the cobra’s beating heart, which in Vietnam is savoured together with its blood.

“That’s really what I found most surprising,” admits Adam Eliasson, a 24-year-old factory worker.

“Normally I’m a pretty picky eater,” he muses. “I eat very few things… but here I tasted everything. And I didn’t throw up!”

Some dishes however, such as the tortoise soup and bat soup, the sheep’s head stew and baby mouse beverage remain off limits to even the bravest of visitors.

The food that is fresh, such as the cheese, is kept in the fridge for three or four days before being thrown out.

Once the exhibit ends on January 27 in Sweden, Ahrens and West hope to take the show on the road to other cities in Europe and around the world.

|     Fadhil Yunus     |

PUSAT Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam raised BND27,792.20 during the 17th Pusat Ehsan Charity Golf Tournament held from November 23-25 at the RBA Golf Club in Berakas.

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 was the guest of honour at the prize presentation ceremony.

The tournament proceeds will support children and youth with special needs at Pusat Ehsan and the centre’s monthly expenses and development plans.

A total of 188 contestants took part in the three-day charity event.

Johari bin Ahmad successfully defended the men’s overall gross title with a score of 69.

The silver sponsors of the event was Daelim Industrial Co Limited while the bronze sponsors included Mar’Azmala Petrol Station and Trading, Fun Bocks Edutainment Sdn Bhd, Miftah An-Nur Islamic International School, Amin Bio Technology, RY Prime Sdn Bhd, Hafiz the Clubmaker, Al-Mazya Tenunan and Razytaa.

Chairman of the Main Organising Committee of the 17th Pusat Ehsan Charity Golf Tournament Seruji bin Haji Setia said this weekend marked the second time that the tournament was held this year.

“Pusat Ehsan, as a non-government, non-profitable charity organisation, derives its funds totally from donations and contributions from the community. Raising funds for the centre is the key objective of this tournament,” the chairman said.

Other winners at the tournament were Almas Syadzwanie Kamis in the ladies’ gross category with a score of 76 and Abdul Kadir bin Abdul Ghani (OCB) in the overall nett category.

The top 12 qualified for the final round yesterday where they competed for the overall gross title and the coveted Patron’s Challenge Trophy.

Abdul Kadir sealed top spot in the qualifying round with a total of 70 followed by Suhaimi Ibrahim, Awangku Md Syakir bin Pengiran Haji Ali and Johari bin Ahmad.

The in-form Johari made five birdies in the front nine en route to his victory and a fifth tournament win this year.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Powered by hash browns and chocolate milkshakes, a New Zealander has run the length of his country in a record time of 18 days and eight hours.

A former drug addict, 64-year-old Perry Newburn is not your typical endurance athlete.

His nutrition plan included plenty of stops at McDonald’s restaurants.

He kept his pace in his head rather than using a fancy GPS watch. And his support crew for half the distance consisted of his mate Graeme driving ahead in Perry’s wagon.

But Newburn ran and ran and ran, averaging close to three full marathons each day along the 2,100 kilometre journey, which he finished last Wednesday. About 50 people ran alongside him at various points, and he raised several thousand dollars for an autism charity.

“To be able to achieve those kinds of things, you have to be an unusual character,” said Bette Flagler, who supported Newburn along part of the route on the North Island.

Flagler said Newburn had energy to burn in pleasant weather as they posted humourous videos of him skipping and crawling along the highway. But things got more intense toward the end of his journey, as Newburn faced unseasonal snowstorms and hail.

Newburn said he needed to hold his emotions in check until he got to the finish.

“I almost collapsed in a blubbering mess,” he said. “I was just so elated. And happy I didn’t have to get up the next morning at silly o’clock.”

Newburn was often on the road at 4am and ran through each day and into the night. He said he discovered running after he gave up heroin in the early 1990s, following a 16-year battle with the drug.

“Running was a good way of clearing my head,” he said. “It was part of the process of getting everything back into the right space again. Rebuilding myself, I suppose.”

