ANN/ THE DAILY STAR – Running on a daily basis is one of the best and most efficient ways to remain healthy. This simple form of workout comes with quite the number of benefits, in addition to the most obvious ones.
ONE OF THE BEST FORMS OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE
Running is perhaps the easiest form of exercise. You do not need a gym or any fancy equipment. Just put on your sneakers or jogging/running shoes, turn on your favourite music and go for a run in your neighbourhood for your daily dose of exercise.
WEIGHT LOSS
If you want to lose some of those extra pounds, think no further and start running regularly. You will be surprised by the results. Continuing to run regularly after the weight loss prevents the extra pounds from creeping back in.
GOOD FOR YOUR MUSCLES AND BONES
Running helps strengthen and tone up your muscles. It makes your bones stronger and improves your posture.
INCREASES LIFESPAN
Multiple studies have shown that running prevents cardiovascular diseases, maintains positive neurological functioning, regulates hormones and maintains proper blood glucose concentration.
IMPROVES IMMUNITY
Running has been linked with enhanced immunity. According to studies, regular runners are more resistant to diseases, have lower inflammation and better gut microbiota.
HELPS PREVENT COGNITIVE DECLINE LIKE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Exercise in the form of running increases blood flow to the brain, which greatly improves brain health. Moreover, it stimulates the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This is a protein that encourages the growth and survival of neurons in the brain.
REDUCES RISK OF MANY CANCERS
According to an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2016, runners had a lower risk for developing 26 different kinds of cancer than low-and
non-exercisers.
HELPS YOU SLEEP BETTER
Exercises, like going for a run regularly, helps you fall asleep more quickly and improves sleep quality.
GREATLY UPGRADES MENTAL HEALTH
All kinds of physical exercises have been found to boost mental health because they release ‘feel-good’ hormones like dopamine in the body.
After a run, it goes without saying that you are more aware of your senses and have a feeling of wellbeing. There are evidence that exercises like running can be as effective as psychotherapy sometimes, to treat depression.
CNA – The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) will intensify operations and monitoring in tracking down parties involved in selling fake COVID-19 vaccination certificates.
Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said he did not rule out the possibility that such syndicates existed in other states besides Terengganu, where a doctor suspected of issuing fake COVID-19 vaccination certificates was arrested on Saturday.
“As such, I have instructed heads of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in the states, through the Bukit Aman CID director and the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director, to conduct intelligence work.”
“This is to detect whether there are similar things (sale of fake vaccination certificates) happening in other places,” he said after attending an education and early skills programme for autistic children at the Kuala Lumpur Police Training Centre yesterday.
Acryl Sani said so far, the police had only detected the case in Marang, Terengganu.
The police are investigating to see if there are similar cases in other states, he added.
He said the police viewed the case seriously.
“PDRM does not want to see the government’s efforts and measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to be hampered because of the actions of some parties which could threaten the country’s image,” he added.
HONOLULU (AP) – The Monday morning of the first Japan Golf Tour event of the year was no time to be anywhere except in front of a television.
That’s where Takumi Kanaya and Keita Nakajima could be found in Nagoya last April, each captivated by images of Hideki Matsuyama winning the Masters to become the first Japanese player in a green jacket.
“I was simply watching the telecast and cheering him on in the hotel prior to the tournament that I was playing in, and I was very inspired by his win,” Kanaya said through an interpreter on Tuesday at the Sony Open.
“No sleep,” Nakajima added in English with a smile. “Very excited.”
That week after Matsuyama became a Masters champion, Kanaya certainly played inspired golf.
He won the Token Homemate Cup for his second title as a pro in just his sixth start on the Japan Golf Tour. Nakajima finished one shot behind. Kanaya previously won in Japan when he was the number one amateur in the world. Nakajima was a sophomore in college when he finished second to Kanaya, and now he is the number one amateur in the world.
Nakajima also won on the Japan tour as an amateur, at the Panasonic Open, before capturing the Asia-Pacific Amateur.
ABOVE & BELOW: Keita Nakajima; and Takumi Kanaya. PHOTOS: AP
Both are at the Sony Open this week on sponsor exemptions, and both consider Matsuyama a major source of motivation. “First and foremost, his playing is second-to-none, and not only me but a lot of the Japanese players have been inspired to play well on United States (US) soil,” Kanaya said.
