The Life News Singapore May 1, 2019

Gains by Abyei interim force can help advance resolution of border issues

SINGAPORE THIS EDITON IS FOR TRIAL ONLY

Vol. 01 Issue 01 May 1, 2019

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T L Bureau, UN Hq The United Nations security force for Abyei remains essential to stability in the border regions between Sudan and South Sudan, the UN peacekeeping chief said on Tuesday, proposing the creation of a civilian unit to support progress towards political resolution of the dispute between the neighboring countries, and requesting a six-month extension of its mandate.

“This modest shift in the mission’s role is necessary to match the reality on the ground,” Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-SecretaryGeneral for Peacekeeping Operations said during a briefing to the Security Council on the

Secretary-General’s latest report on the work of the UN Interim Security Force, known by the acronym UNISFA. He explained that a civilian component would enable the mission to support the parties, the African Union HighLevel Implementation Panel and the African Union Commission to advance daily solutions.

“The proposed support is particularly pertinent given the difficult internal circumstances in both countries,” noted Mr. Lacroix, adding: “It is important to prevent the dispute over Abyei and the border regions between Sudan and South Sudan from becoming another frozen conflict and preserve the gains achieved by UNISFA.

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Japan's new

Why the internet of things (IoT) could cause a power cut TL Bureau, Berne IoT devices can be misused to a large extent for cyber attacks, successful blackmail attempts (e.g. fake sextortion) as well as money transfer fraud with Office 365 access data and the main topic "Dealing with purchased risks in hardware and software".

The 28th semi-annual report of the Reporting and Analysis Centre for Information Assurance (MELANI) published on 30 April 2019 deals with the most important cyber incidents of the second half of 2018 in Switzerland and abroad.

Emperor pledges TL Correspondent, Tokyo.

The new Japanese Emperor Naruhito has made a pledge to fulfil his role as a "symbol of the state and unity". He noted in his first public address since taking the throne.

The 59-year-old emperor was speaking as he officially began his reign on Wednesday in a short but symbolic ceremonial speech at the Imperial Palace.

He is the first Japanese emperor to stand down in more than 200 years.

Naruhito succeeds his father, 85-yearold Akihito, who abdicated citing his age and failing health. Akihito: The emperor

Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting in Fiji from 1 to 4 May 2019 TL Bureau, Singapore Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and Education, Ms Indranee Rajah will be in Fiji from 1 to 4 May 2019 to attend the 22nd ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting (AFMGM+3), and the 52nd Asian Development Bank (ADB) Annual Meeting.

The AFMGM+3 will discuss key regional economic developments and outlook, and the progress of key initiatives including the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office, Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation, and Asian Bond Markets Initiative. The meeting will explore ways to further advance regional financial cooperation among ASEAN+3 member countries.

with the human touch the Japan's powerful unseen Imperial Treasures Naruhito: Taking Japan into a new era.

Akihito, who will now be known as Emperor Emeritus, had endeared himself to many Japanese people during his reign through his interactions with those suffering from disease and disaster. In his speech, Emperor Naruhito paid tribute to his father while pledging to show the same devotion to his people."showed profound compassion through his own bearing," he said.

"I swear that I will reflect deeply on the course followed by the Emperor Emeritus ... and fulfil my responsibility

Israeli forces arrest 14 Palestinians in West Bank as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people of Japan."

So in that way we all the world got the new emperor of Japan as a symbolic kingdom which is still prevalent into our society and well as in our world.

T L Bureau, Ramallah Israeli forces early Tuesday detained 14 Palestinians in various West Bank cities, according to a Palestinian source.

A statement by the Palestinian Prisoners

Society said that Israeli army stormed the cities of Ramallah, El-Beira, Nablus, Tulkarem, Hebron, and Jenin and arrested the citizens under the pretext they are wanted by authorities

Dmitry Medvedev meets with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan T L Bureau, Yerevan The meeting was held the day before a session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council. Dmitry Medvedev meets with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan Nikol Pashinyan: Mr Medvedev, this is your first visit after the major events in Armenia last year, and this, in my opinion, gives added importance to your visit. The Armenian tradition is to receive the most distinguished guests at home. I am happy to have this opportunity. Our relations have developed steadily during the past year. This does not mean that there were no issues. Now we are facing a crucial point in our relations. I am convinced that we will be able to take our relations to a new level, despite what the pessimists say; or rather, I think we simply need to turn the pessimists into optimists.

2

EDITORIAL

Asylum Seekers Face New Restraints Under Latest Trump Orders

Why everyone seeks new country to live in, has anyone ever think about it.

Everyone has a different reply to revert.

But in real sense everyone think that Asylum is the easiest way to get into a good country. The United States President Trump on Monday ordered new restrictions on asylum seekers at the Mexican border like including application fees and work permit restraints and directed that cases in the already clogged immigration

courts be settled within 180 days.

In a letter sent to Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary of homeland security, and Attorney General William P. Barr, the president took another step to reshape asylum law, which is determined by Congress, from the White House in Washington DC. The restrictions do

not take effect immediately but President Trump gave administration officials 90 days to draw up regulations that would carry out his orders.

They would be among the first significant changes to asylum policy since Mr. McAleenan replaced Kirstjen Nielsen as head of homeland security and the president signaled he

would take a tougher stance on the asylum seekers swamping the border.

The administration has already tried to restrict the number of migrants that who can apply for asylum per day as per limit, who qualifies for asylum and where they must wait for a resolution — immigration policies that have been the subject of multiple federal court cases.Some experts opined that this may be safe for United States because in terms of safety into the citizens. Because

a person who is seeking asylum into United States is not verifiable from its origin. As a person may be criminal or involved into any extremist or terrorising kind of activity.

Restricted entry or entry with limitations is one of the best practices for entry of any person either in form of asylum seeker or in form for legal migrants even.

So according to the latest orders some restrictions will be imposed onto asylum seekers into United States of America.

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3 SA Calls on UN to Investigate its Information Accuracy and Credibility TL Bureau, New York The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has affirmed its constant cooperation in full transparency with all United Nations agencies, calling upon official bodies of the United Nations to constantly verify information, its credibility and taking it from its official sources and not to retransmit news items based on false reports, facts and hostile ideologies and policies against some countries before transmitting them to various official accounts .

This came in the KSA's speech at the 41st session of the UN Information Committee yesterday delivered by a member of the KSA's permanent delegation to the United Nations and Head of Media and Protocol Department in the delegation Mohammed AlQadhi. Al-Qadhi reiterated the Kingdom's full support for the UN efforts and its noble goals as well as the UN Under-SecretaryGeneral for Global Communication Alison Smale

WORLD

UN aid teams scramble to reach ‘most remote places’ cut off by Cyclone Kenneth in Mozambique

TL Bureau, UN Hq Humanitarian affairs coordination office, OCHA, reported that heavy rains had paused in the morning around the coastal city of Pemba, with aid workers going flat out to prepare relief flights – including medical supplies – to the island

of Matemo, one of the worsthit by the cyclone.

“Emergency staff will also do further damage and needs assessments while they can, as more rain is expected in the coming days, turning the response into a start-stop operation”, said OCHA S\pokesperson, Jens

Skipper rescued off Salcombe 'had done all the right things' A skipper who was rescued after his boat caught on fire has been praised

by HM Coastguard for having all the right equipment and doing all the right things.

T L Bureau, London Joe Dudley ran into difficulty when his fishing vessel Peace N Plenty had a fire on board six miles off Salcombe just before 6.30pm on 30 April. He called HM Coastguard reporting the problem and said he had abandoned to a life raft with a handheld VHF radio and EPIRB (emergency position-indicating radio beacon).

Both RNLI lifeboats from Salcombe were tasked and the skipper brought back to shore.

Navigational warnings were issued for the abandoned vessel but the fire has now burned out and the boat is being towed back to har-

Laerke, briefing reporters in Geneva. The Government of Mozambique is reporting that at least 38 people died during the second massive cyclone to hit southern Africa in six weeks, following on from the devastating impact of Cyclone Idai.

