Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday reiterated China's commitment to opening-up in a congratulatory letter to a high-level
dialogue forum that saw the gathering of officials from international organizations, global executives, and economists, sending a strong
signal to participants that ...
While the US has intensified crackdowns on Chinese companies, business representatives from the US called for
increased cooperation between the world's two largest economies at the China Development Forum (CDF) 2023, a high-level dialogue platform held
in Beijing from Saturday to Monday.
Photo: A screenshot of Apple's Tim Cook's Sina Weibo on March 24, 2023.
"I'm thrilled to be back in China," Apple CEO Tim Cook said during a panel discussion, marking his first visit to China since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Every time I come to China, I learn stuff, I take something back with me. It's primarily about the culture."
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will make a
six-day official visit to China from Monday to Saturday, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office on Sunday
Prime movers: Anwar will be leading a huge trade delegation to China, where the Prime Minister will be holding substantive talks with Li
(left) and Xi. — AP
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim starts an official visit to China on March 28, where he is set to attend the
Boosting your 'happiness hormone' raises your mood, productivity and success levels.getty
Here’s a double combo to increase your dopamine levels: Cuddle your furry friend, while listening to your favourite tracks. — AFP
Fatigue, reduced concentration, memory loss and lack of motivation are some of the consequences of a dopamine deficiency.
However, this neurotransmitter – also known as the happiness hormone – can be stimulated naturally through certain actions and activities accessible to all.
Central to the brain’s reward system, this compound is naturally secreted to provide a certain feeling of satisfaction in response to specific actions, such as physical activity.
According to the French Federation for Brain Research (FRC), it is, more precisely, a “neurotransmitter, which in the central nervous system, activates postsynaptic dopaminergic receptors.
“[It] plays an essential final modulating role in motor and psychic output, ... serves to reinforce behaviours such as eating, and plays a role in motivation by functioning as a kind of reward system.”
A deficiency or excess of dopamine can have harmful consequences, ranging from memory loss to addictions, requiring a certain balance to be maintained.
Parkinson’s disease, linked to a degeneration of the neurons that produce dopamine, requires clinical therapies to stimulate the production of this substance.
But milder symptoms suggestive of dopamine deficiency, such as reduced concentration, fatigue or memory lapses, can potentially be relieved by everyday actions and activities that help stimulate its production.
Here are five ways to help keep this neuronal messenger at optimal levels:
> Play with your pet
Many studies have shown that pets, especially dogs and cats, are a source of happiness, and even a way to limit stress.
Not only do they help reduce the levels of cortisol – the stress hormone – according to American research, but our four-legged friends could also stimulate the production of dopamine.
Several scientific studies agree that petting a furry friend releases two essential substances: oxytocin, the love and social bonding hormone, and dopamine, our famous happiness hormone.
> Get some exercise
It is often said that exercise or playing sports releases endorphins.
This is true, but it is not the only pleasure or well-being hormone that is secreted by physical activity.
Whatever the chosen form, exercise naturally stimulates the production of dopamine during and after exertion, providing that feeling of well-being, accomplishment and satisfaction, or exercise “high”, that gym junkies often talk about.
It is therefore not surprising that certain scientific studies point to a link between physical activity, memory and concentration, or that it can be a source of motivation – and in excess, of exercise addiction.
> Listen to music
Music may soothe the savage beast, but that’s not all it can do.
It could also play an active role in stimulating the production of dopamine.
Music and pleasure appear to be intimately linked, provided of course that you choose tracks that you particularly like.
Activating the brain’s famous reward system, listening to music could even arouse feelings of euphoria and desire that are more often associated with eating, sex or taking certain drugs, as revealed by researchers from Canada’s McGill University.
It is therefore not surprising that music is now used in healthcare settings, with music therapy used to complement nursing care during painful procedures, for example.
> Make love
From relieving migraines to fighting certain cardiovascular (heart) diseases and even looking younger, sex seems to be particularly beneficial for health, according to numerous scientific studies.
