Concert: Asia’s King Of Pop Jay Chou Proves ‘Invincible’

Concert: Asia’s King Of Pop Jay Chou Proves ‘Invincible’ - There is no doubt that Jay Chou is invincible.

But last Saturday night, hordes of Malaysian fans at The Invincible 2 Jay Chou Concert Tour at Stadium Merdeka, proved they were not to be underestimated either.

The Asian King of Pop, who turned 39 on Jan 18, performed his brand new single Waiting For You (Deng Ni Xia Ke) at the concert and was thrilled when he heard his fans singing along.

“Alright! You all know how to sing it. Sometimes, I go to places where fans don’t know my new songs. But here in Malaysia, you can all sing my newest song,” beamed the Taiwanese singer-songwriter, visibly moved by the fans’ enthusiastic response.

However, it was not a bed of roses for Chou. He arrived in Malaysia the day before his sold-out concert to conduct sound checks and rehearsals, only to discover he had caught a flu and lost his voice!

So, instead of his usual habit of going sightseeing or popping into a shopping mall where he’d end up snapping selfies with fans, Chou opted for bed rest and slept for more than 24 hours to speed up his recovery.

In an Instagram post, Chou commented in English: “Hope the rain will stop tomorrow… and my voice will get better.”

Fortunately, it all worked out well for the Taiwanese multi-hyphenate: The skies cleared and he got his voice back.

Chou apologised at the start of the concert for sounding somewhat hoarse, but the pop star warmed up quickly thanks to his Malaysian fans who sang along with him on every track.

Chou has written and recorded more than 150 songs, and released 14 studio albums as a singer-songwriter. Chou has appeared in 14 films, including three Hollywood releases and directed two features.

That is why his shows are always a veritable feast for the senses, showcasing latest innovations in music and cinema.

Kicking off his show with upbeat hits like Hero, Nunchucks and Armageddon, Chou ruled the stage from his shiny throne as he dazzled his audience with new musical arrangements and sparkly costumes.

There were also guest artistes namely the Taiwanese music group, Nan Quan Mama and Penangite teenager Janice Tan, who was his mentee from last year’s Chinese reality talent show Sing! China Season 2.

He duetted with her on Secret, prompting fans to cheer as baby-faced Tan hit all the high notes.

Together with his guests, Chou delivered a total of 28 songs, and then returned for an encore which stretched over an hour.

One of the concert highlights was when Chou sang duets with eight lucky fans, including an ardent supporter who travelled all the way from Hunan, China.

As the show drew to a close, fans refused to leave, so Chou promised to be back again next year.

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West Ham Fight Back To Draw 1-1 With Palace

West Ham Fight Back To Draw 1-1 With Palace - An injury-plagued West Ham United fought back to salvage a 1-1 home draw against Crystal Palace in a hard-fought Premier League encounter at the London Stadium on Tuesday.

With 10 first team players missing, including influential pair Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini, the situation looked grim for West Ham boss David Moyes when Palace took the lead through Belgian striker Christian Benteke in the 23rd minute.

Rising to meet Andros Townsend's teasing cross, it was only Benteke's second league goal of the season.

The hosts responded and were rewarded when referee Neil Swarbrick awarded them a penalty for a foul by former Hammers defender James Tomkins, with West Ham captain Mark Noble calmly dispatching the spot kick two minutes before halftime.

Inspired by the tenacious tackling of Noble and makeshift midfielder Pablo Zabaleta, West Ham pushed for a winner after the break.

Five minutes after halftime, Javier Hernandez had a glorious chance to give West Ham the lead, only to see his point-blank header parried away by Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

Moyes said he was pleased with his side's display and a particular bright spot was the performance of debutant midfielder Joao Mario, who joined West Ham on loan from Inter Milan last week.

"We were thinking (to take him off) after 60 or 70 minutes, but he didn’t look like he needed it," said Moyes.

"He was like a diesel engine, looked as if he could get up and down no problem. He covered the ground easily and certainly played like a really good footballer tonight.”

The draw means West Ham go above Watford into 10th place, while Palace remain a point back in 12th.

Just eight points separate the bottom 12 clubs in the Premier League, meaning neither side is yet free of relegation danger.

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Extreme Explorer Takes On Adventures Around The World

Extreme Explorer Takes On Adventures Around The World - “Man overboard!” the tanned, rugged-looking man yelled out. We were sailing on the Pangaea, a sea vessel belonging to South Africa-born Swiss explorer Mike Horn. No one was actually overboard – everyone was safe.