Distance runner Lisa Townsend joined Newburn one day for about 74 kilometres before finishing with sore feet while he continued. She said that because they were running along the side of a small highway with many trucks driving past, they needed to keep their wits about them. They passed the time by chatting and counting power poles.

The run wasn’t even Newburn’s longest — he has completed a continental crossing of the United States In September, he got in some practice by finishing a six-day endurance run in Adelaide, Australia, clocking up 573 kilometres to take fourth place.

Friend Kashif Shuja said Newburn relied on a crumpled 20-year-old paper map to plot his route. Worried that a few weeks out Newburn did not have so much as a spreadsheet to plan each day, Shuja stepped in to help arrange accommodation, meetings with other runners, and social media. “My job was for him not to die, and bring him back safely,” Shuja joked. “What he’s done is inspired thousands of people into doing more than they think they can.”

Newburn said that aside from all the blisters and some aches and pains, his body held up well. The best part, he said, was meeting people along the way who ran with him or offered him a bed for the night.

“You see so much negativity in the world these days, but two or three days on the road and you experience the awesomeness, the positiveness, the generosity of people,” he said. “I get blown away every time.”

|     Syazwani Hj Rosli     |

YESTERDAY’S weekly pre-dawn talk, titled Tanggungjawab Mempertahankan Keamanan Negara (The Responsibility in Upholding the Country’s Peace and Stability), was delivered by Religious Operations Officer at the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Religious Department and Da’ie at the Brunei Islamic Religious Council (MUIB) Captain Mohammad Ayza Azrine bin Ayahani.

In his lecture, Captain Mohammad Ayza Azrine said that while the armed forces are the country’s first line of defence, ordinary civilians are also responsible for maintaining the peace by refraining from social evils and corrupt practices.

Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud, Minister of Communications Dato Seri Setia Awang Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Mohammad Yusof, 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, Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Pengiran Dato Seri Paduka Haji Bahrom bin Pengiran Haji Bahar and Commander of the RBAF Major General Pengiran Dato Paduka Seri Aminan bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud were present.

The pre-dawn talk is part of the Masjidku Makmur, Negara Berkat programme, which aims to encourage active participation in the mass Subuh prayer at the Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque.

|     James Kon     |

A RECORD of over 2,000 participants turned up at the grounds of the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) in Rimba yesterday morning, testing their mental and physical strength at the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Alpha Challenge 2018.

The competition was held in conjunction with the 57th anniversary of the RBAF and part of events organised for Brunei December Festival 2018.

The event saw two royal appearances, with Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Muda ‘Abdul Muntaqim ibni Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah taking part in the 3km fun run and Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Abdul Mu’min participating in the team competitive challenge.

D’Sunlit Sdn Bhd Advisor Pengiran Haji Salleh Ab Rahaman bin Pengiran Haji Damit and D’Sunlit Managing Director Jackson Ting were also present.

Officiating the races was Commander of the RBAirF, Brigadier General (U) Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sahat as the guest of honour.

This year’s RBAF Alpha Challenge comprised two categories: the 3km and 5km fun runs, and the Competitive Challenges consisting the ‘individual’ and ‘team’ 10km challenges.

Cash prizes were awarded to finishers with the top three best times in the competitive challenges.

Participants in each of the categories were required to complete a number of obstacle courses such as the Cammo Net Crawl, Wall Climb, Sandbag Carry, Tyre Drag and Pull, Walk on Plank, Frame Cargo Net, Mud Shake, Apex Ladder, Tunnel Trouble, and Monkey Bar.

Commander of the RBAD Major General Pengiran Dato Paduka Seri Aminan bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud presented prizes to the winners.

The RBAF Commander also handed over cash donations to two charitable organisations: the RBAF Fund for Orphans, which received BND2,045; and An Nur Harapan, which received BND2,500.

|     Hakim Hayat     |

THOUSANDS of cyclists gathered at Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien yesterday, where they set off on a test of endurance, as they participated in a 57km cycling expedition held in conjunction with Royal Brunei Armed Forces’ (RBAF) 57th anniversary.