But beyond that, sex could also be a stimulant for dopamine production – and for good reason, since it is obviously also directly associated with pleasure.
Making love is enough to secrete the famous molecule, but the orgasm alone provides a veritable cocktail of hormones, releasing serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin, which are all associated in one way or another with happiness and pleasure.
> Eat a healthy, balanced diet
A poor diet can be the cause of a dopamine deficiency.
Meanwhile, certain foods can help to naturally boost its production.
For this, it’s advisable to turn to certain foods rich in tyrosine, such as meat, fish, seaweed, leeks, spinach, legumes, avocados, bananas and chocolate.
All these ingredients help fight against stress, improve mood or limit fatigue. – AFP Relaxnews
We breathe automatically, but if you practise breathing purposefully, you’ll notice what a difference it can make, whether during exercise or for relaxation. — dpa
Inhale. Exhale. We normally don’t think about breathing – it’s automatic.
And when our body needs more oxygen than usual, e.g. during sporting activity, our breathing rate increases automatically too.
“It’s a vital process that takes place subconsciously,” says Barbara Nützel, an instructor at a school for health management in Saarbrücken, Germany.
In this way the body prevents itself from going into oxygen debt, which is a temporary oxygen shortage in body tissues resulting from intense exercise.
Our cells need oxygen to break down glucose and produce energy.
“Breathing is regulated by the autonomic nervous system and brainstem,” says Sylvain Laborde, a researcher in the performance psychology section of the Cologne-based German Sport University.
The brainstem respiratory network can adapt our breathing to external circumstances.
When we’re relaxed or asleep, we automatically tend to breathe deeply and evenly.
“Our body finetunes its oxygen supply,” she says.
“We have sensors – so-called chemoreceptors – that recognise whether we have sufficient oxygen, and not too much carbon dioxide, in our blood and adjust intake accordingly.”
But not all breathing is the same.
We can take air into our chest, or seemingly deep into our belly.
The latter is called diaphragmatic breathing, also known as abdominal breathing, belly breathing or deep breathing.
The diaphragm is a large, dome-shaped muscle at the base of the lungs.
When you breathe diaphragmatically, inhaling makes the diaphragm contract and move downward, which creates more space in your chest cavity and allows your lungs to expand.
When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes, moving upward in the chest cavity and forcing air out of your lungs.
We’re born knowing how to breathe diaphragmatically, says Nützel, but unlearn it as we grow older.
Stress is one reason our breathing becomes shallower.
“Chest breathing wastes energy,” Laborde says, “as it activates many muscles we don’t really need for breathing.”
Breathing the right way
Breathing this way during sporting activities reduces the amount of energy at our disposal.
Athletes would therefore do well to learn diaphragmatic breathing technique and practise it regularly.
It can bring their breathing rate down from 15-20 breaths per minute to six, according to Laborde.
It can also be worthwhile to attend a yoga class, where emphasis is placed on diaphragmatic breathing training, says Nützel, a yoga instructor herself.
Athletes can breathe either through the nose or mouth.
“No matter what the sport,” Laborde says, “it’s best to breathe through your nose because the air is then moister and warmer.”
This protects the respiratory passages from drying out and cooling down.
It also protects them from dirt, Nützel says, since “the nose acts as a natural filter for airborne particles”.
During intense athletic activity, however, it’s normal to breathe through the mouth to meet the body’s oxygen requirements.
“At high intensity, you need a lot of oxygen, so sometimes, you’ve got no choice,” says Laborde.
“If oxygen intake through the nose is too low, your performance suffers.”
Which breathing technique is best for a round of jogging or strength training at the gym then?
Nützel says: “Whatever sport you do, the point is to require as few breaths as possible.”
When we run, there’s no need to consciously adapt our breathing to our strides.
“It’s best to give your breathing free rein,” says Laborde, “because our body knows exactly how much air it needs.”
For strength sports such as weightlifting, on the other hand, a targeted breathing technique is useful.