Kenneth partially or fully

destroyed nearly 35,000 houses, close to 200 classrooms; and at least 14 health facilities have been hit, OCHA reported.

Around 21,000 people are now sheltering in accommodation centres, after their villages were wiped out, said Mr. Laerke, adding that

some staff who had made an aerial survey, said that “some villages looked like they had been bulldozed.”

For the initial response, $10 million has been released for Mozambique by the head of OCHA, together with $3 million for the hard-hit Comoros Islands.

NASA Brings Moon and More to Visitors at COSI Science Festival TL Bureau, Washington DC

bour at Brixham. It will be inspected by a Maritime & Coastguard Agency surveyor.

Joe Dudley has recently completed a sea survival course. He said: ‘It’s incredible when you realise the things that you don’t think you’ve absorbed have actually gone in and you do all the safety things you need to. ‘I’d say to anyone thinking about doing a sea survival course to do it and to listen seriously because it could save your life.’ Tago Mcleod, from HM Coastguard based at Falmouth said: ‘This was a man who did everything right from the moment he realised he had a problem. He

had a fully registered EPIRB which he activated right away, he was wearing a lifejacket and made ready his lifeboat. The EPIRB helped us establish his position to within a few metres. At the same time he called a family member who then was able to liaise with us.

‘We are always on hand in an emergency to rescue people who have called us on their VHF radio or calling 999 and asking for the coastguard, but this was someone who had understood the need to take responsibility for his own safety and did everything right to make the job of finding him easier.’

NASA will host a range of activities and demonstrations, including a virtual reality chair and Oculus Go trip to the Moon, at the COSI Science Festival Wednesday, May 1, through Saturday, May 4, in Columbus, Ohio.

NASA’s exhibit will be in the atrium of the COSI building, located at 333 W. Broad St., from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT May 1-3, then move outdoors to the Green Area for the Big Science Celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4.

Festival attendees can explore science, flight and space exploration through NASA’s hands-on, interactive exhibits and activities, including: a virtual reality chair, where visitors can get a sense of what it might be like to sit on the surface of Jupiter’s frozen water moon Europa while

watching a video about NASA’s planetary missions; three activities that demonstrate how sound travels through the air, how humans survive at high altitudes and the altitudes where objects fly; an Oculus Go demonstration that will take visitors on a trip from Earth to the Moon, and explore space communication with NASA’s Tracking and Data

Relay Satellite; and, a model of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and infrared camera, and interactive demonstrations.

Eric Smith, chief scientist for NASA’s Webb Telescope Program, will discuss the telescope’s unique technologies and take questions from the audience beginning at 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 3, in the planetarium of the COSI building.

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WORLD

NASA Investigation Uncovers Cause of Two Science Mission Launch Failures T L Bureau Washington DC NASA Launch Services Program (LSP) investigators have determined the technical root cause for the Taurus XL launch failures of NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) and Glory missions in 2009 and 2011, respectively: faulty materials provided by aluminum manufacturer, Sapa Profiles, Inc. (SPI).

LSP’s technical investigation led to the involvement of NASA’s Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). DOJ’s efforts, recently made public, resulted in the resolution of criminal charges and alleged civil claims against SPI, and its agreement to pay $46 million to the U.S. government and other commercial customers.

This relates to a 19-year scheme that included falsifying thousands of certifications for aluminum extrusions to hundreds of customers.

NASA’s updated public summary of the launch failures, which was published Tuesday, comes after a multiyear technical investigation by LSP and updates the previous public sum-

maries on the Taurus XL launch failures for the OCO and Glory missions. Those public summaries concluded that the launch vehicle fairing — a clamshell structure that encapsulates the

Jeremy Hunt: Effects of climate change are fuelling conflict, UK to drive forward the global response TL Bureau, London £153 million for three major new UK aid programmes to help millions of farmers across Africa and South Asia affected by climate change and boost climate resilience in Ethiopia Foreign Secretary backs UK bid to host COP26 in 2020 Speaking in Nigeria on a fiveday visit to Africa this week, the Foreign Secretary highlighted the vital role the UK is playing in tackling climate change, the most critical challenge facing future generations and which is ever more difficult to tackle in countries such as Nigeria, that face the additional threat of violent instability in parts of the country. Over the next century increasing temperatures and extreme weather across Africa will continue to have a profound impact on the lives and livelihoods of communities. That is why since 1990,

Speaking in Nigeria on a fiveday visit to Africa this week, the Foreign Secretary highlighted the vital role the UK is playing in tackling climate change. the UK has reduced emissions and grown the economy at the fastest rate in the G7. It is important we continue international cooperation to tackle the causes of climate change, and prevent further potentially devastating consequences for regional stability, developmental progress and future prosperity.

This is already being seen in the ‘middle belt’ region of Nigeria, where the impacts of climate change are affecting grazing lands, and as such have become a driver of the violence between farmers and herders in the region.

At a roundtable meeting in

Abuja today, the Foreign Secretary heard about the very real impact of climate change on people and communities across Nigeria, including the role it plays fuelling violent conflict in some parts of the country.

In the Lake Chad Basin, desertification and land degradation caused by climate change have contributed to extreme poverty, one of the drivers of terrorism and the decade-long conflict that has left 10 million people without enough to eat every day and forced over 2.4 million people to abandon their homes.

satellite as it travels through the atmosphere — failed to separate on command, but no technical root cause had been identified. From NASA’s investigation, it is now known that SPI altered

joint. A frangible joint is a structural separation system that is initiated using ordnance.

“NASA relies on the integrity of our industry throughout the supply chain.

While we do perform our own testing, NASA is not able to retest every single component. That is why we require and pay for certain components to be tested and certified by the supplier,” said Jim Norman, NASA’s director for Launch Services at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “When testing results are altered and certifications are provided falsely, missions fail. In our case, the Taurus XLs that failed for the OCO and Glory missions resulted in the loss of more than $700 million, and years of people’s scientific test results and provided work. It is critical that we are false certifications to Orbital able to trust our industry to Sciences Corporation, the produce, test and certify manufacturer of the Taurus materials in accordance XL, regarding the aluminum with the standards we extrusions used in the pay- require. In this case, our load fairing rail frangible trust was severely violated.”

Saudi-Chinese Jeremy Hunt: Effects of climate cooperation is change are fuelling conflict, UK to proceeding at drive forward the global response a steady pace TL Bureau Speaking in Nigeria to achieve London on a five-day visit to £153 million for three major maximum Africa this week, the new UK aid programmes to objectives Foreign Secretary TL Bureau, Riyadh Saudi newspapers highlighted in their editorials today a number of issues at local, regional and international arenas. Al-Youm newspaper in its editorial wrote about the SaudiChinese cooperation, saying that the ways of cooperation in various fields, especially related to the economy between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the People's Republic of China, are proceeding at a steady and confident pace to achieve the maximum goals and objectives desired by the two countries through a series of partnerships, joint agreements and memorandums of Saudi-Chinese cooperation.

help millions of farmers across Africa and South Asia affected by climate change and boost climate resilience in Ethiopia Foreign Secretary backs UK bid to host COP26 in 2020 Speaking in Nigeria on a fiveday visit to Africa this week, the Foreign Secretary highlighted the vital role the UK is playing in tackling climate change, the most critical challenge facing future generations and which is ever more difficult to tackle in countries such as Nigeria, that face the additional threat of violent instability in parts of the country. Over the next century increasing temperatures and extreme weather across Africa will continue to have a profound impact on the lives and livelihoods of communities. That is why since 1990, the UK has reduced emissions and grown the economy at the fastest rate in the G7. It is important we continue international cooperation

highlighted the vital role the UK is playing in tackling climate change. to tackle the causes of climate change, and prevent further potentially devastating consequences for regional stability, developmental progress and future prosperity.

This is already being seen in the ‘middle belt’ region of Nigeria, where the impacts of climate change are affecting grazing lands, and as such have become a driver of the violence between farmers and herders in the region.

