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DID you know that breathing has a far greater impact on our physical, mental and emotional well-being than diet, exercise or sleep? According to Russian medical doctor Dr Konstantin Buteyko, most diseases of modern-day civilisation stem from over-breathing, or hyperventilation. Since over-breathing is not obvious, it’s called hidden hyperventilation. Its symptoms include upper chest breathing, regular yawning, sighing, sniffing, large breaths prior to talking, panting, shortness of breath, and lack of stamina or endurance. Most of us don’t give the quality of our breathing much thought even though breathing is a fundamental part of our life. It’s only when something goes wrong with our breathing, or if we require breath training for sports, singing or a medical condition, that we stop to think about the way we breathe. Breath is life. It’s the beginning of life, it sustains life, and no life remains when breath is gone. Through the ages, the “breath of life” has been equated with...

Six secondary school students and their trip coordinator were killed when a chartered bus skidded and hit a divider before landing on its side on the the Genting slip road about 300m from Karak Highway last night. The bus, ferrying 44 members of Pusat Belia 4B from Kampung Siong, Baling, Kedah, was on its way back from here when the accident happened at 7.50pm. At least 17 others others were seriously in jured. The dead were Form One student Mohammad Amirul Mohd, 13; Form Four students Muhamad Khairy Mo hammad and Mohd Firdaus Rosedi, both 16; Form Five students Mohd Ridzuan Husin, Mohamad Yusoff Akhis and Muhamad Fahmi Mustafa, all 17; and ustaz Mohd Zaidi Mohd Sufian, 28. At press time, several fire engines and ambulances were at the scene. Resorts World Berhad security personnel also helped to take the victims to the hospitals. Federal Territory Fire and Rescue Department assistant director Azizan Ismail said the remaining passengers had minor injuries. The bus driver, in his 4...

Traditional Chinese massage can help people with cerebral palsy, a physician from China said yesterday. Dr Sun Yong said this after demonstrating traditional massage techniques on children at the Spastic Children's Association here. He said this therapeutic technique had been practised for more than 4,000 years. "The simple massage techniques were originally for children aged 12 and below to relieve common illnesses like constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion and fevers. "It was later discovered that it could also help children suffering from cerebral palsy." Cerebral palsy is a condition where small parts of the brain fail to develop properly during or after birth, affecting a patient's motor skills. Since the condition could manifest in many forms, no two spastic children are alike. But common symptoms include loss of basic motor skills such as walking, speech and inability to express facial emotions. "Since they cannot express their needs, parent...

THE authorities decided to reject the application by cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque for a publishing permit for his book Gedung Kartun because it breached the guidelines of the Printing Press and Publications Act 1984. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the book could potentially harm public order and national security. “The book’s contents had elements of prejudice and speculation, including baseless allegations that can invoke public hatred and anger towards the Government,” he said in a written reply to N. Gobalakrishnan (PKR - Padang Serai). The cartoonist, also known as Zunar, was arrested last month under the Sedition Act for publishing books considered detrimental to public order. Police also raided his office in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, on Sept 24 and seized 70 copies of his latest book Cartoon-o-phobia , hours before it was scheduled to be launched. The ministry also banned his three other books – 1 Funny Malaysia , Perak Darul Kartun and Isu Dalam ...

A legend surrounding a unique seaside rock formation that gave the Batu Sapi parliamentary constituency its name may serve as a reminder to the three contenders in the seat’s by-election. Growing up in the village of Kampung Gas nearby, Ambulang Along, 50, frequently heard stories from the elders in his Sabah east coast Bajau community of how the rock formation came to be. The rock formation is located some 20km from downtown Sandakan. “According to my ancestors, there was once a buffalo and a salt water crocodile who were friends. The buffalo would come to graze near the seaside and chat with his friend, the crocodile. “One day, while grazing the buffalo decided to take a walk in the sea. Upon seeing this, the crocodile became offended and accused the buffalo of stepping into his territory,” said Ambulang. This caused the friends to argue and they failed to realise that the sky had turned dark and clouds had begun to gather. “Suddenly, a flash of lightning struck the buffalo and the c...

No Malaysians have been killed or injured in the two devastating natural disasters which ripped Indonesia early this week. Wisma Putra, which confirmed this yesterday, however, said as a safety precaution, the Malaysian embassy evacuated 41 students and their relatives from the Islamic school Pesantren Sirajul Mukhlasi in Magelang late yesterday night. Only Muhamad Izzuddin Muhamad Nazeri, also a student at the school, flew home yesterday. A 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked the Mentawai islands in western Sumatra on Monday, triggering a tsunami which killed at least 154 people with hundreds more missing. The next day, Indonesia's most volatile volcano Mount Merapi in Jawa erupted, smothering the city of Yogyakarta with thick ash and killing at least 25 people. Officials at Wisma Putra said they were working with the Indonesian government to ensure that every citizen was safe. It is understood that the authorities are working to ensure Malaysian students in Gadjah Mada Unive...