the peninsula newspaper @peninsulaqatar @peninsula qatar ... · games captain anuji senalka. she...

Point Break: A thriller packed with action

CAMPUS | 4 FASHION | 8 ENTERTAINMENT | 10

DeBakey students host event with Best Buddies

Fashion moment for plaid extends to

home decor

www.thepeninsulaqatar.com

MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2016 the peninsula newspaper @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar

DIGITISINGDIGITISINGHISTORYHISTORY P | -3

Qatar Digital Library portal provides

access to over 650,000 pages from

the British Library’s collections with

descriptions in both Arabic and English.

CAM

DeBhostBest

| 10

COVERSTORY

| 03 MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2016

By Fazeena Saleem

The Peninsula

The Qatar National Library (QNL)’s

Qatar Digital Library (QDL) project

aims to digitise 1,125,000 pages

of rare, historical documents in a

bid to contribute to current un-

derstanding of the Gulf’s regional history

and the Arabic and Islamic World.

Digitalising the pages will be completed

by 2018.

QDL was launched in 2014 and through

its website www.qdl.qa, users can find a

wealth of diverse information relating to the

history of Qatar and the region. There are

digitised letters in English from the 18th to

the 20th century with information about life

in the Gulf region, administration and pe-

troleum companies, as there are important

manuscripts of Arab and Islamic scientists

which were hidden in the British Library.

“Our aim is to make this information and

knowledge about the Gulf freely available

for everyone — from those with a general

interest in the history of the Gulf to the

academic researchers undertaking ground-

breaking historical research. The QDL is an

important contribution to the study of the

Gulf history, improving understanding of

the modern history of the Gulf, the Arabic

cultural heritage and the Islamic world,” Dr

Claudia Lux, Qatar National Library’s Project

Director told this newspaper.

Presently, the online portal provides

access to over 650,000 pages from the

British Library’s collections with descrip-

tions in both Arabic and English. This

includes 625,000 pages from the India Of-

fice Records and 25,000 pages of medieval

Arabic manuscripts digitised and made ac-

cessible online for the first time.

The Heritage Collection of the QNL is

a unique contribution to Qatar’s cultural

landscape.

The Heritage Collection comprises

some of the rarest and most valuable texts

and manuscripts related to Arab-Islamic

civilisation. The growing collection currently

includes books and periodicals about the

Arab world in many European languages.

First books printed with Arabic letters can

be find here as well as Arabic religious and

scientific manuscripts, maps and globes,

as well as instruments and tools related to

travel, and a selection of early photography.

QNL recognises that Qatar’s youth need

to be equipped with the necessary resourc-

es, knowledge, and skills to preserve the

nation’s heritage, while driving their com-

munity into the future.

“QNL provides access to digital re-

sources for young people through its

children and teen collections. There are

picture books and fiction with beautiful

stories and non-fiction for all kind of in-

terests from pyramids to dinosaur and

astronomy. There are music and graphic

novels as animated Arabic learning fea-

tures,” said Dr Lux.

“Additionally, through a range of in-

teractive children and teen events, QNL

aims to create an ambiance conducive

to learning, self-development and crea-

tivity. The skills acquired through these

programmes and events are helpful for

children and teens academic and social

excellence,” she added.

In 2015, in addition to hosting a range

of interactive monthly events for children,

families and the general public in Qatar,

QNL’s successful participation in the 26th

annual Doha International Book Fair where

it received nearly 1,500 new member regis-

trations was a remarkable highlight of the

year.

“It shows, that there is a growing reading

culture in Qatar. Furthermore, throughout

the year, QNL has registered thousands of

users wishing to gain access to the library’s

wealth of learning resources,” said Dr Lux.

Residents of Qatar with valid Qatari IDs

are able to access all databases of QNL free

of charge after registration through QNL’s

website: www.qnl.qa. There is a wide range

of online databases for all kind of inter-

ests from medicine to engineering, from

history to music or with lots of interesting

fiction that can being accessed through the

library’s website.

Digitising thousands of rare historical documents

The Heritage Collection comprises some of the rarest and most valuable texts and manuscripts related to Arab-Islamic civilisation.

Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, along with Qatar National Library’s team during the Heritage Collection Open Day in 2015.

Qatar National Library’s Heritage Collection has some of the most unique historical manuscripts, including one of the oldest copies of the Holy Quran.

Qatar National Library’s team hosted engaging activities for children and families at Qatar Foundation’s tent in Darb El Saai in celebration of Qatar National Day last month.

CAMPUS

04 | MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2016

DeBakey students host event with Best Buddies

DeBakey High School stu-

dents hosted a social

event at Darb El Saai with

their Best Buddies group

members from Step By Step Cen-

tre. The students toured Darb Al

Sai festivities and participated in

the shooting range games, archery,

fire safety seminar, falcon petting,

and radio voice recordings.

This event was a continuation

of the relationships developed

throughout the school year. The

Step By Step students also received

handmade greeting cards from the

DeBakey students.

DeBakey students are required

to complete a minimum of 100

volunteer hours before gradua-

tion, and such activities help build

character and social responsibility

awareness. The activities are de-

signed with the theme, “They are

just like you and me,” in effort to

break away the thought that chil-

dren with disabilities want to be

dealt with any differently. ACS Doha to hold Open Morning

ACS Doha invited all to attend an informal Open Morning for

prospective families interested in visiting the school and find-

ing out how the IB can enable pupils to gain places at the

best universities. The ACS invited all to meet current families and

students, as well as the Head of School. The open day will be taking

place on January 16, 2016 from 9am till 11am at the school located

in Al Gharaffa. To reserve your place today please register via our

website: http://bit/1meKTSq or to find out more visit: http://www.

acs-schools.com/open-mornings-acs-doha

CAMPUS/COMMUNITY


Stafford International holds sports meet

The Annual Senior Sports Meet

of Stafford International School

was held recently at Al Sadd

Sports Grounds.

The Meet opened with the torch be-

ing symbolically carried by the School

Games Captain Anuji Senalka. She was

joined by House and Games captains

from representing three houses. Fol-

lowing the oath by the athletes, the

meet was declared open by the school’s

Chairman Kumudu Fonseka.

The three houses of the School,

Emerald, Garnet and Topaz, competed

against one another to raise the Cham-

pions Trophy. Athletes competed in

individual track events that included

relays in several exciting rounds. The

spectators were treated to thrilling mo-

ments when athletes performed with

vigour and determination to earn points

for their respective Houses.

A group of students from Primary

School and the Western Band added

glamour to the occasion with a drill dis-

play and a Band display respectively.

