ANN/THE STATESMAN – Researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA) are urging people to prioritise getting a good night’s sleep as the holiday season gets underway because recent findings suggest that sleep problems may be linked to type 2 diabetes risk factors.
In the first study of its kind, researchers discovered that persons with sleep issues were generally more likely to have indications of poor cardiometabolic health, such as inflammatory markers, cholesterol, and body weight, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.
Nearly a million persons in Australia have type 2 diabetes. More than 422 million individuals around the world have type 2 diabetes.
Different facets of sleep are connected to diabetes risk factors, according to Dr Lisa Matricciani of the UniSA. She said different aspects of sleep are associated with risk factors for diabetes.
“Everyone knows that sleep is important. But when we think about sleep, we mainly focus on how many hours of sleep we get, when we should also be looking at our sleep experience as a whole,” Dr Matricciani said.
“How soundly we sleep, when we go to bed and get up, and how regular our sleep habits are, maybe just as important as sleep duration.
“In this study, we examined the association of different aspects of sleep, and risk factors for diabetes, and found a connection between those who had troubled sleep and those who were at risk of type 2 diabetes.”
The study assessed more than 1,000 Australian adults with a median age of 44.8 years.
Researchers examined a range of sleep characteristics: self-report trouble sleeping, duration, timing, efficiency, and day-to-day sleep length variability.
“People who reported having trouble sleeping were also more likely to have a higher body mass index, as well as blood markers of cholesterol and inflammation,” Dr Matricciani said.
“When it comes down to the crunch, we know we must prioritise our sleep to help stay in good health.
“More research is needed, but as this study shows, it’s important to think about sleep as a whole, not just as one aspect.”
MARANELLO, ITALY (AP) – Mick Schumacher (CNA, pic below) is leaving Ferrari for another of the teams his father raced for.
Mercedes announced yesterday Schumacher will be its reserve driver for 2023 behind Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
He had been racing in Formula One with Ferrari-powered Haas.
“I take this as a new start, and I am just excited and grateful to Toto (Wolff, Mercedes team principal) and everybody involved for putting their trust in me,” Schumacher said. “F1 is such a fascinating world, and you never stop learning, so I look forward to absorbing more knowledge and putting in all my efforts for the benefit of the Mercedes team.”
The move ends Schumacher’s four-year association with Ferrari, the team for which his father, Michael Schumacher, won five Formula One titles.
Michael also drove for Mercedes from 2010-12.
“Mick is a talented young driver and we’re delighted to have him join the team,” Wolff said.
“We also know that with two years of experience racing in Formula One under his belt, he will be ready to step into the car at short notice to replace either Lewis or George, should that need arise.”
The move came two days after Ferrari announced Frédéric Vasseur as its new team principal, replacing Mattia Binotto.
“Scuderia Ferrari and Mick Schumacher have mutually decided not to extend their collaboration,” Ferrari said.
The 23-year-old Schumacher joined Ferrari’s young driver programme in 2019 and competed in Formula Two for two seasons with the Prema Racing team. He won three races and secured the 2020 title.
Mick Schumacher then made his Formula One debut with Haas and started 43 races but scored just 12 points. His top finishes came this year with sixth in the Austrian Grand Prix and eighth in the British GP. He was also Ferrari’s reserve driver.
“Scuderia Ferrari thanks Mick for these four years and the many kilometres covered together, and wishes him all the best for the future,” Ferrari said.
CNA – Indonesia’s Parliament passed into law a bilateral extradition agreement with Singapore yesterday, in a move Jakarta expects to help authorities bring to justice people accused of stashing offshore billions of dollars of state money in the city-state.
The absence of an extradition treaty has been a sensitive issue for Indonesia, which has complained about the difficulty of going after some fugitives accused of embezzling large sums during the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis.
Under the extradition treaty, signed by the countries’ leaders in January, people who had committed 31 types of crime will be liable to be extradited and it will apply to offences committed up to 18 years ago, Indonesia has said.
The agreement would also mean that people would not be able to escape justice by changing their citizenship, it said.
Speaking after Parliament’s approval, Indonesia’s Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said that the law “would give legal certainty for the two countries in the process of extraditing fugitives”.
Singapore has said the agreement “will also be helpful to Indonesia’s own efforts to prevent suspected criminals from fleeing overseas, and for them to be apprehended in Indonesia”.
Indonesia has set up a so-called ‘BLBI’ task force that is going after USD8 billion of bailout funds given to bank owners and borrowers after the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s that were never repaid.
