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Hobbit blasts past newcomers to claim third box office crown

From Katniss Everdeen to Lisbeth Salander, today’s film heroines kick and slash. But are violent on-screen women empowering or oppressive?

FUTUREOF FEMALEACTION HERO

2 COVER STORYPLUS | TUESDAY 31 DECEMBER 2013

By David Cox

Katniss Everdeen’s tri-umphs extend beyond the Quarter Quell and the global box office: she has guaranteed the future of

the female action hero. Not that this was in much doubt, even before The Hunger Games: Catching Fire swept all before it. On the big screen, women have been successfully kicking and slashing for some time now.

As our current millennium dawned, the derring-do of Stallone, Willis, Schwarzenegger and their ilk had lost its edge. The protagonists of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Kill Bill brought welcome spin to their genre.

Since then, a new clutch of male heroes has fallen prey to self-doubt. This has left the likes of dragon-tat-tooed Lisbeth Salander, teen assassin Hanna and Kick-Ass’s Hit-Girl to steal much of their thunder. Female toughies infiltrated the otherwise masculine domains of The Matrix, Prometheus, Captain America: The First Avenger and Avengers Assemble. The Snow White of Snow White and the Huntsman turned out to be an adept killer. Not even chil-dren’s animations have escaped the vogue: in Shrek, the princess knew kung fu; in Brave, she was a warrior.

This era’s movie-makers cannot claim invention, of course. Sissy Spacek outclassed Chloë Moretz’s Carrie back in 1976. The original behind this dec-ade’s remakes of I Spit on Your Graveappeared in 1978. And the big screen’s action women have long enjoyed valu-able support from small-screen peers

such as Buffy and Xena, and their many sisters in the world of gaming.

By fairly common consent, the god-mother of the bunch rose out of the pitiless crucible of 1970s blaxploita-tion. Today, Pam Grier is remembered mainly as Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, but it was forgotten films such as Coffy, Friday Foster and Sheba, Baby that made her “the biggest, baddest and most beautiful of all female heroes in popular culture”, according to Rikke Schubart, the author of a book on action heroines.

Grier’s characters gleefully punched, kicked and shot men, kicked them, and stabbed them with hairpins, broken bottles and metal hangers. Meanwhile, Asian cinema was already awash with viragos who did not go unnoticed else-where. Then, in 1979, Alien brought the dauntless action woman into the mainstream.

Nonetheless, for decades progress was slow. Sociologist Kathryn Gilpatrick looked at 157 female protag-onists in action films released between 1991 and 2005. Only 7 percent took control of their situation; 58 percent were submissive to male characters. Thirty per cent were dead when the credits rolled.

Still, social change was not to be gain said. Continuing screen depic-tions of submissive women provoked growing protest. In 1985, the Bechdel test was invented to show how few films could boast at least two named female characters capable of talking to each other about something other than a man. The industry took note, but it was hard commercial reality that made it act.

Are femaleaction heroes good rolemodels for young women?

3PLUS | TUESDAY 31 DECEMBER 2013

Once upon a time, boys took girls on dates and therefore picked the movie. No longer. Film marketer Jeff Gomez says: “Women are making the decisions now with regard to entertainment choices.” This has created a prob-lem for his industry. If a boy fancies Transformers but his girlfriend favours Twilight, the couple may give up on the multiplex altogether. To worried stu-dio executives, the female action hero looked like a godsend: maybe she could deliver adventure for him and inspira-tion for her.

Some doubted that male filmgoers would want to watch, but reassurance was on hand. Action, it was suggested, would enable female stars to flaunt their painstakingly tended bodies more shamelessly than was permit-ted by more sedate forms of drama. And for men, the theory ran, female violence would prove titillating rather than threatening.

Research suggests that such think-ing was well founded. In 2003, a Washington University survey of undergraduates found that 74 percent of male respondents watched female action heroes for their attractive-ness. Meanwhile, 73 percent of female respondents watched to see their own gender in a powerful role. This may be bad news for women hoping that cinema might educate their menfolk, but it was to prove good news indeed for the studio bosses.

At the beginning of the last decade, they began to allocate big budgets to films such as Charlie’s Angels and Resident Evil. With higher spending came more publicity, more atten-tion and bigger rollouts. The strategy seemed to work with male as well as female filmgoers. In America, the audi-ence at the opening weekend of The Hunger Games was 39 percent male, according to exit surveys. Perhaps

more remarkably, for Snow White and the Huntsman the figure was 47 percent.

Some women would prefer the female big-screen bruiser to be given yet more scope: they feel she gets accorded less agency than her male counterpart. Characters such as Katniss are often allowed to take up arms only when circumstances force them to; male swashbucklers have been freer to shape their own destiny. So the Bond and Terminator franchises are named after their protagonists; The Hunger Games, on the other hand, “isn’t named after Katniss, it’s named after what happens to Katniss,” com-plains the Last Psychiatrist website.

Overall, however, women seem pleased. The Washington University study found 56 percent of women say-ing that the female action subgenre was good for gender equality, and 75 percent said they could apply its themes to their own lives. To find out how Hanna had gone down, its star, Saoirse Ronan, went to an all-female screening. “What they really got out of the film was a sense of empowerment,” she reported.

However, not all leading women are strapping on weaponry. As Jane Foster, the hero’s love interest in Thor: The Dark World, Natalie Portman stayed well away from the fighting, and was not sorry to do so. She said she had taken the part to provide a positive female role model, but went on: “The fallacy in Hollywood is that if you’re making a ‘feminist’ story, the woman kicks and wins. That’s not feminist, that’s macho.”

With this remark, Portman put her finger on a paradox. The female action hero certainly looks like a hero, but is she really female? And if she isn’t, what kind of influence is she actually having on both women and men?

In Gender and the Action Heroine, Jeffrey Brown writes: “The modern action heroine confounds essentialism through her performance of tradi-tionally masculine roles.” Yet whether

through nurture or nature, women in the real world tend to recoil from violence. Most feminists define it as “patriarchal and oppressive”, accord-ing to Martha McCaughey and Neal King in Reel Knockouts: Violent Women in the Movies.

Women, already subject to so many pressures, may not fancy being expected to toughen up physically to keep up with screen idols. Nor will their lot be improved if films celebrat-ing female violence further erode the taboo on male violence against women that already seems to be fading away in the real world. The Washington study

found respondents complaining that female action heroes fuelled unreal expectations; they also created the impression that in order to be strong, women had to be abnormal.

Film-makers seem to be aware that the macho female is something of an oddity. Hence, doughty female protago-nists are often encumbered with tra-ditionally “feminine” attributes. Their violence tends to be sanitised rather than messy, and usually springs from good intentions. Katniss meets the challenge confronting her with reluc-tance, not elation. Unfortunately, this is what turns her into the victim of circumstance so lamented by The Last Psychiatrist.

Traditionally, in view of their defi-ciency in brawn, women have relied on their brains to get what they want. Portman’s unsanguineous Jane con-tributes to the struggle against evil through her expertise in astrophys-ics. Characters like this might provide a more useful role model for young women than sure-shots like Katniss. Sadly, however, female intellectuals would doubtless prove less of a box-office draw than battling babes.

“This is a business run by guys,” Mariel Hemingway once remarked, “who want women to be a certain way.” As long as this is the case, it seems that the female action hero will be sticking around, for better or for worse.

The Guardian

The fallacy in Hollywood is that if you’re making a ‘feminist’ story, the woman kicks and wins. That’s not feminist, that’s macho.

PLUS | TUESDAY 31 DECEMBER 20134 CAMPUS

BFPIS Junior Wing rocks Annual ShowYoung students of Bright Future Pakistani International School Junior Wing won over the audience during their Annual Show. The students entertained parents and distinguished guests with their colourful performances on stage. Displays included tableaus, English and Urdu plays, songs, musical shows and fashion parade by toddlers. Imran Waheed, Principal, said BFPIS pro-vides education as a package where academic excellence coupled with personality development of students are ensured. Asim Khan Mehmand, Counsellor at the Pakistan Embassy, Gohare Riaz, Justine O’Brien and Capt Sarwat Hussain were Guests of Honour. Riaz in his speech appreciated efforts of the school and progress in all facets of education.

Grade III students of CBSE International Curriculum of Birla Public School recently visited Museum of Islamic Art. The trip was organised to give students insights into Qatar’s history. They got access not only to a won-derful and invaluable series of artworks but also travel through time and across cultures, religions and eras. They study Qatar’s history as part of the curriculum and showed interest in viewing the historic panorama in the gallery.

BPS field trip

Qatar’s first Mental Health Student Competition launched in September has been won by a

team of pharmacy students from Qatar University for their campaign about Postpartum Depression. The competi-tion is an Academic Health System clin-ical sub-committee initiative. The AHS is a dynamic nationwide network inte-grating research, education and clinical care to improve patient care and deliver innovative healthcare solutions.