Matsuyama is also in the field at Waialae, a precursor to when the three Japanese stars — all of them having reached number one in the amateur ranking and Asia-Pacific Amateur champions – meet again at Augusta National in April for the Masters.
Nakajima earned his spot by winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur.
Kanaya, who made the cut at the Masters in 2019 as an amateur, earned a return trip to Augusta National by closing with a 66 in the final Japan event of last year to finish third, enabling him to move into the top 50 in the world.
Their mentor, Matsuyama, is the Masters champion.
“Hopefully, I’ll be a pioneer and many other Japanese will follow,” Matsuyama said when he won the Masters.
“I’m glad to be able to open the floodgates, hopefully.”
Matsuyama’s influence began before he became a Masters champion. He has won a pair of World Golf Championship events, in Ohio and Shanghai, among his seven PGA Tour victories to go with eight titles on the Japan Golf Tour.
He chose to stay at Tohoku Fukushi University all four years to get his degree before turning pro, the path Kanaya followed.
AP – A federal judge has ruled that the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) revised anti-trust suit against Meta, formerly known as Facebook, can proceed, shutting down the social media company’s request for a dismissal.
In a revised complaint filed last August, the FTC argued that the company pursued a “buy or bury” strategy against rivals to suppress competition.
This is the FTC’s second antitrust run at the company. A federal judge in June dismissed anti-trust lawsuits brought against Facebook by the agency and a broad coalition of state attorneys general that were among multiplying efforts by federal and state regulators to rein in tech titans’ market power.
The FTC is seeking remedies that could include a forced spinoff of Facebook’s popular Instagram and WhatsApp messaging services, or a restructuring of the company.
United States (US) District Judge James Boasberg, who in June ruled that the FTC’s original lawsuit was “legally insufficient” and didn’t provide enough evidence to prove that Facebook was a monopoly, said in Tuesday’s ruling that the the first complaint “stumbled out of the starting blocks”.
Facebook’s Meta logo at the company headquarters in Menlo Park, California. PHOTO: AP
But he added that, though the “core theory” of the lawsuit – that Facebook is a monopoly engaging in anti-competitive behaviour – remains unchanged, the facts alleged this time around are “far more robust and detailed than before”.
Meta said in an emailed statement it is “confident the evidence will reveal the fundamental weakness of the claims.”
“Our investments in Instagram and WhatsApp transformed them into what they are today,” the company said.
“They have been good for competition, and good for the people and businesses that choose to use our products.”
Director of the FTC’s bureau of competition Holly Vedova said the agency presented a “strong amended complaint, and we look forward to trial”.
The recent increase in COVID-19 cases is a result of contact tracing.
This was said by Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar during a press conference yesterday.
The minister said contacts identified were instructed to undergo swabbing and some tested positive.
“Apart from that, there is a new cluster of four people and contacts being investigated,” said Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham.
He urged those aware of anyone testing positive and recently in close proximity but not included in contact tracing to carry out an antigen rapid test (ART) or visit a clinic if they show any symptoms.
AP – An unfounded theory taking root online suggests millions of people have been “hypnotised” into believing mainstream ideas about COVID-19, including steps to combat it such as testing and vaccination.
In widely shared social media posts this week, efforts to combat the disease have been dismissed with just three words: “mass formation psychosis.”
“I’m not a scientist but I’m pretty sure healthy people spending hours in line to get a virus test is mass formation psychosis in action,” read one tweet that was liked more than 22,000 times.
The term gained attention after it was floated by Dr Robert Malone on ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’ December 31 podcast.
Malone is a scientist who once researched mRNA technology but is now a vocal skeptic of the COVID-19 vaccines that use it.
But psychology experts said the concept described by Malone is not supported by evidence, and is similar to theories that have long been discredited. Here’s a look at the facts.
CLAIM: The concept of “mass formation psychosis” explains why millions of people believe in a mainstream COVID-19 “narrative” and trust the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.
