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Outstanding graduate recognised

Lyna Mohamad

Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) Hajah Amirah Fatin Syafiqah binti Haji Zilani not only graduated with flying colours as she received First Class Honours but also made Kolej International Graduate Studies (KIGS) proud in receiving three other awards.

The outstanding graduate was announced as the recipient of the Pengiran Setia Jaya’s (PSJ) Excellence Award, Tan Sri Dato’ Paduka Dr Lim Kok Wing Excellence Award and the Best Student by Faculty Award at the college’s convocation ceremony on Saturday.

Expressing gratitude, Hajah Amirah said her experience with the programme has been an eye-opener and provided her with a solid foundation in business studies.

“The course isn’t limited to the academic theory but also stimulates our creativity and critical thinking in tackling issues in the current business climate,” she said.

The PSJ Excellence Award is awarded to the highest performing graduate and recognises several qualities of the graduate, including a minimum CGPA of 3.75, attendance of 85 per cent and above, active participation in class, excellent conduct and leadership qualities, and notable contribution to the college for live projects, events and competitions.

Hajah Amirah Fatin Syafiqah binti Haji Zilani. PHOTO: BAHYIAH BAKIR

Rival captains expect another slow wicket in series decider

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (AP) – Pakistan captain Babar Azam predicts another slow wicket will test the patience and skills of batters when his side meets Australia in the decisive third and final test today.

Babar played one of the epic knocks in the fourth innings of a test match when his marathon 196 defied Australia for more than 10 hours and forced a draw at Karachi to keep the series locked at 0-0.

Australia spinners Nathan Lyon and debutant leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson bowled 108 of the 172 overs in the fourth innings at Karachi but Pakistan kept the visitors at bay by scoring 443-7 in more than five sessions, falling short by 63 runs of the mammoth 506-run target.

The docile and lifeless wicket in the tame drawn test at Rawalpindi saw Australia picking up just four out of the 14 wickets to fall and the pitch at the Pindi Cricket Stadium also received one demerit point after being rated at “below average” by the ICC.

After the criticism of the Rawalpindi wicket, the Pakistan Cricket Board flew in ICC Academy curator Toby Lumsden, who has assisted the local ground staff to prepare the Lahore test wicket.

“It’s not much different, looks like the same pitch but I feel it will definitely give turn,” Babar told reporters via videoconference yesterday. “It has small cracks from where spinners could get help, but you can’t tell 100 per cent because of hot conditions. Whatever it is, our spinners are ready for it and will fight.”

The Pakistani and Australian cricket teams practice at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan. PHOTOS: AP
Pakistani players and Australia’s cricket team attend a practice session
Australia’s Usman Khawaja bats during a practice session

Australia’s historic first tour of Pakistan since 1998 has an added significance going into the series decider. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will be hosting its first test in 13 years since a terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009 that led to a lengthy absence of international cricket in the country.

None of the Pakistan players have played a test match at the Gaddafi Stadium where Babar made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in 2015 when Pakistan started its campaign to win back the confidence of foreign teams and the resumption of international cricket.

Test cricket resumed in Pakistan in 2019 when Sri Lanka toured Pakistan while Bangladesh and South Africa also played test matches, but in Karachi and Rawalpindi, rather than Lahore.

While Pakistan is still contemplating which of its spinners to take into the match, Australia has named an unchanged side, which means Swepson will get another game to exhibit his legspin skills on a slow wicket with experienced off-spinner Lyon.

“Looks (wicket) quite similar,” Australia captain Pat Cummins said. “I can’t say been too much different (wicket) from the other ones, so we feel like we’ve got all bases covered, if needed for a reverse swing or spin later in the game.”

Australia had its chances to go 1-0 up in the series at Karachi, but dropped three crucial catches that eventually allowed Pakistan to force an epic draw.

Surrogate babies waiting out war in basement

KYIV, UKRAINE (AP) – At a makeshift basement bomb shelter in Ukraine’s capital, at least 20 babies born to surrogate mothers are waiting for their foreign parents to be able to travel to the war-torn country and take them home.

Some just a few days old, the infants are well cared for, but even below ground the blasts of occasional shelling can be heard clearly.

Many of the surrogacy centre’s nurses are also stranded in the shelter because it’s too dangerous to travel to and from their homes. Ukrainian troops have been resisting Russian forces in Kyiv’s suburbs as they attempt to encircle the city.

“Now we are staying here to preserve our and the babies’ lives,” said Lyudmilia Yashchenko, a 51-year-old nurse. “We are hiding here from the bombing and this horrible misery.”

Yashchenko said they leave briefly during the day to get some fresh air but don’t dare stay out too long. She worries about her own children, too – both her sons, ages 22 and 30, are fighting to defend their country.

Exhaustion is constant.

“We are almost not sleeping at all,” Yashchenko said. “We are working round the clock.”

Ukraine has a thriving surrogate industry and is one of the few countries that allow the service for foreigners.

These babies’ parents live in Europe, Latin America and China.