At a roundtable meeting in Abuja today, the Foreign Secretary heard about the very real impact of climate change on people and communities across Nigeria, including the role it plays fuelling violent conflict in some parts of the country.

5 Three Women Arrested For Loanshark Harassment TL Bureau Singapore The Police have arrested three women, aged between 17 and 30, for their suspected involvement in a series of loanshark harassment cases.

On 9 April 2019, the Police received a report that the front gate of a residential unit along Lengkok Mariam was pasted with debtor’s notes. Through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras, officers from Bedok Police Divisions established the identity of three women and arrested them on 28 April 2019. 62 pieces of debtor’s notes were seized as case exhibits.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the three women are believed to be involved in other similar cases of loanshark harassment at Pasir Ris Drive.

Two women, aged 23 and 30, will be charged in court on 30 April 2019. Police investigations are ongoing against the 17-year-old woman. Under the Moneylenders Act 2010 (Revised Edition), first time offenders found guilty of loanshark harassment shall be fined not less than $5,000 and not more than $50,000 with mandatory imprisonment of up to 5 years, and mandatory caning of up to 6 strokes.

The Police have zero tolerance for loanshark harassment activities. Those who deliberately vandalise properties, cause annoyance and disruptions to public sense of safety, peace and security will be arrested and dealt with severely in accordance with the law.

SINGAPORE

Construction Site Manager Sentenced to Jail for Corruption TL Bureau, Singapore Muthukaruppan Periyasamy, a Site Manager of Fenzhii Engineering Services Pte Ltd and Ramo Industries Pte Ltd was sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Periyasamy (a 52-year-old male Indian National), was previously charged on 18 January 2019 with five counts of corruptly giv-

ing gratification totalling $1,600 to Tung Chee Keong and Chandran Jeganathan (former employees of pest control company Killem Pest Pte Ltd), as a reward for providing advance notification of upcoming mosquito breeding inspections by Killem Pest Pte Ltd. These constituted offences punishable under Section 6(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Chapter 241. Tung and

Jeganathan were earlier sentenced to jail on 18 March 2019 for corresponding offences of accepting gratification under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Investigations revealed that Periyasamy had offered to pay Tung and Jeganathan a sum of $400 a month for advance notification of upcoming mosquito breeding inspections at a construction site he was overseeing. Subsequently in May, June,

Tanya Chua to perform at this year’s Global Chinese Golden Chart (GCGC) Awards Showcase in Singapore on 28 May TL Bureau, SINGAPORE Local singer-songwriter Tanya Chua will be attending this year’s Global Chinese Golden Chart (GCGC) Awards Showcase with her new album Entering its tenth year, the GCGC Awards Showcase will be held at both the Beijing Workers’ Stadium and Singapore’s Capitol Theatre.

The GCGC alliance comprises 11 Chinese radio stations around the world, including Singapore, Taipei, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, America, Canada, and Mainland China. With the acquisition of new web radio station Qingting.FM (Mainland China) last year, the GCGC has truly become a global entity.

Who's attending?

Superstars Tanya Chua, Karen Mok, and Wang Lee Hom will be headlining the Beijing Awards Music Showcase on 6 May, alongside rising stars Yu Wen Wen, Lu Hu, and Feng Timo.

Artistes like Cyndi Wang, Bii, Bai-an, Xiao Bing Chih (Ting Ting), Boon Hui Lu, Don Chu, Lim Wen Suen, Neko

Win Tickets to the Global Chinese Golden Chart Awards Showcase on UFM100.3! Stay tuned on the following days for the designated giveaway: 13 May (Monday) Tanya Chua 14 May (Tuesday) Bii 15 May (Wednesday) Bai An 16 May (Thursday) Xiao Bing Chih (Ting Ting) 17 May (Friday) Boon Hui Lu 20 May (Monday) Cyndi Wang 21 May (Tuesday) Don Chu 22 May (Wednesday) Lim Wen Suen 23 May (Thursday) Neko Highway Fans can tune in to UFM100.3’s programmes, and win GCGC entry tickets by answering questions. Tickets will also be given out on 18 May, 3 PM, at lyf@SMU duringUFM100.3 and Hear65’s event “Live from the Lion City!”. Fans can find out more details on UFM100.3 Highway, and Tanya Chua will be attending the Singapore edition on 28 May. Local music producers Eric Ng, Kenn C, Li Si Song, Xiao Han and Billy Koh will also be present at the Awards.

Ones to watch Veterans Tanya Chua, Karen Mok and Wang Lee Hom have all been lauded by critics for their respective new albums.

Yu Wen Wen, Lu Hu and Web star Feng Timo are also strong contenders. Boon Hui

Lu represents a new generation of Singaporean singers, with her album along with independent local band Neko Highway, who will also showcase their music on this amazing platform.

Win tickets!

SPH Radio’s UFM100.3 is the host and organiser of this year’s GCGC, The radio station will be having a contest for fans to win tickets and get an opportunity to be up close with their idols.

SINGAPORE DEEPENS ECONOMIC COOPERATION WITH CHINA THROUGH NEW PLATFORM WITH SHANGHAI AND THIRD-PARTY MARKET COOPERATION TL Bureau, Singapore

Singapore-Shanghai The Ministry of Trade and C o m p r e h e n s i v e Council Industry (MTI) signed two Cooperation Memoranda of Established. The MOU on Understanding (MOUs) with the establishment of the the People’s Republic of S i n g a p o r e - S h a n g h a i China (PRC) today to deep- C o m p r e h e n s i v e Council en bilateral economic coop- Cooperation eration. The MOUs were (SSCCC) was signed by signed in the presence of Minister for Trade and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Industry Chan Chun Sing Loong and Chinese Premier and Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party of China Li Keqiang in Beijing.

Shanghai Municipal Committee and Mayor of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government Ying Yong. Under this MOU, Singapore and Shanghai will establish a Ministeriallevel platform to deepen cooperation in six key areas, namely (a) Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), (b) financial services cooperation, (c) technology and innovation,

(d) ease of doing business, (e) urban governance, and (f) people-to-people exchanges.

Enterprise Singapore and the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipality will serve as the Council Secretariat for Singapore and Shanghai respectively.

This is Shanghai’s first comprehensive institutionalised platform with a foreign country.

July and August 2018, Jeganathan informed Periyasamy of impending inspections on four occasions and Periyasamy separately passed $400 to either Jeganathan or Tung for each month. The monies were split between Tung and Jeganathan, with Tung receiving a total of $1,000 and Jeganathan receiving $600. Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach

towards corruption. It is a serious offence to give or accept bribes from another individual or entity. Corrupt acts which compromise mosquito breeding controls can pose a serious danger to public health safety and should be dealt with resolutely. Any person who is convicted of a corruption offence can be fined up to $100,000 or sentenced to imprisonment of up to 5 years or to both.

Alleged Bribes for Driving Licence TL Bureau Singapore Bribery can lead to serious and irreversible consequences. For example, road safety will be compromised if individuals are able to corruptly obtain foreign driving licences without taking proper lessons and passing the necessary tests, and then using such licences to drive.

This can lead to road accidents causing serious injuries or even loss of lives.

Zhang Weida (???), a 34-year-old Singaporean male, was charged with one count of corruptly giving gratification amounting to RM7,000 to an unknown person for the benefit of

an unknown Malaysian government official, as an inducement for the said official to issue a Malaysian driving licence in the name of Zhang Weida. This constitutes an offence punishable under section 5(b)(i) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Chapter 241. The alleged offence took place sometime in 2009 in Singapore.

Singapore adopts a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption. It is a serious offence to give bribes to another individual or entity. Any person who is convicted of a corruption offence can be fined up to $100,000 or sentenced to imprisonment of up to 5 years or to both.

The $200M Bicentennial Community Fund to boost efforts of IPCs and to grow SG Cares TL Bureau, Singapore IPCs will be encouraged to involve volunteers and engage new donors, with the support of National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) as the fund administrator.

