“Vancouver Police can confirm that a female stunt driver has died on the set of Deadpool during a stunt on a motorcycle,” police said in a statement.

Images posted in local newspapers showed police taping off a black Ducati motorcycle sitting on its side next to a smashed officer tower window in downtown Vancouver.

Actress Zazie Beetz, who is best known for her role in the FX television network series Atlanta, was reportedly spotted driving the motorcycle, or one like it, during filming.

Beetz has been cast in the film as Domino, a mercenary with exceptional marksmanship and fighting skills, and mutant powers.

The first Deadpool movie earned US$783mil (RM3.4bil) at the box office.

Production on the sequel, which also stars Ryan Reynolds as the title character and Josh Brolin, began two months ago.//AFP

Sibley spoke alongside the embassy’s economic unit chief Alyce Abdall at an event at the UMFCCI headquarters in Yangon on August 10. The two officials discussed the Myanmar government’s cooperation with the private sector to maximise economic development and exchanged views on ways to promote economic relations with the US.

Sibley said many US companies are keeping an eye on political and economic reforms in Myanmar. The main barrier to US investors is Myanmar’s financial system, he said.

US ambassador to Myanmar Scot Marciel echoed this sentiment in July, when he said many US companies wish to make investments in Myanmar – especially in the garment sector – but are refraining from doing so until the financial system becomes more transparent and efficient.

The ambassador also said payment and transfer systems muse be developed and regulated in order to prevent money laundering and financial assistance to terrorists.

US investments in Myanmar have reached US$250 million, according to Directorate of Investment and Company Administration director-general Aung Naing Oo. He also said this number will double over the next three years as a result of the removal of US sanctions on Myanmar.

“Coca Cola and Ball Corporation have already made investments in Myanmar. They entered Myanmar through Singapore. US businesspersons are interested in finance, insurance and IT. American investments depend on our policy,” said Aung Naing Oo.

Princess Tunku Tun Aminah Sultan Ibrahim, 31, the only daughter of the Sultan of Johor, tied the knot with Dennis Muhammad Abdullah, 28, capping a romance of over three years.

The Dutchman, who has converted to Islam, and the princess wed according to Muslim Malay custom at the Serene Hill Palace, the royal family’s residence in the southern city of Johor Bahru. The private ceremony was attended by close family and friends.

The groom wore traditional white Malay wedding attire and the bride wore a white dress. Dennis Muhammad placed the wedding ring on Tunku Aminah’s finger in a special room in the palace, according to the royal press office.

In keeping with centuries-old wedding customs in the Muslim-majority southern state of Johor, he also gave her a dowry of 22.50 ringgit (about $5), and the couple kissed the hands of their parents, aunts and uncles as a mark of respect.

An evening reception will be the main event which will feature a “sitting-in-state” ceremony, with some 1,200 guests due to attend and crowds expected to watch the event on a big screen in a city square.

There have been frenetic preparations in recent days, with the grounds of the main palace decorated with bunting and main streets adorned with flags.

“I am taking my wife and two young children to the city square tonight to witness the live broadcast of the evening celebrations,” Azim Mohamad Nurazim, a 34-year-old local salesman, told AFP.

“It is a celebration for all Johoreans. My message to Tunku Aminah and her husband is long and healthy life, and may Allah bless the couple with lots of children.”

The Dutchman, who now works for a property development company in Johor, was born Dennis Verbaas and adopted a Muslim name when he converted to Islam in 2015.

Johor’s royal family is rich and powerful and possesses its own private army — the only state to have one.

Malaysia has a unique arrangement in which the throne of the Muslim-majority country changes hands every five years between the rulers of the nine states which are still headed by Islamic royalty.

The current king is Sultan Muhammad V, from the conservative Islamic northern state of Kelantan, who steps down in 2021.

But Dennis Muhammad is unlikely ever to assume the role since the rulers choose among themselves who the next king will be.

Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, chairwoman of Vietnam’s National Assembly, and Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, president of Thailand’s National Legislative Assembly (NLA), also expressed satisfaction with bilateral relations, as reflected in exchange visits by high-ranking delegations.

Pornpetch is on a four-day official visit to Vietnam, ending tomorrow (Wednesday).

Ngan reaffirmed that Vietnam gives its strategic partnership with Thailand high priority, but urged both sides to work more closely in implementing action plans drawn up for 2014-2018.

They should also strengthen important cooperation mechanisms such as joint cabinet meetings, political consultation and high-level dialogue on security and defence policy, she said.

Both sides agreed that designated parliamentary agencies should closely supervise the respective governments’ cooperation agreements and maintain delegation exchanges at all levels.

Highlighting thriving trade and investment ties, they noted that Thailand ranks 10th among foreign investors in Vietnam and is its biggest trade partner within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Vietnam is the eighth-largest foreign investor in Thailand.

Bilateral trade hit US$12.5 billion (Bt416 billion) in 2016, up 8.9 per cent year on year, and was approximately $7 billion in the first half of 2017, up 22.5 per cent year on year, they noted.

Ngan said the two sides should coordinate better to reach the targeted trade revenue of $20 billion by 2020 and reduce their trade imbalance, since Vietnam still has a high trade deficit with Thailand.

More favourable conditions should be created for Vietnamese and Thai businesses to boost trade and investment activities, she added.

She pledged that the National Assembly and government of Vietnam would create optimal conditions for Thai firms to invest in tourism – particularly marine tourism – textile and garment, footwear, cosmetics, food, agriculture, machinery, chemicals and material production sectors.

These are areas that match Thailand’s strengths and Vietnam’s potential, she said.

Echoing his host, Pornpetch said the two countries need to step up partnership in trade and investment and gradually balance the trade deficit.

Thailand wants more Vietnamese investment, he said, adding that the two legislative agencies are ready to work together to resolve obstacles facing investors.

Last year about 800,000 Vietnamese tourists visited Thailand, but only 260,000 Thais visited Vietnam.

Pornpetch said he hoped that, after more routes linking the two countries are opened, the number of Thai visitors to Vietnam will surge.

Ngan said that, as Asean members, Vietnam and Thailand need to enhance solidarity to promote the bloc’s unity, strength and central role. They should remain steadfast on Asean’s common principles and viewpoints on regional and global issues, she said.

She urged further coordination with each other and other Mekong riparian countries to promote cooperation, management and sustainable use of the river’s water resources, and to effectively implement the outcomes of the seventh summit of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy held last October.

The legislators discussed the signing of a new memorandum of understanding on agricultural cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand, as well as the signing of an agreement to set up a hotline for fisheries activities at sea.

Ngan suggested that both sides consider expanding the areas of work as well as job openings for Vietnamese workers in Thailand.

The labour ministries of both countries should carry out relevant procedures soon so that Thailand can officially recruit Vietnamese workers, she said.

She also thanked the Thai government for creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese-Thais to integrate into local society and for the construction and management of the relic sites related to late President Ho Chi Minh in Udon Thani and Nakhon Phanom provinces.

The officials also discussed regional and international issues of shared concern.

Ngan said Vietnam wants to continue working with Thailand to strengthen Asean solidarity, boost the bloc’s common voice and role in settling security and development affairs in the region, and help deal with East Sea (South China Sea) disputes through peaceful means, in line with international law.

While Zone A of the SEZ has already attracted investments, Zone B remains under construction.

The first phase of Zone B, which includes 101 hectares of land, is estimated to be completed in mid-2018. Investors will be invited to rent plots at the end of 2017. Among the 87 companies that have already invested in the SEZ, 84 companies have been approved to begin operations, and 69 companies are in the process of building factories.

Vice President Henry Van Thio, who serves as chairperson of the Myanmar Special Economic Zone Central Committee, visited the SEZ recently and said the Thilawa SEZ project was the most successful of Myanmar’s three SEZ projects.