Horn was showing members of the media what to do if someone were to fall off the Pangaea, which means “one Earth” in Greek. “After sounding the alert and turning off the engine, keep one eye on the person overboard, while getting the lifebuoy and throwing it to him,” he explained.

Smooth and comfortable drive

Earlier, members of the media took turns to drive the latest Mercedes Benz GLC series from Kuala Lumpur to Port Dickson to meet with Horn and his crew, Jacek Proniewicz from Poland and Laure Berthonneau from France. My “partner-in-drive” and I drove the GLC200, an SUV. Despite the wet, rainy day, it was a smooth and comfortable drive.

Once we arrived at Port Dickson, we boarded the Pangaea and listened with rapt attention to Horn, 51. He talked about how he started sailing the Pangaea on the Young Explorers Programme in 2008. “We brought 200 young people aged 15 to 20 years – the top physical and mental performers from all over the world – on 12 different expeditions to New Zealand, Antarctica, Mongolia, Russia, Indonesia, Canada, India and other destinations,” he shared.

Explore, learn, act

“Each trip had a social and environmental purpose. The goal was to ‘explore, learn, act’. The kids had the opportunity to learn about ice, reconstruct corals, clean beaches and plant trees. The world is a fragile place and in order to protect it, we need to respect it, as well as respect one another,” Horn continued.

The Pangaea is unique as it was built using green technology, and the hull is made of 100% recycled aluminium. The yacht uses a Mercedes-Benz engine that was initially designed and produced for powerful trucks.

“It’s also unpainted and an ice-breaker (ship that’s able to navigate through ice-covered waters). The Pangaea is like the 4WD of the ocean,” he said.

North to South

Horn’s latest expedition is the Pole2Pole, where he traversed the globe from the South Pole to the North Pole in two years from 2016 to 2017. Starting at the Yacht Club Monaco, he travelled via land in sponsored vehicles from Mercedes-Benz, then sailed the Pangaea from Africa to the Antarctica, Oceania, Asia, the Arctic, and back to Europe.

During this most recent expedition, he also complete the longest unsupported, solo North-to-South crossing of the Antarctica, covering 5,100km, using just skis and kites to pull him across snow and ice. It took him 57 days. According to Horn, this is his most memorable adventure to date.

Childhood dream

“This was my childhood dream, and achieving it is a milestone in my career as an explorer. It took me over 25 years of exploring just to acquire the knowledge and experience to undertake such a feat.”

It was also his most physically, mentally and emotionally challenging adventure, he revealed. “I was pressed for time, needed to traverse the continent before winter or I would have been left to die. I fell down crevasses, lost some of my equipment, and broke many bones!”

First adventure

When he was younger, Horn studied Human Movement Science at a university in South Africa, and worked in the field of sports science. In 1997, he went on his first big adventure to South America where, from the Pacific Ocean, he climbed up the Peruvian Andes to the Amazon river source. He then riverboarded 7,000km down the river to the Atlantic Ocean.

The solo unsupported expedition took him six months; he hunted, foraged and fished to survive.

Equatorial exploration

Horn then went on the Latitude Zero expedition in 1999, where he traversed the Equator by bike, boat and on foot. The 18-month expedition took him from Gabon in Central Africa, through Brazil, Ecuador, Borneo and Sumatra, as well as the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. It was the first solo unassisted circumnavigation of the world around the Equator.

From 2002 to 2004, Horn went on the Arktos expedition, where he boated, kayaked, ski-kited, and trekked around the Arctic Circle. The 20,000km solo non-motor-assisted expedition took him slightly over two years. From North Cape in Norway, he went through Greenland, Canada, Alaska, the Bering Strait and Siberia in Russia.

Mountain conquests

Apart from these expeditions, Horn has also gone on some of the most difficult mountain conquests. These include the Gasherbrum 1 (K5 or Hidden Peak/world’s 11th highest peak), Gasherbrum 2 (K4/13th highest) and Broad Peak (12th highest) on the Pakistan–China border; Makalu (fifth highest) on the Nepal-China border; and K2, which is the world’s second highest peak in Pakistan. Horn successfully drove through difficult terrain, from Switzerland through 13 countries to Pakistan, but did not climb to the summit due to bad weather.

When asked whether he has time for family life, being on the road all the time, the widower replied: “My late wife, Cathy, was incredible. She was the core of all my expeditions, and now, my two daughters have filled her role.

