TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 2017

Hamad Mohamed Almutawah is a Qatar national whose passion for art is not for money rather he draws portrait paintings of Qatar’s leadership with his self-taught skills just to please his sense of nationalism.

CREATING ART FROM THE HEART

P 4-5

MARKETPLACE | 6 BOLLYWOOD | 11

Sharq Village & Spa unveils Cyan Lounge

Over 1,400 entries for 20th children’s

film fest

CAMPUS / COMMUNITYTUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 2017 03

QU students take part in research internship at WCM-QScience students experienced a new

dimension to the subject when they participated in the Research

Internship for National College Students at Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar (WCM-Q). The three from Qatar University (QU) took part in the course at WCM-Q.

Completing the intensive eight-week research internship – there is also a four-week option – the students com-pleted practical training alongside courses on the basics of biomedical research management.

This included modules on research operation; laboratory management; grants management; research integrity; clinical management; and professional skills.

The students worked in one of WCM-Q’s laboratories according to their interests.

Raghad Al-Ishaq, who is studying biomedical science at QU, joined the laboratory of Dr Khaled Machaca, WCM-Q’s associate dean for research and professor of physiology and biophysics.

Raghad said: “I interned at Dr Mach-aca’s lab where he is working on calcium signaling. The work we’ve been doing involves injecting certain proteins into the oocytes of frogs of the genus Xenopus, which will help with under-standing the fertilization processes. I’ve also done some work to understand the expression of a certain protein inside a cell, which has implications for cancer treatments.

“I’ve also been involved in a review

article with Dr Dietrich Büsselberg about the health implications of vita-min D deficiency on the cardiovascular and renal systems.

“It’s been amazing. I’ve worked in labs at QU, but wanted to experience this as well.”

She added that in the future she wants to specialise in genetics. This year is the first time the internship for national college students has run, although WCM-Q already has well-established internship programs for both national high school students and college graduates with an interest in research.

Dr Machaca, who has overseen the introduction of the internships, said out-reach programs like these are being offered and expanded because of their popularity, value, and importance to Qatar’s future knowledge-based economy.

Dr Machaca said: “Alongside con-ducting research, academic institutions have a duty and are committed to pro-moting training and outreach to increase research capacity and know-how within Qatar. Internships like these complement the students’ education, and provide another layer of experi-ence, enriching their understanding of research and ability to tackle and solve problems.

“I am very pleased to say that all three of these interns have proved themselves to be focused, inquisitive, and highly competent, and have very promising careers ahead of them.”

Dr K Muhammed Basheer, Vice-Chancellor of Calicut University has called up on

the community to promote con-tinuous education as it will

energise the society and keep it young and vibrant . Addressing a joint family get together of Mind Tune Echo Waves and Toastmas-ters Club, he observed that now

there are plenty of opportunities for continuing education and peo-ple should make use of all available chances to update and upgrade not only their profes-sional career but also their social status.

“Education is not just about learning facts but more so about learning how to think. It is learn-ing to make good choices. It is learning to act with purpose. Becoming educated is a lifelong process. It can be hard and frus-trating at times, but it can also be incredibly exciting and enriching. Mind tune programmes are

helpful to individuals and families in a greater way,” he underlined citing examples of his own expe-rience. Dr. Basheer presented mementos to Mind Tune Echo Waves chairman, Dr Amanulla Vadakkangara who recently got D litt. from Kings University, USA for his initiatives on Spoken Ara-bic; Nimisha Arafat for her Guinness world record participa-tion; and Basheer Nanimda for his artistic achievement .

On behalf of Mind Tune Echo Waves family, DTM V C Rajesh presented a memento to the vice-chancellor

Call to promote continuous

education in community

COVER STORY TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 201704

Irfan Bukhari

The Peninsula

He works from his heart and he creates portrait paintings and animation char-acters to appease his hunger for art.

Hamad Mohamed Almutawah is a Qatar national whose passion for art is not for money rather he draws portrait paintings of Qatar’s lead-ership with his self-taught skills just to please his sense of nationalism.

Recently, his portrait paintings of Emir H H

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Their Excellencies members of royal family pulled vis-itors in an exhibition “Kulluna Tamim” held at Katara Cultural Village.

Apart from making portraits of Qatar’s lead-ership, he also draws sketches of famous animation characters.

“It is my hobby. I started drawing sketches 10 years ago and since then I am continuously indulged in art,” said Almutawah while talking to The Peninsula.

He said that in 2013, he had decided to draw

portraits of world’s 15 famous leaders. “I have drawn portrait paintings of Their Excellencies members of the royal family of Qatar. I also drew portraits of Sultan of Oman and other world lead-ers,” he said.

To a question about the response he received for “Kulluna Tamim” exhibition, he said that the feedback was very good.

“As many as 18 portrait paintings were on dis-play in the exhibition and hundreds of people visited the week-long event,” he said.