Yashchenko would not say how many parents have come to get their children, how many infants are still waiting or how many more surrogate mothers are expected to deliver soon.

While there’s plenty of food and baby supplies to care for their young charges, the nurses are left to hope and wait for the newborns to be picked up – just as they wait for the war to end.

Nannies take care of newborn babies in a basement converted into a nursery in Kyiv, Ukraine. PHOTO: AP

Six injured in helicopter crash

AZUSA, CALIFORNIA (AP) – Six people were injured on Saturday afternoon after a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department helicopter crashed in the Angeles National Forest, the LA County Fire Department said.

All six passengers were airlifted to Pomona Valley Medical Center, Sheriff Alex Villanueva told The Los Angeles Times. One of the passengers is in critical condition, two are in moderate condition and two others have minor injuries, he said.

The Times reported that five of the passengers on the Air Rescue 5 helicopter were deputies with the Sheriff’s Department, and the sixth was a doctor from UCLA. The passengers suffered a variety of injuries, including fractures and broken ribs.

“They are in stable condition, some more banged up than others, but thankful to be alive,” Villanueva told the Times. The fact that there were no fatalities “is nothing short of a miracle”.

The crash occurred at 4.58pm near the San Gabriel Reservoir.

Everything you need to know about the 2022 Oscars

NEW YORK (AP) – Final preparations are underway for the 94th Academy Awards and a long awaited return to Hollywood’s glamourous normalcy after a muted ceremony and ratings low last year. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 Oscars, including where to watch the live show, who’s expected to win and what the big controversies are this year.

WHEN ARE THE OSCARS?
The Oscars will be held on March 27, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony is set to begin at 8pm ET and will be broadcast live on ABC.

WHO IS HOSTING THE 2022 OSCARS?
Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes are taking the stage to co-host the ceremony, which has been without an emcee for the past three years. Producer Will Packer said each woman brings something different to the show.

WHO IS PRESENTING?
Show producers will continue adding names throughout the week, but at the moment stars expected to hand out awards Oscar night include Lady Gaga, Kevin Costner, Samuel L Jackson, Zoë Kravitz, Anthony Hopkins, Lily James, Daniel Kaluuya, Mila Kunis, John Leguizamo, Simu Liu, Rami Malek, Lupita Nyong’o, Rosie Perez, Chris Rock, Naomi Scott, Wesley Snipes, Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Yuh-jung Youn, Ruth E Carter, Halle Bailey, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, Shawn Mendes, Tyler Perry and Tracee Ellis Ross.

WHICH MOVIES ARE NOMINATED FOR BEST PICTURE AT THE 2022 OSCARS?
The 10 movies competing for best picture this year are: Belfast; CODA; Don’t Look Up; Drive My Car; Dune; King Richard; Licorice Pizza; Nightmare Alley; The Power of the Dog; West Side Story.

WHAT WERE THE MOST SURPISING OSCAR SNUBS?
There were a lot of surprises Oscar nominations morning. Some exclusions that stood out include Denis Villeneuve, whose Dune got the second most nominations (10) behind The Power of the Dog (12) including best picture, but who failed to get a directing nomination for himself.

The best actress category was especially brutal this year, leaving out Lady Gaga for House of Gucci, Jennifer Hudson for Respect and Caitriona Balfe for Belfast and Renate Reinsve for The Worst Person in the World.

WHAT ARE THE PREDICTIONS FOR THE WINNERS ON OSCAR NIGHT?
The Power of the Dog is the presumed frontrunner for best picture and best director, for Jane Campion, but there is also the possibility that CODA will take best picture. Either way, it’ll be the first time a streaming service has won best picture. Other likely winners include Will Smith for best actor (King Richard), Jessica Chastain for best actress (The Eyes of Tammy Faye), Troy Kotsur for best supporting actor (CODA) and Ariana DeBose for best supporting actress (West Side Story).

WHAT ELSE CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE OSCARS?
Organisers have promised that they will keep the broadcast to three hours and Packer (whose films include crowd pleasers like Girls Trip) wants to make it as entertaining as possible while still honouring the nominees and winners.

“The show will flow, not unlike a movie, in that there will be different themes and a different feel and different energy throughout the night,” Packer said in an interview with IndieWire.

“It will not feel or look or sound like one show for three hours. It’s taking you through the course of this cinematic journey.”

Best song nominees like Beyoncé, Van Morrison and Billie Eilish are also in talks to perform.

ARE THERE ANY CONTROVERSIES THIS YEAR?
The Oscars are so high profile that every year someone is upset about something (especially when changes are involved) but this year the biggest controversy is over the decision to present some awards before the live broadcast begins and edit them into the show later.

The eight awards are for shorts (live action, animated and documentary), editing, score, hair and makeup, sound and production design.

The decision has its defenders, but also an army of high-profile detractors, including Campion, Villeneuve, Steven Spielberg, Chastain and Penelope Cruz.