Indonesia has long attempted to pass the law.
In 2007, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong oversaw the signing of an extradition treaty and defence cooperation agreement, but it was never ratified by Indonesia’s Parliament.
Indonesian Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly with Deputy House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad during a session ratifying the new criminal code. PHOTO: AP
HANOI (AFP) – In a small corner of a once-grand villa in the heart of Hanoi, Nguyen Manh Tri surveys the home he has loved since childhood but is now giving up as its foundation cracks, roof crumbles and staircase buckles.
Tri, 47, lives in three rooms of the subdivided house, one of around 1,200 French-style villas in the city on a list of protected homes published this year.
Most of the villas are close to a century old, built during French colonial rule, and have been degraded by age and humidity.
The five families living inside face cramped, damp and noisy conditions.
Despite their protected status, the future of these homes – and their inhabitants – hangs in the balance, say architects, as residents struggle to afford their upkeep and the state flip-flops over how best to preserve the crumbling heritage of Vietnam’s capital.
“When I was a kid, I remember this was a beautiful house,” said Tri of the 1930s villa where he was born, which weaves local design and elements of the Art Deco movement.
“It was romantic. I could hear the bell from the post office and the sound of the train in Hanoi station.”
A woman walking past an old villa in HanoiConstruction workers remodelling an old villa in HanoiABOVE & BELOW: A security guard walking past an old villa in Hanoi; and woman sitting at a shop by an old villa in Hanoi. PHOTOS: AFP
But since then the outer shell of his home has begun to crumble and inside “the structure of the house has been deformed” as families built makeshift extensions, trying to eke out a little more space, Tri told AFP.
Cracks are spreading across the walls, ceilings and balconies, and clay tiles plunge from the wide, overhanging roof – prompting his family’s decision to move out.
The listed villas – now often hidden behind cafes, noodle shops and fashion boutiques – were built both by the French and by Vietnamese architects for their wealthy compatriots working under the colonial power.
When the French left in 1954, thousands of these homes were taken over by the communist government and turned into offices, while authorities required any owners still in Vietnam to divide up their property and give portions to poor Vietnamese.
Some private owners, such as Tri, are now keen to escape the villas for modern apartments, but others prefer to stay despite the poor conditions and without knowing if their homes will survive the coming decades.
“I have been living here my whole life, so I don’t want to move anywhere else,” said 65-year-old Hoang Chung Thuy, who shares her three-storey villa with 10 other households, a seafood restaurant, a clothes shop and a tea stall.
She cannot fix the crumbling walls without approval and money from her neighbours upstairs but she is determined not to leave the house her grandparents built.
Tran Huy Anh of the Hanoi Architect Association says without proper maintenance, these buildings “risk damage and collapse”.
“Those built at the beginning of the 20th Century… need continuous renovation and maintenance every 20 to 30 years, it should not be longer.”
In 2015, two people died when a villa built in 1905 – and home to around 20 people – fell to pieces.
Authorities first drew up regulations to protect the villas in 2013, but have gone back and forth over the path forward for the homes.
A large swathe of villas has already been razed, Anh said, while in April the city announced a plan to sell 600 of those owned by the state, before retracting the idea just days later.
Now Hanoi says it aims to renovate 60 by 2025, but faces long drawn-out negotiations to convince each and every resident to move.
It took a decade for the first project – a one million restoration of an old villa – to begin.
But now the city is determined to return the house to its former glory, says Pham Tuan Long, an architect and chairman of Hoan Kiem district, where this villa and Tri’s are found.
“We are trying to preserve the original elements and architectural values as much as possible by using traditional materials and traditional renovation techniques,” Long said.
But just a few streets away, Tri packs up his home, uncertain of its future.
Moving out is difficult, he says, but even harder is imagining a time when the house is no longer standing.
“It has been a part of my life. This house is the place where I was born, got married, had my kids,” he said.
ANN/ THE NATION THAILAND – The Philippines government has temporarily barred the entry of certain imported fish to avert their diversion to wet markets which could aggravate disruptions in the food value chain.
In a directive, the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) said it suspended the issuance of sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSICs) for importing certain fish species effective immediately.
Canners are temporarily barred from importing round scad (galunggong) and moonfish (bilong-bilong) from abroad.
Likewise, the DA held off the SPSIC issuance to processors covering imported round scad, bonito (tulingan), mackerel (alumahan), moonfish, pompano, and tuna byproducts.