Almutawah said that different people had praised different portraits; some people liked Kulluna Tamim portrait painting while others loved the sketch of H E Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.

He said that he had distributed around 10,000 stickers of Kulluna Tamim portrait among motorists for their vehicles while as many as 100,000 small stickers of the same portrait paint-ing he had distributed for carrying on the backs of smart phones.

Hamad Almutawah is a self-taught artist and did not take tutorials to translate his passion into a reality.

“I never joined any academy and have no teacher. I had an inborn skill which further got refined with my hard-work and practice.”

Almutawah is keeping his hobby alive despite being a government employee. “Whatever time I get after doing my job, I give it to my passion. I spend from my own pocket for my hobby.”

He has special aptitude for drawing anima-tion characters particularly the ones popular during 1980s and 90s.

“I draw these old cartoon characters as they revive the memories of those golden days of my childhood in my mind and love it. Occasionally, I also draw new animation characters on chil-dren’s request.” He said that some teachers had invited him to their schools to teach the art to kids or create interest in students for the art.

Pic: Qassim Rahmatullah/The Peninsula

Creating art from the heart

COVER STORYTUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 2017 05

Almutawah has also created five colouring books. “I created these books in 2014. In upcoming Ajyal Youth Film Festival, I will draw six pictures on canvas and will also make ten pieces of digital-art ani-mation. I recently made a biggest sketch having dozens of animation characters.” Almutawah also draws colourful animation characters on paper cups.

Hamad Almutawah is also active on social media and uses @hama-d86art for his Instagram account where he regularly shares his artwork.

He said that the support of his family was an important factor in his success. “They appreciate me, encourage my artwork and always supported me in my endeavours.”

MARKETPLACE TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 201706

Sharq Village & Spa unveils Cyan LoungeSharq Village & Spa, a Ritz-Carl-

ton Hotel, celebrates the arrival of the ultimate evening venue

in town with Cyan Lounge - a new vibrant hot spot that offers guest a relaxed atmosphere to unwind and start the evening.

The latest addition to the dazzling nightlife of Doha brings together delectable bite-sized dishes, refresh-ing signature drinks and an extensive selection of premium shisha flavours for guests to indulge on. The lively beats of Resident DJ Maryna set the ambiance, conveying a chill out vibe to the stylish lounge.

Cyan Lounge, al fresco setting, is characterised by the use of white and cyan coloured elements, perfectly complementing the front-row seat to the stunning views of the luxury resort and creating a lush oasis as the

ideal venue for Doha-Lites to unwind and tune in.

Chef Evangelos Liakouris leads Cyan Lounge gastronomic experience, and brings an array of international and Middle Eastern delights that enchant all palates. Favourites at Cyan Lounge include Potato Wedges with Brava’s Sauce, Mini Seafood Burgers and Mini Beef Tenderloin sauté. Signature concoctions feature Blue Infinity and Passion Cooler, in between a countless selection of options to refresh with.

Cyan Lounge opens daily from 6:00 pm to 2:00am. For nore infor-mation or reservations, please call +974 4425 6666 or e-mail dining.sharq@ritzcarlton.com. Guests can use hashtag, #RCMemories at @shar-qvillageandspa on social media channels.

Seafood Night at Al Liwan Restaurant launched

Sharq Village & Spa, a Ritz-Carl-ton Hotel, is widely renowned as the leading dining destina-

tion for epicureans to explore the finest cuisine in Doha.

This month, the resort intro-duces the utmost gastronomic experience in town with an impres-sive Seafood Night at Al Liwan Restaurant, where gourmands are conveyed in a fascinating journey throughout the deep water delicacies.

Beginning at 6:30pm every Thursday, food connoisseurs are offered an exciting fusion of fla-vours and aromas inspired in the ocean delights.

Guests begin the feast with a chilled selection of freshly-sucked oysters, marinated clams, poached prawns and home-grown crabs.

The epicurean expedition con-tinues to a widespread of fresh sushi selections, and a garden-fresh col-lection of international salads featuring Chef’s signatures such as the tasty octopus carpaccio and

savory seabass ceviche. To tantalize all senses, gour-

mets may find under the heating lamp a scrumptious collection of contemporary sizzling recipes, which include succulent squid-ink and saffron paella, hearty salmon quiche, mini seafood burger and artisanal oven-made pizza.

Furthermore, diners may

indulge with the extensive choice of interactive kitchens where our Master Chefs prepare on-the-spot Asian savory steamed and tempura delights, popular fish and chips dishes, juicy hammour shawarma and tender seafood rotisserie which ensure all guests enjoy their favorite catch prepared in their preferred way - grilled, steamed,

fried or poached. For a sweet ending, a decadent

spread of contemporary and tradi-tional selection of pies, cakes and mousses await foodies. The lavish selection of sugary Middle Eastern recipes is complimented by an array of world-wide delicacies, artisanal gelato and indulgent crepes live station.

With the younger guests in mind, children aged 5 and below are welcomed to relish complimen-tary in their favourite dishes.