“Thanks to her, I was able to execute a lot of my expeditions so perfectly. She was organised, considerate, and a doer. Our family expeditions remain some of my best memories as an explorer, husband, and father.”

Starting ’em young

Horn’s daughters are now aged 24 and 25 and have followed him around the world from a very young age. “I brought them to Canada when they were 11 and 12, and we crossed an island that was 500km wide and climbed a small unnamed peak. That was the only preparation for the year after, when I brought them to the North Pole. They were the youngest girls to ski to the North Pole at the age of 12 and 14!” he shared, beaming with pride.

Having travelled to so many places, it is not surprising to discover that Horn is quite the linguist, speaking seven languages: Afrikaans, English, Spanish, French, Russian, German and Dutch. His daughters can speak five languages.

Purposed to inspire

Horn is also a motivational speaker and uses his experiences as an explorer to motivate not just athletes and sports enthusiasts, but folks with physically and mentally challenging jobs too. On top of that, he has published six books in French (with English translated versions) and participated in two French television shows.

His recent visit to Malaysia wasn’t his first. In fact, Horn has been here 13 times. “I love coming here. The scenery is breathtaking and the people, friendly. It’s not my first time, and it definitely won’t be my last.”

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You Can Die From This

You Can Die From This - The flu sickens and kills many in a good year, and this is already a bad one.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), since 2010, flu has annually caused “between 9.2 million and 35.6 million illnesses, between 140,000 and 710,000 hospitalisations and between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths” in the United States.

In the 2017-18 season, which began in November and won’t end until March, hospital emergency rooms are overflowing, deaths are running ahead of recent years and pharmacies are low on the anti-flu drug oseltamivir and intravenous solutions needed to keep patients hydrated.

Vaccination ought to be the key to prevention. According to estimates from the CDC, in the six influenza seasons starting in 2005-06 in the US, vaccination prevented 13.59 million cases.

That looks impressive, but our current vaccines are barely adequate, and the nation’s drug regulators and science-funding agencies aren’t doing enough about it.

Because flu viruses mutate frequently, vaccines are reformulated each year to target the virus strains predicted to prevail during the coming fall and winter.

How well the flu shot works depends on how accurate the prediction is. Since the 2004-05 season, the flu vaccines’ effectiveness has varied from 10% to 60%.

This year, the vaccine is an especially poor match, in part because what’s going around is predominantly a virulent strain called H3N2. Although that strain is targeted by this season’s flu shot, most of the vaccine is prepared from fertilised chicken eggs, a method known to reduce its effectiveness against certain strains, particularly H3N2.

We can do better.

Vaccines work by exposing us to non-infectious components of a virus – the viral antigens – that elicit an immune response.

Regulators could encourage manufacturers to stop using chicken eggs and instead prepare vaccines in “cultured cells” – cells that are removed from animals and grown in controlled conditions.

This method would produce vaccines with greater fidelity to the targeted flu strains.

We also need more research on “adjuvants”, chemicals mixed with the viral antigens to further boost our immune response.

But most of all, we need to accelerate research on the holy grail of flu prevention: a “universal” vaccine that would target a part or parts of the virus that remain unchanged among different strains, even during the virus’ rapid mutations.

A universal vaccine has the potential to provide us with permanent protection from all strains of flu. Several different approaches to a universal vaccine are being pursued, and the preliminary research is promising.

Nevertheless, there is surprisingly meager research funding in this area.

A recent New York Times article, by Michael T. Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, and writer Mark Olshaker, tracked the US government’s investment in flu vaccine research: “The National Institutes of Health has publicly declared developing a (universal) vaccine a priority, (but) it has only about US$32mil (RM125.48mil) this year specifically for such research.”

Another US agency, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, is spending US$43mil (RM168.62mil) on a single project in pursuit of “game-changing influenza vaccines”.

These are minimal efforts when matched against the US$1bil (RM3.92bil) spent annually on developing an HIV vaccine and the many billions that have been spent on vaccines for the Zika and Ebola viruses.

Within the vaccinated population, a vaccine’s effectiveness varies widely because it is affected by the general health and age of the recipient.

Although people 65 and older make up only 15% of the US population, on average, they account for about 60% of the hospitalisations and 90% of the deaths attributed to seasonal flu.

Seniors respond less well to vaccines than younger people because, as we age, our immune system functions less well.

Scientists at the US National Institutes of Health, after reviewing 31 vaccine response studies comparing groups of different ages, called for more potent formulations for the elderly.

But exactly how strong the shot should be, and whether additional injections would boost immunity, requires more study.