THE FACTS: Malone highlighted the unfounded theory on a podcast hosted by comedian and commentator Joe Rogan. During the episode, Malone cast doubt on COVID-19 vaccine safety and claimed the mass psychosis has resulted in a “third of the population basically being hypnotised” into believing what the top infectious disease expert in the United States (US) Dr Anthony Fauci and mainstream news outlets say.
“When you have a society that has become decoupled from each other and has free-floating anxiety in a sense that things don’t make sense, we can’t understand it, and then their attention gets focused by a leader or a series of events on one small point, just like hypnosis, they literally become hypnotised and can be led anywhere,” Malone said. He claimed such people will not allow the “narrative” to be questioned.
Crediting a professor in Belgium, Malone also said in a December blog post that this “mass hypnosis” explains millions of people becoming captivated by the “dominant narrative concerning the safety and effectiveness of the genetic vaccines.”
Psychology experts say there is no support for the “psychosis” theory described by Malone.
“To my knowledge, there’s no evidence whatsoever for this concept,” said assistant professor of psychology and neural science at New York University Jay Van Bavel ,who recently co-authored a book on group identities.
Van Bavel said he had never encountered the phrase “mass formation psychosis” in his years of research, nor could he find it in any peer-reviewed literature.
“The concept has no academic credibility,” social psychology professor at the University of St Andrews in the UK Stephen Reicher wrote in an email to The Associated Press.
The term also does not appear in the American Psychological Association’s Dictionary of Psychology.
RIYADH (AFP) – A Saudi has been named in a newspaper after his conviction for sexual harassment, in an apparent first under new laws tackling a subject that is often seen as taboo.
A court in the holy city of Medina ordered the public identification of Yasser Muslim Al-Arawi, who was named in the privately owned Okaz newspaper after he was sentenced to eight months in prison and fined SAR5,000 (BND1,300).
Saudi Arabia only started penalising sexual harassment in 2018, as the conservative kingdom embarked on wide-ranging social reforms including allowing women to drive.
Okaz and state-owned Al-Ekhbariya TV said it was the first application of an amendment that allows courts to order a judgement to be published in local press.
Al-Arawi was found guilty of “touching from behind, verbally assaulting and harassing” the victim, the Okaz report said.
LONDON (AP) – A Chinese broadcaster has been ordered to pay the English Premier League at least USD213 million by the High Court in London over the collapse of one of the competition’s most lucrative international rights agreements.
The league terminated the deal last year after PPTV failed to pay two installments of the rights fees owed, citing a change to the schedule caused by the 100-day pandemic-enforced pause in fixtures in 2020 and the lack of fans in stadiums when games resumed in June.
PHNOM PENH (AP) – A land mine-detecting rat in Cambodia who received a prestigious award for his life-saving duty has died in retirement, the charity for which he had worked has announced.
Magawa, an African giant pouched rat, passed away last weekend, said an announcement on the website of APOPO, a Belgium-headquartered non-profit group.
The organisation trains rats and dogs to sniff out land mines and tuberculosis.
“All of us at APOPO are feeling the loss of Magawa and we are grateful for the incredible work he’s done,” the announcement said. Magawa was born in November 2013 in Tanzania, where APOPO maintains its operational headquarters and training and breeding centre. He was sent to Cambodia in 2016.
The death of Magawa was announced a day after three mine removal experts working for another group were killed by an accidental explosion of an anti-tank mine in Cambodia’s northern province of Preah Vihear. Almost three decades of civil war that ended in 1998 left Cambodia littered with land mines and other unexploded ordnance that continues to kill and maim.
APOPO’s office in Cambodia posted condolences for the three dead and one wounded from the Cambodia Self Help Demining group.
According to APOPO, Magawa detected more than 100 land mines and other explosives during his five-year career before retiring last year.
“His contribution allows communities in Cambodia to live, work, and play without fear of losing life or limb,” said the group. In 2020, the rat also won a gold medal from the Britain-based People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, considered the highest award for gallantry an animal can receive.
ANN/ THE DAILY STAR – Baking is often therapeutic. Dare I say, bread baking is also addictive!
Those who have tried their hand in bread baking can surely resonate with the above statements. As for those who have not, I suggest you give it a go. Even if a kitchen fail occurs, rest assured the procedure would at least calm your mind.