The Seafood Night is available every Thursday at Al Liwan Res-taurant from 6:30pm to 11:00pm . Prices begin at QR295 per person inclusive of buffet dinner. House beverages are available with dis-tinctive savings.

For more information or res-ervations, please call +974 4425 6666 or e-mail dining.sharq@ritz-carlton.com. Guests can use the hashtag, #RCMemories at @shar-qvillageandspa on social media channels.

CAMPUSTUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 2017 07

MES holds ‘We Support Qatar’ campaignAs part of initiatives

towards extending support and solidarity

to Qatar, MES Indian School organised a ‘We support Qatar’ campaign yesterday at the school football field.

Students enthusiastically participated in the assembly holding placards of Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani as gesture of their over-whelming support to Qatar. A rally was organised to this effect for the students on the school campus, which marked the culmination of the day’s event. Hameeda Kadar, principal officiating, led the rally followed by the school officials, students and staff.

World Food Day was cel-ebrated at all three campuses of Bhavan’s

Public School to spread aware-ness on wise consumption of nutritious food to maintain sound health.

To mark this day, a full- fledged celebration was kicked into gear with a special assem-bly by grade 6 in Wakra and by second graders in Matar and New Salata Campus to shine a spotlight on the benefits of healthy dietary habits.

Students at Wakra staged role play trumpeting the signif-icance of the theme. The assembly at Matar encompassed

a skit ‘Eat healthy and stay healthy’ in which the Master Chef presented a live cookery show and pointed out the tips to eat healthy. Elizebeth, a school nurse, discussed to children the importance of eating healthy food and not to waste food.

To mark the day, students of Primary and Pre-primary sec-tion brought fruits and vegetables and revelled in shar-ing and relishing them.

The children at New Salata placarded the theme, quoting the importance of the day and sang a beautiful song highlighting

‘hungry children and the scarcity of food’.

Rajagiri Public School holds special assembly

The Grade one and two students of Rajagiri Public Scool organised a special assembly as part of the Diwali celebration.

The message of victory of good over evil and that of light over darkness was conveyed beautifully by the students through various presentations.

The skit they played, the song and the dance carried the message. The speech and the thought for the day also highlighted the idea well. They all went home with the idea that we need to light the lamp of truth in our heart in order to win over the darkness of ignorance and evil.

Diwali was celebrated with traditional gaiety.

World Food Day celebrated at Bhavan’s Public School

FOOD TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 201708

Marie Elizabeth Oliver

The Washington Post

This is a classic Creole dish made with the squash native to Louisiana also

known as chayote or vegetable pear. The ones you choose should have smooth, pale-green skin.

Make Ahead: The mirlitons can be boiled, cooled and refrig-erated a day in advance. The mirliton halves can be stuffed and refrigerated for a day before they are baked; the baked stuffed mirliton halves can be refriger-ated for 2 days in advance. Reheat, covered, in a 300-degree oven until warmed through.

Ingredients3 mirlitons (chayote squash)3 slices bread, crusts removedWater2 tablespoons rendered meat

fat1 tablespoon finely chopped

onion2 tablespoons unsalted

butter6 tablespoons plain panko or

fresh plain bread crumbs1 large egg, lightly beatenDash ground cayenne

pepperSaltFreshly ground black

pepper1 tablespoon chopped

parsley1/2 cup coarsely chopped

cooked shrimp6 servings

StepsPlace the mirlitons in a pot

and cover with water by an inch or two. Bring to a boil over

medium-high heat; cook for 45 minutes or so, until tender all the way through. Drain and cool. Cut them in half horizontally, dis-carding the seeds and scraping out and reserving much of the pulp. Be careful not to dig too vigorously, or you’ll poke holes in the mirliton halves.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking dish with parchment paper, or grease with cooking oil spray.

Tear the bread into small pieces and place them in medium bowl. Add just enough water to moisten and let sit for a few min-utes, then squeeze out any excess moisture.

Heat the meat fat in a

medium skillet over medium heat. Once the fat is sizzling, add the bread pieces, onion and cooked mirliton flesh, stirring to incorporate. Cook and mash to form the base of the stuffing mix-ture, keeping things moving in the pan to avoid scorching. Transfer to a mixing bowl to cool.

While the mixture’s cooling, melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Stir in the bread crumbs and toast for a few min-utes, until golden brown, stirring to avoid scorching. Remove from the heat.

Add the egg, cayenne pepper and generous amounts of salt and pepper to the cooled filling mixture in the bowl, then add the

parsley and shrimp, stirring to incorporate.

Use the filling to stuff all 6 mirliton halves evenly, mound-ing the mixture as needed. Arrange the halves in the baking dish. Top each mound of filling with the buttered bread crumbs. Bake (middle rack) for 20 min-utes; the halves and filling will look set.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition: Per serving: 200 calories, 8 g protein, 18 g carbo-hydrates, 10 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar.