The Singapore Bicentennial is an opportune time to show gratitude for what we have, and build on SG Cares to continue the philanthropic and community self-help spirit of our forefathers. On a dollar-for-dollar matching basis, for donations raised

during the period of 1 Apr 2019 to 31 Mar 2020, each IPC can get up to $400,000 of the Bicentennial Community Fund. With over 600 registered IPCs and a wide range of charitable causes, there are many ways in which Singaporeans can contribute to Singapore.

IPCs will be encouraged to involve volunteers and engage new donors, with the support of National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) as the fund administrator.

6 NEW INITIATIVES TO BOOST MIDDLE EAST ARRIVALS IN MALAYSIA TL Bureau , DUBAI In conjunction with the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2019, the Honourable Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi witnessed the signing of the Joint Tactical Campaign between Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Airports and Air Arabia here, today.

The Joint Tactical Campaign, which comes under the Joint International Tourism Development Programme (JITDP), was signed by Datuk Musa Yusof, Director General of Tourism Malaysia and Mr. Adel Al Ali, Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia. The Minister said “We are pleased to welcome Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low cost carrier to our shores.

We believe this joint promotion will help enhance more tourism traffic from Sharjah, as well as from Iraq, Egypt and other Gulf Cooperation Council markets.”

He added, “This is one of the efforts for us to provide better connectivity to Malaysia.

MALAYSIA & NEARBY

PH Government to Continue to Combat Corruption – Dr Mahathir TL Bureau PUTRAJAYA Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government will continue with the agenda to combat corruption, despite the decline in public support for the government and himself.

He said all government machinery should reject bribes by not taking a single sen or gifts, like buying houses at a cheaper price. “Hopefully we promise ourselves to not be involved in corruption because it is sinful and against the law,” he said at a meeting with senior civil servants here today.

Dr Mahathir said government officers who were used to getting “extra income“ during the previous kleptocracy government might feel disappointed now that they are getting less income.

They might feel the previous kleptocracy government was better, hence the declining support for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government

and himself, he added.

He said the change in government in some countries like Mexico, Pakistan and Indonesia was also due to power abuse by government leaders of the ruling party.

Efforts to clean the country of corruption had to be continued, otherwise it would destroy the country, he added.

Dr Mahathir said the previous government, having been in power for 61 years, would not have been defeated in the last general election, if they truly held to their responsibilities and did not abuse the power given to them by the people.

He said the government changed because the people knew the country was not

New Statutory Minimum Wage rate of $37.5 takes effect today.

The Statutory Minimum Wage (SMW) rate was raised from $34.5 per hour to $37.5 per hour with effect from today TL Bureau, Hong Kong According to the Minimum Wage Ordinance (MWO), employees are protected by the SMW whether they are monthly-rated, dailyrated, hourly-rated, piecerated, permanent, casual, full-time or part-time, etc, and regardless of whether or not they are employed under a continuous contract as defined in the Employment Ordinance (EO). The SMW is not applicable to live-in domestic workers (irrespective of their sex, race and nationality), student interns and work experience students as specified in the MWO, and persons to whom the EO does not apply.

The SMW also protects

employees with disabilities. Special arrangement is also provided under the MWO so that employees with disabilities have the right to undergo productivity assessment to determine whether they should be remunerated at no less than the SMW rate or at a rate commensurate with their productivity. Those employees with disabilities who have chosen this special arrangement are entitled to wages of not less than the amount to be calculated according to the new SMW rate of $37.5 per hour.

In addition, the monthly monetary cap on the requirement of employers recording the total num-

ber of hours worked by employees under the EO is raised from $14,100 to $15,300 with effect from today. When wages payable in respect of a wage period are less than $15,300 per month, the employer is required to keep a record of the total number of hours worked by the employee in that wage period.

Enquiries about the SMW can be made on the 24hour enquiry hotline 2717 1771 (handled by "1823") and during office hours at branch offices of the Labour Relations Division of the Labour Department (LD). Details of the SMW are also available on the LD’s homepage (www.labour.gov.hk).

administered well that it was known as a kleptocracy country.

“Do we want a kleptocracy government or be replaced with a new government? Will the new government be kleptocracy (too), it is possible if the administrators are not careful,” he added.

Since PH came into power, Dr Mahathir said he did not see much problem in administering the country, although there were some people who were dropped because of their abuse of power.

“Others, I think they realised the government has changed and the present government has the right to determine the country’s policies,’ he added.

Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected illicit cigarettes was arrested and the private car was detained.

Hong Kong Customs yester- Investigation is ongoing. day (April 30) detected a sus- Customs will continue its pected illicit cigarettes smug- stringent enforcement against gling case by cross-boundary illicit cigarette activities at all private car at Shenzhen Bay control points. Smuggling is a Control Point. A total of about serious offence. Under the 20 000 suspected illicit ciga- Import and Export Ordinance, rettes with an estimated mar- any person found guilty of ket value of about $50,000 importing or exporting unmanand a duty potential of about ifested cargo is liable to a $40,000 were seized. maximum fine of $2 million Through risk assessment, and imprisonment for seven Customs officers intercepted years. Under the Dutiable an incoming private car at Commodities Ordinance, anyShenzhen Bay Control Point one involved in dealing with, and found the batch of sus- possession of, selling or buypected illicit cigarettes con- ing duty-not-paid tobacco cealed in a total of five false commits an offence. The maxcompartments at the doors imum penalty upon conviction and the boot of the private car. is a fine of $1 million and The 44-year-old male driver imprisonment for two years.

TL Bureau, Hong Kong

NEW INITIATIVES TO BOOST MIDDLE EAST ARRIVALS IN MALAYSIA TL Bureau, DUBAI In conjunction with the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2019, the Honourable Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi witnessed the signing of the Joint Tactical Campaign between Tourism Malaysia, Malaysia Airports and Air Arabia here, today.

The Joint Tactical Campaign, which comes under the Joint International Tourism Development Programme (JITDP), was signed by Datuk Musa Yusof, Director General of Tourism Malaysia and Mr. Adel Al Ali, Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia.

The Minister said “We are pleased to welcome Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low cost carrier to our shores. We believe this joint promotion will help enhance more tourism traffic from Sharjah, as well as from Iraq, Egypt and other Gulf Cooperation Council markets.” He added, “This is one of the efforts for us to provide better connectivity to Malaysia. The daily flight from Sharjah to Kuala Lumpur, which will commence on 1 July this year, is the first direct flight from the region by a low cost carrier. I believe that this development is timely, especially in the run-up to our Visit Malaysia (VM)

2020 campaign.”

Raja Azmi Raja Nazuddin, Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Airports said, “Malaysia Airports is thrilled and delighted to welcome Air Arabia to KL International Airport (KUL) this July. Air Arabia will be the 9th airline from the Middle East operating at KUL and this exciting partnership will further promote the airport as a preferred hub in the region.”

He added, “The service will provide travellers flying from or via United Arab Emirates (UAE) to KUL with more options and seats availability. I am confident with the launch of this new service, it will also enhance the image and reputation of Air Arabia as a transportation conduit among air travellers in the region.”

Air Arabia will operate its brand new Airbus A321 neo LR aircraft on this route with a capacity of 215 seats.

The Arabian Travel Market 2019 led by the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Malaysia was an overall success. The Malaysian delegation to Dubai included 87 participants from 61 organisations, both from the government and private sectors with a mission to promote Malaysia and VM2020 campaign.

7

BUSINESS

Colombia hosts UNWTO Tourism Tech Adventure: Scaling Up TL Bureau Cartagena de Indias The ‘UNWTO Tourism Tech Adventure: Scaling Up´ organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) with the support of the Colombian government, gathered 700 participants from around the world. Start-ups, academia, corporations, investors, business incubators and accelerators, discussed with the public sector how to strengthen and scale innovative business ideas for sustainable tourism development.