There is a flu vaccine for people over 65 that contains four times as much antigen as regular flu shots, and one that contains an adjuvant, but they have improved the shot’s effectiveness only slightly.

An increase in research funding on adjuvants, more effective dosing regimens and better production methods are simple changes that would better prepare us to face flu outbreaks.

Increasing the funding for developing a universal vaccine is more challenging, but it promises much greater results. The fraught flu season of 2017-18 is a sign we need to conquer the disease once and for all. – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service

Dr Henry I. Miller, a physician, molecular biologist and former flu virus researcher, is a fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.

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Camels Left Pouting As Saudis Ban Botox At Beauty Pageant

Camels Left Pouting As Saudis Ban Botox At Beauty Pageant -  Huddled together on a dusty racetrack, Saudi judges scrutinise pouty lips and shapely humps in a high-stakes camel beauty pageant mired in scandal after botox and cosmetic fillers were detected.

Some 14 camels have been disqualified from the month-long King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, an annual bedouin tradition supported by the Saudi royal family that lures breeders from around the Gulf with prize money of up to $57mil (RM222mil).

Organisers of the festival -- with 30,000 participating camels -- are cracking down on cosmetic enhancements, a malpractice that has thrived amid stiff competition and despite strong penalties as some stake millions on acquiring top breeds.

”Some breeders cannot afford to buy expensive camels,” said Abdullah bin Naser al-Dagheri, one of the judges, scribbling scores on sheafs of papers as he stood on tracks littered with camel droppings.

”They buy cheap, not so good-looking camels and try to beautify them artificially. We’re cracking down on such fraud.”

Droopy lips, a tall neck and a perfectly placed hump are all winning attributes in camel pageantry.      

- Lure of lucre -      

The lure of cash prizes and the prestige of winning propels some to tweak the natural look of camels, an offence that could get the animals banned from the competition for three to five years.

Days before the festival began, Saudi authorities caught one vet performing plastic surgery on camels, media reported, prompting furious calls for new penalties on cheats.

Camels were given botox injections at his clinic and some went under the knife to make their ears more perky, also considered a winning trait.

”Cheating is inevitable -- even in a contest about beauty,” said chief judge Fawzan al-Madi.

”It is prevalent just like any other animal sport such as horse racing where steroids have found their way.”

Madi added that specialised vets and a team from the agriculture ministry had been deployed to catch violations, which include beauty products such as oils, anaesthetic creams and fillers.

Saudi Arabia is in the midst of historic social and economic change as it seeks to leapfrog into a modern, post-oil era.

Women will be allowed to drive from June, and the ultra-conservative kingdom is gearing up to reopen cinemas for the first time in decades.

But simultaneously it is also seeking to preserve its bedouin traditions and cultural heritage.      

- Pride before profit -      

”Camels are a symbol of the Arabian peninsula, a symbol of Saudi Arabia,” Madi said.

”They are our pride.”

Thousands of visitors have attended this year’s festival, which last year relocated from the remote desert to Al-Rumhiya on the outskirts of the capital Riyadh.

The spectator stands erupted in whistles and howls as camels strode down the racetrack, their humps draped in golden belts adorned with tassels and bells.

Revellers waved makeshift flags, mounting their chequered headgear on sticks as camels representing their tribes appeared.

The festival, which ends with a closing ceremony presided over by King Salman on February 1, also features camel racing and milk tasting, as well as a petting zoo featuring the world’s tallest camel which stands at nearly three metres (10 feet).

Desert storms frequently interrupt the festival, forcing VIP visitors inside luxury air-conditioned tents offering sugary pastries, Arabic coffee and dried fruit.

The spirit of the festival should not be overshadowed by some cases of cheating, said camel owner Howashel al-Dosary, displaying to AFP the most expensive among his flock of 100 camels, worth five million riyals ($1.3 million).

”If I catch a cheat I will tell him:‘May God never help you! I don’t want to see your face again.’“

”Our pride is more important than profit.”

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Legend Nicklaus Adds Value To First Golf Resort In Gelang Patah

Legend Nicklaus Adds Value To First Golf Resort In Gelang Patah - The Forest City Golf Resort, valued at RM1.8bil, is poised to be another prestigious championship golf course in Johor, making the state a premier golfing destination.

It is also set to redefine golf tourism to embrace the “complete golf holiday experience”.

“Golf courses were mushrooming throughout the state in the early 1990s but a price war among the competitors, failure to add value to the golf packages and a lackadaisical attitude in upkeeping maintenance have affected the booming golf industry in Johor.