Thereafter, the squads of all three Hous-

es marched around the track. Chief

Guest SugathThilakaratne, President

of Sri Lanka Athletics Association and

Principal Rienzie Nanayakkara received

the Guard-of-Honour.

Thilakaratne was flown in from Sir

Lanka to be Chief Guest and Sheikha

Zulfa Al Thani, Guest of Honour joined

the events. Secretary of Al Sadd Sports

Club, Ahamed Saiid, also attended.

At the close of the meet, Topaz

House were adjudged Champions

for 2015. Emerald House emerged

first Runner-Up and Garnet second

Runner-Up.

Students from the Topaz House receive the Championship Trophy from Chief Guest

Sugath Thilakaratne, President of Sri Lanka Athletics Association, and Rienzie

Nanayakkara, Principal of Stafford International School.

Filipino Fashion Designers of Qatar members.

IFF winter gathering

The Indonesian Family Forum of

Dukhan or Paguyuban Masyar-

akat Indonesia di Dukhan led

by Bangun Widadi recently organised

the IFF Dukhan Winter Gathering with

the theme ‘Together... We Strong and

Warm’ at Dukhan Water Sports (DWS)

South Beach. Around 500 people at-

tended the gathering. Indonesian

Ambassador,Deddy Saiful Hadi and Mad-

ame Endang Deddy Hadi were Guests of

Honour. Indonesian embassy staff also

attended the event.

The Filipino Fashion Designers of

Qatar (FFDQ) recently launched

“Manika, Dolls Enchanted” , an ex-

hibition of miniature dolls whose

clothing were designed by FFDQ. The dolls

are on display at the Plaza Inn Doha until

January 15 from 8am to 11pm daily. The

exhibition is organised in cooperation with

Plaza Inn, headed by General Manager Jo-

chen A Schmid.

Len Tan, the Marketing and PR Man-

ager of International Hospitality, has been

instrumental for FFDQ to fulfil its dream of

showcasing Filipino creativity in the field of

fashion. FFDQ was established November

23 and was accredited by the Philippine

Embassy on December 8.

The association consists of young and

innovative fashion designers including Mon

Sarmiento, Chairman; Rholand Debuque,

Vice Chairman Internal; Vhong Taasan, Vice

Chairman External; Alain Geli, Secretary

Internal; Rhon Santos, Secretary External;

Mhel Borres, Treasurer; Jamilah Ahmed, Au-

ditor; and PRO’s Zandro De Vera Adriano

and Federico Jorge.

FFD launches Manika Dolls Enchanted

MARKETPLACE


Domasco sponsors

Ustad Rahat concert

Doha Marketing Services Com-

pany (Domasco), a leading

multi-brand company, has

signed up as the exclusive

Diamond sponsor for“Ustad Rahat

Fateh Ali Khan” live concert in Doha. The

well-known automotive brands Honda

and GAC are also supporting this event

as Platinum sponsors.

“Domasco’s sponsorship of this

music concert is in line with the com-

pany’s continuing strategy to support

and engage all segments of the local

community” said Faisal Sharif, Manag-

ing Director at Domasco.

He added: “We are thrilled to team

up with Apex Events, the organiser of

the concert. We would like to thank

them for giving us the opportunity

to be part of this most awaited show

that brings so much excitement to

Qatar.”

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan will amaze the

audience in Qatar with his impressive

performance, Domasco said.

HDC inaugurates Wafflemeister at Lagoona Mall

Hospitality Development Com-

pany (HDC), a wholly-owned

subsidiary of United Devel-

opment Company (UDC),

celebrated the opening of its latest

offering to the Qatari market, the UK

based chain Wafflemeister at Lagoo-

na Mall.

The opening of the new dining

experience was marked in true fun-

fair style as sky scrapping stilt walkers

enthralled the crowds, eye-popping

balloon artist with one of a kind balloon

sculptures entertained children, and

the ‘Minions’ characters also made an

appearance at the event.

As a popular international brand

and with rapid expansion all over the

globe, Wafflemeister’s arrival has cer-

tainly been eagerly awaited. The chain’s

success to a great extent relates to the

secret recipe of the waffle dough that

dates as far back as the 1950’s, as such

United Development Company is proud

to have brought such an exciting con-

cept to Doha’s diners.

Abdullatif Al Yafei, UDC Executive Director Portfolio Investment (centre);

Abdul Shukoor, HDC General Manager (left); and guests during the opening of

Wafflemeister at Lagoona Mall Doha.

“We are truly excited and honoured

to have joined forces with the Hospi-

tality Development Company to bring

Wafflemeister to Doha,” said CEO &

Founder of Wafflemeister UK, Alex-

ander Troullier. “We could not have

hoped for a better partner who shares

the passion for great tasting waffles,

fantastic customer service and under-

stands the Meister’s promise.”

Although the brand’s main focus is

waffles, it also caters to customers who

wish to indulge in an array of authen-

tic Italian ice cream (gelato), delicious

thick shakes, refreshing sorbets and

gourmet coffee. Servicing its clients in

a casual and fun atmosphere, the café

later on welcomed the general public,

who found it appealing as the ‘go-to

place’ for a true everyday indulgence.Stiltwalkers entertaining children.

Sana Salman, (second left) Director, Marketing Apex events, with Faisal Sharif, Managing Director, Domasco; Greig Roffey,

Sales and Marketing Head of Honda; Santosh, Regional Head of Malabar Gold and Diamond and Farrukh Jamal, Business

Development Manager of Qalco, at a press conference announcing Rahat Fateh Ali Khan show in Doha yesterday.

Pic

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FOOD


To get a party started, a

simple and stylish soup

By Joe Yonan

The Washington Post

As much as I love to eat chunky,

hearty soups as the weather

gets colder, I’m also a suck-

er for the kind of purees that

can be part of a fancy party: as a plat-

ed, sit-down first course or even as a

passed appetiser, served in miniature

glasses.

That kind of soup, in my mind, needs

to be relatively simple but powerfully

flavored. And it never hurts to include

ingredients that get people talking. I

knew that’s what I’d get when I spotted

a recipe for Apple Soup With Juniper

in Darra Goldstein’s recent book Fire (plus) Ice: Classic Nordic Cooking (Ten

Speed Press, 2015), and I was right.

The recipe combines Granny Smith

apples with warming flavours from gin-

ger, juniper berries, cardamom, allspice

and cinnamon. For the liquid, Goldstein

employs a little apple cider but mostly

chicken stock; I went with my home-

made vegetable broth for the latter. The

result is something a little mysterious

— tart but deep — and you wouldn’t

necessarily know that it included ap-

ples unless somebody told you. It’s

barely thicker than freshly squeezed

juice, which makes it good for sipping. I

added an extra touch, saving one of the

apple peels, thinly slicing it and frying

it for a frizzly garnish.

