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THURSDAY 19 DECEMBER 2013 • [email protected] • www.thepeninsulaqatar.com • 4455 7741

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• Honda Europelaunches bikeat Losail track

• Study saying earacupuncture aidsweight loss is derided

• Anchorman 2revivescult classic

• That $2.5m classicJaguar you’re buying may be fake

• Is Googlenow Skynet?

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Malawi’s Mulanje:A mountain ofinspiration

IS EXERCISE THE IS EXERCISE THE ELIXIR OF YOUTH?ELIXIR OF YOUTH?

Even tiny bites of fitness bring big rewards. We greatly

underestimate the sheer physical strength we’re capable

of achieving at any age.

2 COVER STORYPLUS | THURSDAY 19 DECEMBER 2013

BY JEANNE ERDMANN

Early one morning about eight years ago, my Mom, then just shy of 90, stood at the door of my home office and said that

her left arm hurt between her shoul-der and elbow. Scared she was hav-ing heart problems, I called our family doctor, who sent Mom for a full day of cardiac testing. One test required her to walk on a treadmill. The staff hovered, worried that she’d lose her balance and tumble off. The attention was unwarranted. She easily kept up and even had enough breath to inform her attendants: “You know, I work out with a personal trainer every week.” She still does.

Mom has always valued exercise, and I’m convinced — along with her doctors, who are backed by a strong body of research — that her longtime fitness habit has slowed her decline

and kept her in generally good health. (That pain in her arm turned out to be nothing.)

Exercise is “the best medicine no one wants to do,” says Ronan Factora, a gerontologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Even tiny bites of fitness bring big rewards. A 2011 study that aimed to figure out whether a low level of exer-cise could bring health benefits showed that even 15 minutes of walking a day can add three to five years of life.

“I tell my elderly patients that it doesn’t take very much exercise to benefit them,” Factora says. “We’re not talking about breaking a sweat. I’m not asking you to run a mara-thon. I’m just asking you to get up and move.”

People at any age benefit from exer-cise, he says, and the frailest residents in nursing homes benefit the most.

Exercise helps keeps aging bodies healthy by increasing blood flow to the brain, carrying extra oxygen and other

nutrients. It also helps keep blood pressure and blood sugar at normal levels, lowering the risk for vascular dementia, Factora says.

Exercise can also lower risk for dementia by keeping the hippocam-pus — the place in the brain where we make and store memories — a healthy size, according to some research. As we age, the hippocampus shrinks, rais-ing our risk for dementia.

In a study published in 2010, researchers tested aerobic exercise on 120 healthy adults. After one year, the hippocampus increased in volume by 2 percent in the group participat-ing in aerobic exercise — “effectively reversing age-related loss in volume” by one to two years, according to the researchers. The volume declined in control-group, members, who were not asked to do aerobic training.

Even frail people with demen-tia benefit from exercise. According to a new review by the Cochrane

Collaboration, eight clinical trials found that people with dementia who exercised improved their perform-ance on tests used to evaluate memory loss. The reviewers expressed cautious optimism about the results, noting that there were differences in results from individual trials and that there was not enough evidence to show that exercise improves symptoms of depression. “Nevertheless, these are encouraging results, as dementia is a debilitating disease that results in progressive decline in cognition and ability to perform” daily activities.

Frailty itself should not keep those with cognitive impairment out of the gym. Researchers at the University of Heidelberg showed recently that people with dementia can be taught to use exercise machines and that the exercise done by people in this group can indeed be rigorous. And these workouts can help them both physi-cally and mentally.

EXERCISE: EXERCISE: THE BEST MEDICINE THE BEST MEDICINE NO ONE WANTS TO DONO ONE WANTS TO DO

Jeanne Erdmann’s mom started working with a trainer at age 85. She walks in pain every day, but she goes to the gym anyway.

3PLUS | THURSDAY 19 DECEMBER 2013

A 2011 study that aimed to figure out whether a low level of exercise could bring health benefits showed that even 15 minutes of walking a day can add three to five years of life.

Everyone has limits, and it’s always best to start slowly, but “move from zero to something,” Factora says. He suggests having someone such as a physical therapist help monitor progress at first. Then move to a per-sonal trainer and exercise on a regular schedule.