Eight partners work with the AHS: Hamad Medical Corporation, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Weill Cornell Medical College Qatar, Qatar

Biomedical Research Institute, the College of the North Atlantic-Qatar, the Primary Health Care Corporation, Qatar University and the University of Calgary-Qatar. Running as a collabora-tive project, the Mental Health com-petition was open to students from the University of Calgary - Qatar, WCMC, Qatar University and the College of the North Atlantic.

It was supported by student coun-selors and subject matter experts from Hamad Medical Corporation’s Psychiatry Department.

The winners were announced at the International Psychiatry

Symposium at the St Regis hotel in Doha earlier this month. The judg-ing panel included: Naif Al Malki, Founder of Qatar Youth Foundation, Dr Mahmoud Aborabeh, Resident at HMC’s Psychiatry Department and Fatema Yadegari, Case Manager at HMC’s Psychiatry Department. Two teams from the University of Calgary-Qatar were also highly recommended for their contributions.

The eight finalists in the competition were applauded for their creativity, focus and huge commitment. Yadegari, said: ‘It was hard to pick a winner, everyone was brilliant and everyone is

a star however, there were some stars that shone brighter’

Competitors were asked to choose a theme and work on an original idea to raise awareness about mental health. Eight finalists were then selected to work with a professional design team to develop their ideas into campaign pieces to present to the judges.

A student who participated stressed the importance of the project based on their own personal experience: “I’ve experienced Postpartum Depression (PPD) and I wanted to help increase awareness of it.”

The Peninsula

QU pharmacy team wins first Mental Health Student Competition

5COMMUNITY / MARKETPLACE PLUS | TUESDAY 31 DECEMBER 2013

Starwood Hotels & Resorts to feature Instagram on all property websites

Guests of Starwood’s more than 1,150 hotels capture and share an aver-age of 40,000 images per month

on Instagram, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, announced an indus-try-leading integration with Instagram on all of its websites worldwide. New Guest Galleries from Instagram showcase the explosion of social sharing through Instagram photos and videos geo-tagged by Starwood’s guests. From hotel amen-ities to local sites, the Guest Galleries from Instagram offer a fun, new way for travellers to explore their next Starwood destination – all from the perspective of fellow guests.

For each hotel and resort across Starwood’s nine design-led brands, visitors can view photos and videos geo-tagged by guests who have expe-rienced that Starwood hotel. Guest Galleries from Instagram give travel-ers the opportunity to view an authen-tic representation of each distinctive brand by exploring brand-specific cat-egories including: Family Traditions for St Regis, Fashion for W Hotels, UnLock Art for Le Méridien, Move Well for Westin, and a special category for Instagrams tagged with #SPGLife.

“A ‘picture is worth a thousand words’ and a picture shared is worth even more to our guests,” said Chris Holdren, Senior Vice President, Starwood Preferred Guest & Digital. “Starwood’s mobile bookings are growing five times faster than the annual growth rate of the web channel 10 years ago. With an increasingly mobile, digital traveler we expect social sharing in places like our Instagram Guest Gallery pages will continue to change how our guests book travel and explore and interact with our hotels.” The Peninsula

Qatar Petroleum’s Dukhan Operations recently organised the Operations Day Out 2013 celebrations for the employees and their families. The event was attended by over a thousand people from Qatar Petroleum, Dukhan Operations. The event, held at the Dukhan Water Sports Club and was attended by Said Mubarak Al Mohannadi, Director of Operations, Ahmad Saif Al Sulaiti, Operations Manager - Dukhan Fields, and other senior QP officials. The Dukhan Operations Day Out 2013 was organised by the Integrated Facilities Management Department led by Khalid Yousuf Al Sahlawi. The events included a laser show, a performance by a Sand Artist; Latin choreographed dancing show and was followed by a musical interlude. The rich vibrant atmosphere of the evening was concluded with a raffle draw, which added an atmosphere of enjoyment for all who attended the day out.

QP’s Dukhan Operations Day Out 2013QP’s Dukhan Operations Day Out 2013

Toyota conducted a test drive of its most popular sedans in Qatar in an initiative aimed

at emphasising its “Fun to Drive” slogan to showcase the enjoyment factor of its products.

Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros Co (AAB), agents for Toyota, organ-ised the Toyota Sedan Test drive for selected media representatives in Doha.

The Toyota Passenger car lineup has been totally revamped this year, they have launched three new mod-els in the sedan segment — Avalon flagship of Toyota, brand new Yaris in the small segment, and the 11th generation of the popular Corolla.

“We are extremely pleased to show our new enhanced product line up to the media representatives”, said Dr Nasser Abdulghani Al Abdulghani Managing Director of Abdullah Abdulghani & Brothers.

According to Nobuyuki Negishi, Chief Representative of Middle East & North Africa Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation: “This latest initiative gives us the opportunity to demonstrate the evolution of Toyota and its new

brand direction and commitment to develop more emotionally com-pelling products to connect with consumers as exemplified by our new brand tagline Akeed. For us a car must have an emotional presence that inspires and excites drivers so that they can enjoy the feeling of driving. Our latest sedans are a very visible reminder of that objective.”

The test drive included the full range of Toyota Sedan vehicles like the Yaris, Corolla, Camry, Aurion, Avalon and the compact sport coupe 86. The journey started from Toyota Tower all through the way to Sea Line Resort with journalists tak-ing turns to drive the full range of Toyota sedans.

Toyota is the leading company in the Qatari automotive market with customers appreciating the qual-ity, durability & reliability of Toyota products.

Toyota Yaris: The new 2014 Yaris comes with two engines. The first engine is V16 1.3 liter 84HP/ 6000 rpm (SAE net). The second engine is V16 1.5 liter 107HP/6000 rpm (SAE net).

Toyota 86: An advanced sports engine regulates the Toyota 86’s drive power. It was created by combining next-generation D-45 technology with a boxer engine, displaying a smooth acceleration feel and faith-ful response to pedal operation. The 86 comes with a 16V 2.0 liter engine offering 200HP/7000rpm (SAE net).

Corolla: The new Corolla 2014 exhibits dramatic styling, exhilarat-ing performance and cutting-edge functionality. The bold and dra-matic attractions of the crisp hori-zontal layout and a focus on quality of the dynamic form, together with thoughtful features engages its driv-ers. The new Corolla comes with two engines. The first engine is 16V 1.6 liter 121HP/ 6000 rpm (SAE net). The second engine is 16V 2.0 liter 143HP/ 6200 rpm (SAE net).

Camry: Dynamic and exciting on the move, the sporty styling was shaped by the rational application of advanced technology, contribut-ing to both the excellent aerodynam-ics and the specious interior. The Camry comes with a 16V 2.5 liter 181HP/6000 rpm engine (SAE net). The Peninsula

Toyota showcases new sedans in test drive

PLUS | TUESDAY 31 DECEMBER 20136 FOOD

By L V Anderson

It can be hard to figure out what to eat between Christmas and New Year’s. I mean, yes, lefto-vers, of course. But eventually leftovers run out, and then you’re stuck with a decision: Continue

the holiday overindulgence with more cheese and cookies? Or get a head start on new year asceticism with carrot sticks and fat-free yogurt?

The answer, first of all, is not to set any maso-chistic New Year’s resolutions that involve carrot sticks and fat-free yogurt. But there is a way to heed your body’s plea for a reprieve from liver-taxing fare without flirting with a crash diet. White bean soup is the perfect recipe for the post-Christmas slump: nourishing, but at the same time richly flavoured, comforting, and filling.

To create that rich flavour and comforting tex-ture, you have to keep a few things in mind. First, home-cooked dried beans are less metallic tasting and mushy than canned beans; it’s worth it to take the time and effort to cook them from scratch. (It’s literally a question of boiling water and then watch-ing to make sure the pot doesn’t bubble over.)

Second, fresh herbs make a big difference: Adding a few sprigs of fresh thyme to your soup gives you all of the herb’s aromatic warmth without the hassle of stripping those tiny leaves from the easily breakable stems. And a handful of basil at the end provides an extra hit of bright stimulation, the flavour equivalent of Camera Obscura’s peppiest tracks.

Finally, and most importantly, you have to amp up the broth with extra savouriness. There are two tricks well known among vegetarian cooks for mak-ing vegetable broth taste meatier and richer, and together, they work like a charm. (And they also work with chicken or beef broth.)

The first is to add some Parmesan rind to the broth. It softens and releases its cheesy flavour into the liquid, and it’s perfectly edible, if a bit chewy. (If you’re not interested in chomping down on cheese rind during dinner, leave it in a large hunk so you can fish it out when the soup is done; if you do want those chewy bits of goodness, cut the rind into bite-sized

pieces before adding it.) The second trick is to add a splash of soy sauce near the end — this adds not only crucial saltiness but also subtle complexity.

This recipe calls for kale, because someone decided at some point along the line that white bean soup should have kale in it, and that person was right.

