Six Brunei Darussalam students recently participated in the first Global Robotics Challenge, also known as ‘H2O Flow’, at Washington DC in the United States, with three wins, two losses and one draw.

“Interestingly, they were also invited to a Special All-Girls Team Exhibition Match launched by Ivanka Trump, the daughter of American President Donald Trump,” Awangku Muhammad Rahimi bin Pengiran Haji Zahari, lecturer in Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department of Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB), told the Weekend Bulletin yesterday.

The students were accompanied to the United States by two mentors from UTB, Dr Sharina binti Yunus and Khairuddin bin Haji Ghafar.

In ‘H2O FLOW’, the participating teams learned about real-world water scarcity and contamination issues.

The Brunei students from several private and government schools and higher education institutes, were thrilled at being part of a unique global initiative to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.

During the challenge, the Brunei participants formed an alliance with two different countries in a face-off against teams from three other countries.

A total of 162 countries competed in the global challenge, on July 17-18.

“We would like to thank everyone for such a wonderful event, which is cooperation at its best. Thank you, as well, to everyone who supported us from the beginning with their time, funding, support and inspiration,” said Awangku Muhammad Rahimi.

“We look forward to next year’s challenge in Mexico City!” he added.

App-based drivers appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday to intervene and order the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to lift its yearlong moratorium on the acceptance of franchise applications for vehicles used for app-based transport services.

Bobby Coronel, founder of drivers’ group TopSpeed, said it was high time that Mr. Duterte stepped in to address the issues faced by their sector, saying thousands of drivers affected by the moratorium just want “to work and earn a decent living for their families.”

“Tatay Digong, we are calling on you to help us. We fully support your programs. We only want to have a good and proper job,” Coronel said in a press briefing in Quezon City, addressing the president by his nickname.

Coronel and several allied groups went to the Department of Transportation to submit a written appeal, which they said bore the signatures of 122,000 passengers and drivers, mostly from transport network company (TNC) Grab.

Tim Orbos, the undersecretary for road transport, assured the groups they would “find ways to solve this impasse,” but said they should also “understand [the government’s] point of view.”

“We do not want them to stop their operations. We have to do our task as government. We understand that there’s a problem [in our mass transport systems]. Definitely, we would not do something that would further inconvenience the public,” he said.

In July last year, the LTFRB issued the moratorium as it cited the need to look into various concerns arising from the rapid acceptance of app-based transport services, such as surge pricing, passenger security and accountability of the drivers.

Earlier this month, the LTFRB announced it would start apprehending Grab and Uber drivers whom the TNCs allowed to operate without a provisional authority (PA) or certificates of public convenience (CPCs).

The crackdown, which could affect more than 40,000 drivers, was supposed to take effect on July 26 but was put on hold on Thursday after Grab and Uber filed motions for reconsideration.

At present, just about 3,700 drivers have been issued PAs and CPCs. The LTFRB earlier said it would fast-track the approval of around 11,000 applications.

Meanwhile, LTFRB board member Aileen Lizada yesterday disclosed that the original accreditation documents of Uber and Grab could not be found when she and other appointees of the Duterte administration took over the board last year.

“We tried to locate the accreditation folders of both Uber and Grab. However, after searching the office of the executive director and the chair, they were nowhere to be found,” Lizada said.

But the matter was a nonissue for former board member Ariel Inton.

“It is very easy to get a copy, assuming it was lost,” Inton said. “If it was lost in the executive director’s office, there are other copies [in other offices].”

Inton added that all LTFRB documents were “properly turned over” by former chair Winston Ginez to his successor, Martin Delgra III.

Grab’s accreditation as a TNC expired earlier this month while that of Uber will expire next month. Lizada explained that the loss of the accreditation papers would have no effect on the renewal of their accreditation.

Both TNCs have already submitted their petitions for renewal.

In a special joint session of the House and the Senate, legislators overwhelmingly backed Duterte’s bid to have martial law remain in force in the Mindanao region until December 31.

The vote came as troops continued their two-month long fight to wrest back the southern city of Marawi from Islamic State-inspired militants.

Duterte first declared martial law in Mindanao on May 23 shortly after the gunmen, waving the black flags of the IS group, occupied parts of Marawi, triggering weeks of bloody fighting.

The vote was largely a foregone conclusion as Duterte enjoy majorities in both houses of Congress.

But opposition lawmakers dragged out the debate, questioning why martial law was needed for the whole of Mindanao when the fighting was limited to only one city.

“I fear that the plan to extend the martial law in Mindanao will pave the way for a Philippines-wide martial law,” said Senator Risa Hontiveros ahead of the vote.

A slide presentation accompanying Duterte’s request, seen by AFP, compared the Marawi crisis to the Islamic State takeover of the Iraqi city of Mosul.

Marawi itself could now become a magnet for foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria, it said.

Most of the militants’ leaders remain at large, the presentation added, while about 90 of the gunmen have slipped past security cordons and can link up with other armed groups in the region to mount similar widescale attacks.

At the hearing, defence and security officials justified the extended martial law, saying that aside from Marawi, Islamist militants were planning attacks in other parts of Mindanao.