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 RBAF, also led cyclists of the special 12km cycling route that passed through the main roads of Bandar Seri Begawan.

Upon arrival, His Majesty and members of the royal family were welcomed by Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, and Commander of the RBAF Major General Pengiran Dato Paduka Seri Aminan bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud.

Also taking part in the 12km route segment which began and ended at the Taman were His Royal Highness Prince General Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, and First General of the RBAF; His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik; and His Royal Highness Captain (U)Prince ‘Abdul Mateen.

Earlier, the 57km cycling expedition was also flagged off at the Taman, seeing the participation of 1,057 RBAF personnel and members of the public.

The expedition covered several main roads in Bandar Seri Begawan, making passes through Tasek Meradun, Kampong Sengkurong, Kampong Jerudong, Tungku Highway, Gadong, and Jame’ ‘Asr Hassanil Bolkiah, before finally ending at Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien.

Prior to the flag off, a religious programme Masjidku Makmur, Negara Berkat was held at the Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque, beginning with a mass Subuh prayer followed by a religious talk that touched on the responsibilities of defending the nation’s peace delivered by Captain Mohammad Ayza Azrine bin Ayahani from the RBAF Religious Department.

His Majesty then proceeded to tour the booths and exhibitions set up by event sponsors and various organisations, such as the RBAF Medical Services Reception (MRS) and Ministry of Health (MoH), as well as a military recruitment roadshow.

The day also saw a donation from the RBAF to the Sulawesi Disaster Humanitarian Fund being handed over by Minister of Defence II to 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, who is co-advisor of the fund’s committee.

The Minister of Defence II and Commander of the RBAF also presented prizes to the winners of the different categories of the recently concluded 100km Inter-Service Cycling Race, also held in conjunction with the RBAF’s 57th anniversary.

The RBAF Commander also launched the RBAF Fund for Orphans.

BAGHDAD (AFP) – The partial reopening of Baghdad’s high-security Green Zone to through traffic, planned for Sunday, has been postponed for several days, a government official said.

The enclave has been home to Iraq’s Parliament, government offices, United Nations (UN) agencies and western embassies since the United States (US)-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Earlier this week, Iraqi authorities began removing concrete barriers to ease access to a key route that cuts across the enclave, ahead of a planned opening on Sunday, reportedly at the orders of Prime Minister Adel Abdel-Mahdi.

But on Sunday morning, a government official told AFP that “the reopening will not take place before the next two days, or perhaps by the end of the week”.

“An important thoroughfare will be opened, but we must secure its surroundings and seal access to perpendicular streets,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

The road leads from the banks of the Tigris River northwest through the Green Zone and into other parts of Baghdad.

Authorities say allowing through traffic would ease congestion in other parts of the city.

But on either side of the route lie the offices and homes of Iraqi officials and international diplomats.

The United Kingdom (UK) embassy and the UN informed staff members they were implementing tougher safety measures inside the zone from Sunday, citing an “elevated threat level”.

The US embassy has declined to comment on the reopening.

The Green Zone, ringed by blast walls topped with barbed wire and guarded by Iraqi security forces, remains inaccessible for most Iraqi citizens.

|     Rokiah Mahmud     |

MEMBERS of the public can now donate to the SMS Brunei Prihatin Project for the Pengiran Muda Mahkota Al-Muhtadee Billah Fund for Orphans (DANA), which recently marked the 13th year of its establishment, since 2006.

The DANA Secretariat has handled the project successfully with the assistance of government and private agencies including Radio Television Brunei (RTB) that has been broadcasting the ‘SMS Brunei Prihatin for DANA’ promo through its television and radio networks.

This was highlighted yesterday by DANA Chief Executive Officer Dato Paduka Eddie bin Dato Paduka Haji Sunny during the launching ceremony for the project, which will run until January 31, 2019.

Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, in his capacity as the Deputy Chairman I of the DANA Board of Trustees officiated the launching ceremony.