WP-Bloomberg

White Bean and Kale SoupYield: 6 to 8 servingsTime: 1 1/2 to 3 hours, partially unattended

Ingredients1 pound dried white beans (such as cannellini,

Great Northern, or navy), rinsed and picked over1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil1 large yellow onion, chopped2 celery stalks, chopped1 large carrot, peeled and chopped5 garlic cloves, mincedSalt and black pepper6 cups vegetable stockOne 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoesOne 2-by-1-by-1/4-inch Parmesan rind, cut into

bite-sized pieces, if desired3 fresh thyme sprigs1 bay leaf1 1/2 pounds kale1 tablespoon soy sauce1/4 cup roughly chopped basil leavesGrated Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Method:Put the beans in a large pot and add enough

water to cover them by 2 to 3 inches. Cover and

bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the water simmers gently. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on their size; season with salt. (You can do this step a day or two ahead of time: Cool the beans, transfer them to an airtight container with their cooking liquid, and refrigerate until you’re ready to make the soup.)

Put the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are very soft, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the drained beans along with the stock, tomatoes, Parmesan rind, thyme and bay leaf. Stir, cover, and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup simmers steadily, and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the thick stems and ribs from the kale and discard them; roughly chop the leaves. Stir the kale and soy sauce into the soup, cover and cook until the kale is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the thyme stems, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind (if desired). Stir in the basil and taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. (Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to several days.)

How to make the perfect: White Bean Soup

RECIPE CONTEST 7PLUS | TUESDAY 31 DECEMBER 2013

Steamed Oats

Ingredients:• One cup of Oats• One cup Curd• One small green chilly• ¼ tsp black pepper powder• ½ cup water• Salt to taste• Grated carrot and beetroot + chopped spring onions, cori-

ander leaves - all together -1/4 cup Method:Mix Oats and Curd and soak them for half an hour.After soaking well ½hr, add chilly, salt and pepper and mix

thoroughly.Grated Carrot and beetroot + Chopped Spring onions, corian-

der leaves all together.Add ½ cup of water and mix wellAfter mixing well take this on to the suitable container and

steam it.Serve hot. It can be a healthy breakfast. Padmaja

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Ingredients• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats• 1/2 cup skim milk• 1 ripe banana, sliced• 2 dashes cinnamon• 1/4 cup pureed canned pumpkin• 1 dash ground cloves• 1 dash ground nutmeg• Handful frozen blueberries (optional)

Method:Put the oats, milk, sliced banana, and cinnamon into a

small pot on the stove.Stir continuously over medium high heat for about 5 minutes,

or until the mixture gets thick and creamy (and starts bub-bling). Stir in the frozen blueberries now, if you like.

Turn down heat to medium low and add the canned pumpkin and a dash each of ground cloves and ground nutmeg.

Serve hot and enjoy. Mohammed Yakoob

Raspberry Cheesecake Oatmeal

Ingredients:• 1/2 cup oats• 1/2 cup water, unsweetened almond milk, or skim milk• 1/2 mashed medium banana• Splash of vanilla• 2 tbsp cream cheese (softened for 5 second in

microwave)• 1 tsp powdered sugar (more or less to taste)• Squeeze of lemon juice (optional)• 1 tbsp raspberry preserves

Method:Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine oats, water or milk,

banana, and vanilla and pour into nonstick sprayed baking dish.Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon juice.

Put into plastic bag, snip off one end and squeeze into two horizontal lines on top of oatmeal. Put raspberry preserves in another plastic bag and squeeze two horizontal lines in between the cream cheese.

Drag knife up and down through lines to create a swirl. Bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Mohammed Yaseen

Oats Gruel

Ingredients:• 30gm Oats • 1 Onion medium size (sliced)

• 1 Tomoto medium size (sliced) • 1 tsp Ginger and Garlic Paste• 2 nos Green Chilly• 10 Mint leaves • 2 tsp Refined oil • Salt – as needed • 200ml Water• 4 tsp Moong dal (green gram)

Method:Heat the vessel, add two spoon of oil then add onion, moong

dal (green gram) till it become golden colour.Add tomoto, ginger garlic paste, chilly, mint, salt (as required),

and 200ml water. Wait for boil, add oats and stir well and allow this mixture

to cook well.Stir well and serve.Enjoy Tasty and Healthy oats. Thahira Javeed

Oats Harees

Ingredients• 200g oats• 1 tsp turmeric• 3-4 cinnamon sticks (1 inch pieces)• 2 tsp caraway seeds• 2-3 cardamom pods• 4-5 cloves• salt to taste• 500g beef• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste, divided• 2 tsp garam masala• 1 tsp red chilli powder• 200ml tomato paste• 5 tbsp oil• 2 tbsp ghee• 1 medium onion chopped• 2 tsp green chilli paste• 1 cup chicken stock• 1/2 cup milk• Juice of half a lemon• Black pepper to taste• 1 piece fresh ginger grated• Fresh coriander and mint, chopped

Method:Cook the oats in about 5 cups of water along with turmeric,

WINNER

Oats Soup

Ingredients:• 1 cup of oats• 2 tomatoes• 10 sprigs fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves• Few coriander leaves • ½ tsp black pepper powder• Salt to taste• ¼ tsp butter• 1 tbsp (15ml) lemon juice• 4 cups of water

Method:Wash tomatoes, methi (fenugreek) leaves and

coriander leaves thoroughly and ensure free of dust.Put cleaned tomatoes, methi leaves and coriander

leaves into a mixer jar.Add one cup of water to the jar.Mix and filter the juice.Add juice with 3 cup of water, oats, salt and pepper

and mix well.Boil it about 10 minutes and take it out of the flame.

When it starts to bubble stop the flame.After two minutes add butter and lemon juice and

mix well. Sai Bharadwaj

RECIPE CONTEST

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The theme for this

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call 44557837.

half the quantity of each of cinnamon, caraway, cardamoms and cloves and a little bit of salt. Keep stirring and make a medium thick and creamy oatmeal. Let it cool.

Meanwhile, in a pressure cooker, put in the beef, rest of the cinnamon, caraway, cardamom and cloves. Add half of the ginger-garlic paste. Add salt, garam masala, red chili powder, tomato paste, 3 tbsp oil and about a cup of water and close the lid. Cook on high for about 3 whistles and then reduce heat and cook for another 15 minutes. Turn off heat, let off steam, open lid and cook the beef till all water evaporates. Let it cool.

Grind the oatmeal and meat together in batches.In a large skillet, put the rest of the oil and ghee. Fry the onion to golden brown,

remove and keep aside. To the hot oil add the rest of the ginger garlic paste and green chilli paste and give a quick stir. Add the oats and meat mix. Add the chicken stock, milk and lemon juice and mix everything well. Add black pepper and adjust seasoning. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle on top the fried onion, grated ginger and chopped coriander and mint.Spicy delicious oats harees is ready to be served!

Mohammed Ayub

Oats Paris cookies

Ingredients

• 240g oats• 350g chocolate chips• 200g chopped almond or walnut• 200g flour• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda• 1 tsp baking powder• 250g butter • 90g castor sugar• 180g brown sugar• 1 tsp vanilla essence • 2 eggs

Method:Sift together flour, bicarbonate soda and baking powder. Set asideCream together butter, castor sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Stir in the eggs and vanilla essence. Blend in the flour.Lastly stir in the oats, almonds/walnut and the chocolate chips. Using hand or spoon, drop the cookies onto cookie sheet.Bake 20-25 minutes with 175’c until become golden. Enjoy... Ainuddin

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3bn

world

wid

e a

s of

this

weekend.

Dir

ecto

r M

arti

n S

corse

se’s

Th

e W

olf

of

Wa

ll S

treet

was fi

fth w

ith $

18.5

m

aft

er fi

nis

hin

g a

clo

se s

econ

d t

o T

he

Hob

bit

on

Chris

tmas

Day,

accordin

g

to e

stim

ate

s com

piled b

y R

entr

ak. T

he

nearly

three h

our m

ovie

receiv

ed g

ood

revie

ws

but

regis

tered o

nly

a “

C”

rati

ng

from

Cin

em

aS

core,

a s

ite t

hat

meas-

ures

audie

nce r

eacti

on.

Th

e H

ob

bit

: T

he D

eso

lati

on

of

Sm

au

g,

the s

econd o

f th

ree m

ovie

s base

d o

n J

R

R T

olk

ien’s

1937 n

ovel, h

as

collecte

d

more t

han $

190m

in t

icket

sale

s si

nce

its D

ecem

ber 13 rele

ase,

accordin

g

to R

entr

ak.

Its

world

wid

e s

ale

s to

tal

more t

han

$614

m,

accordin

g t

o d

is-

trib

uto

r W

arner B

roth

ers.