The event served as a backdrop for the first Colombian platform for entrepreneurship and tourism innovation, which aims at creating synergies between relevant stakeholders, exchanging success stories and fostering a venture capital investment culture.

The forum also served as a space for seed and growth stage investors to share insights on how to face the challenges of scaling up, or how to approach and engage with investors. Amadeus Ventures, Bluebox, Angel Ventures and Dux Capital are among the firms present.

Prior to the Forum, 15 Colombian startups participated in a Startup MasterClass. UNWTO partner IE Business School offered feedback on their pitches, business plans and sustain-

• A national innovation forum • Connecting the key players of the tourism innovation ecosystem • Scaling up disruptive business models ability focus, and provided overall advice on how to attract investment. This hands-on event was followed by an actual start up competition with the top prize going to James Figueroa from GDX Travel. The second prize went to Eduardo Maldonado from Tourbitz and the third to Miguel Antonio Paez from Escappy Travel.

The winner will be given access to collaborate at the Wayra Coworking Space in the capital Bogotá, including personalized mentoring from the Wayra Colombia team.

The winner will also have the opportunity to once more present the project pitch in the framework of the 23rd Meeting of the UNWTO General Assembly (9-13 September 2019, Saint Petersburg, Russia).

Arvi Parvo, Giant of

Australian public life.

TL Bureau Sydney Statement by Business Council President Grant King and Chief Executive Jennifer Westacott The business community today pays tribute to Sir Arvi Parbo, founding president of the Business Council of Australia and a giant of Australian public life. Sir Arvi will be remembered not just for his monumental achievements in the business world but also for his leadership and integrity.

Sir Arvi led the creation of the Business Council in 1983 to build Australia’s first industry association devoted to advocating for policy in the broad national interest.

In his first annual address to members Sir Arvi said that the council would be “committed to the principles of free enterprise and to making free enterprise work for the benefit of all Australians”, a principle which has guided the Business Council since.Throughout the 1980s in his role as Business Council chair he was a champion of the wave of reform that helped unleash decades of continuous growth and greater opportunity for all Australians. Under Sir Arvi’s presidency the Business Council was one of the first groups to propose Australia’s enterprise bargaining system, which has helped deliver

KPMG and A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R) joint lab launches cyber threat hunting tool TL Bureau, Singapore KPMG in Singapore and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research’s (A*STAR) I2R today unveiled their first jointly developed cyber threat hunting tool. The KPMG Cyber Threat Hunting Solution is ready for deployment for interested organisations .The joint lab was launched in July 2018, and this cyber threat hunting tool represents the first key milestone of the three-year Master Research Collaboration Agreement. KPMG in Singapore is the first professional services firm to have a joint lab with A*STAR’s I2R. The joint lab between KPMG and A*STAR’s I2R was started with a keen focus on establishing a data-science powered laboratory in the professional services sector. Through this lab, both parties aim to translate research into solutions that will address real-world challenges.

tion facilities. The disused Power District was built over Members of the public will the 1950s and 1960s to supget the opportunity to imagply Singapore’s burgeoning ine how to re-make the herpower needs then, its builditage-rich Pasir Panjang ings reflective of Power District from today.

Singapore’s early industrial The Urban Redevelopment history and the architecture Authority (URA) and of the time. It is an area rich Singapore Land Authority with potential for the injec(SLA) are on the lookout for tion of new and exciting proposals to transform the uses, which can help kickPower District into a waterstart the rejuvenation of the front lifestyle destination, Greater Southern while celebrating its unique Waterfront. Located next to industrial heritage.

Labrador Nature Reserve, it The Power District is located will also be linked to the rest within the larger Pasir of the Greater Southern Panjang area, together with Waterfront by the new Pasir the Pasir Panjang Terminal Panjang linear park that will and nearby power generastretch from West Coast

Park to Labrador Park.

To capture public aspirations and draw fresh new ideas from the public for the site for the next 15 to 20 years, URA and SLA have launched an ideas competition titled ‘Power Up Pasir Panjang’ today. Winning entries stand to clinch attractive prizes. Ideas and concepts from these entries may also be drawn on and distilled into design principles to guide the future development of the site.

There are two main topics from which the public can choose.

The first, ‘Reimagining the Power District’, challenges partici-

CBA EXTENDS APPLE PAY TO BUSINESS CARD HOLDERS TL Bureau, Parramatta

As part of our continued commitment to becoming a simpler, better bank and providing the best digital banking experience for our customers, Apple Pay is now available to Commonwealth Bank business card holders.

The extension of Apple Pay to include business cards gives more CBA customers access to an easy, secure and private way to pay, that’s fast and convenient.

Since the introduction of Apple Pay, CBA has seen an increase in mobile payments use by 400 per cent.

Clive van Horen, Executive General Manager of Business Customer Solutions, said: “Following the commitment we made to Commonwealth Bank customers in January, I’m excited to announce that Apple Pay is also available to business card holders from today.

“We are extending Apple Pay to business customers because they asked for it, and it’s part of our commitment to listen to our customers, put their needs first and take action to become a pants to come up with a simpler, better bank. Delivering simple, intuitive digital payment master plan that would rejusolutions that provide choice and convenience, will continue to venate the Power District. be a key focus for us in 2019,” van Horen said.

The master plan should include ideas to enliven the power station buildings (power stations ‘A’ and ‘B’ and ancillary buildings and structures) and the surrounding open areas, as well as consider the site’s waterfront setting, industrial heritage and proximity to the adjacent Labrador Nature Reserve.The second, ‘Repurposing a Heritage Power House’, seeks creative ways to adaptively reuse Power Station ‘A’ that also celebrate its rich industrial past.

Powering Up Pasir Panjang Competition seeks creative ideas to rejuvenate Power District TL bureau, Singapore

higher wages and better conditions for Australia’s workers.

After arriving in Australia as a refugee fleeing Estonia in 1949, Sir Arvi quickly rose through the ranks of the Western Mining Corporation before rising to chair some of Australia’s largest companies including BHP. Sir Arvi was one of our country’s strongest advocates for a thriving business sector, not only because he saw the opportunity successful businesses would afford Australians, but because he had lived it.

On behalf of the Business Council of Australia and its members we extend our condolences to Sir Arvi’s family.

8

FEATURE

Stanford researchers’ artificial synapse is fast, efficient and durable A battery-like device could act as an artificial synapse within computing systems intended to imitate the brain’s efficiency and ability to learn.

BY TAYLOR KUBOTA California

A bad battery, a good synapse

developed by Joshua Yang at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who is co-author of the paper The brain’s capacity for simultaneously learning and – that acts as a switch for programming synapses within memorizing large amounts of information while the array. requiring little energy has inspired an entire field to The team’s artificial synapse is similar to a battery, mod- “Wiring everything up took a lot of troubleshooting and a pursue brain-like – or neuromorphic – computers. ified so that the researchers can dial up or down the flow lot of wires. We had to ensure all of the array components Researchers at Stanford University and Sandia of electricity between the two terminals. That flow of elec- were working in concert,” said Armantas Melianas, a National Laboratories previously developed one tricity emulates how learning is wired in the brain. This is postdoctoral scholar in the Salleo lab. “But when we saw portion of such a computer: a device that acts as an an especially efficient design because data processing everything light up, it was like a Christmas tree. That was artificial synapse, mimicking the way neurons com- and memory storage happen in one action, rather than a the most exciting moment.” municate in the brain. more traditional computer system where the data is During testing, the array outperformed the researchers’ In a paper published online by the journal Science processed first and then later moved to storage. expectations. It performed with such speed that the team on April 25, the team reports that a prototype array Seeing how these devices perform in an array is a crupredicts the next version of these devices will need to be of nine of these devices performed even better than cial step because it allows the researchers to program tested with special high-speed electronics. After measurexpected in processing speed, energy efficiency, several artificial synapses simultaneously. This is far less ing high energy efficiency in the 3-by-3 array, the reproducibility and durability. time consuming than having to program each synapse researchers ran computer simulations of a larger 1024Looking forward, the team members want to com- one-by-one and is comparable to how the brain actually by-1024 synapse array and estimated that it could be bine their artificial synapse with traditional electron- works. ics, which they hope could be a step toward sup- In previous tests of an earlier version of this device, the powered by the same batteries currently used in smartporting artificially intelligent learning on small researchers found their processing and memory action phones or small drones. The researchers were also able devices. “If you have a memory system that can requires about one-tenth as much energy as a state-of- to switch the devices over a billion times – another testalearn with the energy efficiency and speed that the-art computing system needs in order to carry out ment to its speed – without seeing any degradation in its we’ve presented, then you can put that in a smart- specific tasks. Still, the researchers worried that the sum behavior. phone or laptop,” said Scott Keene, co-author of the of all these devices working together in larger arrays “It turns out that polymer devices, if you treat them well, paper and a graduate student in the lab of Alberto could risk drawing too much power. So, they retooled can be as resilient as traditional counterparts made of Salleo, professor of materials science and engi- each device to conduct less electrical current – making silicon. That was maybe the most surprising aspect from neering at Stanford who is co-senior author. “That them much worse batteries but making the array even my point of view,” Salleo said. “For me, it changes how I think about these polymer devices in terms of reliability would open up access to the ability to train our own more energy efficient. networks and solve problems locally on our own The 3-by-3 array relied on a second type of device – and how we might be able to use them.” devices without relying on data transfer to do so.”