Two telecommunications agencies – DST and Progresif Cellular Sdn Bhd – have been appointed for the project.

Several government agencies are also involved with the project, including the Mosque Affairs Department and the Information Department.

Meanwhile, a number of cinema outlets will be promoting the project for free, through their advertisement slots.

Last year, SMS Brunei Prihatin successfully raised BND84,143 for DANA with the strong support of all the involved agencies.

Yesterday’s ceremony witnessed the presentation of coupons to 3,717 orphans for the purchase of school supplies for the 2019 academic year. Every orphan registered under the DANA Secretariat will receive a BND70 coupon.

Altogether, the distributed coupons amounted to BND260,190.

The coupons were handed over to the Assistant Brunei-Muara District Officer Mohd Yassin bin Haji Ahmed, Acting Belait District Officer Ridzuan bin Haji Ahmad, Tutong District Officer Shamsul Bahrin bin Haji Mohd Hussain and Acting Temburong District Officer Mohammad Khairul Shahrul bin Haji Duahim.

The coupons will be distributed to orphans across the country through their respective village heads. The coupons can be used at 30 bookstores in all four districts that have been endorsed by DANA.

The project is primarily aimed at improving the welfare of orphans, while easing the burdens of their parents and guardians in the preparations for the new school year.

DST and Progresif Cellular subscribers can make their contributions by keying in the donation amount (DANA1 for BND1, DANA5 for BND5, DANA10 for BND10, DANA15 for BND15, or DANA20 for BND20) and sending it to 38111.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Divided for seven decades, North and South Korea together won their first international recognition of Korean traditional wrestling yesterday.

The Koreas had earlier pushed separate bids for the sport’s UNESCO recognition before merging their applications amid an easing of tensions this year. Local media reports said South Korea had first proposed the joint bid during a leaders’ summit at a Korean border village in April.

Yesterday, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, meeting in Port Louis, decided to inscribe traditional Korean wrestling on its list of “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” on the basis of an application by the two Koreas, UNESCO said in a release.

“The joint inscription marks a highly symbolic step on the road to inter-Korean reconciliation,” UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said. “It reminds us of the peace-building power of cultural heritage, as a bridge between peoples.

|     Izah Azahari     |

FORMER students of Jalan Muara Sixth Form Centre (PTE Klasik) attended a Khatam Al-Quran ceremony at Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam Mosque in Kampong Jerudong as part of the Maulidur Rasul celebrations yesterday.

Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong and Minister of Defence II Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, who were both students at PTE Klasik from 1975 to 1978 attended the event.

Also present were former permanent secretaries who had studied at PTE Klasik.

The specially invited guests at the event were former principals of PTE Klasik, comprising Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, Dato Paduka Awang Haji Abdul Saman bin Kahar, Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Alimin bin Haji Abdul Wahab and Haji Denis bin Haji Rosle.

Among the former teaching staff in attendance were Haji Hakim bin Haji Mohd Yassin, Pengiran Haji Muhammad bin Pengiran Haji Abas, Pengiran Haji Samsu bin Pengiran Haji Kadar, Haji Nordin bin Haji Kasih, Haji Tuah bin Nordin, Hajah Fatimah binti Aman, Pengiran Hajah Ering, and Dr Hajah Rahaya binti Mohd Ali.

The event began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah led by Imam Haji Kamaruzzaman bin Haji Jakar, followed by the Khatam ceremony and a recitation of Takhtim Al-Quran led by Haji Zainal Ariffin bin Begawan Pehin Khatib Dato Paduka Haji Awang Sirat.

The ceremony continued with a recitation of Tahlil and Doa Tahlil by Haji Yakob bin Haji Yusof, and Dikir Asyrakal led by Ustaz Raduan bin Jamil. It concluded with a Doa Selamat led by the mosque Imam.

Yesterday’s event was the 100th Khatam ceremony organised by the former students of PTE Klasik from 1975 to 1978, with the main intent of strengthening bonds between them.