Goldstein designed the soup as

something comforting for when the

weather first gets chilly in Scandinavia.

Apple Soup With Juniper

4 to 6 servings (makes about 5 ½

cups)

This elegant Scandinavian soup,

with its tartness deepened by the

slightly smoky and earthy flavors of

juniper, would make an excellent first

course for a dinner party. Barely thick-

er than juice, it would be perfect for

sipping from demitasse cups or shot

glasses.

You’ll need cheesecloth and kitchen

twine.

MAKE AHEAD: The soup can be refrig-

erated for up to one week or frozen for

up to three months.

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds tart apples, such as Granny Smith (about 3)

2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for optional garnish

2 small ribs celery, chopped (about ½ cup)

2 shallot lobes, chopped (about ¼ cup)

One 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon dried juniper berries4 green cardamom pods3 allspice berries1 small (3-inch) cinnamon stick8 large sprigs flat-leaf parsley, plus

more for garnish1 sprig thyme4 cups homemade or no-salt-

added vegetable broth (see Scrappy Vegetable Broth at washingtonpost.com/recipes)

1 cup unsweetened apple cider½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more as

needed½ teaspoon freshly ground black

pepper, plus more as needed

Steps

Core, peel and chop the apples.

Save and thinly slice the peel of 1 ap-

ple, if you like, for an optional garnish.

Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a

2-quart or larger soup pot over low

heat. Add the apples, celery, shallot and

ginger, then cover and cook gently until

soft but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the dried juni-

per berries, cardamom pods, allspice,

cinnamon stick, 8 sprigs of parsley and

the thyme sprig in a piece of cheese-

cloth and it tie closed with kitchen

twine; this is your spice sachet.

Once the apple mixture is soft,

pour the broth and cider into the pot.

Increase the heat to medium-high; add

the spice sachet and bring to a boil,

then reduce the heat to medium, so

the liquid is barely bubbling. Cover and

cook for 40 minutes, until everything is

very soft and the flavors have melded.

Meanwhile, if you want to make the

apple-peel garnish, line a plate with

paper towels. Heat 2 or 3 more table-

spoons of the oil over medium heat in

a small skillet. Once the oil shimmers,

working in batches to avoid overcrowd-

ing, scatter in some of the thinly sliced

peels and cook, stirring frequently, until

they are lightly browned. Use a slotted

spoon to transfer them to the paper-

towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with

the remaining peels.

Remove the soup pot from the

heat. Discard the spice sachet. Use an

immersion (stick) blender to puree the

soup in the pot, then pour it through

a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot,

pressing down on the solids. Add the

salt and pepper, and reheat the soup

gently over low heat. Taste, and adjust

the seasonings as needed.

Divide among individual bowls,

garnishing each portion with the fried

apple peels, if using, and a few parsley

leaves. Nutrition | Per serving (based

on 6): 140 calories, 0 gram protein,

25 gram carbohydrates, 5 gram fat, 0

gram saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol,

210mg sodium, 2 gram dietary fibre,

20 gram sugar.

LIFESTYLE/FASHION


Fashion moment for plaid extends to home decorAP

Plaids are having a fashion mo-

ment as retailers and designers

play with the classic pattern. But

the apparel and footwear indus-

tries are sharing the love: Fresh takes on

plaid have made headway in housewares

and home decor, too.

“The great thing about plaid is that you

can take it in so many different directions,”

said Kristen Chalupa, a kitchen and table-

top product manager for Crate & Barrel.

Through scale, colour and application,

plaids can be complex and traditional, or

simplified for a clean, updated look, she

said. “There’s something very recognis-

able and nostalgic about plaid,” Chalupa

said.

Her company went for nostalgia but

also took a more modern approach in

recent offerings, with updated plaids in

table linens and such kitchen items as an

oven mitt, pot holder, apron and dishtowel

in a matching pattern of bright red, green,

yellow and blue.

A wide plaid with a metallic shimmer

was on sale there in Christmas wrapping

paper, a plaid throw in red and green

was called “Cratchit,” and Crate & Barrel

also built a crosshatched plaid into the

handcrafted iron wire front of a mid-cen-

tury-influenced fireplace screen.

Target went “mad for plaid” in a variety

of ways, including a limited-edition collab-

oration with sportswear designer Adam

Lippes in mostly apparel and accessories,

playing on the classic buffalo design. The

retailer also offered some unlikely items

such as special-issue Chapstick sets of

three lip balms and plaid-decorated bot-

tles of Listerine mouthwash in yellow,

green and blue.

“Plaid has been a defining element

of style for every generation,” said Amy

Goetz, a Target spokes-

woman. “Offering it

across different cat-

egories allows our

guests to experience

that element of sur-

prise as they browse

throughout the entire

store.”

Both classic and

contemporary plaids

are plentiful through-

out the retail universe

in couches, curtains

and bedding, but al-

so for Christmas tree

ornaments, in deer

shapes of orange and

black on throw pillows,

and in non-traditional

colour schemes that

include soft pinks.

Ugg Australia sells a

calming glacier plaid

in soft wool, in blue,

white and light tan

with fringe at one hem

just down from a dec-

orative three-button

closure.

Pinterest is awash

with ways to decorate

a home using plaid, including wallpaper in

red to anchor a cozy, book-filled study, and

building a plaid design in contemporary

bathroom or kitchen wall tile.

The design need not scream rustic,

country or all things Scotland. Graham-

brown.com offers a thoroughly modern

take on plaid in a charcoal-and-white wall

covering that lends a more sophisticated

air against a white floor and contemporary

white easy chair.

Other sightings of creative uses for

plaid:

ISAAC MIZRAHI: The designer sells on

QVC, and recently sold out of a ceramic,

pedestal cake plate with a set of matching

plates in bold preppy designs of green

and blue.

TERVIS: A springy plaid called poppy

was used on double-wall Fiesta plastic

wrap tumblers in two sizes: 16 and 24

ounces. A set of highball glasses at Fitz

and Floyd were designed in a contempo-

rary, minimalist take on plaid.

RALPH LAUREN: Plaid is alive and well

for apparel and for the home at Ralph

Lauren. A red tartan was used for a por-

celain cup-and-saucer set trimmed in

gold, along with dinnerware in the same

pattern.

A rustic plaid of red, black and gray

inspired by a vintage Ralph Lauren blanket

was carried over to napkins and placemats

in woven linen. The company also put a

similar vintage-inspired plaid in wool on

a picture frame.