9

LIFE AND REAL ESTATE

NEW WORKING HOLIDAY MAKER CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES TL Bureau, Canberra Tourism Australia has launched a new youth campaign targeting young people who want to combine travel with temporary work under Australia’s Working Holiday Maker program.

Australia Inc. positions Australia as the world’s most desirable working holiday maker destination, offering exciting work opportunities in the best workplace in the world.

The campaign seeks to demonstrate how a working holiday in Australia can give young people a point of difference and equip them with the experience, confidence and skills needed to develop a successful career back home after their working holiday and travels Down Under. Tourism Australia Managing

Director, John O’Sullivan said that the new campaign aimed to address a recent downward trend in the overall number of working holiday makers coming to Australia. “Working holiday makers are crucial to Australia’s tourism industry who have been coming Down Under in large numbers for many years. However, those numbers have been declining a bit in recent years and this campaign is about reversing that trend.

“Australia Inc. will target a new generation of young traveller and show them that a working holiday in Australia not only offers incredible fun and a life changing experience, but also the environment and opportunity to improve their life skills and employability after they return home,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

The new campaign was developed fol-

lowing research showing that, whilst working holidays are still appealing to young people, barriers to their uptake still exist and there is also a need for more practical information around Australia’s Working Holiday Maker program and its benefits.

It was also developed following consultation with industry to understand what they wanted out of the next phase of our campaign and key trends they are noticing with working holiday makers and the youth travel market in general.

To drive new applications, Tourism Australia has created a tongue-in-cheek Australia Inc. recruitment video as well as a series of online interviews showing potential working holiday makers how the skills and experience gained in Australia can help them stand out from

the crowd.

Primarily via social and digital channels, Australia Inc. will also feature paid content from international advocates who will share the first-hand benefits of a working holiday in Australia, highlighting that what happens between 5pm and 9am is as important as the 9-to-5.

Australia Inc. will also include a dedicated online hub that features?useful links and practical information on preparing for a working holiday in Australia. The hub will also explain how the skills learnt on a working holiday in Australia can benefit future careers.The new campaign is the first to be developed by Tourism Australia since the appointment of new creative and digital agencies,?M&C Saatchi Sydney and Digitas.

UNWTO partners with Telefónica to

promote tourism sector

digitalization TL Bureau, Madrid, Spain Madrid, 30 April 2019.- Telefónica and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) have announced an agreement to collaborate in the development and implementation of digital entrepreneurship and training initiatives that allow the tourism sector to increase its competitiveness and strengthen its long-term sustainability. This agreement comes at a time of profound technological change that impacts all industrial sectors, where a commitment to innovation and transformation is essential.

In this regard, the application of new technologies such as Big Data and the Internet of Things are already leading to new uses and applications that will revolutionize services in the tourism sector and responses to new customer demands. For this reason, this alliance places special emphasis on jointly addressing the challenges and opportunities that this technological change entails and initially takes concrete form in four specific lines of action.

First, both parties are committed to promoting innovation and digital entrepreneurship within the tourism sector through the creation of innovation forums, collaboration in open innovation programmes with third parties, and public-private collaboration models focused on Open Innovation. The aim of these initiatives is to create the suitable spaces for the development of innovative ideas and outreach to all the actors involved.

New technologies will have an increasing role in the modernization and growth possibilities of the tourism sector and, therefore, both entities will launch initiatives aimed at the use of Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, among others. Many of IoT's solutions, such as Retail, help build customer loyalty by digitizing spaces that create a unique visitor experience. Or mobility solutions, which allow tourists to enjoy rental cars or car-sharing in a completely safe way. An enormous amount of knowledge is generated about the behaviour of travellers through the sensors that make up the different IoT services, allowing us to offer them what they particularly need at any given moment.

On the other hand, the analysis of Big Data makes it possible to understand patterns of behaviour to better address some of the challenges facing tourism in Latin America and Europe, and to draw relevant conclusions that influence decision-making and public policies. LUCA Telefónica’s Big Data and AI unit- is already working with national and local tourism organizations in eight countries in Latin America and Europe through more than 40 projects.

Another important point of this agreement is to focus on Digital Education and Training, something essential in a new technological world in which jobs and skills are changing radically, affecting the employability and sustainability of businesses. In this sense, both entities will collaborate through the training platforms managed by Telefónica Educación Digital, such as

The framework agreement between the two organizations was signed in Madrid by Jaime Cabal, Deputy Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, and by Eduardo Navarro, Director of Communication, Corporate Affairs, Branding and Sustainability of Telefónica.

The alliance, whose first phase will be in effect until the end of 2020, revolves around four initial lines of action: digital entrepreneurship; application of new technologies in the tourism sector; Digital Education and training; and the development of a specific Digital Agenda for the tourism industry.

Miríadax, to promote local and international courses on digital technologies and skills applied to tourism and aimed at different entities in the sector.

Lastly, Telefónica will lend its support to the UNWTO in the development of a specific Digital Agenda for the tourism sector guided by a set of very concrete objectives: to place new technologies at the service of sustainable growth, foster innovation and promote inclusive economic and social development.

The framework agreement between the two organizations has been signed in Madrid by Jaime Cabal, Deputy Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, and by Eduardo Navarro, Director of Communication, Corporate Affairs, Branding and Sustainability of Telefónica S.A. During the signing, Cabal said that “innovation and digital transformation are among the priorities of the World Tourism Organization in order to provide additional impetus to tourism as an ally of sustainable development”. He added: “Together with Telefónica we can help our more than 160 Member States build their tourism innovation ecosystems and create digital tools that facilitate more efficient decision-making thanks to the use of Big Data, artificial intelligence and many other advances."

For his part, Eduardo Navarro stressed that “this framework agreement is very important because the technologies are drawing the future of travel and tourism. Virtual and augmented reality, Big Data, cognitive intelligence and the Internet of Things will be a fundamental part of the tourist experience and Telefónica is a very important player in the provision of these services. The fibre networks deployed by Telefónica will also be decisive in making this a reality that will have an impact on the experience of users and on the services provided by the different players in the sector".

10

SPORTS

NETBALL Pools and match schedule confirmed for CONTINUES HSBC London Sevens TO LEAD FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS TL Bureau, Fitzroy etball has retained its position as the leading team sport for women and girls, according to the latest AusPlay data released by Sport Australia today. The report shows strong participation in netball with more than 1 million people actively participating in the sport and naming netball as the sport they most strongly identify with.

The nationwide AusPlay survey, which has been running since October 2015, is Australia’s largest and most comprehensive sport and physical activity survey conducted by Sport Australia.