47

Ron

in, th

e K

eanu R

eeves

sam

urai

adventu

re fi

lm t

hat

Univ

ersa

l P

ictu

res

made for $

175m

, opened w

ith $

9.9

m in

ticket

sale

s. T

hat

was

on p

ar w

ith t

he

indust

ry’s

$17

m t

o $

20m

proje

cti

on

s fo

r t

ota

l ti

cket

sale

s of

$20.6

m s

ince

its

Chris

tmas

Day r

ele

ase

.O

n D

ecem

ber 2

4,

it w

as

reporte

d

that

Un

iversa

l, a

un

it o

f cable

gia

nt

Com

cast

Corp, had t

aken u

nsp

ecifi

ed

writ

edow

ns

when i

t becam

e a

pparent

the fi

lm w

ould

not

take in t

he a

mounts

it

had s

pent

to m

ake a

nd m

ark

et

it.

Nik

ki

Rocco,

presi

dent

for d

om

es-

tic d

istr

ibuti

on a

t U

niv

ersa

l P

ictu

res,

ackn

ow

ledged t

hat

the o

pen

ing o

f 47

Ron

in w

as dis

appoin

tin

g,

but

said

th

e s

tudio

would

move o

n t

o g

reener

pastu

res

regardle

ss

of

the

film

’s

perfo

rm

ance.

“Of

course i

t’s v

ery d

isappoin

tin

g

and y

ou d

on’t

want

to o

pen a

pic

ture

at

this

level, b

ut

exit

polls

are d

ecent

and w

e t

hin

k it

will find its

way,

” R

occo

said

. T

he W

olf

of

Wa

ll S

treet, w

hic

h

stars

Leon

ardo D

iCaprio

in

the b

io-

graphic

al st

ory o

f a d

rug-s

norti

ng W

all

Str

eet

scam

arti

st, so

ld $

18.5

m w

orth

of ti

ckets

aft

er c

rit

ics

gave it

generally

posi

tive r

evie

ws.

The fi

lm a

nd D

iCaprio

have b

oth

been n

om

inate

d for a

Gold

en

Glo

be A

ward.

Th

e S

ecr

et

Lif

e o

f W

alt

er

Mit

ty, w

hic

h

stars

and w

as

dir

ecte

d b

y B

en S

tiller,

collecte

d $

13m

in t

icket

sale

s. T

he fi

lm

was

first

develo

ped in t

he e

arly

1990s,

and f

or a

while S

teven S

pie

lberg w

as

signed t

o d

irect

it. F

ox c

ast

Sti

ller i

n

the t

itle

role

in 2

011

.T

his

year is

set

to s

urpass

2012

as

a

record y

ear for t

he b

ox o

ffice b

y n

earl

y

1 percent,

accordin

g t

o R

entr

ak. T

ota

l gross sale

s w

ere $10,8

11,7

01,2

60 in

2012

, w

hile 2

013

is

on t

rack t

o e

xceed

$10

.9bn.

Th

e S

ecr

et

Lif

e o

f W

alt

er

Mit

ty w

as

dis

trib

ute

d by F

ox,

a un

it of

21st

Centu

ry F

ox.

Fro

zen w

as

rele

ase

d b

y W

alt

Dis

ney

Co.

Am

eri

can

Hu

stle

was

dis

trib

ute

d

by S

ony.

Th

e H

ob

bit

: T

he D

eso

lati

on

of

Sm

au

g

was

rele

ase

d b

y W

arn

er B

roth

ers,

a

unit

of

Tim

e W

arner I

nc.

An

chorm

an

2:

Th

e L

egen

d C

on

tin

ues

an

d

Th

e

Wolf

of

Wa

ll

Str

eet

were

dis

trib

ute

d b

y P

aram

ount

Pic

tures,

a

unit

of

Via

com

.T

he H

un

ger

Ga

mes:

Ca

tch

ing F

ire w

as

rele

ase

d b

y L

ions

Gate

Ente

rta

inm

ent

Corp.

47 R

on

in w

as

rele

ase

d b

y U

niv

ersa

l P

ictu

res,

a u

nit

of

Com

cast

Corp.

Reu

ters

HO

LLY

WO

OD

NE

WS

I w

ould

lov

e to

do

mov

ies:

Bri

tney

Spea

rs

Pop s

tar B

rit

ney S

pears

is o

pen t

o a

cti

ng i

n fi

lms

provid

ed s

he g

ets

th

e r

ight

part.

The 3

2-y

ear-o

ld s

aid

that

she i

s w

ait

ing f

or t

he r

ight

role

s and a

lso

added t

hat

she loves

com

edy fi

lms,

reports

conta

ctm

usi

c.c

om

.“I

would

love t

o d

o m

ovie

s. I

f it

was

the r

ight

part,

it

would

be r

eally

cool. I

love f

unny m

ovie

s,”

E! N

ew

s quote

d S

pears

as

sayin

g.

The s

inger last

appeared in 2

002 fi

lm C

ross

roa

ds

where s

he p

layed L

ucy

Wagner.

The fi

lm a

lso s

tarred Z

oe S

ald

ana a

nd T

aryn M

annin

g.

Spears

has

als

o f

eatu

red in t

he t

ele

vis

ion s

how

s W

ill

& G

race

and H

ow

I

Met

You

r M

oth

er.

I nee

d a

goo

d f

resh

sta

rt:

Khlo

e

Reali

ty

TV

sta

r

Kh

loe

Kardash

ian

is

h

opin

g

that

the N

ew

Y

ear brin

gs

in good begin

nin

gs fo

r h

er.

T

he

29-year-old

, w

ho

on

Decem

ber 1

3 fi

led f

or d

ivorce

from

her h

usb

and, bask

etb

all

pla

yer L

am

ar O

dom

, is

happy

that

2013

is

alm

ost

over,

reports

conta

ctm

usi

c.c

om

.“I

love t

he N

ew

Year,

new

begin

nin

gs,

I n

eed a

good fresh

st

art.

I’m

excit

ed for t

his

year

to b

e o

ver w

ith,” K

hlo

e s

aid

in

the F

ebruary iss

ue o

f B

rit

ain

’s

Cosm

opolita

n. S

he is

ready t

o

move o

n.

“You o

nly

liv

e o

nce, so

let’s

make t

hat

on

e t

ime p

erfe

ct.

W

e c

an’t

fix o

ur m

ista

kes

and

imperfe

cti

on

s,

so le

t’s h

ave

fun. Y

ou g

et

what

you g

ive o

ut

in lif

e,” s

he a

dded.

The “

Keepin

g U

p w

ith t

he K

ardash

ians”

sta

r furth

er s

aid

that

she d

oes

not

regret

anyth

ing a

bout

her lif

e a

nd t

hat

she is

happy w

ith w

ho s

he is.

“I d

on’t

regret

anyth

ing a

bout

my lif

e. M

y lif

e h

as

made m

e w

ho I

am

at

this

mom

ent,

and I

’m v

ery h

appy w

ith w

ho I

am

. N

o m

att

er i

f it

’s g

reat,

dis

gust

ing, beauti

ful or u

gly

, it

happens

and it

makes

you y

ou. L

ife is

about

how

you p

rocess

thin

gs,

” K

hlo

e s

aid

.

Gag

a’s

ex t

hre

aten

s to

sue

boo

k, p

ubli

sher

Pop s

tar L

ady G

aga’s

ex-b

oyfr

ien

d,

drum

mer L

üc C

arl, h

as

threat-

ened t

o s

ue h

er long-t

ime f

rie

nd B

rendan J

ay S

ulliv

an a

nd p

ublish

er

HarperC

ollin

s over a

book in w

hic

h h

e h

as

been d

epic

ted a

s a v

illa

in.

Carl

was

unhappy w

ith t

he w

ay h

e h

as

been p

rese

nte

d in S

ulliv

an’s

book

Riv

ingto

n W

as

Ou

rs, and s

o h

e h

as

sent

legal le

tters

to H

arperC

ollin

s and

Sulliv

an, reports

nypost

.com

.T

he b

ook i

nclu

des

deta

ils

from

Gaga’s

early

career,

inclu

din

g h

ow

she

changed h

er “

thic

k, dark

, raven-h

air

ed I

talian m

ane”

for a

bad b

londe d

ye

job t

o im

press

her “

inatt

enti

ve a

nd p

oss

ess

ive”

boyfr

iend C

arl.

Gaga a

nd C

arl

were in a

rela

tionsh

ip for t

hree y

ears

befo

re t

hey p

arte

d

ways

in 2

008.

Sulliv

an h

as

desc

rib

ed C

arl as

a n

egati

ve influence o

n G

aga, ask

ing h

er

who s

he c

ould

talk

to a

nd w

here s

he c

ould

work

, w

hile h

e h

imse

lf w

as

“dis

tracte

d b

y a

sm

all c

ote

rie

”.L

ast

year,

Carl had a

dm

itte

d t

hat

he w

asn

’t t

he ideal boyfr

iend.

“I w

as

mis

erable

, and it

wasn

’t h

er f

ault

. It

was

my f

ault

. I

would

have

left

me, to

o,” h

e h

ad s

aid

.S

till, he h

as

sought

for legal advic

e o

ver t

he b

ook.