Stuffed mirlitons

FOODTUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 2017 09

SEAFOOD NIGHT

QR 300 per person, with soft drinksQR 425 per person, with selected beveragesWednesdays, 18:30 - 23:00 BBQ NIGHT

QR 320 per person, with soft drinksQR 420 per person, with selected beverages Thursdays, 18:30 - 23:00 THE ST. REGIS GRAND BRUNCH

QR 350 per person, with soft drinksQR 450 per person, with selected beveragesFridays, 12:30 - 16:00

Savour eclectic international classics from Vine buffet.

For more information or reservations, please call +974 4446 0000 or email dining.reservations@stregis.com

The theme for this week’s recipe is Pasta. Winner will

receive a dinner voucher from The St. Regis Doha. Send

your recipe with ingredients in metric measurements to

editor@pen.com.qa

RECIPE CONTESTWinner

Mushroom and chicken karahiIngredients

Mushrooms 1 tinChicken pieces 400 gmOnion chopped 1/4 cupSalt 1 tspTomatoes chopped 4-5Garlic crushed 2 tspGinger chopped 1 tbspRed chili powder 1 tspRed chilies crushed 1 tspTurmeric 1/4 tspTara garam masala 2 tspGreen chilies slice 5-6Ginger 1 tbspKasoori methi 2 tsp

Oil 1/4 cup

Method:

-

-

Zareena

Chocolate

mushroom cake

Ingredients

125g butter

powder 125g caster sugar150g button mushrooms125g hazelnut meal

Method

Add hazelnut meal and process until

-

-

that has been lined with baking paper

Rukhsar

Garlic sautéed

mushroomIngredients

1 tbsp Butter

1 tsp Chili Flakes

½ tsp Oregano

1 Chopped Spring Onion

Salt

Method

the water behind and take out the

K S Mehta

HEALTH TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 201710

The Washington Post

Q: I’ve been diagnosed with cancer and hope for a second opinion before I start treat-ment. I’d like to ask my oncologist for a

referral, but that feels like I don’t trust her. How do I do this without offending her?

A: How about this: “I love you, but let’s both get a second opinion,” suggests Jonathan Schaf-fer, an orthopedic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic. After all, he reminded me, “it’s you and your doc-tor in this battle, not you against your doctor.” In other words, partners, not adversaries.

The number of misdiagnosed cases varies depending on the study or institution but it’s wor-risome no matter who you ask.

Schaffer is also managing director of the hos-pital’s MyConsult service, which has provided tens of thousands of online second opinions; he notes that they disagree with the original diag-nosis in more than 11 percent of patients seen. James Naessens, a policy and health services researcher at the Mayo Clinic who led a study on misdiagnoses, told me that 10 to 20 percent of all cases nationwide are misdiagnosed, affect-ing at least 12 million people and possibly many more.

Given these numbers, it’s no wonder that sec-ond opinion consultation services are popping up at hospitals and start-ups all over the coun-try. It’s no longer necessary to wait weeks to get an appointment with a specialist, and it’s no longer unusual to fly across time zones to get the best medical opinion. All you need is inter-net access and the required fee, which usually starts at about $500 per consultation. Second opinions are typically not covered by private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid.

I know something about all this myself: In the mid-1980s, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer at a San Francisco hospital. After the sur-gery to remove my cancerous testicle, the oncologist ordered tests to see whether the can-cer had spread. I could not have been more relieved when he told me it had not. My mother, however, insisted I get a second opinion - and, lo and behold, a surgeon at Memorial Sloan Ket-tering Cancer Center in New York told me I had advanced metastatic disease, for which I then received treatment.

“Every patient has a right to a second opin-ion,” says Joseph Fins, chief of medical ethics at New York-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Med-icine, “and it would worry me if a physician was opposed.” Asking for a second opinion doesn’t necessarily mean you’re questioning a doctor’s recommendation. For many, it’s seeking the

peace of mind that comes with leaving no stone unturned.

Not all second opinions are created equal. Fins says that you want to make sure that per-son is board-certified in their specialty and that they’re affiliated with an academic medical center because they’re likely to be “better than average.” He cautions against taking recommen-dations from friends, noting that this is not like choosing a hair stylist, instead suggesting sources such as the annual US News and World Report compilation of hospitals and doctors.

As for asking your doctor for a referral, Fins warns of “an inherent bias effect,” meaning your doctor may suggest someone who is “compara-bly predisposed in the same practice group, in the same institution.” Such a physician is also likely to follow the same treatment guidelines, which means you may get a pro forma confir-mation of your original diagnosis.

That rang true to me as well. When my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer four years ago, her pulmonologist in New York referred her to an oncologist at the same med-ical center. Their diagnoses and treatment plans matched up. My indefatigable mother got yet another opinion elsewhere, which confirmed the diagnosis but altered her treatment plan. According to a 2015 study published in the Amer-ican Journal of Medicine, a change in the treatment plan is recommended as much as 30 percent of the time.