“Up to late July, the total value of investments by local and foreign companies [into the SEZ] reached US$1.14 billion. Necessary preparation should be made to fully distribute electricity for the extension of projects,” the vice president said.

Some 50 years on, the country faces the opposite problem, with one of the lowest fertility rates in the world and a graying population posing a threat to Asia’s fourth-largest economy.

There is inherent uncertainty in population projections based on assumptions about plausible future trends. However, the way things look now, one thing appears to be clear: South Korea’s population will see fewer newborns, more elderly and foreigners in 2030.

And the demographic shift will have a substantial impact on many aspects of Korean society including families, politics, job prospects, education, the welfare system and even military conscription.

According to Statistics Korea, the size of the country’s population will peak in 2031 at 52.96 million and fall to 51.05 million in 2045.

Behind the dwindling population is the country’s chronically low birthrate. It stood at 1.17 last year, meaning a Korean woman on average has only 1.17 babies over her lifetime, among the lowest in the world.

An estimate of about 397,000 babies will be born by the end of this year in the country, the lowest number ever recorded. It will mark the first time the number of births in a year has fallen below 400,000.

Coupled with the low birth rate, the economically active population, made up of those aged between 15 and 64, started to fall for the first time this year, after peaking at 37.6 million last year, a trend called “a demographic cliff.” In 2050, the number is expected to drop to 25.9 million.

While there are fewer people of working age, the population of those aged 65 years or older is projected to rise from 6.54 million in 2015 to 18.1 million in 2050. The country is forecast to become a super-aged society in 2026, with the elderly making up more than 20 percent of its 50 million population.

Kim Jong-hoon, who leads a team that looks at the nation’s low birth rate and aging population at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, said that the low birth rate and aging population are likely here to stay.

“The aging population is a trend to continue in the long term because people are living longer thanks to improved access to medical services and a healthy way of living. Policy cannot put a stop to it,” he told The Korea Herald.

“But as for the low birth rate, it could fluctuate. It remains to be seen whether policies ranging from promoting marriage to improving child care services will be effective in raising the birth rate.”

If the demographic shift continues, it will also reshape the country’s labor market, another expert said.

“There will be a far smaller percentage of the young in the labor market and in 2030. More elderly will enter the labor force, and they will stay economically active,” said Seong Jae-min, director at the center for labor trend analysis at the Korea Labor Institute.

“As there are fewer job seekers in the labor market, unemployment among the young and women will likely improve on the conditions that the gaps in working conditions and pay between small and medium-sized companies and large firms become narrower,” he said.

“When it comes to income, there is a possibility of widening inequality, as jobs in the manufacturing sector — which are mostly middle-income jobs — are expected to disappear due to automation.”

Experts fear that the low birth rate could lead to a reduction in the workforce and consumption as well as a jump in welfare costs for the increasing elderly population, which could hurt the potential for economic growth.

Korea is estimated to spend an additional 2.8 trillion won ($2.46 billion) per year between 2016 and 2065 due to its rapidly aging population and low birth rate, according to a report published by the Bank of Korea.

The number of retirees to support per 100 people aged 15-64 is estimated to soar more than fivefold from 19.6 in 2015 to 71.5 in 2050, meaning a heavier fiscal burden for the working age population.

The South Korean government has spent about 100 trillion won trying to boost the country’s birth rate over the past decade, handing out baby allowances and improving paternity leave systems. But these efforts do not seem to borne fruit.

“More time is needed to evaluate the past demographic policies that have failed,” Kim said.

Given such concerns, the Moon Jae-in administration has put priority on creating jobs, preparing the country for the “fourth industrial revolution” and tackling the demographic cliff.

As part of efforts to alleviate the negative impact from the demographic change, there are growing calls to accept more immigrants, especially skilled workers.

“To solve a demographic problem, accepting immigrants is not a perfect solution. But it could be a complementary policy,” said Chung Ki-seon, director at IOM Migration Research & Training Center.