They said almost a thousand pro-IS militants, holding 23 hostages, were still active elsewhere in the south.

In Marawi, the military said only about 60 gunmen were left in a 49-hectare (121-acre) area of Marawi, but Duterte said he needed martial law powers to rebuild the city and ensure the war did not spread elsewhere.

“I cannot afford to be complacent,” Duterte told reporters Friday, adding the military would be conducting further “mopping up operations” even after they recapture Marawi.

“If there is a spillage it will not be as bad if you have this stopgap,” he added.

Duterte imposed 60-day martial rule — the maximum period allowed by the constitution — over the Mindanao region on May 23 within hours of the gunmen beginning their rampage.

On Monday he asked Congress to extend it until the end of the year, along with the continued suspension of a constitutional safeguard against warrantless arrests.

‘Never again’

Martial law allows the military to establish control with measures such as curfews, checkpoints and gun controls in a country where civilians are authorised to keep licensed firearms in their homes.

However, any martial law extension must be approved by Congress.

The subject remains sensitive in the Philippines, decades after the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos put the country under military rule for part of his 20-year term.

Thousands of critics, political opponents as well as communist guerrillas were killed, detained or arrested during the period, according to historians.

About a dozen protesters in the gallery interrupted Saturday’s hearing, chanting “never again, never again to martial law” before being escorted out.

Duterte had already beaten back a Supreme Court petition to declare martial law in Mindanao illegal.

“Once he feels that there is not enough opposition to a nationwide martial law declaration, he will go for it,” Senator Antonio Trillanes told AFP on Tuesday.

This is part of a bid to stay in office beyond his mandated six years, he warned.

Duterte, 72, insists he has no plan to stay in office beyond his term.

Duterte is widely expected to win approval for martial law in the region until the end of the year, with troops having failed to wrest back Marawi city following two months of fighting.

A slide presentation accompanying Duterte’s request, seen by AFP, compared the Marawi crisis to the Islamic State takeover of the Iraqi city of Mosul.

Marawi itself could now become a magnet for foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria, it said.

Most of the militants’ leaders remain at large, the presentation added, while about 90 of the gunmen have slipped past security cordons and can link up with other armed groups in the region to mount similar widescale attacks.

The military said only about 60 gunmen were left in a 49-hectare (121-acre) area of Marawi, but Duterte said he needed martial law powers to rebuild the city and ensure the war did not spread elsewhere.

“I cannot afford to be complacent,” Duterte told reporters Friday, adding the military would be conducting further “mopping up operations” even after they recapture Marawi.

“If there is a spillage it will not be as bad if you have this stopgap,” he added.

Duterte imposed 60-day martial rule — the maximum period allowed by the constitution — over the Mindanao region on May 23 within hours of the gunmen beginning their rampage.

On Monday he asked Congress to extend it until the end of the year, along with the continued suspension of a constitutional safeguard against warrantless arrests.

In an unprecedented move, both the House and the Senate met jointly on a weekend to vote on Duterte’s request.

‘Nationwide martial law’

Martial law allows the military to establish control with measures such as curfews, checkpoints and gun controls in a country where civilians are authorised to keep licensed firearms in their homes.

However, any martial law extension must be approved by Congress.

The subject remains sensitive in the Philippines decades after the late deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos put the country under military rule for part of his 20-year term.

Thousands of critics, political opponents as well as communist guerrillas were killed, detained or arrested during the period, according to historians.

“I am amenable to it,” House of Representatives justice committee chairman Reynaldo Umali, a key Duterte ally, told ABS-CBN television Friday.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has said previously he sees no roadblock to its swift approval by both chambers of Congress.

Duterte had already beaten back a Supreme Court petition to declare martial law in Mindanao illegal.

But opposition politicians have criticised Duterte’s proposal for a martial law extension, with some alleging it is part of a Duterte plot to eventually bring the country under a military-backed dictatorship.

“Once he feels that there is not enough opposition to a nationwide martial law declaration, he will go for it,” Senator Antonio Trillanes told AFP on Tuesday.

After this he could declare a revolutionary government to allow him to stay in office beyond his six-year electoral term in mid-2022, Trillanes says.

Duterte, 72, insists he has no plan to stay in office beyond his term.

With more than a century of history, Gwangjang traditional market is still bustling with shoppers and visitors.

Although it sells all sorts of goods from clothes to fresh meat and vegetables, the biggest reason that people flock here is food.

Long lines of stalls offer visitors a wide variety of food available at cheap prices, starting right from South Koreans’ all-time favorite delicacies – tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) and sundae (pig intestines filled with glass noodles) — to sushi and beef sashimi.

But Gwangjang is best known for “mayak gimbap,” the seaweed-rolled rice with spicy sauce, so tasty that it is “addictive like drugs.” (Mayak is the Korean word for narcotics.)

Located at the heart of Seoul, in Jongno, Gwangjang is South Korea’s largest traditional marketplace. It is among the 100 must-visit places chosen by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism this year.

The market draws both shoppers and travelers, particularly travelers looking to see a different side of the city.

While stores selling other merchandise are closed on Sundays, the food alleys and vintage clothing shops are open every day. The market opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m.