The entire process of bread baking is so beautiful, and although it may take several hours to make at home, the result is worth it as there is no aroma better than the smell of freshly baked goodies in my accord!
There is something utterly satisfying about kneading the soft dough and giving it time to rest for as long as it requires, then finally watching it rise beautifully in the oven – a true labour of love.
Fear not, because time is the only complex element in this elaborate process.
Bread also happens to be a quintessential staple all over the world, and thus, several countries have their own type of breads that are representatives of the country.
Thus, here are four bread recipes handpicked from around the world for you to savour.
Soft and tender Italian ciabatta
ITALIAN CIABATTA
This soft and tender bread is infamous for being hard to make at home. If you think likewise and the thought of baking ciabatta at home intimidates you, then this recipe shall be your ultimate saviour! It requires only a handful of pantry ingredients and if followed correctly, you shall master the art of bread baking in no time.
Originating in Italy, ciabatta is best enjoyed with a drizzle of pure extra virgin olive oil, a light sprinkling of salt and freshly sliced tomatoes.
To enhance the flavour even further, you can rub a slice of garlic on the slices of bread. Ciabatta also makes a great base for bruschetta or crostini topped with juicy tomatoes, olives, and basil.
Ingredients
– Two-and-a-half cups bread flour
– Two tsp instant yeast
– One tsp salt
– Three tbsp olive oil
– One-and-a-quarter cup lukewarm water
Method
Drop the yeast in one cup of water and leave it for 10 minutes in order to activate. In a large bowl, add flour, salt, and a couple tablespoons of olive oil and mix to combine. Add in the yeast and water mixture into the bowl and start stirring everything with a wooden spoon.
As the dough comes together, start mixing with your hands. This tends to be very sticky so you may oil your palms. Add the remaining water in little amounts as you go. Stretch the dough, drop it back and then push it against you with the help of your palm. Be careful about not tearing the dough and continue kneading for eight–10 minutes.
Once done, the dough should be incredibly light and soft. Slip in the prepared dough into a greased bowl. Cover this and leave it to proof for two hours in a warm place.
After two hours, the dough should triple in size. Place the dough on a floured surface and lightly stretch it to a slender rectangle. Slice the rectangle in half lengthwise and cover it again for 15 minutes.
At this point, preheat your oven at 170°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Gently place the slices of dough on it and bake them separately for approximately 20 minutes. Once done, allow them to cool slightly, just enough to cut through and enjoy while still warm with your favourite toppings!
FRENCH BAGUETTE
This French classic is well-known for its length, crispy crust and chewy interior. Baguette is yet another bread recipe that sounds complicated, but is actually possible to master with practice.
The distinguishing factor in all bread recipes is the process and this fool-proof recipe works every time without failure.
Baguette is widely popular all over the world and every household has their own way of consuming it. It is a great one to make garlic bread or cheesy toasts, among several other ways in which it can be enjoyed. Baguettes also complement a hearty soup or stew really well. The tall and slender shape of a baguette makes it perfect to make stuffed bread boats as well.
Ingredients
– Three-and-a-half cups flour
– One-and-a-half cup warm water
– One-and-a-half tsp yeast
– One tsp sugar
– Two tsp salt
– One tbsp oil
Method
Stir in sugar and yeast into warm water and leave it for five minutes or until the top is frothy. Sprinkle salt onto the flour and mix; pour in the yeast and water mixture into this and stir with a spatula until it comes together. Then, knead the dough with your hands for six-eight minutes. It should be very sticky; you may add flour, not too much, as you go.
After the end of the kneading process, the dough should be stretchy and elastic. Scrape the dough with the help of a spatula and drop it in an oiled bowl. Brush the ball of dough with more oil and cover it before allowing it to rest for two hours.
After that duration, the dough should puff up and double in size. Generously flour your work surface and drop the dough on it. Knead for a couple more minutes incorporating more flour as you knead. In the end, you should have a light and supple dough. Divide the dough into three equal portions and work with one at a time.