BEIJING (AFP) – A northwest Chinese city was engulfed by a massive sandstorm that sparked rural fires, forced traffic to slow down and prompted residents to cover their faces, according to state media.

Video from state broadcaster CCTV showed a grey wall of sand hitting Zhangye City in Gansu province on Sunday, casting a yellow fog across the city.

Images from official news agency Xinhua showed residents covering their faces in scarves as they went about their daily lives.

Visibility went below 100 metres (328 feet) in parts of the city and police were deployed to ensure safety along the expressways, CCTV said.

Vehicles were made to slow down and police in high visibility vests were seen directing traffic.

Winds also sparked fires in rural areas when heating kindle was blown onto haystacks.

Authorities in the city also put out an advisory warning of dry weather and a risk of fire, telling residents to “take precautions”.

Such storms regularly occur in the dry season, when winds blow loose, dry soil and sand into urban areas from the Gobi desert, coating cities in a layer of yellow grime.

While the northwest faced a sandstorm, Beijing was yesterday shrouded in a thick smog that prompted many to wear protective face masks.

Levels of small particulate matter, known as PM 2.5, hovered around 360 in the afternoon, according to air quality monitoring website aqicn.org, or nearly 15 times the World Health Organization’s recommended daily maximum exposure.

According to Xinhua, a sandstorm is also forecast to be hitting Beijing from the northwest.

|     Achong Tanjong     |

THE Ministry of Communications (MinCom) and the departments under it are currently going through a rebranding in preparation for the 4th Industrial Revolution and to gear the country’s economy towards the digital era.

This was stated by Minister of Communications Dato Seri Setia Awang Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yusof at yesterday’s Muzakarah session between the ministry and members of the Legislative Council at Al-Fath Hall of the Maritime and Port Authority Brunei Darussalam (MPABD) in Muara.

The minister said a “significant mindset shift” is required among Bruneians in this challenging journey, a transition which he said “will involve the implementation and acceptance of new technologies”.

The minister added that in this context, workforce reskilling is particularly important in terms of adapting to these changes and providing the best and quality services to the public.

“This requires not just the efforts of the Ministry of Communications, but concerted support from all industries and stakeholders in the country,” the minister said.

He added that various departments under the ministry have been restructured or corporatised to enhance the efficiency of their operations.

Examples include the Postal Services Department and the MPABD, which before restructuring was two separate entities – the Ports Department and Marine Department.

“For the Ministry of Communications, after consolidation, it now seems smaller but in terms of sectors it encompasses, it has actually become bigger,” said the minister. “Before this we also see the telecommunications sector undergoing a corporatisation process, with the establishment of AITI and TelBru being restructured as a telecommunications services provider.”

The minister said as part of a strategic priority of the MinCom, other departments under the ministry will be considered for corporatisation where fit or if the move is deemed to bring about more benefits.

He added that several services under the Land Transport Department (JPD) have also been commercialised, one of which is its vehicle inspection service now provided by selected JPD-authorised workshops from the private sector.

“Safety in the transportation and communication sectors is also very important. The ministry places great emphasis on this – in the areas of land, sea and air. The main priority is the ministry’s role in implementing safety measures and controlling safety for the good of the public. Safety measures include safety standards, quality of services standards, and reliability standards,” the minister added.

In preparation for yesterday’s meeting session, the Legislative Council members made several visits in October and early November to departments and agencies under the MinCom, as well as a number private sector companies providing communication and telecommunication services.

Also present at the meeting yesterday were Permanent Secretary at the MinCom Haji Azhar bin Haji Ahmad, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the MinCom Dr Haji Supry bin Haji Awang Ladi, sections directors, and heads of departments, as well as the chief executive and senior officers of the ministry.

The 16-member Legislative Council (LegCo) delegation was led by Yang Berhormat Haji Abdul Hamid @ Sabli bin Haji Arshad.

The session, held annually, is aimed at enhancing the relationship and cooperation between the MinCom and LegCo members, and to discuss issues encountered in the country, particularly those highlighted during the 14th LegCo Session earlier in March.