For my Mom, exercise hasn’t always meant the gym. When my sisters and I were young and playing in the yard, she’d always race us to the back door. She kept fit in part by cutting the grass in our large yard, a practice she con-tinued throughout her 70s. “I’ve been doing this my whole life,” Mom says. “I used to be a secretary and I sat at a desk five days a week, so I always felt like I wanted to get up and move.”

After Mom was widowed 13 years ago, she moved in with my husband and me. To help with her social life and keep her osteoarthritis at bay, I signed her up for an aerobics class that we took together. She and the instructor hit it off so well that I signed Mom up for weekly private workouts with her.

From the start, the trainer put Mom, then 85, through a challenging, hour-long programme that works every major muscle group. Today, Mom’s left

knee is bone on bone — end-stage joint disease. She walks in pain every day, and some days are worse than others. But she goes to the gym anyway, climb-ing the stairs to the weight room even on really achy days.

Mom warms up on a recumbent exercise bike for about eight minutes. Then her trainer starts her on a cir-cuit of resistance machines and free weights. Mom works her abs by sit-ting on a bench and doing crunches by lifting her knees to her chest. She stays on the same bench and works her legs by repeated standing and sit-ting. Then, she uses two-pound free weights for her biceps and shoulders. She’ll do some push-ups against the wall before moving to the equipment for more upper- and lower-body work.

She and her trainer finish up on the mat with a few more abs, and they end with some stretches. If Mom’s knee is really bad, they’ll skip the mat and

finish with abs and stretches with Mom sitting on a bench. By then, her hour is up. Her doctor is amazed and delighted that she continues this rou-tine, and tells her that he wishes all of his patients were that active.

Years ago, after Mom and her trainer had been working together for a few months, the trainer had Mom on a mat and said to me, “Hey, come here and your feel your mom’s abs.” They were rock-hard.

Mom hasn’t always had it easy. She survived two bouts with breast cancer. When she was 74, she broke her first bone — her right wrist — when, as usual, she was moving too fast and slipped on the basement floor. At the time I was working as a bone researcher at what used to be Jewish Hospital in St Louis. Every Friday morning, we had a department-wide bone conference. Not long after Mom broke her wrist, Stanley Birge, a gerontologist at Washington University School of Medicine, spoke about exercise and falls in the elderly.

Afterward, I signed Mom up for one of his clinical trials on exercise and aging. During one of the office visits when Birge was taking Mom’s family history, she complained to him that I wouldn’t let her use the StairMaster in her basement unless I was there to supervise. Birge called me, and we had “the exercise talk”. He said that Mom’s spine was so riddled with osteoarthritis that it would “snap like a rusty hinge” if she didn’t keep those muscles strong. He also told me to let Mom use the StairMaster because “we can’t keep our parents in glass houses”.

After that, I let Mom use the StairMaster whenever she wanted, and I added some exercises to strengthen muscles in her upper back.

In 2007, Mom fell while running to answer the phone. Her left side hit the slate floor in our entryway, and she broke her left arm right below

the shoulder. Once the break healed, Mom could barely raise that arm. The orthopedic surgeon sent her to physical therapy for eight visits, saying that she’d never regain her mobility. The therapist worked Mom’s shoulder in much the same way as her trainer, using weights and resistance training and a lot of stretching. After four visits, you’d never have known that shoulder was broken. The therapist called the doctor and cancelled the rest of the visits, saying we’d be wasting our money if we continued with therapy.

As caregivers know, tending to aging parents takes its toll, even if the person you’re caring for is someone as wonderful as my mother. Three years ago, I began to think I really I couldn’t do it anymore and visited some residential-care facilities.

The places were nice, and the resi-dents looked clean and well tended. But not one facility I visited had an exercise room. David Schless, president of the American Seniors Housing Association, assures me that the places I visited are the exception. “Starting about 10 to 15 years ago, it’s become much more common to include gyms in senior housing facili-ties,” he says.

Ultimately, I decided to keep Mom with us. She was 95 years old then, and I don’t think she would have lived to 98 had she moved into a residential facility.

Here’s what the years of working out with Mom have taught me: We greatly underestimate the sheer physi-cal strength we’re capable of achieving at any age. A few weeks ago at the gym, I filmed my mom doing her second set of leg curls. I counted along, and at 10 reps, thinking she was done, I said, “That’s 10, Mom!” Her trainer cor-rected me: “She does 15.”