The import of these fish species will only be allowed if it will be directly undertaken by processors and importers who supply raw materials to processors with licences to operate and comply with food safety standards under the Food Safety Act.
Fish sold at a fishmarket. PHOTO: THE NATION THAILAND
ANN/THE STAR – Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, regardless of race or ethnicity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Although you can’t avoid risk factors such as family history, you can adopt a healthier lifestyle to improve your heart health.
Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins trained cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods Dr Elizabeth Klodas recently shared the five foods she avoids to protect her ticker.
“Of course, you don’t need to be a nutritionist to know that you won’t benefit from a consistent diet of cheeseburgers, doughnuts and french fries,” Klodas wrote.
“But there are a number of popular choices that are not as healthy for your heart as you might think.”
SKIM MILK
Although skim milk is lower in saturated fat than whole milk, Dr Klodas recommended you “switch it up and try alternatives”.
Instead of dairy, try almond, cashew or macadamia nut “milks”, which have more unsaturated fats. Other choices are soy, hemp and flax “milks”.
If you’re worried about not getting enough calcium, add broccoli, kale, oranges, beans, edamame, figs and other calcium-rich foods to your diet.
DIET SODAS
Less sugar doesn’t necessarily equal health.
Artificial sweeteners “should not be considered a healthy and safe alternative to sugar”, French researchers wrote in an observational study, even considering the “extensive use of these substances in products on the global market”.
In addition to water – maybe with some fruit or mint – Dr Klodas said she drinks “tea, which is full of heart-healthy compounds that help fight inflammation and cell damage. Black and green tea have been associated with a lower risk of heart attack and stroke”.
BREAD
“Many people are surprised to learn that bread and baked goods are some of the biggest contributors of sodium in our diets,” Dr Klodas wrote.
One plain bagel, for example, contains a third of the American Heart Association’s recommended daily intake of sodium.
A healthier alternative is bread in which you can see grains and seeds throughout, and that have at least three grammes of fibre per 100 calories.
MARGARINE
If you need to spread something creamy and delicious on your multigrain bread, you’ll want to check the ingredients in your margarine.
Although partially hydrogenated oils were banned in 2015, many margarines still contain palm oil, which can raise your cholesterol, said Dr Klodas.
“Margarine made from olive oil or flax oil are better choices. Olive oil contains only minor levels of saturated fat and no trans fats,” she wrote.
GRANOLA BARS
Although touted as a healthy alternative to candy, many granola bars contain added sugars, artificial sweeteners and palm oil, the downsides of each previously mentioned.
Instead, Dr Klodas wrote, eat raw nuts by themselves and oatmeal for breakfast.
Use dried or fresh fruit as a sweetener instead of sugar.
The Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) is seeking public assistance in tracing four Indonesians who have run away from their employers.
They are : Nanung Rusmana with passport number C9755667; Sumiati with passport number C9878500; Umayah Trisnanik holding passport number C8233153; and Ika Widyasari with passport number C8491283.
Those with information are urged to contact the police via its hotline 993 or call the nearest police station.
ABOVE & BELOW: Sumiati; and Nanung Rusmana. PHOTOS: RBPF
ABOVE & BELOW: Ika Widyasari; and Umayah Trisnanik
CNA – Italian football champions AC Milan have extended a long-standing sponsorship deal with Emirates, the Serie A club and the airline said in a joint statement yesterday.
Bought this year by investment firm RedBird Capital Partners in a EUR1.2-billion deal, former European champions AC Milan won the Italian Serie A title for the first time in 11 years in May.
Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed but people familiar with the matter told media the contract will bring at least EUR90 million (USD95.6 million) into the club coffers over three years, more than doubling the annual value of the previous deal.
The United Arab Emirates’ flag carrier has been AC Milan’s sponsor since 2007 and its logo has been emblazoned on the shirts worn by Rossoneri players since 2010.
The new deal will also continue to include high profile Emirates branding across the San Siro stadium, as well as hospitality, ticketing and other marketing rights, the statement said.
Emirates established a number of longstanding partnerships with top football clubs in Europe, including Real Madrid and Arsenal.
AC Milan also announced it plans to open a new office in Dubai as part of its efforts to further develop its commercial presence in the Middle East area where it said it has over 2.5 million fans.
The AC Milan logo on a pennant in a store in Milan. PHOTO: CNA
DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) – A four years old boy died on Tuesday night after a car that was reportedly racing crossed into oncoming lanes and crashed into two vehicles, police in Iowa said.