“Gaga t

old

me h

erse

lf t

hat

Lüc t

old

her e

arly

in

her c

areer,

‘I

hope

you f

ail,’

an

d t

hat

gave h

er t

he fi

re s

he n

eeded a

t th

e t

ime t

o fi

ght

for h

er d

ream

s. L

üc w

asn

’t h

appy t

hat

I m

ade h

im t

he v

illa

in o

f th

e

pie

ce.

HarperC

ollin

s got

a l

ett

er f

rom

him

...

he i

s th

reate

nin

g m

e a

nd

HarperC

ollin

s w

ith a

law

suit

,” S

ulliv

an s

aid

.

BO

LLY

WO

OD

NE

WS

Dee

pik

a to

annou

nce

tw

onew

pro

ject

s ar

ound b

irth

day

The N

ew

Year is

yet

to s

et

in b

ut

for D

eepik

a P

adukone it

alr

eady s

eem

s to

be t

urnin

g o

ut

well. T

he a

ctr

ess

, w

ho g

ave f

our b

ack-t

o-b

ack h

its

in 2

013

, is

lik

ely

to a

nnounce t

wo m

ore p

roje

cts

around h

er 2

8th

bir

thday.

She c

urren

tly h

as

three fi

lms

— H

ap

py

New

Yea

r, F

ind

ing F

an

ny

an

d

Imti

az

Ali’s

next,

to look f

orw

ard t

o n

ext

year.

“Deepik

a w

ill

be h

avin

g s

pecia

l an

noun

cem

en

ts a

roun

d h

er b

irth

day

(January 5

),”

said

a s

ource c

lose

to t

he a

ctr

ess

. T

he p

ast

year h

as

proven

success

ful

for t

he t

ale

nte

d y

oung l

ady t

hanks

to R

ace

2,

Yeh

Ja

wa

an

i H

ai

Deew

an

i, C

hen

na

i E

xp

ress

and G

oli

yon

Ki

Ra

asl

eela

Ra

m-L

eela

, all o

f w

hic

h

made it

to t

he `

1bn c

lub. S

he s

how

case

d a

varie

ty in h

er r

ole

s via

each o

f th

ese

film

s, a

nd w

as

lauded f

or h

er v

ersa

tility

.

Dev

gn t

o pla

y le

ad K

anch

ana

rem

ake

Aja

y D

evgn w

ill pla

y t

he lead in t

he H

indi rem

ake o

f T

am

il b

lockbust

er

Ka

nch

an

a, but

dir

ecto

r R

aghava L

aw

rence s

ays

he is

yet

to z

ero in o

n

an a

cto

r f

or t

he t

ransg

ender’s

role

in t

he fi

lm, w

hic

h w

ill go o

n t

he fl

oors

next

year.

In t

he o

rig

inal, T

am

il a

cto

r S

arath

Kum

ar p

layed t

he r

ole

of

a

transg

ender w

ho s

eeks

revenge in t

he f

orm

of

a s

pir

it.

“The p

roje

ct

is o

n w

ith A

jay D

evgn b

ut

we a

re y

et

to fi

nalise

an a

cto

r for

the r

ole

of

the t

ransg

ender.

It’s

a v

ery im

porta

nt

role

and I

need s

om

eone

who c

ould

pla

y i

t w

ith a

lot

of

dedic

ati

on b

ecause

not

all a

cto

rs

are k

een

to e

ssay s

uch r

ole

s. I

t w

ill ta

ke t

ime,” L

aw

rence s

aid

.L

aw

rence, w

ho d

irecte

d a

s w

ell a

s pla

yed t

he lead in K

an

cha

na, w

ill helm

th

e H

indi

rem

ake t

o b

e j

oin

tly p

roduced b

y H

indi

movie

acto

r T

uss

har

Kapoor a

nd S

habin

a K

han.

Aja

y h

as

alr

eady s

tarred i

n H

indi

rem

akes

of

south

ern fi

lms

such a

s S

ingh

am

and S

on

of

Sa

rda

ar.

Meanw

hile, L

aw

rence is

busy

shooti

ng for t

he s

equel to

Ka

nch

an

a, ti

tled

Ga

nga

-Mu

ni

3.

Inve

st i

n g

oodw

ill,

sugges

ts K

Jo

For fi

lmm

aker K

aran J

ohar,

“goodw

ill”

is

the “

only

property

” w

here o

ne

should

invest

to r

eap “

endle

ss”

retu

rns.

He t

ook t

o T

wit

ter t

o s

hare

the p

hiloso

phy t

hat

his

late

fath

er t

aught

him

. “M

y f

ath

er a

lways

told

me

goodw

ill is

the o

nly

property

to invest

in... th

e r

etu

rns

are e

ndle

ss,” K

aran

post

ed o

n t

he m

icroblo

ggin

g s

ite o

n M

onday.

The fi

lmm

aker’s

proje

cts

have e

njo

yed a

good r

un a

t th

e b

ox o

ffice t

his

year.

He p

roduced Y

eh

Ja

wa

an

i H

ai

Deew

an

i and p

rese

nte

d T

he L

un

chb

ox.

Hob

bit

Hob

bit

blas

ts p

ast

new

com

ers

bla

sts

past

new

com

ers

to c

laim

thi

rd b

ox o

ffice

cro

wn

to c

laim

thi

rd b

ox o

ffice

cro

wn

Dho

om:3

rule

s N

epal

box

offi

ce

Bollyw

ood s

tar A

am

ir K

han-s

tarrer a

cti

on t

hrille

r D

hoom

:3, w

hic

h i

s expecte

d t

o m

int ̀

3bn (

about

$48m

), is

goin

g s

o s

trong a

t th

e b

ox o

ffice

in N

epal

that

the l

ocal

film

makers

have h

ad t

o d

ela

y t

he r

ele

ase

of

their

ow

n fi

lms

for t

he n

ext

three w

eeks

fearin

g t

ough c

om

peti

tion. “W

e d

o

not

have N

epali m

ovie

s to

rele

ase

now

and f

or a

noth

er t

wo w

eeks,

though

five t

o s

ix N

epali m

ovie

s w

ere r

eady t

o c

om

e o

ut,”

Rajk

um

ar R

ai, c

hair

man

of

Nepal F

ilm

Producers

Ass

ocia

tion s

aid

.M

any p

roducers

are n

ot

keen t

o r

ele

ase

their

film

s due t

o t

he o

verw

helm

-in

g r

esp

onse

to D

hoom

:3,

Rai

said

. R

osh

an A

dig

a,

CE

O o

f Q

FX

Cin

em

as,

sa

id: “N

o N

epali fi

lm is

in t

he p

ipeline f

or r

ele

ase

.”M

ade o

n a

budget

of

approxim

ate

ly `

1bn a

nd p

roduced u

nder t

he Y

ash

R

aj F

ilm

s’ b

anner,

the A

am

ir, K

atr

ina K

aif

, A

bhis

hek B

achchan a

nd U

day

Chopra-s

tarrer h

it a

s m

any a

s 4,0

00 s

creens

across

the g

lobe.

In c

om

paris

on t

o t

he o

ver $

2bn I

ndia

n fi

lm indust

ry,

the fi

lmdom

in N

epal

is v

ery s

mall a

nd t

he m

axim

um

budget

of

a fi

lm d

oesn

’t e

xceed N

Rs.

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PLUS | TUESDAY 31 DECEMBER 2013 WINTER OLYMPICS610

© GRAPHIC NEWSSources: sochi.ru, wire agencies

A Russian national phone vote chose a polar bear, hare and leopard to become the official mascots, after a contest which drew 24,000 entries

Busiestcreature in

winter forest, thislittle doe haregets excellentgrades at ForestAcademy, works�� restaurant, enjoysall kinds of sportand loves to singand dance

POLARBEAR

LEOPARD

HARE

Lives on ice shelf beyondArctic Circle where everything

is frozen. Brought up by Arcticexplorers from early age, whotaught him how to ski, speed skate,curl and bobsleigh

Controversy:Allegations of vote-rigging

so leopard design (Vladimir�� favourite) wasamong those chosen

Controversy:Designer ofMoscow 1980Olympicsmascot claimsdesign iscopy of hisbear, ��

When notrescuing

people stuck onmountains or fromavalanches, thischeerful, dancingleopard teachessnowboardingand livesatop hugetree inCaucasusmountains

SO

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S 2

014

HEALTH / FITNESS 11

Low oxygen bad forbreast cancer patients

Breast cancer cells, when exposed to low oxy-gen conditions, trigger the production of two

proteins that make the cancer cells spread fast -- making the patient’s condition worse, a new paper has contended.

Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University reached the conclusion that low oxygen con-ditions, frequently present in breast cancers, facilitates the production of RhoA and ROCK1 proteins that, in turn, endow the cancer cells with the ability to move.

“High levels of RhoA and ROCK1 were known to worsen outcomes for breast cancer patients by endowing cancer cells with the ability to move, but the trigger for their production was a mystery,” said Gregg Semenza, Professor of Medicine at The Johns Hopkins University.