There’s almost no excuse for not getting a second opinion today, especially with the prev-alence of electronic health records, easy uploading of data and access to video confer-encing. All of these technological advances are reducing “the geographic barriers to care,” Cleve-land Clinic’s Schaffer told me.

Whether a patient uses Cleveland Clinic’s

program, a similar one at Dana-Farber Cancer Center in Boston or a non-hospital online serv-ice staffed by board-certified doctors, such as Second Opinion Expert, the basics are pretty much the same: Upload your data. Pay the fee and wait about a week to get the results, which will include a diagnosis and proposed treatment plan. “In a majority of the cases, the physician specialist does not really need to see the patient in person,” Ash Davé, president of Second Opin-ion Expert, explained in an email. Their doctors use the imaging, pathology and lab reports to make the diagnosis.

So what should you do when you want a second opinion?

- Don’t be talked out of seeking another opin-ion by your current doctor or anyone else; this is your decision.

- Be upfront but respectful with your doctor. You are partners in this, and having your doctor on your side makes it easier to transfer your med-ical records and coordinate care.

- Don’t shop for a specialist who will tell you what you want to hear. You need the unvarnished truth.

- Provide the second doctor with all relevant information in your medical record. Fins warns about the “discontinuity of care if all the facts don’t follow you.”

If the second doctor disagrees with the first, you’ll have another decision to make. The doc-tor who told me I had metastatic disease said, “If you follow my advice and I’m wrong, you’ll have had an unnecessary surgery. If you do what the other doctor recommends and I’m right, you’ll be dead.” I followed his recommendation, and he turned out to be correct: Three decades later, I’m alive, in large part due to that second opinion.

A second opinion can be a life saver

BOLLYWOODTUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 2017 11

IANS

A record 1,402 entries have been received for the week-long 20th International

Children’s Film Festival of India which will open in Hyderabad from November 8, a top official said yesterday.

The ICFFI, the largest of its kind in the world and titled ‘Golden Ele-phant’ is being jointly hosted with Ministry of Information and Broad-casting and Telangana government, said Children’s Film Society of India CEO Shravan Kumar.

This year, the 1,402 entries from 109 countries so far include short films, documentaries and animated

films, based on the festival theme of ‘New India’, in tune with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of creating a New India by 2022, said Kumar.

“We believe every child has a story to tell and with this in mind, CFSI started the ‘Little Directors’ section where films for children and made by children are featured at the 20th Golden Elephant ICFFI, in competitive and non-competitive categories,” Kumar said.

The CFSI chief said for the Lit-tle Directors section alone, 179 entries from more than 30 coun-tries have been received, including 101 from India and the remaining 78 from other countries.

The festival will include work-shops, open forums on various aspects of film-making and story-telling in which children and experts from different fields will participate, the youngsters will learn to grasp various aspects of filmmaking and related fields.

The biennial festival will strive to bring forth the most delightful, creative and imaginative national and international children’s cinema to the young audiences in the country.

“Excellent features, shorts, live action, animation and Little Direc-tors’ films shall be screened on all seven days of the festival, give the children an opportunity to interact

with other children, film-makers, guests and jury members from all over the world,” said Kumar.

He said since inception in 1955, the CFSI has participated in more than 250 Indian and global film fes-tivals, besides reaching out to children in conflict zones like Kash-mir, tribal areas and remote areas of the northeastern states by organ-ising film festivals there.

The CFSI also promotes lead-ing filmmakers to join the cause of filmmaking for children by creat-ing co-production platforms, including the recent film, “Pahuna” made jointly with Bollywood and Hollywood actress Priyanka Cho-pra’s production house.

Over 1,400 entries for 20th children’s film fest

IANS

Advait Chandan, who has made his directorial debut with “Secret Superstar” --

a simple tale about a teenaged girl chasing her dreams -- says the response to the movie is like a

“dream”.“I went to a theatre full of peo-

ple and they clapped and laughed and were moved by the film. It gave me goosebumps... This has been such a dream response. I keep pinching myself to check if it’s real,” Chandan said in a statement.

The film, backed by superstar Aamir Khan, features “Dangal” girl Zaira Wasim as Insiya, who sets out to follow her dream of being a singing superstar under the con-finement of anonymity.

On whether Aamir’s presence has helped a film like “Secret Superstar” to pull the crowds into the theatres, Chandan told the media here on Monday: “Yes, but it is not just about his acting in the film, but the whole project. Aamir’s presence amplified the film ‘Secret Superstar’.

“No production house was ready to support the film. The way

Aamir Khan Productions has sup-ported the film with all resources and mounted the project, is great. Only AK can do that.”

Chandan is a former manager of Aamir, who plays Shakti Kumaarr in the movie.

“I wrote the part of Shakti Kumaarr and I convinced him to play the part, so I take full credit of his casting. In the beginning, he was hesitant, but then he also

started enjoying the character.”According to the makers, the

Diwali release was made at a budget of Rs 15 crore, including cost of production and print and publicity.