Erdmann is a freelance health and science writer based in Wentzville, Mo.

WP-BLOOMBERG

PLUS | THURSDAY 19 DECEMBER 20134 MARKETPLACE

HONDA Europe has chose Losail International Circuit for the fourth time for launching its new bike

— the Honda CBR1000RR SP. At a five-day event from December 13, dif-ferent groups of media tested the bike in Losail track. Honda had invited 50 mediapersons from different coun-tries: France, Switzerland, the UK, Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Each group had a briefing and an introduction riding session with Pirelli standard tyres in the morning and with racing tyres in the afternoon.

Honda Europe also had some guests and leader riders at the event: John McGuinness, who races for the Honda TT Legens Factory racing team in the Isle of Man TT; Jonathan Rea, Superbike World Championship rider for Honda; Leon Haslam, also a motorcycle racer in the Superbike World Championship, and Leon’s father, Ron Haslam, who has been racing for over 30 years, winning three world titles, four British cham-pionships and having ridden in almost 110 GPs.

Nasser Khalifa Al Attiya, QMMF President and LIC General Manager, said: “I am delighted to organ-ise this worldwide launch at Losail International Circuit as these kind of marketing events are very important

Honda Europe launches bike at Losail track

to promote not only the circuit itself but also to project Qatar world-wide. Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation is working to bring more

international events to be hosted at Losail International Circuit for bikes and cars as the circuit has FIA and FIM homologation. It is the fourth

time that Honda Europe has chosen Qatar for a bike launch, for the high standards of our facilities.”

The Peninsula

THE Little Engineer International (TLEi), a leader in robotics and renewable energy courses for kids and

teens with scientific programmes that aim to instil a passion for science and technology in students, announced the signing of a franchise agreement in Doha recently.

“The expansion of the TLEi operations to Qatar supports our vision to become a world leader in providing a scientific foundation and knowledge in advanced technologies for kids, teens and univer-sity students,” said Mohammad Shihan, CEO & Co-Founder of The Little Engineer International.

The first TLE ‘Class A’ centre of its franchise categories opened on December 10. “By establishing TLE in the State of Qatar, we positively contribute to the country’s National Development Strategy. Education and training offer multiple benefits to our society and con-tribute to human development which results in a higher positive social impact in our beloved country,” said Raida Abdul Salam Abu Issa, a Qatari social entre-preneur and businesswoman.

“As adults, many of us have ‘learned’ to

limit our capacity for success and fulfill-ment for a variety of reasons. My vision is to encourage the youth to continue exploring and enhancing their creativ-ity because they have an extraordinary ability to access their imagination and innovate.

“The Little Engineer is just one of many alternatives which has the capac-ity to encourage them to utilize their inventive and logical sides, both of which are keys to successful thinking and crea-tion,” she added.

“Dedicated specialised R&D engi-neers at TLEi work round the clock on improving and introducing new custom extra-curricular activities which support the special methodology created to incul-cate science and engineering knowledge in the youth,” said Rana El Chmaitelly, Co-Founder & Head of R&D at TLEi.

The Little Engineer Qatar is a fran-chise concept modelled after The Little Engineer International that is geared towards educating the students of Qatar and maximising their potential in robotics, science and engineering through proven hands on learning activities in a fun inter-active environment.

The Peninsula

TLEi signs franchise agreement in Qatar

5MARKETPLACE PLUS | THURSDAY 19 DECEMBER 2013

SWEDISH furniture retailer IKEA, part of the Al Futtaim group of companies, unveiled a newly redesigned children’s department.

Customers and children can now expect to see a revamped area and a much larger product selection. The range has been enhanced to include children between the ages of 8 and 12.

John Kersten, Managing Director IKEA Qatar, UAE, Egypt and Oman, said: “As mentioned during the launch of the 2014 IKEA Catalogue earlier this year, the majority of IKEA cus-tomers in the Middle East are families with children. Therefore we decided to redesign and extend our children’s range aims to serve these customers even better and improve their shop-ping experience. This is in line with our long-term priority of ‘Living with Children’.”