“You should exhale as you work against gravity, and inhale again in the relaxed phase,” advises Nützel.
A well-known breathing technique during weightlifting is called the Valsalva manoeuvre.
“Athletes try to mobilise more strength by pressing air against their closed mouth and nasal passages,” notes Laborde, but adds that it makes little difference in their performance.
Practising yoga is a good way to increase your respiratory volume.
“You learn to breathe more deeply, and with a little training, you’ll need fewer breaths to reach the same volume,” says Nützel.
Breathing efficiently doesn’t only boost athletic performance by supplying the body with an optimal amount of oxygen.
“Conscious breathing strengthens the immune system as well,” remarks Nützel.
What’s more, she says, exhaling more slowly lowers blood pressure.
Your heart rate – and resting heart rate – decrease.
Breath training can also have positive psychological effects, such as stress reduction.
By breathing more mindfully and slowly on a daily basis, you not only enhance your performance capacity, but your quality of life too.
Laborde recommends integrating slow breathing into your evening routine as a relaxation technique.
“Over time, slow breathing is beneficial to health and advisable,” he says. – By Pauline Jürgens/dpa;
"Is there one democracy pattern that fits all countries?" "Does any country have the right to interfere with another country's
choice of democracy?" Attendees at an international forum answered "No" as they gathered in Beijing on Thursday to share their understanding of
democracy, expressing support to each country in exploring their own path to democracy and also opposition to a certain country's weaponizing
of democracy for geopolitical purposes.
The US' 2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices are "full of lies and ideological bias, and the clichés are repeated
year after year and are not even worth refuting," said Chinese authorities on Tuesday.
To be more precise, the hearing was designed from the beginning to be a TikTok "struggle session" with the presumption of guilt, a
trumped-up charge, and judgment before trial in which no evidence was presented, nor was TikTok given the time or opportunity to prove itself.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang
welcomed a number of representatives from "friendly" US groups and
business commu
China Moves To Flip The World Order - It's Official Now!
China just wrote a shocking paper on US economic hegemony, warning the world
of the US dollar. They are preparing for an economic conflict with the United States and this is horrible news for everyone. Inflation isn't
over, a trade war might be coming and we must all prepare for further chaos. 2023 might be the year of the ultimate black swan event and
investors must brace for impact!
BONES are a very important organ in our body and have many functions. Its role includes providing structure, protecting internal organs, anchoring muscles and storing calcium.
They also facilitate movement and are important for blood cell formation. Therefore, maintaining bone health is very important for everyone.
Normal bone metabolism is the complex sequence of bone turnover (osteoclast activity) and bone formation (osteoblast activity). The bones are continuously changing, where the old bones are broken down and replaced by new bones. This process is regulated by hormones such as parathyroid hormones, calcitonin, oestrogen, androgens, growth hormone, thyroid hormones, Vitamin D and steroids such as glucocorticosteroids.
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon at MSU Medical Centre Dr Ruzaimi Md Yusoff says, “Most people reach their peak bone mass around the age of 30. After that, bone remodelling continues, but you lose slightly more bone mass than you gain because of a decrease in osteoblast activity.
“The higher the peak of bone mass, the less likely for us to develop osteoporosis at a younger age.”
What affects bone health
The following are the risk factors which can affect bone health. Modifiable risk factors are:
• Diet. A low calcium intake will cause low bone density and will lead to early bone loss causing a higher risk of fractures. Not getting enough vitamin D can also increase the risk of osteoporosis.
• Physical activity. Not exercising and not being active for long periods can increase the chances of getting osteoporosis.
• Body weight. Maintaining an ideal body weight is important for bone health. This is because an extremely thin individual will have lesser bone mass.
• Smoking. Research suggests that tobacco will increase the risk of osteoporosis. Women who smoke also go through menopause earlier than those who don’t smoke.
• Alcohol. People who consume a lot of alcohol are more likely to get osteoporosis.
• Medicines. Certain medications can affect bone health. Prolonged usage of corticosteroid medications such as cortisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone can be damaging to the bone.