SEOUL (AFP) – South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife have been pictured cuddling a litter of puppies whelped by one of the dogs given to them by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a symbol of the strengthening ties between the two countries.

Images released on Sunday show the couple smiling as they sit on the ground outside their residence in Seoul surrounded by the six pups and their mother Gomi.

Kim sent Moon a pair of indigenous North Korean hunting dogs following their meeting in Pyongyang in September as a token of their rapidly blossoming friendship.

“Meet the newborn puppies of Gomi, one of the Pungsan dogs from North Korea,” Moon’s office tweeted on Sunday.

It posted two pictures of the dogs, one of them showing five furry white pups cuddled on Moon’s lap with the sixth in the first lady’s arms, with Gomi by their side in the courtyard of the presidential residence.

Both the mother and the puppies – three males and three females born on November 9 – were “very healthy”, the presidential office said. Known for loyalty and intelligence, the Pungsan breed – a hunting dog with a thick, creamy white coat, pointy ears and hazel eyes – is originally from an area of the same name in the North.

“As the pregnancy period of dogs is about two months, Gomi must have been pregnant when she came to us,” Moon tweeted when the puppies were born, adding, “I hope inter-Korean ties will also be like this.”

Moon is a known animal lover who has four dogs – the two canines gifted by Kim, another Pungsan dog Maru, and a black mutt named Tory he adopted after taking office – plus a former shelter cat called Jjing-Jjing.

DETROIT (AP) — A historic Detroit mansion owned by late singing legend Aretha Franklin has been sold.

The Detroit News reported that, according to public records, the 520-square-metre brick home adjacent to the Detroit Golf Club fetched USD300,000 in a sale last month. It was built in 1927.

The newspaper reported Franklin bought the home in 1993, but nearly lost it in 2008 due to unpaid property taxes. Franklin estate personal representative Sabrina Garrett-Owens said “there are no other Detroit properties” that were owned by the Queen of Soul. Her 385-square-metre Colonial-style house in suburban Detroit’s Bloomfield Township still is listed for USD800,000.

Franklin died of pancreatic cancer in August in her Detroit riverfront apartment. She was 76.

|     Bahyiah Bakir     |

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 received in audience Malaysian Minister of Economic Affairs Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azmin bin Ali.

The audience ceremony took place at the Istana Nurul Iman. – PHOTO: BAHYIAH BAKIR

WELLINGTON (AFP) – Up to 145 pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in a remote part of New Zealand, with authorities saying yesterday they made the “heart-breaking” decision to euthanise dozens that lay stricken on the shore.

The stranding was discovered by a hiker late Saturday on Stewart Island, 30 kilometres off the southern coast of the South Island.

Half of the whales were already dead and due to the condition of the remaining whales and the remote, difficult-to-access location, the decision was made to euthanise the remainder.

“Sadly, the likelihood of being able to successfully re-float the remaining whales was extremely low,” said Department of Conservation (DOC) Operations Manager on Stewart Island Ren Leppens.

“The remote location, lack of nearby personnel and the whales’ deteriorating condition meant the most humane thing to do was to euthanise.

“However, it’s always a heart-breaking decision to make.”

It was one of four strandings discovered on New Zealand shores over the weekend which stretched DOC resources.

In the far north of New Zealand, eight pygmy killer whales were transported by truck to the east coast from the west where sea conditions were too rough to refloat them.

Two of the pod had to be euthanised, but Daren Grover of the marine conservation group Project Jonah said the remainder were saved by transporting them by road to the more-sheltered east coast 20 kilometres away.

“It’s highly stressful for the whales, but they’ll be using suitable padding to protect them,” he told Fairfax Media.

They were to be kept in a stream overnight and refloated at high tide this morning.

There were two other whale strandings over the weekend in New Zealand, where beachings are relatively common with the conservation department responding to an average 85 incidents a year, mostly of single animals.

A sperm whale which beached in Doubtless Bay died overnight on Saturday, while the body of a dead female pygmy sperm whale was found at Ohiwa on the west coast of the North Island.