People with special needs are an undertapped source of manpower, especially in a tight labour market.

This was the key message yesterday at the first Fostering Inclusion At The Workplace seminar, attended by 160 business leaders from 80 companies.

“It’s a win for everyone,” said Autism Resource Centre (ARC) president Denise Phua, who is also an MP for Jalan Besar GRC and Central Singapore District mayor.

“The employers and tight labour market can tap on an underexplored manpower pool. If we train and support people with disabilities well, many of them can work,” explained Ms Phua, who was a panellist at the forum. She co-founded the Pathlight School – Singapore’s first school for children with autism.

The trick, said companies which already have an inclusive work policy, is to match jobs with the strengths of such workers.

United Overseas Bank, for instance, has 19 staff with autism in a 56-man team at its Scan Hub, where customer documents are scanned and classified. These employees have high levels of attention to detail and concentration – which managing director and head of group technology and operations Susan Hwee said makes them perfect for sorting and scanning documents. “They’re engaged and highly motivated… We should change the word ‘disabilities’ to ‘abilities’, because that is what we hire them for,” she added.

FairPrice, which has been hiring people with disabilities since 1983, has about 50 such staff. They mostly work with merchandising, displaying and replenishing stock. “One of them is very good at remembering stocks and he knows exactly which aisle lacks the goods that should be displayed there. We employ them according to their capabilities,” said Mr Tan Ying, deputy director and head of HR partnering at FairPrice.

ARC has placed about 150 people with disabilities in employment, with nine in 10 still in their jobs. It started its Employability and Employment Centre programme in 2012 and placed 20 to 30 people in each of the first three years. “This number has increased to close to 50 clients each year,” said Ms Jacelyn Lim, ARC’s deputy executive director and head of the Employability and Employment Centre.

There are also public schemes to help firms which hire those with disabilities, such as the Open Door Programme. It provides training grants for firms to develop customised programmes for those with disabilities.

But hiring such staff is not without its challenges. For instance, there may be resistance from managers and other employees who might not be comfortable with having colleagues who are disabled.

“We had an employee who asked questions hourly and it was too draining for the manager after a month,” Mr Tan recalled. “It calls for a lot of patience and empathy.”

Mr Gino Tan, Pan Pacific Hotels Group’s area general manager for Singapore, said: “We have various townhall sessions to tackle this so that everyone can… be cognisant of the need for adjustments.”

Pan Pacific Hotels Group, which organised the forum, has trained more than 30 staff with disabilities.

Two of them, 18-year-old Noramira Mohd Amin and 19-year-old Brenda Tay Wan Ying, who both have intellectual disabilities, said their work has helped them grow in confidence. “I like to work in a team and meet guests,” said Ms Noramira.

Said Ms Tay: “I can earn money and buy dresses for my mother and shoes for my nephew.”

“We try to formulate the tax collection mechanism because it is different from tax collection at factories,” said tax office spokesman Hestu Yoga Saksama said as reported by kompas.com on Thursday, adding that the taxes collected from online businesses were either value-added taxes (PPN) or income taxes (PPh).

He said, however, his office needed to formulate the mechanism for the tax collection because online businesses were new.

He explained that there were two methods to collect income tax.

First, a taxpayer makes a self-assessment of the amount of taxes he or she has to pay and, second, the taxes were calculated and collected by tax officers.

Meanwhile, online business owners pay their taxes through a self-assessment mechanism, Hestu added.

Hestu also revealed a low tax-to-gross domestic product ratio (tax-to-GDP ratio), which was only 10.30 per cent, indicating low obedience of Indonesian taxpayers in fulfilling their obligations.

“It is one of the bad indications of the Indonesian economy because it relates to our financial strength to develop this country,” he added.

The tax office set a target to increase the tax-to-GDP ratio to 16 per cent in 2016.

For example, Mitsubishi Group has invested US$290 million (Bt9.7 billion) in a joint venture with Vietnam’s Bitexco to develop the Manor Central Park here.

In the first stage of cooperation, the two sides agreed to develop 240 low-rise buildings and two high-rise buildings with 1,036 apartments.

Last September, Kajima Overseas Asia spent $500 million to establish the Indochina Kajima Development joint venture with Indochina Capital. They plan to invest in Vietnam’s real estate market in the next 10 years.

More recently, Sanyo Home invested in the field via cooperation with Tien Phat under the Hoa Binh property business and construction joint stock company to invest in the Ascent Lakeside project in Ho Chi Minh City.

Sumitomo will invest in the Nhat Tan-Noi Bai urban area here along with Vietnam’s BRG Group.

Toshihiko Muneyoshi, president of the investment fund Creed Group, said that with a population exceeding 93 million people, increasing incomes and rapid urbanisation, the demand for houses among young customers is huge.

Each year, 50,000-60,000 new households are expected to be built in Hanoi and HCM City, he said, adding that the fund will focus on the middle-range segment and seek more local partners.

Japanese investors have secured their position in Vietnam in recent years with 3,411 projects worth near?ly $44 billion.

According to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, in the first six months of this year, Japan rose to first position among 94 countries and territories with investment projects in Vietnam.