Roll and twist the dough, stretching it as well to make a long cylindrical shape. Flour your baking tray and place the loaves on them individually. Flour the top as well and make slits at the top; cover and let it rest for another hour. Meanwhile, take an ovenproof pan and place it at the bottom of your oven while it preheats at 180°C.
Once the dough has risen, place it in the middle rack of your oven and pour in cold water in the empty baking dish that has been preheating at the bottom. This will generate steam that helps create that classic crispy exterior and chewy interior. Bake this for 30 minutes and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before slicing in.
KOREAN SAUSAGE BREAD
This delicious and cheesy bread recipe is a snack on its own, which is stuffed with sausages, bell pepper, mushroom and corn, all resting on a soft bread made from scratch. To top it off, there is mozzarella cheese atop that creates the most gorgeous cheese-pull when torn apart.
Munching on this delicious snack will make you think of Korean street food. This one is delicious as it is but you may drizzle some barbeque sauce, or a combination of mustard and ketchup for that final touch.
Ingredients
For the bread
– Two tsp yeast
– One tbsp sugar
– Half cup warm milk
– One egg
– Two tbsp oil
– Two cups flour
– One tsp salt
For the topping
– Six sticks sausages
– Half cup boiled corn kernels
– Quarter cup chopped mushrooms
– Quarter cup chopped bell peppers
– One tsp salt
– One tsp black pepper
– One tsp paprika
– Half tsp chilli flakes
– Half tsp dried oregano
– Half cup mayonnaise
– Quarter cup grated cheddar cheese
– Quarter cup grated mozzarella
– One egg
Method
To prepare the bread, mix milk, sugar, and yeast and leave it for 10 minutes. Mix this concoction with flour, salt, oil and one beaten egg; combine everything until it forms a dough. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a clean bowl drizzled with oil.
Massage the top and sides of the dough with oil and allow it to rest for an hour while covered.
Meanwhile, make the stuffing. Mix corn, mushroom and bell pepper along with the condiments, mayonnaise, and grated cheddar cheese. Once the dough has rested sufficiently and risen, knead it with more flour to make it smooth. Shape it into a long cylinder and divide into six equal pieces.
Roll out each piece into an oval and place one sausage on it. Encase the sausage entirely with the dough and make five-six slits by cutting in through up until the length of the sausage, leaving dough at the base. Pull and twist each disc of sausage covered with bread outwardly so that you have a wide base. Allow this to rest again covered for 15 minutes.
After that, brush the tops and sides with a beaten egg and spoon over the prepared mixture on top. Sprinkle over grated mozzarella cheese and bake them in a preheated oven at 170°C for 20-25 minutes before biting in.
VENEZUELAN BREAD
This fancy Venezuelan bread is nothing short of eye candy. Rolled with layers of soft bread and meat with a sprinkling of raisins and olives, baking this will make you want to do it repeatedly. It is usually prepared in Venezuela during the holidays.
This unique bread is delicious as it is but can be the perfect accompaniment in any meal, whether breakfast or dinner. You may also spread a thin layer of mustard over it and munch on it as a snack, or serve this as a side dish to supplement a full meal.
Ingredients
– One cup warm milk
– Two tsp dry yeast
– Quarter cup sugar
– Two eggs
– Quarter cup melted butter
– Four cups flour
– One tsp salt
– One tbsp oil
– 10 slices smoked beef strip
– Half cup sliced olives
– Quarter cup raisins
Method
Mix milk, yeast, and a teaspoon of sugar and leave it to rest for 10 minutes.
Once the surface is foamy, add in one egg and melted butter to it and combine. In a large bowl, add flour, salt, and sugar and pour in the mixture. Mix it until a dough is formed and knead it for eight-10 minutes. Roll the dough smoothly into a ball and let it prove in a greased bowl covered for an hour.
After an hour, it should double in size. Deflate it and roll the dough into a large rectangle. Cover the surface heavily with slices of meat leaving some empty space on the sides. Generously sprinkle over chopped olives and raisins. Roll the dough tightly and pinch the seams; let it rest again for 45 minutes while covered.
After that, transfer the loaf of bread onto a greased baking tray and brush all the exposed sides with a beaten egg. Pierce the top and sides with a fork to allow steam to escape. Bake this in a preheated oven at 160°C and let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting in.