Non-modifiable risk factors are:
• Age. Advanced age causes thinning and weakening of the bone.
• Gender. Women have a greater risk of osteoporosis as they have less bone tissue than men. Women also lose bone faster than men because of hormonal changes that occur after menopause.
• Ethnicity. Caucasian and Asian women are more prone to osteoporosis.
• Family history. A strong family history of osteoporosis predisposes an individual to develop osteoporosis at an earlier age.
Maintaining healthy bones
Maintaining bone health is important to prevent or slow down the process of bone loss.
Dietary calcium intake is extremely important. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of calcium for female adults aged 19 to 50 years and males aged 51 to 70 years is 1,000mg per day. The recommendation increases to 1,200mg a day for women aged 51 years and older and for men aged 71 years and older.
Good sources of calcium include dairy products, almonds, broccoli, kale, canned salmon with bones, sardines and soy products such as tofu.
Calcium supplements may also be prescribed by a doctor if needed.
Adequate vitamin D intake is important for calcium absorption. For adults aged 19 to 70 years, the RDA of vitamin D is 600 international units (IUS) a day. The recommendation increases to 800IUS a day for adults aged 71 years and older.
Good sources of vitamin D include oily fish such as salmon, trout, whitefish and tuna. Sunlight also contributes to the body’s production of vitamin D. Supplements may also be prescribed if indicated.
Physical activity especially weightbearing exercises such as walking, jogging and climbing stairs can build strong bones and slow the process of bone loss. Last but not least, avoid smoking and limit alcohol intake to help delay osteoporosis.
Signs of bone health problems
There are some signs of osteoporosis that we should look out for:
• Receding gums. A dentist might be the first person to spot signs of osteoporosis. Research suggests that if there is significant bone loss in the jaw, it could be a sign of bone loss in other areas of your body.
• Chipped or brittle nails. Chipping a nail frequently could be a sign that other bones may also be brittle. Those who have low levels of collagen or calcium in their nails also do not have enough calcium in their bones.
• Weakened grip. Have you started to notice that you cannot turn the doorknob easily? The strength of the handgrip and the density of the bones in the arms, hips and spine are directly related.
• Fractured bones. The hips, spine and wrists are the most common body parts to fracture. Fractures occur from trivial trauma such as slight knocks, bending over or lifting items.
When to see a doctor
It’s important to seek medical attention for any type of bone pain, especially if the pain is severe, persistent, worsening over time or associated with swelling, redness, warmth, a fever, unintentional weight loss or a palpable mass or lump.
Since osteoporosis does not have any symptoms until a bone breaks, it is important to talk to your doctor about your bone health.
If your doctor feels that you are at risk for osteoporosis, a bone density test may be performedto measure the density of your bones, and assess for osteoporosis and risks of breaking a bone.
Doctors may prescribe medicine if your bones are weak and have a higher risk of osteoporotic fracture in the future. These include bisphosphonates, oestrogen agonists/antagonists, calcitonin, parathyroid hormone, oestrogen therapy and hormone therapy.
Show of support: Anwar surrounded by supporters as he arrived at the Youth Empowerment Fair at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here yesterday. He called on Malaysians to stop corruption, racism and religious bigotry. — Bernama
(LIVE) Anwar Ibrahim: Sesi Dialog Anak Muda Temu Anwar 2023
Rangkuman Program Youth Empowerment Fair 2023 di Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre KLCC.
KUALA LUMPUR: It is time for Malaysians to unite and back the current leadership to end corruption as well as racial and religious bigotry, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“Remember, I need the full support of every Malaysian. It is time for Malaysia to chart a new history.
“No more corruption. Stop racism and religious bigotry. Let us work together,” Anwar said to a standing ovation during a youth dialogue session at the Youth Empowerment Fair at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here yesterday.
Anwar said it was heart-warming that youth at the dialogue session supported his stand.
“When I look at the innocent faces of youth, who were full of support, I’m telling you, you made my day. I love you guys,” he added.