Netball Australia CEO Marne

Fechner said it’s been an exciting time for women’s sport in recent years and that she is delighted that netball has maintained its position as number one. “To be recognised as the top team sport for Australian women and girls again in 2018, demonstrates the continuing, widespread connection that our country has to netball,” she said. “The data reflects netball’s strong national footprint, with high levels of participation in metropolitan, regional and very remote regions of Australia.”

Fechner also referenced the wide variety of ways people can participate in netball in Australia.

TL Bureau, Twickenham The pools and match schedule have been announced for the hotly anticipated HSBC London Sevens at Twickenham Stadium on 25-26 May in the penultimate round of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2019.

While the race for the series title is nearing its climax, Olympic qualification is also at stake as the top four teams in the 2019 series will confirm their place at Tokyo 2020 alongside host nation Japan.

With just 24 points separating series leaders USA from fourth placed South Africa, who were victorious at the previous round of the series in Singapore, the scene is set for a thrilling weekend of sevens action in London.

Host nation England are currently lying in fifth position in the series standings and will be relying on the support of the home crowd as they look to

make up ground on the top four and those all-important Olympic qualification spots.Pool A sees reigning series champions South Africa face Argentina,

Canada and Japan. In Pool B Fiji will begin the defence of their London title against Samoa, France and Kenya.Hosts England are

drawn with New Zealand, Scotland and Ireland in Pool C, while current series leaders USA will take on Australia, Spain and Wales in Pool D.

NETBALL CONTINUES TO LEAD FOR

Just two steps away from WOMEN AND GIRLS World Cup spots for teams in Women's Qualifiers TL Bureau, London Qualification to the next two ICC Women’s World Cups arrives in Zimbabwe and Vanuatu this week, with 15 teams across two regional tournaments, competing for top spot to continue their journey to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 and ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021· Six teams competing in EAP Qualifier and nine teams taking part in Africa Qualifier as Road to Australia 2020 and New Zealand 2021 continues The ICC Women’s Qualifier EAP begins on 6 May in Vanuatu where 15 T20 internationals will be played in the five-day tournament. Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, PNG, Samoa and The teams are just two steps away from T20 and 50 over Women’s Vanuatu are all two steps away from the Australia World Cups T20 and New Zealand 50 over World Cups, and will Top spot in each tournament will be fighting for top spot to secure a place in both ICC Women’s keep their hopes alive.

T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019 and Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Rwanda, Sierra Leona, Qualifier 2020 Tanzania, Uganda and hosts Zimbabwe will battle it out in ICC Women’s for the top spot to continue regional tournaments act Qualifier Africa from May 6 their journey. The five as a dual qualifier for the

TL Bureau, Fitzroy Netball has retained its position as the leading team sport for women and girls, according to the latest AusPlay data released by Sport Australia today. The report shows strong participation in netball with more than 1 million people actively participating in the sport and naming netball as the sport they most strongly identify with.The nationwide AusPlay survey, which has been running since October 2015, is Australia’s largest and most comprehensive sport and physical activity survey conducted by Sport

Australia. Netball Australia CEO Marne Fechner said it’s been an exciting time for women’s sport in recent years and that she is delighted that netball has maintained its position as number one.

“To be recognised as the top team sport for Australian women and girls again in 2018, demonstrates the continuing, widespread connection that our country has to netball,” she said. “The data reflects netball’s strong national footprint, with high levels of participation in metropolitan, regional and very remote regions of Australia.”

UK military cricket team tours Pakistan

27 teams in their pursuit for ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier places taking place in Scotland between 31 August and 7 September, 2019 where they will join Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland and Thailand. In the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2020 they will join confirmed teams Bangladesh, Ireland and Thailand.

TL Bureau, London.

During their visit they played several matches around the country, including in Islamabad, Lahore and Abbotabad.

They played against several military teams, including against the PMA Cricket Team in Abbottabad, the Army X Corps Young Officers in Islamabad, and the Pak Army IV Corps team in Lahore. They also played the British Council’s DOSTI team at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore and the British High Commission team in Saidpur. The DOSTI programme aims to create a difference by breaking social barriers to promote community engagement by making sports an integral part of the youth in Karachi. It facilitates youth development in select locations in Karachi by working through schools, local sports clubs, civil society partners and other stakeholders to engage both in-school and out of school youth in activities that promote intergroup understanding and interaction. The programme uses national and local resources as well as UK expertise to build capacity of partners and participants. The RMAS cricket team fully supported the initiatives of the UK Government and witnessed first-hand the impact they created.

11

TECH/AUTO

Toyota to begin producing the popular Lexus NX compact luxury SUV in Canada

The Alsatian cultural heritage of Bugatti showcased Bugatti at the Salon Auto-Moto Classic 2019 in Strasbourg ness of this.

The Bugatti brand is known all around the world, but it is By unifying all the historical values of Bugatti, the Veyron before anything else French and more precisely Alsatian. It pushed the limits of what was possible to do in the autois important to celebrate this heritage, especially when it mobile industry. It became the first road legal car to break comes to participating at local or regional events. the 400 km/h barrier, paired with an acceleration comparable only to that of a Formula 1 race car Therefore, from the 26th to the 28th of April 2019, La and a power output of over 1000 Marque will be present at the second Salon Auto-Moto hp. Furthermore, it was Classic in Strasbourg.“Bugatti is undeniably part of the comfortable, sophisticatFrench cultural heritage and best represents the ed and even suited for a Alsatian automobile industry”, explains visit to the opera. The Stephan Winkelmann, President Chiron1 managed the of Bugatti. “This regional auto impossible: make the show is a great opportunity already perfect car even betto show our pride of our ter and this in all facets. It roots and identity to the brakes the boundaries between car local enthusiasts, two worlds, manages to incarnate the whether they are more Beauty and the Beast all in one car. With the last interested in classical one of the family, the Divo2, just as powerful, the percars or modern cars.” In formance is shifted more from the longitudinal to the laterassociation with the various al acceleration.

The focus here is on a particular element clubs who help to spread the enthusiamongst the qualities of a Bugatti, the performance in and asm for the hyper sports cars coming out of Molsheim, next to a selection of historical Bugatti automobiles, the brand around the corners. The Club Bugatti France and the will also exhibit three cars from the modern era: a Veyron, Association des Enthousiastes Bugatti d’Alsace bring a Chiron1 and a Divo2. These automobiles represent per- together members of various nationalities and keep the fectly the evolution of La Marque since its return in Bugatti tradition and culture alive. This passion throughout Molsheim and respect the values of their historical prede- the different generations and the unique ultra-high percessors: performance and easiness to drive, comfort and formance are just two of the elements that make of Bugatti luxury, elegance and design. Legends like the Bugatti Type an unmatched automobile manufacturer. As Ettore himself 35 or the Bugatti Type 41 Royale, among others, bear wit- said: “If comparable, it is no longer Bugatti.”

TL Bureau, Molsheim

TL Bureau, CAMBRIDGE Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) announced today that it will begin producing the top-selling Lexus NX and Lexus NX Hybrid compact luxury SUVs at its Cambridge, Ontario facility starting in early 2022. "Building on our recent Toyota RAV4 announcement and our recent facility modernization investments, we are excited to announce that TMMC has been selected to produce the popular Lexus NX and Lexus NX Hybrid models for the entire North American market," TMMC President Fred Volf told Team Members and dignitaries, including the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada and The Honourable Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier of Ontario and Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, at an event earlier today. In 2003, TMMC became Toyota's first facility entrusted to produce Lexus vehicles outside of Japan?a tremendous honour within Toyota?and has since made more than 1.3 million Lexus RX and Lexus RX Hybrid vehicles.

"Together with the company's recent investments in our facilities, today's announcement demonstrates the tremendous amount of trust that Toyota has in the Team Members here at TMMC," Volf added. "It has been an honour to be producing a Lexus model, and now we're being trusted to produce two of them."

season, new BMW M NEW LAND ROVER DEFENDER REACHES New Motorsport Premium 1.2 MILLION KILOMETRE TEST AND Partner: Timo Glock competing DEVELOPMENT MILESTONE in the JiVS BMW M4 TL Bureau London To celebrate World Land Rover Day, Land Rover has announced plans for the new Defender to complete a final phase of field testing with Tusk Trust, on location in Kenya.