Exactly why whales and dolphins strand is not fully known but factors can include sickness, navigational error, geographical features, a rapidly falling tide, being chased by a predator, or extreme weather.

|     Danial Norjidi     |

A SEMINAR focussing on principles of agriculture in Islam was held at Sepakat 4 & 5 of the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Berakas yesterday as part of the Knowledge Convention 2018.

The seminar featured four speakers who each presented work papers, with lecturer from the Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) Dr Hussein bin Haji Taha as the moderator.

The seminar’s first speaker was Senior Assistant Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Islamic Finance, Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) Dr Abdul Nasir bin Haji Abdul Rani.

Entitled ‘Islamic Paradigm in Agriculture based on Baldatun Tayyibah’, Dr Abdul Nasir’s presentation aimed to provide a comprehensive picture of the importance of agricultural practices based on the Islamic paradigm.

Senior Assistant Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Usuluddin at Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan (KUPU SB) Dr Mikdar Rusdi delivered a presentation on ‘Al-Quran and the Role of Animals and Plants in Preserving Life’.

Professor of Islamic History and Civilisation at the Faculty of Islamic Development Management, UNISSA Dr Haji Mahayuddin bin Haji Yahya spoke on ‘Prosperity of Earth through Agricultural Activities according to Islam’.

Among the topics covered in his presentation were the relationship between humans and the prosperity of the earth, agriculture and the law of farming in Islam, Ibn Khaldun’s view of the concept of agriculture, demand and supply, and the concept of price in the economic sector.

The session’s final presenter was Director of Core Knowledge Centre, KUPU SB Ustaz Dr Haji Noralizam bin Haji Aliakbar.

In his presentation entitled ‘The Priority of Agriculture in Developing the Muslim Economy’, he highlighted that involvement in the agriculture sector means carrying out Fardhu Kifayah which not only fulfils religious requirement, but also contributes greatly to the improvement of national economy and people’s well-being.

The seminar is part of a three-day series of parallel sessions taking place from November 27-29 as part of the Knowledge Convention 2018. More seminars will be held today and are open to the public.

|     Azlan Othman     |

IN A special talk yesterday at the Knowledge Convention, the State Mufti Pehin Datu Seri Maharaja Dato Paduka Seri Setia (Dr) Ustaz Haji Awang Abdul Aziz bin Juned, said that all levels of society should be actively involved in agriculture, regardless of age or rank.

“Our sovereign has given us meaningful leadership in mingling with the ordinary people to see how they grow crops, breed livestock and plant paddy which will be harvested in due time,” said the State Mufti.

“If our sovereign is capable of such, then why can’t we? Ordinary citizens, high-ranking people, youth, pensioners – everyone is needed to support this leadership.”

The State Mufti also said that agriculture is recognised as a main essence of life. “It is for this reason that all governments across the world have made agriculture a priority. We all live with agriculture, depend on agriculture, consume agricultural products and even build agrarian-based economies.

“Brunei Darussalam has given importance to the agricultural sector, and 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 has constantly given encouragement and the stimulus for our nation to be self-sufficient through farming, particularly in the production of rice as our staple food.

“The significance of the agricultural sector has been acknowledged throughout the centuries. Agronomists have conducted studies on it, while Islam has identified agriculture as an important source of income.

“Al-Nawawi viewed agriculture as an excellent way to earn a living, since it requires hard work, and brings benefits to both mankind and animals.

“Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has said that farming is a labour that must be carried out immediately, without delay. In a Hadith reported by Ahmad, on the authority of Anas ibn Malik: ‘If the Final Hour should come while you have a palm sapling in your hands and it is possible to plant it before the Hour comes, then you should plant it’.

“What this means is that cultivation or farming is an essential labour that cannot be delayed, since it ensures the survivability of the people and the nation, as well as the continuity of the people and the nation.”