WILLIAMS-SONOMA: Tartan was also

paired here, but in chrome, for picture

frames in red and blue. The tradition-

al plaid also adorns everything from

mugs and tabletop runners to pillow

covers and a Christmas stocking. One

modern take on plaid is a hand-woven,

hair-on cowhide pillow cover in broad

red and black stripes against a white

background.

ED On Air Cotton Berber Reversible FL/Q Quilt Set by Ellen DeGeneres.

A Watershed 2-1 Wavy Plaid shower curtain.

The great thing about plaid is that you can take it in so many different directions. Through scale, colour and application, plaids can be complex and traditional, or simplified for a clean, updated look.

HEALTH & FITNESS


By Lena H Sun

The Washington Post

A new study has found that

watching yourself eat some-

thing unhealthy, like a slice of

chocolate cake, can make that

food seem less tasty. And that, in turn,

might make you eat less.

Ata Jami, a marketing professor

at the University of Central Florida

who studies consumer behaviour and

decision-making, looked at whether

mirrors affected how two groups of

undergraduate students ate.

Under the guise of a taste test,

all were asked to choose between a

piece of chocolate cake (a common

supermarket brand) and a container

of fruit salad (from a can). Half of the

185 students were randomly chosen to

sit in a room facing a mirror. The other

half were put in a space where they

couldn’t see themselves. After sampling

their selection, participants were asked

questions about the food and if they’d

want to have it again.

Those in the room with the mirror

were told it was part of a different ex-

periment about fashion and couldn’t

be moved. “We didn’t want them to

be suspicious of the mirror,” Jami said.

The students eating cake in front

of the mirror, it turned out, liked the

dessert less than those who couldn’t

see their reflection. There was no such

difference for the fruit-salad students.

Something happens when people

view themselves in a mirror, Jami ex-

plained. On appearance, for example,

they compare how their hair looks to

how they think it should look. Same

with behaviour.

“You don’t want to see yourself eat-

ing unhealthy products because that

does not match with standards of

healthy eating,” he said. The disconnect

makes people feel uncomfortable—

even if they don’t realize why.

Here is what’s going on in their

heads: “They are looking for a reason

for why they’re not feeling so good, so

they think, ‘maybe there is something

wrong with the food,’” Jami said. They

look for an external factor to blame,

which makes it easier to “tolerate that

negative feeling.”

So would putting up mirrors in your

own home really help you cut out those

unhealthy snacks?

Jami thinks so. People can add

them in places like the kitchen, where

a glance in the mirror might push them

to reach for an apple instead of a bag

of potato chips.

Restaurants might want to con-

sider more mirror decorations, too, to

encourage a shift in diners’ menu selec-

tions. And if the profit margin is higher

on healthier salads than decadent des-

serts, even better for them.

There is a silver lining for those of

us who really like chocolate cake. Jami

conducted a related experiment with

the students and found that if someone

else picked a less healthy item (brown-

ies instead of fruit salad), the others

didn’t feel any discomfort about eating

the brownies.

“If friends give it to you, it’s guilt-

free,” he said.

The research is to be published in

the January issue of the Journal of the

Association for Consumer Research.

To lose weight, eat that

cake in front of a mirror

Hepatitis C may be tied to risk for Parkinson’s diseaseQNA

Hepatitis C is an infection that

affects the liver, but people

with the virus may also be

at greater risk for Parkin-

son’s disease, a new report shows.

“Many factors clearly play a role

in the development of Parkinson’s

disease, including environmental

factors,” study author Dr Chia-Hung

Kao, of China Medical University in

Taichung, Taiwan, said in a news re-

lease from the American Academy

of Neurology.

“This nationwide study, using the

National Health Insurance Research

Database of Taiwan, suggests that

hepatitis caused specifically by the

hepatitis C virus may increase the risk

of developing Parkinson’s disease,”

Kao said.

However, the association seen in

the study does not prove a cause-

and-effect relationship. And “more

research is needed to investigate this

link,” Kao added.

One expert in Parkinson’s disease

agreed that it’s too soon to draw firm

conclusions from the study.

“While these results are intriguing,

it is too early to suggest that people

living with hepatitis C should be con-

cerned about their risk of developing

Parkinson’s,” Beth Vernaleo, associate

director of research programmes at

the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation,

said in a foundation news release.

“That said, this study highlights

one potential risk factor, which should

be further investigated,” she added.

“If the finding holds up to further

studies, it could have significant pub-

lic health implications for the early

screening and treatment of hepatitis

C.”

For the study, researchers divided

nearly 50,000 people with hepatitis

into three groups: 71 percent were

infected with hepatitis B; 21 percent

had hepatitis C; and eight percent

had both. The study also included

just under 200,000 people without

hepatitis.

The researchers followed the par-

ticipants for an average of 12 years.

Among those with hepatitis, 270 de-

veloped Parkinson’s disease. Of these

patients, 120 had hepatitis C.

ENTERTAINMENT


Point Break: A thriller packed with actionBy Troy Ribeiro

IANS

Film: Point Break Director: Ericson CoreCast: Luke Bracey, Edgar Ramirez, Teresa Palmer, Delroy Lindo, Ray Winstone, James Legros and Tobias Santelmann Rating: ***

Director-cinematographer

Ericson Core’s Point Break is

inspired by Kathryn Bigelow’s

cult film of the same name,

starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick

Swayze. But unlike the 1991 release,

this film with its pseudo-philosophical

theme abounding in multidimension-

al, spell-binding action sequences and

stunning cinematography is a visual de-

light sans logic.

The prologue, a daredevil mo-

tor-bike stunt by Johnny Utah (Luke

Bracey) and his best friend on the haz-

ardous mountain path, sets the tempo

of the narration. The tragic death of his

friend alters “the flow” of his life.

Seven years later, Johnny is aspiring

to be in the FBI. But “his resume is un-

impressive”, according to his immediate

senior, FBI Agent Hall (Delroy Lindo).

So, when the FBI is posed with two

strange “modern-day Robin Hood style

heists” that occurred in Mumbai and

Mexico, accompanied by dare devil

stunts, Johnny comes up with a pre-

posterous theory.

His theory does not impress the

seniors in the FBI, but his boss FBI

Agent Hall, against all odds, lets him

pursue the plans by saying, “identify

the individuals and find the motive of

their crime.”

This forms the crux of this adven-

ture sports and crime thriller.

The action scenes cover a wide

range of the extreme sports shot in

mesmerising locales spread across

France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Ven-

ezuela, Canada and the US. Each stunt

is spectacular and marvellously pictur-

ised, but the film is let down by a weak

script and poor storytelling.