Mexico City’s new airport set for bumpy takeoff

MEXICO CITY (AFP) – Three weeks before facing a midterm recall referendum, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will today inaugurate his first major infrastructure pet project – a controversial new airport for Mexico City.

Built at a military air base outside the capital, Felipe Angeles International Airport is meant to take the pressure off the city’s Benito Juarez airport. But so far only a few airlines have agreed to use it, for a small number of mostly domestic flights.

Benito Juarez, which handled a record 50.3 million passengers in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic and is located within Mexico City, is one of the busiest airports in Latin America.

Felipe Angeles, named after a general in the Mexican revolution, divided opinion from the start. After taking office in 2018, Lopez Obrador cancelled another airport project launched by the previous government that was already one-third complete.

Felipe Angeles International Airport located north of Mexico City. PHOTO: AFP

How to finally master a burpee

Rachel Fairbank

THE WASHINGTON POST – There is perhaps no exercise as feared or recommended as a burpee. A full burpee combines a squat, jump-back, plank, push-up and a jump in the air into one continuous movement.

“Burpees are a fully functional exercise,” said a personal trainer and owner of Anywhere Fitness Ben Walker. Different body parts have to work together, while also developing a fuller range of movement. “This promotes better movement and flexibility in our everyday life,” Walker said.

The burpee was invented in the 1930s by a physiologist named Royal H Burpee Sr, as a way to test a person’s fitness. It was later adapted by the United States (US) Army to evaluate recruits’ fitness levels.

Given how hard each of these separate exercises can be, combining them into a single exercise is a tough task, but one that develops and shows flexibility, and improves range of motion, strength and cardiovascular conditioning.

“One of the biggest benefits is that burpees challenge the cardiovascular system as well as the muscular system in one catchall movement,” said a personal trainer and senior product manager with the American Council on Exercise Jacque Crockford. “When done appropriately, the burpee can be a high-reward exercise.”

If you’d like to access some of the benefits of burpees, but don’t know where to start, these are some ways to safely and gradually work your way up to doing them.

When it comes to learning to do a full burpee, think of it as an end-goal, rather than the beginning.

“You’re much better off building up slowly and steadily, rather than overdoing it on day one and potentially hurting yourself,” said sports physician at Houston Methodist Hospital Vijay Jotwani.

The risk of pushing yourself too hard, too fast is that burpees require a high degree of flexion in the wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips and knees, which can increase the risk of straining or injuring a muscle or ligament.

To build up slowly, focus first on the individual components or modified burpees.

“Just because someone does something one way doesn’t mean that it is incorrect to do it another way, especially if you have particular needs in your own body that you have to be managing,” Crockford said. “Giving yourself a little bit of grace is important.”

A gradual approach can help avoid overtraining and injury. “As long as someone is listening to their body and slowly advancing the intensity of their exercise, the risk of injury is low,” Jotwani said.

If you are recovering from an injury or have any concern, talk with your doctor and work with a certified fitness professional who can suggest additional modifications.

One of the challenges of burpees is the quick transition from a prone to an upright position. If you are dehydrated, this can cause dizziness. Be sure to hydrate well, and if the dizziness persists, be sure to talk with your doctor.

If you are struggling with one or several of the burpee’s components, work on them separately until you are comfortable doing each one.

“The whole burpee can be broken down and workshopped,” said personal trainer and the founder of Studio SWEAT onDemand in San Diego Cat Kom.

Starting with individual movements gives you the space to focus on developing the necessary strength. Combining them into a single continuous movement has the added benefit of getting your heart rate up.

Thailand aims for 70pc population with booster soon

BANGKOK (THE NATION THAILAND/ANN) – Thailand is aiming to administer COVID-19 booster shots to more than 70 per cent of the population before the virus can be declared endemic, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana has announced.

Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry is accelerating its vaccine rollout for the elderly across the country to protect them from the virus ahead of the Songkran festival in mid-April.

Thanakorn said booster shots are necessary if people want to coexist safely with COVID-19.

Not many people in Thailand have taken booster shots.

He said Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has expressed concern for the elderly, children and those with chronic conditions who can develop severe symptoms if infected.

Prayut has suggested that village health volunteers across the country find a way of actively encouraging local residents, particularly those at high risk, to get booster shots so the 70-per-cent target can be met, Thanakorn said.

More than 126.9 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered from February 2021 to March 17, and of those, 20.2 million were booster shots.

Monday, March 21, 2022

Women’s Day event focusses on breaking the bias

Women’s achievements in Brunei Darussalam were recognised during an event organised by the Embassy of Timor-Leste in Brunei Darussalam on Friday.

The event, held in conjunction with International Women’s Day, was hosted by the spouse of the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Brunei Darussalam Ana Guterres.

Permanent Secretary (Community and Culture) at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Hajah Nor Ashikin binti Haji Johari was the guest of honour.

More details on Monday’s Borneo Bulletin

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Borneo Bulletin is the leading English daily in the country. It was first published by Brunei Press. Today, Borneo Bulletin has become the foremost source of information on local and foreign affairs, and the region’s business news.

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