It made a total of Rs 31.31 crore mark in four days of its release at the Indian box office, the makers said in a statement.

Trade analysts have said the film, which has a new director, a

17-year-old as its lead and a cameo by Aamir in a quirky avatar as Shakti Kumaarr, is drawing the audience by word of mouth.

The film fraternity had also spread a positive buzz about the movie on social media prior to its release.

It is produced by Aamir and Kiran Rao under the banner name of Aamir Khan Productions, Zee Studios and Akash Chawla.

‘Secret Superstar’ director overwhelmed by film’s success

ENTERTAINMENT TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 201712

Reuters

David Letterman, a pioneer-ing entertainer who was the longest-running host of

late-night TV in US history, was honoured for his contributions to American culture.

After-hours television was built around the set-piece interview and guest appearance when Letter-man’s “Late Night” broke the mold in 1982 with absurd pranks and send-ups.

Everyday viewers went on his show to present “stupid pet tricks.” Behind his desk, Letterman could be serious, dry and cerebral. But he often volunteered for oddball pranks. In one well-known stunt, he worked a shift at a Taco Bell in suburban New Jersey, taking pickup orders.

In another sketch, Letterman was dunked in water while covered in Alka Seltzer tablets.

Receiving the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center, the national show-case for arts, Letterman, 70, was praised for his imagination, comic

daring and heart.Many younger comedians,

including current late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, have described Let-terman as a major influence.

Before Kimmel’s on-stage

tribute to Letterman, the entertainer recalled one of his favourite, off-beat moments.

“Dave brought this doorknob out. And he put it on a table. And he said ‘It’s just plain big.’ That was it.”

Letterman hosted more than 6,000 episodes of his original “Late Night with David Letterman” on NBC and its successor on CBS, “Late Show with David Letterman,” which ended its run in May 2015.

He won multiple Emmy Awards, US television’s highest honour, for his work as a writer, performer and producer.

The Indiana native made his first of 22 appearances on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Car-son” in 1978. After hosting “Late Night” for 11 years, he moved to CBS in 1993 after losing out to longtime rival Jay Leno to succeed Carson at

“The Tonight Show”.On Sunday, comic friends

teased Letterman about his late-night wars with Leno and retirement but the honoree struck a poignant note in his acceptance speech.

“Mark Twain’s definition of patriotism is this: Patriotism is sup-porting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it.”

In 2012, Letterman was recog-nised for his contributions to the arts and American culture at the Kennedy Center Honors, a lifetime achievement awards for perform-ing artists.

The Letterman tribute will be aired on public television stations on November 20.

Justin Timberlake will headline the halftime show at Super Bowl 52 in February, the 10-time Grammy winner and the NFL announced.

It will be the third time that Timberlake has per-formed in the halftime show of the league’s championship spectacular.

He also performed at Super Bowl 35 as a member of *NSYNC and at Super Bowl 28 in 2004 with Janet Jackson -- when an infamous “ward-

robe malfunction” happened.Timberlake posed a video clip on Twitter

announcing that he would be performing at the Super Bowl on February 4 at the US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Timberlake’s third appearance at the Super Bowl will give him the most appearances by an individ-ual entertainer.

Lady Gaga performed at last year’s Super Bowl, traditionally the most-watched television event of the year in the United States.

The halftime show has become a spectacle in its own right. Last year’s halftime show was the most-watched musical event of all-time across all platforms and the most-watched Super Bowl half-time performance in history through broadcast and digital channels, reaching more than 150 million unique people, the league said.

Other past performers include Coldplay, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Madonna, The Who, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Prince, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and U2.

Justin Timberlake to headline Super Bowl halftime show

Letterman honoured with Mark Twain Prize

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYTUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 2017 13

New machine learning predicts quakesIANS

An international team of researchers has developed machine learning tech-

niques that could successfully predict the timing of a real earthquake.

The researchers from the Uni-versity of Cambridge, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Boston University, identified a hidden sig-nal leading up to earthquakes, and used this “fingerprint” to train a machine learning algorithm to pre-dict the timing, but not the size, of future earthquakes.

Using a lab-based system that mimics real earthquakes, the researchers applied machine learn-ing techniques to analyse the acoustic signals coming from the

“fault” -- on which earthquakes occur.

A fault is a thin zone of crushed rock separating blocks of the earth’s crust. When an earthquake occurs on one of these faults, the rock on one side of the fault slips with respect to the other.

The machine learning algo-rithm was able to identify a particular pattern in the sound,

which occurs long before an earthquake.

This sound pattern can be used to give a precise estimate of the stress on the fault (that is, how much force it is under) and to esti-mate the time remaining before failure, which gets more and more precise as failure approaches, the researchers said in the paper detailed in the journal Geophysi-cal Research Letters.