Writer Kurt Wimmer’s script sports

an absurdly complex and underdevel-

oped plot that does not comply to its

own logic. The thieves aren’t commit-

ting the crimes for their own benefit but

as a tribute to ‘Mother Earth’ after they

accomplish the mythical “Osaki Eight”, a

series of challenges created by a dead

spiritual guru.

These challenges are made up

of eight extreme sports missions de-

signed to honour the forces of nature.

Complete the eight and the person is

supposed to achieve nirvana (salvation).

The screenplay also lacks the build-

up for a taut tension-packed climax and

inter-personal chemistry.

Luke Bracey as the rookie FBI agent

and the daring Johnny Utah bring

warmth, charm and commitment to the

role, but the latter lacks the magnetism

of a super-hero.

Edgar Ramirez as Bodhi, the un-

disputed leader of the gang, is not

only enigmatic but also charismatic.

Unfortunately, his onscreen chemis-

try with his team members as well as

with Johnny seems perfunctory. Also,

there is a rugged inconsistency to his

philosophy-spouting character that

make him hollow.

Teresa Palmer, as the lone female in

the totally male cast, has her moments

of glory. As the underwritten love at-

tention of Johnny, she evokes interest,

but does not strike an emotional chord.

Delroy Lindo and Ray Winstone as

FBI agents are natural and offer noth-

ing extraordinary.

With good production values,

the visuals of the film are technically

flawless. The stunts supervised by

Ralf Haeger and Michael Rogers, the

production designs by Udo Kramer,

the visual effects supervised by John

Nelson, Tom Holkenborg’s music along

with razor sharp editing by Thom No-

ble, Gerald B. Greenberg and John

Duffy are all worth special mention.

Overall, “Point Break” with its adren-

aline rush, is a decent film to welcome

the New Year.

Sacha Baron Cohen, Isla Fisher donate $1m to Syrian refugeesIANS

Actor Sacha Baron Cohen and

his actress wife Isla Fisher

have donated $1m to charity

for Syria.

The star couple have given

$500,000 to NGO Save the Children to

fund measles vaccinations for children in

northern Syria and a further $500,000

to the International Rescue Committee

(IRC) to support families who are victims

of conflict in the country. ”By allowing

us to make their generous donation to

the Syrian children public, Sacha and Isla

are helping highlight the tragedy of the

issue today,” Justin Forsyth, CEO, Save

the Children said, reports femalefirst.

co.uk. ”These are desperate times for

Syrian families facing bombs, bullets,

and torture in Syria. The couple’s dona-

tion will save many thousands of lives

and protect some of the most valuable

children,” he added.

David Miliband, president and CEO of IRC, said: “Now is the time for all of

us to double down on commitments to

civilians caught up in the Syria conflict.

These people are the victims of terror.

As hope for the end of conflict recedes,

it is all the more important to meet the

most basic human needs.

”Sacha and Isla’s donation is a great

expression of humanity, and a challenge

to do more for the most vulnerable. I

hope it is an example to many others

seeking practical ways of making a dif-

ference during the Christmas and New

Year season.”

These are desperate times for Syrian families. The couple’s donation will save many thousands of lives and protect some of the most valuable children

ENTERTAINMENT


A regressive Tamil love

story - Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam

Film: Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam (Tamil)Cast: Balakrishna Kola, Wamiqa Gabbi, Parvathy Nair, Kalyani Natarajan;

Director: Gitanjali SelvaraghavanRating: **1/2

By Haricharan Pudipeddi

IANS

An incompatible couple — Prabhu

(Balakrishna) and Manoja (Wa-

miqa) — get into an arranged

marriage courtesy their parents and one’s

expected to believe that they’ve fallen in

love by the end of the film.

While that remains the goal of this

story, we never get the feeling, especially

from Manoja’s side that she’s in love with

Prabhu. So when they finally come togeth-

er in the most intimate, yet romantic and

happy ending, you’re not really convinced.

The only time Manoja realises she

misses Prabhu is when they’re separated

and she has trouble sleeping, so she finds

comfort in listening to his snore, which she

had recorded to irritate him when they

used to stay together.

We get the point that sometimes even

the smallest things about our partners

make us miss them, but this is slightly awk-

ward. Does this brief moment really prove

that Manoja is into Prabhu, particularly

after getting raped by him for not allowing

physical intimacy between them?

It reminds me of those cases in some

Indian villages where, when a man rapes

a woman and is eventually caught, he’s

forced to marry her. How convenient,

right? This is exactly why this is such a

regressive love story, even though there

are some good moments.

Originally written by filmmaker Selvar-

aghavan, and directed by his wife Gitanjali,

one wonders why all his heroes have to be

losers and social outcasts. Prabhu, here,

is an introvert, who dances to the tunes

of his father and absolutely has no clue

about how to behave with women.

He works in a call centre, has a decent

sense of dressing, but makes a mess of

the toilet when he uses the tissue paper.

Although Selvaraghavan had said on sev-

eral occasions that most his stories are a

reflection of the society and we truly ap-

preciate the effort, but mind moving on

to other type of stories? What we get in

Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam is what we’ve

already seen in Selvaraghavan’s films — at

least most of it, like, love, stalking and ad-

ditionally arranged marriage.

We also get to see a variety of men

— a boyfriend who wants to sleep with

his partner to know if she’s worth be-

ing committed to, a husband who wants

to know (with details) the distance his

wife has gone with her ex-partners and

a father-in-law who doesn’t like that his

daughter-in-law conveniently blames her

parents for the way she’s raised — in this

story where the fulcrum revolves around

a heroine.

It’s a shame that we live around such

men who are judgmental, selfish and lack

the minimum trust one needs to have in

their partner. Among some of the film’s

best moments, this one will certainly stay

with you along with the sporadic humour

that’s used, not forcefully, but very smartly

to evoke a chuckle or two.

The film was originally supposed to

feature Dhanush, and with them in the

lead it would’ve worked out extremely

well. Balakrishna Kola, however, doesn’t

rise to the occasion in portraying the

tragedy usually associated with Selvara-

ghavan’s heroes. Debutante Wamiqa,

who has had two back-to-back great

debuts (including last week’s Telugu film

Bhale Manchi Roju), is here to stay and

she’s a talent to watch out for.

Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam, if not for

the regressive part, works to an extent

and it’s tough to discard the effort that

has gone into its writing.

Chhota Bheem meets AbRam, Shah Rukh

Bollywood superstar Shah

Rukh Khan’s son AbRam’s

dream of meeting his fa-

vourite cartoon character

Chhota Bheem came true when a

life-sized soft toy of the fictional su-

perhero greeted him at his residence.