“The Forest City Golf Resort, offering a tri-course, with the first 18 holes designed by Jack Nicklaus and his son, is expected to further be a part of the bigger players in Johor to revive and add more value to the state as a golf paradise once again,” said Johor Golf Tourism Association president Colonel Mohd Jamal Salleh.

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Master developer of Forest City – Country Garden Pacificview Sdn Bhd (CGPV) – has, to-date, spent RM309mil on developing the golf resort, which has three golf courses, a hotel and residential units.

Johor boasts the highest number of golf courses in the country with 27 state-wide to date. But it is believed that there are only five that have tri-courses.

Datuk Mohd Othman Yusof, executive director of CGPV, said in his welcome speech that the first golf course named Forest City Legacy Golf Course, would give golfers the experience and affordability that are not found in other golf courses.

“Being only a stone’s throw away from the Woodlands checkpoint, this golf resort will attract international golfers, residents and visitors,” he said.

Nicklaus said the golf course was fully man-made as there was nothing there before.

“We had to work the ninth and 18th greens around a hill, and the golf course has beautiful river views.

“From a player’s standpoint, the golf course we have designed is unique as golfers cannot find anything like it in Singapore or Malaysia.

“Although the terrains are challenging, the golf course was built with the amateur golfers in mind, as well as for handicappers and professional golfers.”

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Bruno Mars Wins Big At The Grammys With 6 Awards

Bruno Mars Wins Big At The Grammys With 6 Awards - The big question leading into Sunday night’s Grammy Awards: will hip-hop finally get its long overdue recognition with an Album of the Year win?

Not quite, though R&B had an exceptionally strong showing on Sunday night (Monday morning, Malaysian time).

Jay-Z, who was 2018’s most nominated artists, with eight, walked away empty-handed.

Bruno Mars won all seven awards that he was nominated for: Album and Record of the Year for 24K Magic and Song of the Year for That’s What I Like; Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for That’s What I Like. 24K Magic was also awarded Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical) and Best R&B Album. Mars already claimed 11 Grammy Awards going into the night.

“Don’t cut me off Grammys, please,” said Mars from the stage while accepting the last award of the night. Recounting his early days as a young performer entertaining tourists in his native Hawaii, Mars name-checked writer-producers Babyface, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Teddy Riley as key influences.

Kendrick Lamar was the night’s second biggest winner, picking up five Grammys, starting with his first of the night for Best Music Video for HUMBLE, which also won Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance.

Soon after, he won during the telecast for Best Rap/Sung Performance for Loyalty featuring Rihanna.

”She gassed me on my own song,” said Lamar. ”This really belongs to her.” Added Rihanna: ”I’m honoured. Congrats, you deserve this, man.”

Best Rap Album also went to Lamar. Speaking from the stage, the rapper accepted by showing his respect for artists who came before him including fellow nominee Jay-Z.

”This is a special award,” said Lamar. ”It showed me the true definition of what being an artist was” … that ”it’s not about accolades, cars and clothes … it’s about the next generation. Jay-Z, Nas, Puff – they showed me the game through their lyrics up close and from afar.”

Alessia Cara won Best New Artiste commenting that she had been practicing for a Grammy acceptance speech since childhood – in the shower.

Speaking to reporters backstage following her win, Cara commented: ”I didn’t expect this. None of this feels real. I probably won’t process this for another seven years.”

Cara was the only female artist awarded during the three-and-a-half hour broadcast.

Ed Sheeran, thought by many to be a shoo-in for a slew of nominations, only got recognised in two categories coming into the awards and won both – for Best Pop Vocal Album for his album Divide and for Best Pop Solo Performance for Shape Of You.

Other notable winners included Chris Stapleton for Best Country Album; the HBO documentary The Defiant Ones about Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine for Best Music Film; 2016 holdover La La Land won for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media and Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.

Dave Chappelle won for Best Comedy Album and Lisa Loeb was also a first time Grammy winner for Best Children’s Album – her Feel What U Feel was funded and released by Amazon.

Americana favourite Jason Isbell picked up Best American Roots Song for If We Were Vampires and Best Americana Album for The Nashville Sound, while Aimee Mann took home Best Folk Album for Mental Illness.

Best Dance Recording went to LCD Soundsytem for the track Tonite, while the Best Dance/Electronic Album prize went to the Kraftwerk collection 3-D The Catalogue.

Winners in the rock category included the late Leonard Cohen for You Want It Darker, his 14th and final album, which was released a month before his death.