Earlier, the Prime Minister said it was fine for students to be involved in political activism as long as they did not end up as lackeys or staunch party loyalists.
“You want to be an activist? Okay, but don’t be a ‘macai’ (lackey) or ‘walaun’,” he said.
Walaun is a colloquial reference which describes individuals who are staunch PAS loyalists.
Anwar also spoke about his experience as a student activist, which landed him two years in the Kamunting detention centre under the Internal Security Act (ISA) after he protested against rural poverty.
He said the silver lining in his imprisonment was that he began reading books.
“I started reading books that I didn’t read when I was at university. That is why I got a little smarter,” he added.
Without naming names, Anwar also said a certain desperate leader who had fallen out of power had resorted to manipulating sensitive public issues.
“He also resorted to religious bigotry without any understanding,” he said.
The premier warned that stern action would be taken against those who stoked racial and religious flames.
“For those expressing their opinions, we will protect your rights.
“But those who are playing up racial and religious issues, dividing the people, and instigating violence – I will take stern action,” Anwar said.
Last Friday, after chairing a Cabinet meeting, Anwar said he had ordered security forces to be on high alert against those stirring up racial and religious rhetoric ahead of a planned “Malay Proclamation” gathering that was to be attended by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
The gathering was called off after its organisers failed to secure the venue for the second time. They were also rejected for a third time yesterday.
At the dialogue yesterday, Anwar fielded questions from youth in the session moderated by actress Amelia Henderson.
Various issues were raised, and he committed to addressing them, including the monopoly of Touch ‘n Go in the highway toll collection system.
“Touch ‘n Go has operated for more than two decades, and there were no convincing developments in its system.
“We will reconsider the Touch ‘n Go monopoly,” he added.
Other issues raised were the need to improve the public transport system and cannabis legalisation, to which he said he would consider all views.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says he wants to put a stop to racism and religious bigotry in the country. -BERNAMA PIC
Saya orang Melayu....but seriously Tun just where are you going with this?
If this is from Muhyiddin...yes. From Hadi? Also, a yes. ....but surely you would have more sense than to invite Malays to this event to proclaim that the Malays "menghadapi kemungkinan hilang kuasa".
I am 75 Tun...and never in my life have I ever thought that the Malays "menghadapi kemungkinan hilang kuasa". Never ever...and it would be disingenuous...maybe even treasonous of you to suggest that the Malays now "menghadapi kemungkinan hilang kuasa". And the only reason for you to want to create these kinds of mischief is for personal political gain. Using race to further your own political gain, must surely be treason because it brings back shades of May 13 and the killing fields that came with May13.
Are there Malays who will be with you in this endeavor to take back Malaysia from the non Malays? For sure there will be.
Will there be Malays who can be whipped up into a frenzy of hate and loathing for the non-Malays to the extent that they will resort to physical violence to put the others in their place - as pendatangs to their Tanah Air? For sure there will be as there were, during May13.
The line between love and hate among the Malays and the others in this wretched country of ours, alas, is so thin and fragile because that is how you have wanted it to be. And all it takes to take racial balance over the edge is for some Malay leader to do what you are doing now....ask the Malays to rally together because the Malays "menghadapi kemungkinan hilang kuasa".
The Malays are not losing political power. *You, Tun M have lost political power. *
The Malays have not lost their dignity.
*You have lost your dignity, Tun. *
The Malays have not lost their self-respect. You have lost yours.
Personally, I am so, so disappointed by the things you have done after you lost your seat and your deposit in Langkawi. And, not only you, but everyone else in your Pejuang has also lost their seats and their deposit in GE15.
So now there is only Putra and PAS left for you to go to. Damm dignity, damm self-respect and damm any trace of self-worth that you might still have left within you. You have now gone crawling to Hadi not to ask for help, but to beg. To beg Hadi to throw you a lifeline to save you from downing - drowning in a pool of political irrelevance that you are already drowning in.
Hadi better help you Tun because God will surely not!