Shah Rukh had earlier shared on

Twitter that the two-year-old likes to

watch Chhota Bheem and Mowgli.After getting to know about it,

Rajiv Chilaka, CEO of Green Gold

Animation, who is the creator of

Chhota Bheem and has directed

the forthcoming film Chhota Bheem - Himalayan Adventure, decided to

send his star character to Mannat a

few days ago.

“In 2014, when we met Kajol

she really appreciated our content

because it is clean and parents find

it comfortable when their kids are

watching ‘Chhota Bheem’. Shah

Rukh also said his child loves ‘Chhota

Bheem’. I felt really humbled that our

hard work has paid off,” Chilaka said

in a statement.

“Animation is a very difficult

market because we compete with

international content directly. They

have more muscle power so to keep

afloat with anything Indian is a huge

challenge,” he added.

Chhota Bheem - Himalayan Ad-venture will release on January 8.

Riaan calls father Riteish ‘Baba’

Actor Riteish Deshmukh

has started the New Year

on a “magical” note. He

is elated as his son Riaan

called him ‘Baba’ for the first time.

Riteish, who welcomed his first

child with wife Genelia Deshmukh

in November

2014, took

to Twitter

on Friday,

to share his

“ m a g i c a l ”

m o m e n t

with his fans.

“What a

start to 2016

- My son

looks at me

and calls out ‘Baba’ for the first

time. #magical,” Riteish tweeted.

On the films front, he will be

seen in “Bank Chor”, “Great Grand

Masti” and “Housefull 3”.

Gulshan Grover

Manisha’s ‘most

dependable

friend’

Actress Manisha Koirala,

who has been friends

with Bollywood’s “Bad

Man” Gulshan Grover for

the last two decades, says he is her

“most dependable friend”.

“Gulshan remains the most

dependable

friend over

two decades

of knowing

him,” Mani-

sha, who

has worked

with the ac-

tor in films

like “Sauda-

gar”, “Milan”,

“Sanam”, “Angaaray”, “Kartoos”

and “Lajja”, posted on Twitter on

Saturday.

TECHNOLOGY


By Brian Fung

The Washington Post

Looking back, 2015 was filled with

major moments in technology and

media. Comcast failed to close its

mega-merger with Time Warner

Cable, after regulators effectively spiked

the deal. A European court struck down an

important data-sharing agreement with

the United States. And Google underwent

a major restructuring, setting itself up as

a subsidiary of a new holding company

called Alphabet.

Big as they are, these events aren’t

necessarily the ones we will refer back

to in the months ahead. Instead, I high-

light a few others, some of which may

feel less important by comparison but

collectively represent important turning

points for technology and business. What

unites them is the way they changed the

whole conversation about technology — in

some cases opening consumers’ eyes to

a new way of doing things, in other cases

unmistakably shifting the terms of debate

on a key issue.

We may not feel the effects of these

turning points right away. We might not

even fully grasp the full scope of their im-

pact right now. But recapping the year

this way — looking back in order to look

forward — seems more fruitful than re-

viewing big news moments for their own

sake.

Apple’s support for ad-blocking

When Apple rolled out iOS 9 this year,

it came with a notable new feature: A set-

ting that lets users take greater advantage

of mobile ad blockers. Ad-blocking has

been around for a long time. But Apple’s

move, which led to a surge in downloads

of ad-blocking apps, set off alarm bells

across the Web. Thousands of major

website operators (including, yes, The

Washington Post), depend on advertis-

ing for survival. Apple’s decision, alongside

moves by Facebook to cram more of our

daily Internet usage into siloed apps, could

undermine the open, public Web, critics

such as Mozilla have argued.

The more that tech companies go

down this path, the more changes we’ll

see in the basic economics of the Internet.

Websites will look to new business mod-

els - or die off. All of this will have visible

effects for the average consumer, which

is why we’re going to be talking about this

moment for a long time.

Tesla’s autopilot

The fact that some Tesla drivers were

actually whipping down the freeway with

their hands off the wheel this year was an

important milestone for driver automation.

Google could make a million marketing

videos for its own driverless cars, but none

of them compare to a YouTube video of

a real person testing things out in a real

car, on a real road, for herself. And that’s

exactly what Autopilot gave us.

Footage of Autopilot successfully

slowing down to avoid a crash, along with

other videos showing near-misses with the

technology, gave the public its first taste

of what self-driving cars could feel like.

The videos gave us a visceral sense of the

possibilities and the risks; for the first time,

we could really imagine ourselves sitting in

the driver’s seat and letting the computer

take over. Other car makers are working on

driverless technology, sure. But for many

consumers, it’s still an abstract concept

explained in terms of potential accidents

prevented and traffic jams avoided.

First impressions of a technology often

go a long way toward shaping its fate. In

this case, California is already considering

rules for driverless cars, and some tradi-

tional automakers fear that any mistakes

by newer industry entrants could poison

the well.

Net neutrality

The Federal Communications Com-

mission’s net neutrality rules, which were

approved in February and took effect

months later, opened up a new chapter

in Internet history. Now, Internet provid-

ers have to obey a slew of new rules that

prevent them from blocking or slowing

down Web traffic. But the decision has

also created new questions: What kind

of privacy rules apply? Could some ques-

tionable business practices receive a pass

under the rules while others get blocked?

How should these rules affect providers

of mobile data?

Those questions will have to be an-

swered in the next few months. And

because of the way the rules are set up,

they’ll be answered in ways that look to-

tally different from how the FCC might

have answered them had it gone in a dif-

ferent direction.

Some of these questions are at the

heart of an ongoing industry lawsuit to

overturn the rules. But however that

turns out, the agency’s decision this year

to regulate Internet providers like phone

companies set it down a path with major

implications for the Internet industry. Rest

assured, we’ll be looking back at these

rules again and again.

The Paris attacks

The deadly terrorist attacks in Paris

this year prompted many security officials

to call for greater powers to track suspects’

digital activity. This might seem like an ob-

vious reaction. But in reality, intelligence

and law enforcement had been on the

defensive almost since Edward Snowden

first leaked what he knew about the NSA

in 2013. The Paris attacks turned that dy-

namic around, renewing momentum for

expanding, rather than limiting, govern-

mental surveillance powers.

That pressure has only increased with

the US presidential race, with candidates

trying to one-up each other with fresh

proposals to shut down ISIS online or to

spy on their encrypted communications.

In the future, we’ll likely look back on

this moment as the one when surveillance

began gaining ground once more.

The status of Uber drivers

You could pick any number of events

this year as turning points in what has be-

come a wide-ranging fight over whether

Uber drivers - and other contract workers

- deserve the same workplace benefits as

people who are employed full-time. The

latest came earlier this month, when the

Seattle City Council approved a measure

that recognizes the right of professional

drivers to bargain collectively. Taken to-

gether, these moments represent a shift

in the way Uber is perceived—and has

potentially large consequences for how

it and other sharing economy companies

will operate in the future.