The collisions happened along a four-lane thoroughfare in Des Moines, where police said a car and an SUV were racing.
The car crossed the median, first striking the vehicle carrying the four years old boy, also injuring an adult and an eight years old inside.The racing car then struck another vehicle, injuring an adult driver. The driver who was racing was also injured.
All those injured were taken to Des Moines hospitals.
The driver of the second vehicle that was struck has been released, and the others who were injured are expected to recover.
Police did not immediately release the names of those involved.
After the crash, the racing SUV left the area.
Police were asking for the public’s help in locating the vehicle.
NEW YORK (AP) – When Sadie Sink (AP, pic below)joined the cast of Stranger Things in its second season, the then 14-year-old was already a fan of Netflix’s megahit show. But with the series turning many of the teen stars into household names overnight, attempting to carve out her own lane wasn’t easy.
“I kind of knew what I was stepping in to, but I didn’t really know until I was in it,” said Sink. “Being the new kid, I think it really gave me a perspective on everything. So, I kind of liked coming in a little bit later, even though I definitely had like the biggest imposter syndrome, like, ever.”
Sink is far from an imposter. Her Stranger Things character, Max, was more integral to the storyline last season, and her performance when she freed herself from the evil trance of the monster Vecna while listening to Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill became a huge cultural moment for both the song, which roared back onto the charts.
The 20-year-old has joined her Stranger Things co-stars as a household name, leading to her selection as one of The Associated Press’ (AP) Breakthrough Entertainers of 2022.
Other honourees include Iman Vellani, Tenoch Huerta, Stephanie Hsu, Danielle Deadwyler and others whose work has put them on the path to superstardom.
The smiley Texan has built an impressive resume first rooted in theater, and now blossoming with The Whale, Darren Aronofsky’s buzzy new film touted as Brendan Fraser’s comeback role as an obese English teacher whose health issues prompt him to reconnect with his estranged daughter, played by Sink.
“This has definitely been a big year just in terms of career milestones,” she said. “It’s just nice to have these opportunities and to have kind of found acting at a young age and to be able to stick with it.”
Easily recognised by her flowy red locks, Sink said The Whale was not only a career opportunity, but an education.
“The whole project as a whole, I think, was a big moment for me, just in terms of becoming fully comfortable in front of a camera. I think it takes a really long time to do that. And especially for the more vulnerable scenes, you’re on set, the lights and everything… the stakes feel really high,” she said. “Through working on this, I think I really got comfortable with the help of Brendan and Darren. And that was, I think, a really educational experience for me, and I think I carried a lot with me after that on to Stranger Things.”
Sink was born in Brenham, Texas, a small country town with a Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory that’s a field trip destination for Houston-area elementary students.
The fourth of five siblings, Broadway shows on YouTube inspired seven-year-old Sadie and her older brother Mitchell to begin acting in local plays. By nine, she was regularly performing at Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars before landing the title role Annie the following year for the 2012 Broadway revival.
But after a few TV guest appearances, working with Helen Mirren on the Broadway play The Audience morphed her professional acting dream from possibility to reality.
“It just like kind of really shifted my relationship with acting being around someone like Helen Mirren and just seeing how they approach their craft. That’s like a master class and I just saw it in this whole new light,” said the Dear Zoe lead. “I think that’s really the moment that I knew that this was something that I really, really wanted to do.”
Sink, who’s also become a high fashion front-row regular at top shows like Chanel and Kate Spade, is preparing herself for the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, set to begin production next year. She’s also wrapped the upcoming Jordan Scott film Berlin Nobody, an adaptation of the 2015 novel Tokyo by Nicholas Hogg.
She hopes to continue to work with directors who can help grow her craft, saying The Whale has influenced how she’ll map out her film future.
“After working on this movie and it being as fulfilling as it was, it really taught me the importance of just choosing the right projects but really choosing the right filmmakers and the right actors to work with and how big of a role that plays in your overall experience.”
Sink will also keep her eye on next year’s Grammys, as Taylor Swift’s All Too Well (10 Minute Version) earned a nod for song of the year and its short film, starring Sink and Dylan O’Brien, is up for best music video. Sink, who’s become friends with the megastar, said Swift has given her advice about navigating fame as a young star – something she knows all too well.
“It comes in a very intense form for her … it’s nice to have someone who can kind of relate to you on that kind of stuff,” said Sink. “It’s a very unique kind of coming-of-age process to be… in the public eye. And growing up, it’s not normal, but something that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”