“This is the first time that machine learning has been used to analyse acoustic data to predict when an earthquake will occur,

long before it does, so that plenty of warning time can be given - it’s incredible what machine learning can do,” said Colin Humphreys, professor at Cambridge’s Depart-ment of Materials Science and Metallurgy.

“We’re at a point where huge advances in instrumentation, machine learning, faster comput-ers and our ability to handle massive data sets could bring about huge advances in earthquake sci-ence,” added Bertrand Rouet-Leduc from the Los Alamos National Lab-oratory in New Mexico.

Google probes

Pixel 2 XL screen

burn-in problemIANS

In a grim reminder of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 debacle, now, people with review units of

Google Pixel 2 XL are reportedly encountering display burn-in issues.

“The Pixel 2 XL screen has been designed with an advanced POLED technology, including QHD+ resolution, wide colour gamut, and high contrast ratio for natural and beautiful colors and renderings,” Android Cen-tral quoted a Google spokesperson as sayingy.

“We put all of our products through extensive quality test-ing before launch and in the manufacturing of every unit. We are actively investigating this report.”

The screen burn-in issue was first highlighted on Twitter by Alex Dobie from Android Cen-tral who tweeted: “That’s some pretty wild OLED burn-in on the Pixel 2 XL after maybe 7 days of full-time use.”

Apple sees its mobile devices as platform for AIReuters

Apple Inc sees its mobile devices as a major platform for artificial intelligence

(AI) in the future, Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams said.

Later this week, Apple is set to begin taking pre-orders for its new smartphone, the iPhone X – which starts at $999 and uses artificial intelligence (AI) features embedded in the company’s lat-est A11 chips.

The phone promises new facial recognition features such as Face ID that uses a mathemat-ical model of a person’s face to

allow the user to sign on to their phones or pay for goods with a steady glance at their phones.

“We think that the frameworks that we’ve got, the ‘neural engines’ we’ve put in the phone, in the watch ... we do view that as a huge piece of the future, we believe these frameworks will allow developers to create apps that will do more and more in this space, so we think the phone is a major platform,” Williams said.

He added that technological innovations, especially involving the cloud and on-device process-ing, will improve life without sacrificing privacy or security.

“I think we’re at an inflection point, with on-device computing, coupled with the potential of AI, to really change the world,” he also said.

He added that the artificial intelligence could be used to change the way healthcare is delivered, an industry he sees as

“ripe” for change.Williams said Apple’s integra-

tion of artificial intelligence wouldn’t be just limited to mobile phones.

“Some pieces will be done in data centers, some will be on the device, but we are already doing AI in the broader sense of the

word, not the ‘machines thinking for themselves’ version of AI,” he said referring to the work of Nvidia Corp, a leader in AI.

Global tech firms such as Facebook, Alphabet Inc, Amazon, and China’s Huawei are spend-ing heavily to develop and offer AI-powered services and prod-ucts in search of new growth drivers.

Softbank Group Corp, which has significantly invested in artificial intelligence, plans a second Vision Fund that could be about $200bn in size, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

BABY BLUES

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE

The film revolves around the life of a child who aspires to be a

singer.Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice.

VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 2017CINEMA PLUS14

NOVO — PearlMother (2D/Drama) 10:30am, 1:00, 3:30, 6:00, 8:30 & 11:00pm Geostorm (2D/Thriller) 10:00am, 12:20, 12:30, 2:40, 3:15, 5:00, 6:00, 7:20, 8:45, 9:40, 11:30pm & 12:00midnightMonster Family (Animation) 3D 10:00am, 2:00pm 2D 12:00noon, 4:00, 6:00 & 8:00pm One Last Heist (2D/Crime) 10:00pm & 12:00midnightRenegades (2D/Action) 10:00am, 12:00noon, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00pm & 12:00midnightThe Foreigner (2D/Action) 10:00am, 12:15, 2:30, 4:45, 7:00, 9:15 & 11:30pmThe Son Of Bigfoot (2D/Animation) 10:00am, 12:00noon & 2:00pmBlade Runner 2049 (2D) 4:00, 7:15 & 10:30pmSecret Superstar (2D/Action) 11:00am, 2:00, 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pmGolmaal Again (2D/Hindi) 10:30am, 1:45, 5:00, 8:15 & 11:30pm Geostorm(3D IMAX/Thriller)10:15am, 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:15, 9:30&11:45pm

MALLMonster Family (2D/Animation) 2:00, 3:45 & 5:30pmRaja: The Great (Telugu) 2:00pmMersal (2D/Tamil) 2:30, 5:15 & 11:00pmSecret Superstar (2D/Hindi) 4:45 & 8:15pm Geostorm (2D/Action) 7:15 & 9:15pm Mother (2D/Drama) 11:45pmThe Hatton Garden Job (One Last Heist) (2D/Action) 7:15pmGolmaal Again (2D/Hindi) 9:00 & 11:15pm