Five turning points for technology in 2015

Websites will look to new business models - or die off. All of this will have visible effects for the average consumer.

We may not feel the effects of these turning points right away. We might not even fully grasp the full scope of their impact right now.

SCIENCE


Dogs can copy their pal’s

expressionsIANS

In an indication that dogs could possess basic levels of empathy, researchers

have found that our canine friends, just like humans, are capable of imitat-

ing the expression of their play mates.

For humans, copying each other’s facial expression is important for social

bonding and the sharing of emotions.

Now the researchers from University of Pisa in Italy have found dogs doing

the same, which the researchers believe, may have emerged during their domes-

tication. Previously, the capacity to copy the behaviour of others was detected

only in humans and non-human primates such as chimpanzees and orangutans.

For the latest study, the researchers tested whether body and facial rapid

mimicry is present in domestic dogs.

”We demonstrated that rapid mimicry is present in dogs and it is an involuntary,

automatic and split-second mirroring of other dogs,” lead researcher Elisabetta

Palagi was quoted as saying by telegraph.co.uk.

Moreover, the distribution of rapid mimicry was strongly affected by the

familiarity linking the subjects involved — the stronger the social bonding, the

higher the level of rapid mimicry.

”In conclusion, our results demonstrate the presence of rapid mimicry in dogs,

the involvement of mimicry in sharing playful motivation and the social modula-

tion of the phenomenon,” the researchers wrote.

All these findings concur in supporting the idea that a possible linkage between

rapid mimicry and emotional contagion — a building-block of empathy — exists in

dogs, the study said. The findings appeared in the journal Open Science.

From a rare Florida

tree, genes to regrow

forest of ancient giants

By Barbara Liston

Reuters

An experiment in regrowing

forests of the world’s oldest

trees led environmentalists

this week to climb a nine-sto-

ry tall, 2,000-year-old cypress in central

Florida known as Lady Liberty.

After plucking cuttings from her

crown, climbers packed them on ice

and shipped the specimens overnight

to the nonprofit Archangel Ancient

Tree Archive’s nursery in northern

Michigan.

Organisers hope to root the clip-

pings to grow genetically identical

trees that will be replanted elsewhere

in Florida in an effort to grow a new

forest of giant cypresses.

The organisation is engaged in simi-

lar projects in the US Pacific Northwest,

Ireland and England to preserve the

offspring of the best surviving speci-

mens of ancient trees.

“If you ask any of us why we’re do-

ing it, it’s for our grandchildren,” said

David Milarch, co-founder of the group,

which aims to build new forests of 200

clones and younger trees to promote

cross-pollination and help combat glo-

bal warming.

He said 98 percent of the United

State’s “old growth forest,” or natural

forest which has survived at least 120

years, has been destroyed.

That was nearly the fate of Lady

Liberty and a sister tree, called the

Senator, which was 3,500 years old

and about 118 feet tall when it was

burned to the ground in 2012 by an

arsonist.

Archangel took a cutting from what

remains of the Senator and hopes to

reroot it as well.

Trees bred from the Florida cypress

will be planted north of Lady Liberty’s

home near Orlando, close to the Flor-

ida-Georgia state line, to account for

warming climate patterns.

“It’s a valid attempt. It’s based on

sound science and professional tech-

niques. We have high hopes,” said

Andrew Kittsley, a plant biologist and

the city of Orlando’s forestry manag-

er, who was one of the climbers this

week.

Archangel organisers since 2012

have been planting in Port Orford,

Oregon, what it calls a “super grove”

of cloned coast redwoods and giant

sequoias that were selected from the

best specimens in Oregon and Califor-

nia, Milarch said.

Archangel has provided clones to

the environmental attraction called the

Eden Project in Cornwall, England to

start a redwood forest, Milarch said.

In Ireland, the group has propagat-

ed specimens from ancient oak trees

that have been dying off, he said.

New finding to help grow

plants sans sunlight

IANS

You might not notice it, but plants actually wage war with each other to

outgrow and absorb sunlight! Their weapons? Special sensors that can

detect depletion of red and blue light — wavelengths absorbed by veg-

etation. If a plant is shaded by another, it becomes cut off from essential

sunlight it needs to survive. To escape this deadly shade, plants have light sensors

that can set off an internal alarm when threatened by the shade of other plants.

Their sensors can distinguish between an aggressive nearby plant from a

passing cloud. Scientists at the Salk Institute in the US have discovered a way by

which plants assess the quality of shade to outgrow menacing neighbours—a

finding that could be used to improve the productivity of crops.

The new work shows how the depletion of blue light detected by molecular

sensors in plants triggers accelerated growth to overcome a competing plant.

”With this knowledge and discoveries like it, maybe you could eventually teach

a plant to ignore the fact that it’s in the shade and put out a lot of biomass

anyway,” said study’s senior author Joanne Chory.

However, this is the first time researchers have shown that shade avoidance

can happen through an entirely different mechanism - instead of changing the

levels of auxin, a cellular sensor called cryptochrome responds to diminished blue

light by turning on genes that promote cell growth. This revelation could help

researchers learn how to modify plant genes to optimise growth to grow more

aggressively and give a greater yield even in a crowded, shady field.

The findings appeared in the journal Cell.

Jake Milarch (left) and Andrew Kittsley of the non-profit organisation Archangel

Ancient Tree Archive prepare to climb a 2,000-year-old bald cypress tree in

Longwood, Florida.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (3D/Action) 10:00am, 3:20 & 8:45pm 2D 12:40, 6:00 & 11:30pmExtraction (2D/Thriller) 10:00am, 12:00noon, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00 & 11:55pmPoint Break (3D/Action) 11:00am, 4:00 & 9:00pm 2D 1:30, 6:30 & 11:30pmJoy (2D/Comedy) 10:30am, 1:00, 3:30, 6:00, 8:30 & 11:00pmSavva: Heart of The Warrior (2D/Animation) 10:00, 11:50am, 1:40 & 3:30pmBone Tomahawk (Adventure) 5:20, 8:00 &10:45pm Snowtime (2D/Animation) 10:15am, 12:10, 2:00, 3:50 & 5:40pmThe Good, The Bad And The Dead (2D/Action) 7:35, 9:30 & 11:30pmThe Peanuts Movie (2D/Animation) 10:00, 11:50am, 1:40 & 3:30pm Bleeding Heart (2D/Drama) 5:20, 7:10, 9:00 & 11:00pmSanta Claws (2D/Family) 10:10am, 12:00noon, 1:50 & 3:40pmDilwale (2D/Hindi) 5:30, 8:30 & 11:30pmStar Wars: The Force Awakens (3D IMAX/Action) 10:15am, 12:45, 3:30, 6:15, 9:00 & 11:45pmExtraction (2D/Thriller) 10:30am, 3:00, 7:30 & 11:55pm Point Break (3D/Action) 12:30, 5:00 & 9:30pm