The researchers found that women with high levels of RhoA or ROCK1, and especially those women with high levels of both, were more likely to die of breast cancer than those with low levels.

“We now know that the production of these proteins increases dramatically when breast cancer cells are exposed to low oxygen condi-tions,” said the paper, published in the jour-nal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

With the multiplying of tumour cells, the inte-rior of the tumour begins to run out of oxygen simply because they are not being supplied by blood vessels. “The lack of oxygen activates the hypoxia-inducible factors, which are master control proteins that switch on many genes that help cells adapt to the scarcity of oxygen,” explained Semenza.

Hypoxia refers to a condition in which the body or a part of the body is deprived of adequate supply of oxygen. Hypoxia-inducible factors also turn on genes that help cancer cells escape from the oxygen-starved tumour by invading blood vessels, through which they spread to other parts of the body, the paper added.

Here is a breather, though. “We have suc-cessfully decreased the mobility of breast can-cer cells in the lab by using genetic tricks to knock the hypoxia-inducible factors down,” said Daniele Gilkes, lead author of the paper.

“Now that we understand the mechanism at play, we hope that clinical trials will be performed to test whether drugs that inhibit hypoxia-inducible factors will have the dou-ble effect of blocking production of RhoA and ROCK1 and preventing metastases in women with breast cancer,” Gilkes added.

New anti-malaria mixture found

This is one mixture that may induce a hango-ver in the deadly malaria parasite plasmo-

dium falciparum. Researchers have found that a new mixture of AMA1 proteins -- needed by the malaria parasite to invade blood cells - is a cocktail that can actually overcome major limi-tations of an earlier designed version of AMA1-based vaccines, raising hopes of finding a safe and effective vaccine.

To explore the potential for a more broadly pro-tective vaccine, the researchers tested different cocktails of AMA1 from different parasite strains for their ability to elicit a diverse range of antibod-ies, according to a study led by Indian-American scientist Sheetij Dutta of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) in the US.

Agencies

PLUS | TUESDAY 31 DECEMBER 2013

By Allison Bond

People who walk enough to meet or exceed physical activity recommendations may be less likely to die early than those who only walk a little, new research shows.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recom-mends adults be physically active for at least two and a half hours per week. Previous research has shown exercising more than that may bring extra benefits.

“An important question left to be answered is how much walking is beneficial,” study author Paul Williams, from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California, said.

He analysed data from 42,000 mostly middle-aged people who enrolled in the National Walkers’ Health Study between 1998 and 2001. They had all subscribed to a walking magazine or attended walk-ing events before the study.

Walkers filled out questionnaires about their health and lifestyle, including exercise and eating habits. Williams then used death records to track who in the study was still alive at the end of 2008.

Based on their questionnaire responses, 23 percent of participants didn’t walk enough to meet physi-cal activity guidelines. Another 16 percent met the guidelines, and the rest exceeded them.

Over an average of nine and a half years, 2,448 people died — almost 6 percent.

Compared to people who didn’t meet the guide-lines, those who walked more than the basic recom-mendation had a one-third lower chance of dying during the study period. Those who met but didn’t exceed the recommendation had an 11 percent lower chance.

That was after taking into account other differ-ences between people who walked various amounts, like diet and education levels.

Participants who walked more had a reduced risk of dying from a stroke, diabetes and heart disease, in particular.

Walking provides plenty of health benefits. But it’s important to note that people who walk more may do so because they are healthier and therefore more able to be active, Williams said. So the new study doesn’t prove walking will extend a person’s life.

“There is always the question of the chicken and the egg - whether people who are healthier are able to walk farther or, conversely, whether the longer distance they walk may translate into better health benefits,” Williams told Reuters Health.

Based on the results, he suggested changing cur-rent guidelines by bumping up the minimum amount of physical activity to five hours per week and devel-oping a two-tiered recommendation system that encourages people to exercise more than they do currently.

One tier would aim to get people active, and the other to add to the activity people are already doing, Williams said. That would underscore the point that for couch potatoes, starting to exercise is a healthy move — but the benefits don’t stop there.

“Achieving the weekly exercise guidelines is good,” Williams said, “but exceeding them is even better.”

“When it comes to walking, more is obviously bet-ter,” María Simón agreed. She is a fitness trainer and national spokesperson for the AHA and was not involved in the new research.

But, Simón said, the current physical activity guidelines are appropriate.

“The AHA has been very clear in specifying that the recommended guidelines are ‘minimum’ requirements to reduce the risk of heart-related diseases and death and has even provided guide-lines for increased activity,” she wrote in an emailed comment.

“Nevertheless, I believe the take-home of this and similar studies is a positive one: ‘Move . . . Just get up and move,’” Simón said.

SOURCE: bit.ly/1kKaM4T PLOS One, online November 29, 2013.

Reuters

When it comes to walking, more is better

TECHNOLOGYPLUS | TUESDAY 31 DECEMBER 201312

By Natasha Doff

What do a street-van burger, a wed-ding bouquet and a Beatles album have in common? They’re all on a growing list of products shoppers can buy over the counter using the

virtual currency Bitcoin.From Berlin record store Long Player to the

Flower Lab, a florist in Santa Monica, California, more retailers are accepting Bitcoin as consum-ers increasingly buy into the money, pushing up its value. In the past month, the number of businesses on CoinMap, a website showing physical companies and vendors accepting Bitcoin, has tripled to more than 2,000.

“People come to us from all over the world because we accept Bitcoin,” Vesna Sic, co-owner of the Lekkerurlaub guest house in Berlin, said by phone. “We had one man from Texas who has nowhere at home where he can spend his Bitcoins, so he came to Berlin for a week to spend them.”

There are about 12.2 million Bitcoins in circula-tion, according to Bitcoincharts. While online pay-ments for everything from university tuition fees to gummi bears aren’t unusual, over-the-counter transactions are just beginning to become popular. Now the virtual currency can buy olive oil in Spain or shots in Moscow as consumers seek ways to spend

the digital money.“Our news inbox has gone crazy over the last cou-

ple of months with more and more vendors saying they are accepting Bitcoins,” said Jeremy Bonney, a project manager at CoinDesk, a website that tracks the progress of the virtual currency.

Bitcoin exists as software and isn’t controlled by any government or central bank. The cryptocur-rency emerged in 2008, proposed by a programmer or group whose identity is unknown. While a handful of companies have minted physical Bitcoins with a code that can be scanned to link them to the digital ver-sion, they’re rarely used for everyday purchases since they’re worth hundreds of dollars apiece. On Friday, a Bitcoin fetched $742, according to the CoinDesk Bitcoin price index.

There are 26 physical retailers in London that accept Bitcoin and about 160 in Britain, according to CoinMap. Government and banking restrictions pre-vent UK retailers from adopting Bitcoins on a larger scale, said Chris Skinner, director of the Financial Services Club and head of Balatro, a research firm in London. While there are few limitations on individu-als buying and selling, lenders may close the accounts of businesses conducting many transfers with the electronic currency.

“Banks are running scared of money-laundering regulations and Bitcoin is primarily associated in

the government’s mind with avoidance of tax and potentially fuelling and funding terrorism and drug running,” Skinner said.

The European Banking Authority is weighing whether to regulate virtual currencies, a decision that could make or break wider-scale use by retail-ers. The banking regulator warned on December 13 that users risk theft and lack protection from losses if their virtual exchange collapses.

Bitcoin’s value has been known to lose or gain more than a quarter of its value in a single day. A decision by China’s central bank to bar financial institutions from handling transactions of the currency earlier this month sent the value tumbling.

“Today the exchange rate is a third of what it was last week,” London street vendor Tom Reaney said on December 11. “It’s a constant gamble unless you cash them in at the right time, but then where’s the fun in cashing them in because then you don’t have any coins?”

Late last month, Reaney’s Burger Bear became London’s first street food vendor to accept Bitcoin. Within three weeks about 50 customers had used the currency, paying him by making a transfer with their smartphones.

“I wasn’t expecting all the fuss when I said I would accept Bitcoin, but a lot of people have jumped on it,” Reaney said. “People are desperate to spend their coins on something rather than just online transactions.”

Reaney often parks his van near the so-called Silicon Roundabout, an area of East London with many tech startups. He decided to start accepting Bitcoin after noticing that customers were users.

One of his first virtual-currency clients, Web developer Ryan Holder, said he bought his first Bitcoins in April and has since seen them more than quadruple in value.

“I wanted to start moving a larger and larger pro-portion of my free cash every month into Bitcoin,” Holder said. “That was what inspired me to search for some food that I could buy because it’s all well and good having currency, but if you can’t eat with the currency then you’re in trouble really, aren’t you?”

Holder bought many Christmas presents at online Bitcoin stores this year, including a remote-control-led quadcopter for his son.

Stephen Early, the owner of the Pembury Tavern, the first London pub to accept Bitcoin for beer, says it’s an attractive form of payment for small retailers because, unlike credit cards, it has no transaction fees and payments can be processed in less than a minute.