Best Metal Performance went to Mastodon for Sultan’s Curse and Foo Fighters took home Best Rock Song for Run. Both bands are Grammy favourites with multiple nominations in past years.

Less expected was a win for Philadelphia band The War On Drugs for A Deeper Understanding, released in Aug 2017. The group has built a loyal following from touring festivals and their own headlining shows since breaking out with their 2014 album Lost In A Dream.

The Grammys awarded artists in 84 categories in multiple genres including classical, jazz, opera, gospel, new age, Christian and Latin music. –  Shirley Halper/Reuters

Here is a selected list of winners:

Album of the year: 24K Magic, Bruno Mars

Record of the year: 24K Magic, Bruno Mars

Song of the year: That’s What I Like, Bruno Mars

Best new artist: Alessia Cara

Best pop solo performance: Shape Of You, Ed Sheeran

Best pop duo/group performance: Feel It Still, Portugal. The Man

Best pop vocal album: Divide, Ed Sheeran

Best rock album: A Deeper Understanding, The War on Drugs

Best alternative music album: Sleep Well Beast, The National

Best rap album: DAMN., Kendrick Lamar

Best rap song: HUMBLE. Kendrick Lamar

Best rap performance: Kendrick Lamar

Best urban contemporary album: Starboy, The Weeknd

Best R&B album: 24K Magic, Bruno Mars

Best R&B performance: Bruno Mars

Best R&B song: That’s What I Like, Bruno Mars

Best country album: From A Room: Volume 1, Chris Stapleton

Best music video: HUMBLE., Kendrick Lamar

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Favourites Suffer First Reverse

Favourites Suffer First Reverse - Puchong United Badminton Club (BC) tasted defeat for the first time in this season’s SS Purple League (SSPL) after falling to Cheras BC 4-13 in their stage two Group A match at the Sports Arena Sentosa, Old Klang Road.

With the grand finals looming, leaders Puchong United BC rested several key players in their last Stage Two match as they have already secured a place in the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Cheras BC were desperate to register a big win as they needed 11 points to overtake Petaling BC for an automatic semi-finals slot in next month’s SSPL Finals.

National shuttler Chong Yee Han’s experience shone through as the Cheras BC’s first men’s singles triumphed over Puchong United BC’s Chia Weijie 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-7) giving his team a bright start.

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Cheras BC recovered swiftly to take the men’s doubles match. The experience of Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Mohd Arif Ab Latif proved pivotal as they cruised past their opponents – Adam Lau Yu Ming and Wong Wai Jun – in straight sets (11-3, 11-8, 11-7).

Ahmad Maziri Mazlan and Shela Devi Aulia’s 3-1 win in the mixed doubles match meant that Cheras BC was one point away from the automatic semi-finals spot. The pair beat Puchong United BC’s Mak Hee Chun and Ng Qi Xuan 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8.

Cheras BC’s old head, Chong Wei Feng duly delivered in the last match of the SSPL 2017/18 Stage 2 as he trashed Puchong United BC’s Alfred Lau Yu Leong 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-8).

“I am proud of my team’s efforts as we worked really hard to eventually finish second and enter the semi-finals directly.

“We will take it step by step. Obviously, we aim to enter the finals,” said Cheras BC head coach Rashid Sidek.

“But I am wary of the other teams such as Petaling BC as we do not know their true strengths. Despite this, I just want my players to work even harder and focus on our game,” he added.

In Group B, Petaling BC ended their SSPL 2017/18 Stage 2 campaign on the right note after defeating Ampang Jaya BC 14-7.

Cheras BC joins Puchong United BC in earning byes into the SSPL 2017/18 semi-finals while Petaling BC, Ampang Jaya BC, Kepong BC and Petaling Jaya BC will have to do battle in the quarter-final round.

Meanwhile, the SSPL Finals draw was held yesterday as the top six teams learned their fate in the knock-out phase which will be held at the Arena of Stars, Resorts World Genting from Feb 8 to 11.

Ampang Jaya BC will take on defending champions, Petaling Jaya BC in the first quarter-final while Kepong BC and Petaling BC will battle it out in the other quarter-final match. Both Puchong United BC and Cheras BC earned byes into the semi-finals.

This season’s favourites, Puchong United BC, will face the winner of the first quarter-final between Ampang Jaya BC and Petaling Jaya BC while Cheras BC play the victor of the second quarter-final.