LANDMARKRaja: The Great (Telugu) 2:15pmMonster Family (2D/Animation) 2:15, 4:00 & 5:45pmSecret Superstar (2D/Hindi) 2:15 & 6:45pm The Hatton Garden Job (One Last Heist) (2D/Action) 5:00pmMersal (2D/Tamil) 5:00, 6:45 & 10:45pmGeostorm (2D/Action) 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30pmGolmaal Again (2D/Hindi) 8:00pm Mother (2D/Drama) 9:30 & 11:30pm

ROYAL PLAZA

ROXY

Mersal(2D/Tamil) 2:15, 8:30 & 11:00pm Monster Family(2D/Animation) 2:30, 4:30 & 6:30pmGolmaal Again (2D/Hindi) 2:00 & 11:30pm Secret Superstar (2D/Hindi) 4:45pm The Hatton Garden Job (One Last Heist) (2D/Action) 5:15pmGeostorm (2D/Action) 7:00, 9:00 & 11:30pm Mother (2D/Drama) 7:30 & 9:30pm

Monster Family(2D/Animation) 12:00noon, 2:20, 4:40 & 7:00pm Golmaal Again (2D/Hindi) 12:00noon, 3:10, 6:20, 9:30pm & 12:40amGeostorm (Thriller) 12:00noon, 2:20, 4:40, 7:00. 9:20 & 11:40pm Mersal (2D/Tamil) 12:00noon, 3:20, 6:40, 9:20 10:00pm & 12:40am

ASIAN TOWNMersal (2D/Tamil) 6:00, 6:30, 7:30, 9:45, 10:45pm Secret Superstar 6:00pm Golmaal Again (Hindi) 8:45pm Parava (2D/Malayalam) 9:00pm

AL KHORMersal (2D/Tamil) 10:30am, 1:30, 4:45, 8:00 & 11:15pm Secret Superstar (2D/Hindi) 11:00am, 2:00, 8:00 & 11:00pm; Raja The Great (2D/Telugu) 6:00pm Golmaal Again (2D/Hindi) 5:00pm Geostorm 10:30am, 1:00, 3:30, 8:45 & 11:15pm

SECRET SUPERSTAR

CROSSWORD CONCEPTIS SUDOKU

ALL IN THE MIND

08:00 News08:30 Counting the

Cost09:00 Al Jazeera World10:00 News10:30 Inside Story11:00 News11:30 The Stream12:00 News12:30 Risking It All13:00 NEWSHOUR14:00 News14:30 Inside Story15:00 Death By Design16:00 NEWSHOUR17:00 News17:30 The Stream18:00 Newsgrid19:00 News19:30 AJ Selects20:00 News20:30 Inside Story21:00 NEWSHOUR22:30 The Stream23:00 Al Jazeera World

13:10 Miraculous Tales Of Ladybug & Cat Noir

14:00 The Zhuzhus

16:30 Bizaardvark16:35 Bunk’d 17:00 K.C.

Undercover18:15 Star Wars

Forces Of Destiny

19:40 Elena Of Avalor

20:05 Jessie 20:30 Cracke 22:20 Alex & Co. 22:45 Lolirock 23:05 Disney Mickey

Mouse 23:10 Sabrina

Secrets Of A Teenage Witch

12:50 Catching Monsters

13:45 Rugged Justice

17:25 Pit Bulls & Parolees

18:20 The Lion Queen

19:15 Rugged Justice

20:10 Escape To Chimp Eden

21:05 Pit Bulls & Parolees

22:00 The Lion Queen

22:55 Wildest Islands

23:50 Lone Star Law

00:45 Treehouse Masters

01:40 Rugged Justice

13:10 Alaska: The Last Frontier

16:10 Street Customs 2008

17:00 How Do They Do It?

17:50 Extreme Collectors

18:20 Deals, Wheels And Steals

18:50 Treasure Quest: Snake Island

21:00 Ed Stafford: Left For Dead

21:50 Bear Grylls: Mission Survive

22:40 Boy To Man23:30 Fast N’

Loud

King Features Syndicate, Inc.

BRAIN TEASERSTUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 2017 15

Yesterday’s answer

Conceptis Sudoku: Conceptis Sudoku

is a number-placing puzzle based on a

9×9 grid. The object is to place the

numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so

that each row, each column and each

3×3 box contains the same number

only once.

BALLET, BALLROOM, BARN

DANCE, BELLY DANCING,

BOLERO, BREAK DANCING,

CHA CHA CHA, CHARLESTON,

CLOG DANCING, CONGA,

DISCO, FANDANGO,

FLAMENCO, FOXTROT,

GAVOTTE, HIGHLAND FLING,

IRISH JIG, JIVE, LINE DANCING,

MINUET, PAS DE DEUX, PASO

DOBLE, POLKA, QUICKSTEP,

RAIN DANCE, REEL, RUMBA,

SAMBA, SQUARE DANCE,

SWORD DANCE, TANGO, TAP

DANCING, TARANTELLA,

TWIST, TWO STEP, WALTZ.