“I was fed up with the credit card process so it’s been nice to use Bitcoin,” Early said. “But I’m not yet confident enough to put all my savings into it, even though if I had done so earlier this year, I would now be very rich.” WP-Bloomberg

By Siraj Datoo

The Science Museum in the UK is inviting visi-tors to interact with 80 of its most precious artefacts with a new iPad app that allows

users to study, rotate and operate objects hand-picked by the museum’s curators.

Journeys of Invention includes the examina-tion of a flea using Robert Hooke’s 17th century microscope, encoding messages using an enigma machine from the second world war and a tour of the control panel of the Apollo 10 command module – an area that museum visitors cannot normally explore.

Users are also given access to photographs, archive film footage and contemporary artworks.

“Journeys of Invention is at once awe-inspiring and intimate,” said Andrew Nahum, the Science Museum’s lead curator. “It is like having a curator take you on a series of guided tours through some

of the most magnificent objects in our collection, with each journey bringing to life the story of a key scientific idea.”

Nahum added that the app allowed the curators to “take off the shackles of geography” and allowed users to explore objects that normally would require them to visit three floors of the Science Museum.

The 80 inventions are curated into 14 stories, two of which are free when the app is downloaded and the others can be accessed through one in-app purchase of £6.99.

One story, Connected, traces how technology, from the steam engine to the iPad, has made the

world a more connected place and brought peo-ple closer together. Another, called New Science, focuses on modern science, allowing users to look at various objects through Hooke’s microscope before comparing it to the scientist’s original drawings.

The app was created by Touch Press in partner-ship with the Science Museum, who are celebrating an earlier app being named Apple’s Best iPad App of 2013.

“Science is a journey of discovery through time and space. So is this app,” said Theodore Gray, Touch Press’s chief creative officer.

The London startup previously created an app with Disney that allowed users to go behind the scenes of every film Disney has ever released. Amongst a variety of actions, users can see hand-made drawings of the cartoons, as well as scroll to look at individual stills from the movies.

The Guardian

Museum’s new app lets virtual visitors interact with its artefacts

Bitcoin buys burgers to music as stores embrace currency

COMICS & MORE 13

Hoy en la HistoriaDecember 31, 1938

1687: The first Huguenots set sail from France for the Cape of Good Hope, to escape religious persecution1948: U.S. professor Alfred Kinsey published his report on the “Sexual Behaviour of the Human Male”1953: A British-led expedition to search for the yeti arrived in India but found no evidence of the “Abominable Snowman”1992: At midnight Czechoslovakia ceased to exist, to be replaced by the Czech and Slovak republics

The “Drunkometer”, the first successful machine to test blood alcohol content in car drivers by analysing their breath, was introduced in the United States

Picture: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS

ALL IN THE MIND Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal,vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards.

ASTEROID, ASTRONAUT, ASTRONOMY, ASTROPHYSICS,ATMOSPHERE, BLACK HOLE, CAPSULE, COSMOS, COUNTDOWN, CREW, EXPLORATION, FLIGHT, GALAXY, GRAVITY, LAUNCH, LIGHT YEAR, METEOR, MISSION, MODULE, MOON, NEBULA, ORBIT, PLANET, PULSAR, ROCKET, SATELLITE, SOLAR SYSTEM, SPACECRAFT, SPACE STATION, STAR, SUPERNOVA, TAKEOFF, TRAJECTORY, UNIVERSE, VELOCITY, VOYAGE.

LEARN ARABIC

Baby Blues by Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman

Zits by Dennis Young and Denis Lebrun

Hagar The Horrible by Chris Browne

Nature

River Nahr

Lake Bou�ayra

Pool Birka

Shore �a�i

Mountain Jabal

Valley Wadi

Hill Talla

Coast Sa�il

The sun Al �ams

The earth Al Ar�

ç = ‘a’ in ‘agh’ when surprised


HYPER SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

CROSSWORDS

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER

How to play Hyper Sudoku:A Hyper Sudoku

Puzzle is solved

by filling the

numbers from 1

to 9 into the blank

cells. A Hyper

Sudoku has

unlike Sudoku

13 regions

(four regions

overlap with the

nine standard

regions). In all

regions the numbers from 1 to 9 can appear

only once. Otherwise, a Hyper Sudoku is

solved like a normal Sudoku.

ACROSS 1 Whitewater craft 5 Chews the fat 9 “Nothing but net” sound14 She sang with Duke

and Dizzy15 Instrument called “an ill

wind that nobody blows good”

16 Ionian Sea vacation isle17 Out there18 Lacks pizazz20 Former Haitian leader

Duvalier22 Clothing, slangily23 Radio host who often

wears cowboy hats25 Got hitched26 Overly partisan31 “Uncle” on a food

package34 ___ Mountains35 Sen. Biden represented

it: Abbr.36 Jam session feature37 Doesn’t fight back40 Failed to show up for,

informally

42 A lot of a flock43 “Major ___” of 1990s

TV45 Shire of “Rocky”46 Roseanne’s husband on

“Roseanne”47 Animal on display50 Filming site51 Roe source52 Casual eateries56 Put up61 Inuit, maybe63 Leander’s love64 Téa of “Spanglish”65 Prefix with plane, to a

Brit66 Calif. neighbor67 Three-star rank: Abbr.68 Amount between some

and all69 High roller’s pairDOWN 1 Realize, as profit 2 Sporty auto, for short 3 Try to get airborne,

maybe 4 Setting in a Mitchell novel 5 “Get lost!”

6 Ancestor of a calculator 7 Fenway nine, on

scoreboards 8 E-mail folder heading 9 Ruined a shutout10 Tried to win11 Rombauer of cookery12 “Bullitt” law

enforcement org.13 Confused responses19 Words said with a shrug21 Light tennis shots that

fall just over the net24 Caesar of old TV26 Brought along on a

hike, say27 2000s Vienna State

Opera conductor28 Like some heavy

buckets29 Assaying samples30 Cotillion V.I.P.31 Yalie’s cheer word32 Like Keebler workers33 Low-cal yogurt

descriptor36 One-for-one transaction38 “Same with me!”

39 Confucian principle41 Chopin piece44 Built-in feature of the

Apple II47 Focus (on)48 “Bottoms up!”49 Stick’s partner, in an

idiom50 Soup ingredient in an

old folk story52 Legislature’s consideration

53 The Beach Boys’ “___ Around”

54 Walk wearily55 Did laps, say57 Landlocked African land58 Hatcher who played

Lois Lane59 Spy novelist Ambler60 Go out for a short time?62 Prefix with natal

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

34 35 36

37 38 39 40 41

42 43 44 45

46 47 48 49

50 51

52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

61 62 63

64 65 66

67 68 69

M A C K C U R S E S A K EA L A I U S E I T U N I XT O R T L A T T E R M A T EC H A S K I A O A T E SH A T C H I N G P O S T

H E N O V A R I E SS A T Y R S A L E A C U PO R E B A T P A R T E R AA G R A B O E R E R R O RP O M P E I I T A U

P A T C H P E R F E C TA T L A S A L E F L A WW H E R E I T S A T A B L EE R I E M A T T E L O V ED U A L F O Y E R O W E N

How to play Kakuro:The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers.However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number.Within each collection of cells - called a run

- any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once.

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER

14

EASY SUDOKUCartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate

Easy Sudoku PuzzlesPlace a digit from 1 to 9 in each empty cell so everyrow, every column and every 3x3 box contains allthe digits 1 to 9.


CINEMA / TV LISTINGS 15

TEL: 444933989 444517001SHOWING AT VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

05:00 NBA Basketball,

Miami @ Denver

07:30 Rugby, Aviva

Premiership,

London Irish vs

Gloucester

09:30 Omni Sport

10:00 Nba Basketball,

Miami @ Denver

12:00 Scottish League,

Dunfermline vs

Rangers

14:00 Omni Sport

14:30 Ski Magazine

15:00 Tennis, Atp 250,

Qatar Open

23:00 Towards A New

World

08:00 News

09:00 Al Jazeera

World

10:00 News

10:30 Inside Story

11:30 The Stream

12:00 News

12:30 Soapbox

Mexico

13:00 NEWSHOUR

14:30 Inside Story

15:00 Muslims of

France

16:00 NEWSHOUR

17:00 News

17:30 The Stream

18:00 NEWSHOUR

19:30 Life Apps

20:00 News

20:30 Inside Story

21:00 NEWSHOUR

22:30 The Stream

23:00 Al Jazeera

World

16:15 English Premier

League,

Tottenham vs

Stoke

18:00 English Sports

News


League Profile,

Stoke


League Football

20:30 Own Goals And

Gaffs

21:30 This Is Paris


League New

Review

13:00 Do Dil Bandhe

Ek Dori Se

15:00 Pavitra Rishta

16:30 Qubool Hai

17:00 Doli Armaano Ki


19:00 Do Dil Bandhe

Ek Dori Se

19:30 Jodha Akbar


21:00 Qubool Hai

22:30 Do Dil Bandhe

Ek Dori Se

13:00 Shake It Up

14:10 Good Luck

Charlie

15:00 Mako Mermaids

16:10 Violetta

17:00 Teen Beach

18:30 Good Luck Charlie

20:30 Jessie

21:15 Shake It Up

21:40 Austin And Ally

22:00 Jessie

23:10 A.N.T. Farm

14:00 Who Framed

Roger Rabbit

16:00 Blame It On The

Bellboy

18:00 New Year's Eve

20:00 American

Reunion

22:00 Wanderlust

13:15 Dual Survival

15:20 Alaska: The

Last Frontier

16:10 Fast N' Loud

17:00 Ultimate

Survival

17:50 Dirty Jobs

19:30 Sons Of Guns

20:20 Storage

Hunters

21:10 How Do They

Do It?