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Comfortable Hiking: The Goal Is Not The Mountain Top

Comfortable Hiking: The Goal Is Not The Mountain Top - Mountains do play a key role in the new active holidays trend called “comfortable hiking” – but that doesn’t mean these hikes need to be challenging.

The world over, travel organisers are becoming increasingly specialised in catering to the precise needs of vacationers heading for the hills in Asia, South America, North Africa or Europe.

Be it in Nepal, Morocco, Chile or even Greenland, most trekking tourists are out to explore the breathtaking landscapes at their own pace and not out to set records.

That’s why Kundri Boehmer-Bauer of Hauser Excursions, a travel operator in Germany specialised in hiking tours, says Nepal is catering to the needs of more casual hikers with easier “comfort trekking” tours.

It’s particularly heartening that all the trekking routes in Nepal are open again after setbacks inflicted by several earthquakes, says Boehmer-Bauer.

Trekkers there are given the chance to spend several nights in the same mountain hostel from which they can explore a different trail every day.

After a long but not too exhausting hike, trekkers can relax in the evenings and, depending on the price category, enjoy some kind of treatment.

“On average, such trekking tours last 10 days,” Boehmer-Bauer says.

Of course, there are several different target groups in the trekking scene, ranging from families to ambitious sports-minded hikers to seniors.

One of the major trends is what Thomas Bucher, of the German Alpine Association, calls cabin hiking.

“In the past, the peak was the destination – today it’s the cabins,” he says.

There in the Alps, simple sleeping accommodation can be found in mountain pastures nearly everywhere.

And it’s not just in the summer months. Now, the winter season is seeing more and more snow trekking in the Alps, Bucher says.

“The alternative to skiing is now winter trekking,” using snow shoes and skis. And many of these winter hikers are sticking to the prepared ski runs and not going off on their own, he says.

“More and more people seek out the fitness aspects and don’t want to expose themselves to the danger of avalanches,” the DAV spokesman adds, explaining the new trend.

But now for the biggest surprise in the new trekking trends in Germany: According to the German Hiking Association, it’s not the high altitudes of the Alps that are the favourite places for hiking, but the medium-elevation mountains.

Why? Association spokesman Erik Neumayer says it’s the proximity of these mid-sized mountains to where people live.

“Most people want to go hiking somewhere close to home,” he says.

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Heart Attack Risk With Flu

Heart Attack Risk With Flu - Not into the flu shot? Think of it as a heart attack vaccine instead.

That’s because the first week or so of a flu infection appears to make you much more susceptible to a heart attack, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The findings are based on 148,307 cases of patients who were tested for influenza.

Among all of those tests, 19,729 turned up positive for the flu.

And among those cases, there were 332 patients who had at least one heart attack in the year before or after their flu specimen was tested. (The study authors tallied 364 hospitalisations for acute myocardial infarction overall, meaning that some unlucky folks had two or more heart attacks during the two-year observation period.)

Twenty of those heart attacks occurred within one week of a positive flu test. That, of course, was a rate of 20 heart attacks per week.

The other 344 heart attacks happened some other time in the two-year observation period.

That worked out to 3.3 heart attacks per week.

That means the risk of a heart attack was six times greater in the first week after flu testing than at other times when the flu was much less likely to be a factor.

The researchers redid their analysis by splitting up that danger week into two parts. They found that heart attack risk was 6.3 times greater during the first three days after a flu test and 5.8 times greater in days four through seven.

About one-quarter of the patients in the study were 65 years old, and the rest were older.

When the researchers examined those two groups separately, the link between flu infection and heart attack risk held up only for the older group.

There was no sign of an increased heart attack risk in the rest the first month after getting a flu test.

The researchers, led by Dr Jeffrey C. Kwong of the University of Toronto, Canada, acknowledged that they couldn’t do their analysis based on the date when patients were actually infected with the influenza virus, or when they first began having symptoms, because that information was not available.

However, in cases where patients get a flu test, they have typically been sick for only one or two days first.

Also, not all flu cases are severe enough to prompt patients to go and get tested.

That means the results of this study may not apply to people with milder illnesses, they added.

The researchers did notice that when flu test results came back positive for certain other kinds of respiratory infections, instead of for influenza, there was still an increased (though smaller) short-term risk for heart attacks.

That suggests that it’s not the flu itself that’s the problem – it’s the biological impact of a respiratory infection. For instance, an infection can create conditions that make blood clots more likely to form and cause blood vessels to constrict.

Infections also cause inflammation and can reduce blood pressure.