Santa Claws (2D/Family) 2:30pm The Big Short (2D/Drama) 4:30 & 8:45pm Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2D/Action) 6:45pm Extraction (2D/Thriller) 9:00pm Ho Mann Jahaan (2D/Pakistani) 10:30pm Snowtime (2D/Animation) 3:00pmThe Good Dinosaur (2D/Animation) 4:45pm Joy (2D/Comedy) 6:30pm Bone Tomahawk (2D/Adventure) 11:15pm The Peanuts Movie (2D/Animation) 2:30pmSavva, Heart of The Warrior (2D/Comedy) 4:15pmBleeding Heart (2D/Drama) 5:45pmThe Good, The Bad And The Dead (2D/Drama) 7:15pm 9:00pmSu Sudhi Vatmeekam (2D/Malayalam) 9:00pm

Joy (2D/Comedy) 2:30 & 9:15pm Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2D/Action) 4:45pm The Big Short (2D/Drama) 7:00 & 11:15pmThe Good, The Bad And The Dead (2D/Drama) 11:30pmThe Peanuts Movie (2D/Animation) 3:00pm Savva, Heart of The Warrior (2D/Comedy) 5:00pm Extraction (2D/Thriller) 7:00 & 11:15pm Bone Tomahawk (2D/Adventure) 9:00pmThe Good Dinosaur (2D/Animation) 2:15pm Snowtime (2D/Animation) 3:45pm Santa Claws (2D/Family) 5:15pmBleeding Heart (2D/Drama) 7:00pm Su Sudhi Vatmeekam (2D/Malayalam) 8:45pm

ROYAL PLAZA

Santa Claws (2D/Family) 2:00pm

Snowtime (2D/) 3:45pm Extraction (2D/Thriller) 5:15 & 10:00pm

The Big Short (2D/Drama) 7:00 & 11:30pm

Bone Tomahawk (2D/Adventure) 9:15pm Savva, Heart of The Warrior (2D/Comedy) 2:30pm The Good Dinosaur (2D/Animation) 4:15pm The Good, The Bad And The Dead (2D/Drama) 6:00pm Joy (2D/Comedy) 7:45pm Bleeding Heart (2D/Drama) 11:30pm

Dilwale (Hindi) 4:00pmPasanga 2 (Tamil) 5:45 & 10:45pmThanga Magan (2D/Tamil) 8:15pmBajirao Mastani (2D/Hindi) 6:15pmSu Sudhi Vatmeekam (2D/Malayalam) 5:45, 7:00 & 8:15 9:15 & 10:45pm

ASIAN TOWN

NOVO

MALL

LANDMARKVILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

DILWALE

BLONDIE

SHERMAN’S LAGOON

The children of two competing families meet again after a 15-year separation.

14 MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2016

CINEMA PLUS

EASY SUDOKU

15MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2016

Yesterday’s answerEasy Sudoku Puzzles: Place a digit from 1

to 9 in each empty cell so every row, every

column and every 3x3 box contains all the

digits 1 to 9.

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.

HYPER SUDOKU

Yesterday’s answerHow 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

KAKURO

ACROSS

1 Gets paid for prior work

9 Negotiator’s challenge

15 Combined

16 Star close to Venus

17 Jordan was part of it in 1984

18 Part of the chest

19 Miss at a party?

20 1970s-’80s Olds

22 One who’s speechless

23 Sched. B entry

24 TV character who said “I learned that

beneath my goody two shoes lie some very

dark socks”

27 French Christian

29 “Hair,” for example

30 Driver’s convenience

33 Blue ___

34 What may be attached to cortexes?

35 Game for cats

37 Quit lying

39 Marvel’s ___-Man

42 Caesarean section?

44 Alternative to Pantene

48 Hacker’s aid

51 ___ leg

52 “Hmm, let me think about that”

55 What a suit may hold

56 Something people have often been told

not to touch

57 Gambling mecca, with “the”

58 Yossarian’s “Catch-22” tentmate

59 If

62 Had zero effect

64 Brain game

65 16 drams

66 Members of the meddle class?

67 Monthly reading

DOWN

1 Source of the line “If this

is the best of all possible

worlds, what are the

others?”

2 Spanish composer Isaac

3 Sturdy table surface

4 Withheld

5 Put on a list

6 “Same here”

7 Unpleasantly overrun

8 Profit

9 Hit from the ’60s?

10 Key contraction

11 Pop maker?

12 Norman who directed “In the

Heat of the Night”

13 See 60-Down

14 Served with a sauce of

mushrooms, tomatoes, olives,

oil and wine

21 Not inert

25 “Sick”

26 Attorney general between Smith and

Thornburgh

28 Pile driver, basically

31 View 32 Lots

36 French bread

38 Abbr. on a credit card

39 Nonbasic property

40 Ticket name

41 Item in many a cat owner’s pantry

43 Subject of many a neighborhood poster

45 Unspecified quantity

46 Free from tension

47 Official with a pistol

49 Bring up the rear

50 Fancy Feast company

53 Fair offerings

54 British college

60 With 13-Down, water dweller that looks like

a plant but is actually an animal

61 Workplaces with many stats, for short?

63 What’s what south of the border?

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

A R I O N A S S I S P L U SB E E R O C L O C K O I N KR E S O R T A R E A C O M EA F T M I N E D I K N E W

F A N G N T E S T SW A D I N G Q U A R T SA R A B S B U G G Y W H I PA C N E A R I L S A A R EC H A R M C I T Y S T R I P

C O E R C E A C C E S SS N A P T O G R O HH E R T Z S P E E R C F CR A V I C A N T O N O H I OE L E C O R I O L E P A R KK E Y S D I N N E R T I M E

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

CROSSWORD

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.

BRAIN TEASERS

Hoy en la HistoriaJanuary 4, 1958

1936: The first popular music chart based on record sales was published in U.S. Billboard magazine1946: Riots broke out in the French cities of Paris and Rouen over bread shortages1951: North Korean troops captured Seoul during the Korean War2011: The governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province was assassinated by one of his security guards over his opposition to blasphemy laws

Sir Edmund Hillary became the first explorer to reach the South Pole overland since 1912. It was the first time that land vehicles had ever reached the Pole

Picture: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS

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