22:00 Get Out Alive

With Bear Grylls

22:50 Swimming

With Monsters:

Steve

14:00 Bones

15:00 Royal Pains

16:30 Coronation

Street

17:00 The Ellen

DeGeneres

Show

18:00 Bones

19:00 Bunheads

20:00 Revenge

21:00 Top Gear (UK)

22:00 The Newsroom

23:00 Rescue Me

13:00 Rise Of The

Guardians

15:00 This Means

War

17:00 Katy Perry The

Movie: Part Of

Me

19:00 Cirque Du Soleil:

Worlds Away

21:00 The Dark

Knight Rises

23:45 Rock Of Ages

13:00 Beverly Hills

Chihuahua 3:

Viva LA Fiesta!

16:00 Puss In Boots

18:00 Dr Seuss' Cat

In The Hat

20:00 Ice Age

22:00 Gabe The

Cupid Dog


QF RADIO 91.7 FM ENGLISH PROGRAMME BRIEF

LIVE SHOWS Airing Time Programme Briefs

SPIRITUAL HOUR

6:00 - 7:00 AM A time of reflection, a deeper understanding of the teachings of Islam.

RISE 7:00 – 9:00 AM Today on Rise, Laura and Scott speak with Shabina Khatri from Doha News. Shabina will fill us in on everything that's happening locally here in Qatar.

INTERNATIO-NAL NEWS

1:00 PM The latest news and events from around the world.

DRIVE 3:00 – 4:00 PM A LIVE daily afternoon show broadcast at peak travel time. Today Nabil focuses on movies, what’s showing in cinemas and upcoming must sees with Amir Ghonim from the Doha Film Institute.

Repeat Shows

LEGENDARY ARTISTS

10:00 – 11:00 AM The show tells the story of a celebrity artist that has reached unprecedented fame. Throughout the episode the artists’ memorable performances/songs will be played to put listeners in the mood.

FASHION 12:00 – 1:00 PM A weekly show hosted and produced by Laura Finnerty. The show brings together the latest fashion trends along with exciting interviews with local and international designers.

INNOVATIONS 7:00 – 8:00 PM A weekly show hosted and produced by Scott Boyes. The show talks about all the newest and exciting advancements in the world of science and technology.

MALL

1

Dhoom 3 (2D/Hindi) – 2.15 & 10.30pm

Endrendrum Punnagai (2D/Tamil) – 5.30pm

Silence (2D/ Malayalam) – 8.15pm

2

Walking W/ Dinosaurs (3D/Animation) – 3.00pm

Frozen (3D/Animation) – 5.00pm

Mandela (2D/Biography) – 7.00pm

Howa Fi Keda -Arabic (2D/Arabic) – 9.30pm

Grudge Match (2D/Comedy) – 11.30pm

3

47 Ronin (3D/Action) – 2.30 & 7.15pm



A Strangers In Paradise (2D/Thriller) – 11.30pm

LANDMARK

1Dhoom 3 (2D/Hindi) – 2.30 & 8.00pm

Silence (2D/ Malayalam) – 5.30 & 11.15pm

2






3

Grudge Match (2D/Comedy) – 2.30 & 11.15pm

Mandela (2D/Biography) – 4.30pm


47 Ronin (3D/Action) – 9.00pm

ROYAL

PLAZA

1

Dhoom 3 (2D/Hindi) – 2.30 & 8.00pm

Silence (2D/ Malayalam) – 5.30pm

Endrendrum Punnagai (2D/Tamil) – 11.00pm

2


Frozen (3D/Animation) – 5.00 & 7.00pm



3


Walking W/ Dinosaurs (3D/Animation)– 4.30pm




PLUS | TUESDAY 31 DECEMBER 2013 POTPOURRI16

Editor-In-Chief Khalid Al Sayed Acting Managing Editor Hussain Ahmad Editorial Office The Peninsula Tel: 4455 7741, E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected]

MEDIA SCAN A summary ofissues of the daydiscussed by the Qatari communityin the media.

• There were talks in social media about the Kuwaiti daily Al Wasat which named the Father Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani the Person of the Year for 2013.

• Some residents of the Azgawy area complained about the bad condition of roads and said they had filed many requests for maintenance as many of the roads could not be used, but there was no response yet from the concerned authorities.

• There was talk about registration of participants in the 5th International Falcon and Hunting Festival which opens tomorrow.

• Some people complained against shops and commercial entities on commercial roads and said they block public parking spaces for their own use or for their customers. They demanded that the authorities concerned take punitive actions against those shops which are

commercialising the use of public parking spaces.

• There was talk about the completion and launch of a Medical Commission branch in the Industrial Area. The new facility can cater to 400 to 500 visitors daily and provide check-ups for newcomers under the administration of Qatar Red Crescent.

• There was talk on social media about laboratory tests on infant milk formula and the Supreme Council of Health’s revocation of a temporary recall of Nan and Aptamil milk. Tests have shown that they are safe for consumption and meet Qatari health standards.

• Some people complained about mistakes in monthly bills of mobile phones and said they were shocked over the increasing call rates. They said they had filed complaints but there was no response or explanation from operating companies. They urged the Telecommunication Council to intervene and protect consumers’ interests.

IN FOCUS

A view from top of Al Fardan Towers.

by Da_neil

Send your photos to [email protected]. Mention where the photo was taken.

Hamad Al Hammadi Government Relations Manager, Vodafone Qatar

A graduate of Business Administration from Qatar University, Hamad worked

across various departments at the Qatar Olympic Committee between 2002 and 2013 assuming roles in Finance and Sports Affairs. Between 2009 and 2012, Hamad held the position of General Secretary at the Qatar Table Tennis Federation banking on his track record as a table tennis champion. Hamad had won Table Tennis Arab Champion title for ’95 and ’97; Table Tennis GCC Champion for ’97, ’99, ‘2001 and ‘2003; West Asian Champion for ’96 and ’99 and is also an Olympian — 2000 Sydney Olympics and 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Who’s who

If you want your events featured here, mail details to [email protected]

Public talk on: Globalization, Power Diffusion, and Turkish Foreign Policy When: January 8, 2014; 5pm-7pmWhere: Qatar Foundation, LAS Building, B15 What: Talk by Professor Fuat Keyman, Director of Istanbul Policy Center and Professor of Political Science at Sabanci University, organised by Qatar Faculty Of Islamic Studies, Master’s Program In Public Policy In Islam. Free Entry

Project Space: Magdi Mostafa: Sound Element When: Till Jan 5, 2014Where: Mathaf: Arab Museumof Modern Art

What: Egyptian artist Magdi Mostafa explores the dialogue between sound and space. Mostafa’s work evokes personal and shared memories, recalling different images and emotions to be experimented by the visitors. Free Entry

Relics — Damien HirstWhen: Until Jan 22; Sun-Wed: 10:30am–5:30pm. Tuesday ClosedThur-Sat: 12pm–8pm, Fri: 2pm–8pmWhere: Al Riwaq Exhibition Space What: The most comprehensive survey of Damien Hirst’s work ever shown and his first solo exhibition in the Middle East. Free Entry

L’âge d’or — exhibitionby Adel AbdessemedWhen: Till January 5Where: Atrium and ground floor of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art What: Curated by Pier Luigi Tazzi, the exhibition will showcase recent works, including drawings, paintings, sculptures and videos, many created by Adel Abdessemed. Entry: Free, open to all

Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim: A Leader’s Legacy When: Until January 30, 2014Where: QMA Gallery, Katara What: This exhibition presents new insights into Sheikh Abdullah’s life and legacy to Qatar’s people through exceptional artifacts, historic photographs, oral history interviews and original films. Free Entry

‘Our Qatar’ ExibitionWhen: Till Jan 18, 10pm to 10pm Where: Katara Gallery 2 - Bldg 18 What: A community photography installation project. You can contribute one photo that expresses the way you feel about Qatar and their life in the country. Maximum Size accepted is A3. For more information contact the Katara Art Studios Team at [email protected]: Free Entry

Events in Qatar

future of female action hero • learn commonly · transformers but his girlfriend favours ......

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