“Even when we had an abundant working-age population, we needed migrant workers. As the size of population starts to dwindle, there will be a higher demand for a foreign workforce,” she said. “Accepting migrant workers could temporarily lower the average age of the economically active population.”

Korea will need to take in 605,000 more immigrants by 2020 and 4.27 million more foreign workers by 2030 to achieve sustained growth, according to a 2014 report by the Korea Economic Institute.

But questions remain over whether the population should be maintained at the same level as now. Is it impossible to lead a happy, downsized life when the country has a smaller population?

Cho Young-tae, scholar in demographic studies, said it is possible in his best-selling book, “Determined Future.”

“It is time to prepare the country for the downsizing,” Cho said. “Korea should prepare its own institutions, culture and awareness to be in line with its downsized scale.”

“The trend of low birth rate has continued since 2002, with newborns hovering around 400,000,” he said, calling it a “gradual, stable change.”

“If we prepare for the downsizing for the next 10 years, the 20-to 30-year period after that will lay the groundwork for new development based on stable size of economically active population.”

Social media giant Facebook opened its office in Indonesia on Monday, after years of operating in the country. Facebook Indonesia country director Sri Widowati invited journalists for a tour of the office in South Jakarta.

“With the opening of our office here, we want to show our commitment to what we have done so far in Indonesia,” Sri said.

Indonesia is one of the important markets for Facebook as it has about 115 million people connect to the social media platform.

The figure is a 40 per cent increase from March last year, which reached 82 million, Sri added. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s daily number of Facebook users currently stands at 65 million.

Sri added that the company had established a representative office in the country in 2014. She declined to elaborate on whether the new office was part of the company’s efforts to become a permanent business entity, which is required by the government in order to legally operate in the country.

“As a company, we respect the regulations of every country in which Facebook operates,” she said, declining to specify the legal and fiscal steps the company had taken to open the office.

It is necessary to analyse vast amounts of brain imaging data and conduct experiments on animals to fully understand the complexity of brain function, such as the activity of neural circuits.

Therefore, experts have said national- and regional-based research is limited by the scale of the task.

Amid these circumstances, Japan, the United States and the EU affirmed the necessity for international cooperation by leveraging their strengths in the neuroscience field, at the Group of Seven Ise-Shima summit in May last year.

Japan is a world leader in the field of primate neuroscience research and gene manipulation of rodent brains.

The United States is advanced in compiling and analysing brain imaging data. Furthermore, US government-affiliated research organisations such as the National Institutes of Health and institutes in the private sector including venture businesses actively cooperate in joint research.

European nations are advanced in the development of technological devices to monitor brain activity, such as magnetic resonance imaging and positron-emission tomography.

Joint research that brings together expertise from Japan, the United States and the EU has been scarce in the past. By combining their abilities, Japan, the United States and the EU aim to diagnose mental and neurological disorders at an early stage and establish new treatment methods.

For the joint study, researchers will first collect patients’ brain imaging data, which are managed by medical organisations and research institutes in Japan and overseas.

Researchers – using artificial intelligence software and other technologies – will then attempt to identify brain regions with abnormalities and lesions by comparing the collected data with images of normal brains, among other analysis methods.

Researchers will use marmosets, a type of small monkey, to analyse a link between cerebral abnormalities and mental disorders, among other aspects.

According to the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry’s plan, it will select a research body to serve as the main base in Japan in the next fiscal year.

For the joint research, which is set to commence in fiscal 2019 or after, it will start building a framework for cooperation with overseas research institutions and sharing research data with them.

The ministry will include relevant funds in its budgetary request for the next fiscal year.

Diseases, such as dementia and depression, that are believed to be caused by abnormal cerebral function. According to data from the World Health Organisation, there are 322 million people suffering from depression worldwide. Alzheimer’s Disease International said the number of patients with dementia totalled 46.8 million globally in 2015, a number that is estimated to triple to 132 million by 2050.