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s top public prosecutor yesterday apologised over what he described as a botched investigation into the enslavement and mistreatment of thousands of people at a vagrants’ facility in the 1970s and 1980s nearly three decades after its owner was acquitted of serious charges.

The remarks by Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il were the government’s first formal expression of remorse over one of worst human rights atrocities in modern South Korea. They add pressure for Parliament to pass legislation to start a deeper inquiry into what happened at the now-closed Brothers Home, whose owner was exonerated from serious charges amid an obvious cover-up orchestrated at the highest levels of government.

“The past government created a (government) directive that had no base in laws and used state power to detain citizens at the Brothers Home confinement facility with the disguised purpose of protecting them; more than that (inmates) were subjected to forced labour, while experiencing brutal violence and other harsh violations of their human rights,” Moon said, stopping several times during his statement while appearing to hold back tears.

“I accept with a heavy heart the results of our committee (on past cases) that the prosecution then caved into pressure from above and closed its investigation prematurely. Even on the charges that were included in the indictment, the defendants weren’t properly punished during the trials. This was a process that cannot be described as democracy.”

Moon delivered his apology in a meeting with about a dozen former inmates, most of whom who were children when they were snatched off the street by police and city officials and locked up at Brothers Home.

They spoke of their experiences at the facility, including slave labour and near-daily assaults, how their sudden disappearance ruined their families, and how they have struggled with their lives since.

“I have no friends because I couldn’t go to school,” said Park Sun-yi, who spent more than five years at Brothers Home after being snatched by police at the age of nine. “We have no families to go to at Chuseok,” she said, referring to the Korean Thanksgiving.

No one has been held accountable for hundreds of deaths, rapes and beatings at Brothers Home that were documented by an Associated Press report in 2016. The AP report was based on hundreds of exclusive documents and dozens of interviews with officials and former detainees, which showed that the abuse at Brothers Home was much more vicious and widespread than previously known.

Military dictators in the 1960s to 1980s ordered roundups to beautify the streets, sending thousands of homeless and disabled people and children to facilities where they were detained and forced to work.

The drive intensified as South Korea began preparing to bid for and host the 1988 Summer Olympics. Brothers Home, a mountainside compound in the southern city of Busan, was the largest of these facilities and had around 4,000 inmates when its horrors were exposed in early 1987.

Kim Yong Won, the former prosecutor who exposed Brothers Home, told AP that high-ranking officials blocked his investigation under direction from the office of military strongman Chun Doo-hwan who feared of an embarrassing international incident on the eve of the Olympics.

Death tallies compiled by the facility claimed 513 people died between 1975 and 1986, but the real toll was almost certainly higher. Kim’s investigation records include transcripts of interviews of multiple inmates who said officials refused to send people to hospitals until they were nearly dead for fear of escape.

Kim, now a lawyer, wasn’t able to indict Brothers Home owner Park In-keun or anyone else for widespread abuses at the facility and was left to pursue much narrower charges linked to embezzlement and construction law violations and confinement at the construction site where inmates worked.

Former Brothers Home inmates have received no compensation. They have been calling for a new investigation to establish the government’s responsibility more clearly and create a base for compensation.

|     Fadley Faisal     |

AN UNEMPLOYED local man will soon be spending some time behind bars, after being found guilty of theft and committing mischief following a trial yesterday.

The Intermediate Court handed a 16-month jail sentence with two whippings to Abdul Malik bin Judin, 23, after he pleaded guilty to charges of stealing from a place of worship and committing mischief.

The court heard that the defendant stole money from a donation box at the Kampong Puni Mosque Ujung Jalan Temburong sometime between November 4-5.

The defendant also damaged the donation box while prying it open during the course of the deed.

DPP Muhd Qamarul Affyian bin Abdul Rahman’s facts of the case stated that Abdul Malik planned to steal from the mosque that very day.

He pried the donation box open using a metal rod he found in a storage area of the mosque.

Police were alerted when the donation box was found damaged and empty, with investigations leading to the defendant’s arrest.

Judge Pengiran Masni binti Pengiran Haji Bahar presided over the case.