A Defender prototype wearing a unique camouflage will experience life at the Borana Conservancy as part of Land Rover’s 15-year partnership with Tusk Trust. The prototype will tow heavy loads, wade through rivers and carry supplies across unforgiving terrain in a series of real-world trials at the 14,000-hectare reserve.

By the time the new Defender makes its public debut later this year, it will have passed more than 45,000 individual tests in some of the most extreme environments on earth. Land Rover engineers have taken the test fleet to the 50-degree heat of the desert, the sub 40-degree cold of the Arctic, as well as up to 10,000ft altitude of the Rocky

DTM for 2019.

Ready for anything: New Defender reaches development milestone on World Land Rover Day as prototype fleet hits 1.2 million kilometre landmark New challenge awaits: Specially-camouflaged prototype model is preparing to embark on fieldtesting with global Land Rover conservation partner, Tusk Trust Unstoppable capability: Prototype will be put to work towing, wading and carrying supplies at the Borana Conservancy in Kenya to support vital conservation work Tested to the extreme: Development fleet will complete more than 45,000 individual tests in some of the world’s most inhospitable places World Land Rover Day: Land Rover celebrates 71 years of all-terrain expertise on 30 April – the anniversary of its original debut at the 1948 Amsterdam Motor Show Mountains in Colorado to ensure the new Defender will take everyday life in its stride, for even its most adventurous customers. In addition to the extensive simulation and rig testing, we’ve driven new

Defender 1.2 million kilometres across all terrains and in extreme climates to ensure that it is the toughest and most capable Land Rover ever made. The incredible opportunity to put it to the test in the

field, supporting operations at the Borana Conservancy in Kenya, with Tusk, will allow our engineers to verify that we are meeting this target as we enter the final phase of our development programme.

TL Bureau Ingo Lehbrink Munich. The BMW M4 DTM designs for the 2019 season are ready to go. Timo Glock (GER) will start the new season at Hockenheim (GER) this coming weekend at the wheel of the JiVS BMW M4 DTM. Swiss company Data Migration Services AG, based in Kreuzlingen (SUI), is a new BMW M Motorsport Premium Partner in the DTM. Glock's car is named after the company’s own information management platform JiVS. The dominant colours on the JiVS BMW M4 DTM are black, red and white.

“I am proud to welcome Data Migration Services AG as a new BMW M Motorsport Premium Partner for the 2019 DTM season,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “Collecting and processing data is playing an ever greater role in modern motor racing. An immense quantity of data is gathered. I am looking forward to a collaboration that will be successful for both parties. The new JiVS BMW M4 DTM is also a real eye-catcher.”

Glock says: “Firstly, I would like to thank Deutsche Post for their great collaboration over the years. At the same time, I am really looking forward to competing in the new colours of the JiVS BMW M4 DTM next weekend. I am sure that the collaboration with Data Migration Services AG will be great. I have lived in Kreuzlingen, in Switzerland, for some time. It's great that my new Premium Partner comes from really nearby. It's a pleasant bonus for me that it is such a short distance to the Data Migration Services AG headquarters – quite apart from the superb design of the car. It looks great.”

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WORLD

Presidential couple in Lviv honored the deceased Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred and ATO participants TL Bureau, Lviv President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko together with his wife Maryna Poroshenko honored the deceased Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred and Ukrainian soldiers who gave their lives defending the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in the battles with the Russian aggressor. The ceremony took place during the working visit of the Head of State to Lviv region. Petro and Maryna Poroshenko laid flowers to the graves of the heroes at Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv.

The presidential couple also paid tribute to General Serhiy Kulchytskyi and Colonel Andriy Sokolenko buried at this cemetery.

Celebration of 40 Years of Peace Between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel TL Bureau, Washington, DC Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo hosted a ceremony today to celebrate and commemorate forty years of peace between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel. The March 26, 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin with thenPresident Jimmy Carter at the White House was one of the greatest diplomatic accomplishments of the 20th century.

The Secretary welcomed distinguished guests to today’s ceremony, including Israeli Ambassador to the United

States Ron Dermer and Egyptian Ambassador to the United States Yasser Reda.

The Secretary commended Egypt and Israel on this courageous diplomatic achievement, which took will and sacrifice, and recognized both countries’ strong commitment to an enduring peace. The negotiations leading up to the treaty ushered in a new level of dialogue and cooperation, and laid the groundwork for a safer and more stable region. The Secretary also recognized the contribution of the Multinational Force and Observers, the treaty parties, and donor countries from around the world.

Ignazio Cassis meets with La Francophonie Secretary-General ouise Mushikiwabo TL Bureau, Bern Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, received the new Secretary-General of the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF), Louise Mushikiwabo, in Bern today. During their meeting, which was attended by members of the Swiss delegation to

the French-speaking Parliamentary Assembly, they discussed several areas of cooperation between Switzerland and the IOF, in particular the promotion of democracy, dual vocational education and training and multilingualism.

During her stay in Switzerland, Ms Mushikiwabo will also meet with Federal Councillor Alain Berset.

The Foreign & Common wealth Office has issued a statement on the decree signed by TL Bureau, London A Foreign Office spokesperson said: The UK condemns President Putin’s decision to sign a decree making it easier for Ukrainian citizens living in non-government controlled areas of eastern Ukraine to receive Russian passports.

This step is the latest in a pattern of Russian behaviour aimed at threatening Ukraine’s security and sovereignty, and undermining its territorial integrity.

Russian officials have sought to justify this move by citing humanitarian concerns. Yet the communities they claim to support are suffering the consequences of a conflict started and fuelled by Russia and its proxies. Rather than creating further obstacles to the re-integration of these communities into Ukraine, Russia should focus on implementing the Minsk Agreements, including the requirement to ensure safe access, delivery, storage,

and distribution of humanitarian assistance.

The UK will continue to work with our international partners in addressing the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine. We have increased our funding by £2.8 million for humanitarian support to the country as well as £3.5 million for further peacebuilding activities, including supporting conflictaffected populations and helping to address genderbased violence.

Finland's Arctic Council Chairmansh ip comes to an end in Rovaniemi T L Bureau, Helsinki Finland's two-year Chairmanship of the Arctic Council will end at the Foreign Ministerial Meeting that will be held in Rovaniemi on 7 May. The Foreign Ministers of all the eight Arctic States – Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United States – are expected to arrive in Rovaniemi. The Ministerial Meeting will be chaired by Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini.

Along with the ministers, invited participants will include the Arctic Council’s Permanent Participants, that is, the six indigenous Permanent Participant organizations, as well as the states and organisations with an Observer status in the Arctic Council.

The six Working Groups will also be represented at the meeting.

The venue of the meeting will be Lappi Arena.

The meeting is expected to be attended by approximately 300 participants, and over a hundred media representatives will come to follow the event.

“The Finnish Presidency has been very successful.

We have achieved progress in all our selected priority areas, and Arctic policy has gained a stronger role as part of Finland's foreign policy and the EU’s common foreign policy,” notes Foreign Minister Timo Soini.

Special Representative Brian Hook Travels to New York To Update UN Security Council Members on Iran Policy TL Bureau Washington, DC Special Representative for Iran and Senior Advisor to the Secretary Brian Hook is traveling to New York City April 30 to May 1, 2019, for meetings with Permanent Representatives of the United Nations Security Council.

Special Representative Hook will provide council members with an update on the Administration’s Iran policy. He will underscore the importance of holding Iran accountable for its defiance of UN Security Council resolutions on the development and testing

of ballistic missiles. He will also reiterate the need to fully implement all relevant UN Security Council resolutions related to Iran, including the enforcement of the Council’s legally binding travel restrictions and arms embargoes.