All of these are risk factors for a heart attack, Dr Kwong and his colleagues wrote.

The study results suggest that people who want to avoid a heart attack should be sure to get a flu shot – and that doctors and public health officials should encourage them to do so.

“Cardiovascular events triggered by influenza are potentially preventable by vaccination,” the researchers wrote.

Vaccines for other kinds of respiratory infections should be embraced as well, they added.

Even simple actions like washing your hands, blocking your cough and keeping germy surfaces clean may reduce your risk of a heart attack.

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FBI's No. 2 Official McCabe, Blasted By Trump, Steps Down

FBI's No. 2 Official McCabe, Blasted By Trump, Steps Down - FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, criticized by President Donald Trump and other Republicans for alleged bias against him and in favour of his 2016 Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, has stepped down, U.S. officials confirmed on Monday.

McCabe, who served as acting Federal Bureau of Investigation chief for more than two months last year after Trump fired agency director James Comey, had been expected to leave his post as the No. 2 FBI official in March.

The FBI said on Monday that David Bowdich, the No. 3 FBI official, would take over as Acting Deputy Director for McCabe.

It did not comment on the circumstances surrounding McCabe's departure.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, asked about McCabe's departure, told reporters, "I can tell you the president wasn't part of this decision-making process." Sanders said Trump continues to have "full confidence" in FBI Director Christopher Wray, who was appointed by Trump to replace Comey.

McCabe had intended to stay on the job for about another six weeks when he becomes eligible for retirement, but he decided to leave earlier rather than be transferred into a lower-ranking post, according to a former senior FBI official familiar with the matter.

The earlier departure came amid concerns about an upcoming Justice Department inspector general report scrutinizing the actions of McCabe and other top FBI officials during the 2016 presidential campaign, the official said.

During that period, the FBI investigated Trump campaign connections to Russia and Clinton's use of a private email server while she was U.S. secretary of state. No charges were brought against Clinton.

McCabe began his career at the agency in 1996 as a special agent investigating organised crime.

Trump's firing of Comey in May 2017 as the FBI was investigating potential collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia led to the Justice Department's naming of Special Counsel Robert Mueller to take over the probe.

Trump later said he dismissed Comey over "this Russia thing," and the firing has become central to questions about whether Trump has sought to obstruct justice by impeding the Russian probe.

Last week Trump denied a Washington Post report that he had asked McCabe, shortly after he became acting FBI director, who he voted for in the 2016 election, leaving McCabe concerned about civil servants being interrogated about their political leanings. The Post reported that McCabe told Trump he did not vote in the election.

Trump and some other Republicans have stepped up their criticism of the FBI, prompting Democrats to accuse the president and his allies of trying to undermine Mueller's investigation.

Republicans have criticized McCabe in connection with the Clinton email server probe. They have noted that McCabe's wife previously ran as a Democrat for a seat in Virginia's state Senate and received donations from then-Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, a close ally of Hillary Clinton and former president Bill Clinton.

The FBI has previously said McCabe was not involved in the Clinton investigation until he was promoted to deputy director in January 2016. By that time, his wife's campaign was over and his involvement was not seen as a conflict.

The former FBI official told Reuters that McCabe did not wish to have those allegations, coupled with the inspector general's report, harm the FBI at a time when it is under fire from President Trump.

TWITTER BARRAGES

Trump has repeatedly taken to Twitter to blast McCabe, asking in December how he could be in charge of the Clinton probe when his wife got donations from "Clinton Puppets." Trump on Twitter asked in July, while McCabe was acting FBI chief, why Attorney General Jeff Sessions had not replaced him, and said in December McCabe was "racing the clock to retire with full benefits" and that the FBI's reputation was in "tatters."

A handful of Republican-led congressional committees have launched inquiries into whether the FBI botched the Clinton investigation and showed bias in her favour. In December, McCabe was grilled behind closed doors by lawmakers on some of those panels for hours.

Democrats have said the inquires into the Clinton investigation were intended to undermine and distract from Mueller's investigation.

McCabe is one of several FBI figures to face a barrage of criticism by Republican in recent weeks. Criticism also has been aimed at FBI agent Peter Strzok and FBI attorney Lisa Page, who both worked on the Clinton investigation and briefly on the Russia probe.

Republicans have seized on text messages exchanged between the two as evidence of bias. In those texts, they called Trump an "idiot" and a "loathsome human." Mueller removed Strzok from his team after learning of the texts last summer, and he was reassigned to another post. Page left the investigatory team after her 45-day detail ended in July.

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