While complementing the existing range of IKEA children’s furniture tar-geting the 0-2 and 3-7 age categories, the revamp signals IKEA’s entry into a new age bracket of 8-12 years. The range introduces more than 100 new articles over this year and the next. This exciting range is designed to give youngsters opportunities to personalise their space and reflect their identity.

Segmented into five distinct themes, the new range caters for diverse styling tastes and layouts based on children’s interests from ‘Music and Performing’, ‘Arts and Crafts’, ‘Sports and Adventures’, to ‘Online and Gaming’ and ‘Animals and Nature’.

“The revamp for the children’s department is designed around IKEA’s four cornerstones. The first and prob-ably most important point of focus is

Redesigned children’s department at IKEA

child safety. IKEA has zero tolerance for any health risks and has imple-mented this position in our designs. The second is our understanding of a child’s perspective — for example our low product baskets and see-through containers allow young shoppers to see what we have on offer. The third is IKEA’s knowledge of the market as a leader in the furnishing retail industry.

The last and final cornerstone is our fundamental attention to keeping the products and business sustainable,” said John.

The IKEA store in Doha has rolled out the new children’s IKEA products encouraging an easy flow through the department across the age groups of 0-2, 3-7 and 8-12 years. It offers a spa-cious, easy-to-shop environment that

allows interaction between children and the products. “Designed to help them touch, feel and choose their own products, we hope this change will ful-fill our aim to extend IKEA’s inspira-tion to our young customers. This is our attempt to increase direct interac-tion with the most important people in the world, our children,” John added.

The Peninsula

New product by National Paints

NATIONAL Paints Factories, one of the leading local paint manufac-turers, launched a new product —

National Shield Super Durable — recently at a seminar held at Radisson Blue Hotel. Leading consultants and contractors attended the event.

The product is specially formulated to withstand the harsh weather conditions of the Gulf region. Its unique formulation make the product durable for many years. Saleh Al Khulaifi, General Manager and Partner of National Paints, inaugurated the consultants seminar and unveiled the product. Ahmed Agha Kalaa, Production Manager, explained the technical data.

Saleh Al Khulaifi said the firm has been ranked 31 among the top 100 manufactur-ers globally. The firm also introduced the automotive paint “NUMIX” in local market.

John Abraham, Sales & Marketing Manager, said the firm’s sales turnover has surpassed QR125m during the current year.

The Peninsula

Legal corner

By Abdelaal A Khalil, Legal Consultant.

Please send your queries to: [email protected]

PLUS | THURSDAY 19 DECEMBER 2013 LEGAL66

An expatriate living in Qatar for the past 14 years has transferred his sponsor-ship once, to the company

he now works for. Recently, he found a better job, but the company has refused to give him a No Objection Certificate. Is this legal, as his con-tract with the company is an internal contract?

Law No. 4/2009 stipulates that an expatriate can do only the job he has come for under his sponsor. No individual or company is allowed to recruit an expatriate worker who is not under their sponsorship, or let him work with others. Therefore, the employer must be the sponsor, and when the work relationship ends, the relevant authority at the Ministry of Interior can transfer his sponsorship to another employer at his request and with the written approval of the current sponsor and the new one, and approval from the Ministry of Labour.

Transfer of sponsorship results in the new sponsor bearing all obligations

towards the employee, and clears the former sponsor of all responsibilities.

It is clear from the above that trans-fer of sponsorship requires approval of both the parties, therefore the person in question cannot take up the new job legally unless he gets written permis-sion from his sponsor. The law also permits lending of an employee for six months through a contract between two employers.

However, there is an exception: the minister or his representa-tive may provisionally transfer an expatriate worker’s sponsorship in case of claims between him and his sponsor.

Therefore, the person in question can try to convince his employer to give him approval to transfer his sponsorship, or approach the courts if he feels the employer is violating the agreement made in the internal contract, or violating the labour law, or in case of arbitrariness or abuse of law by the sponsor, or if public interest requires it.

Regulation of expatriates’ sponsorship

Law No. 4/2009, which governs the entry, exit, residence and sponsor-ship of expatriates, says the sponsor bears all responsibility for the employee. The employer is responsible for sending the employee back

to his country when his contract ends or he is deported. If the employee refuses to leave the country his sponsor must inform the authorities. In such cases the sponsor does not bear the cost of his deportation 30 days after the notification. Instead, the employee has to pay for it, besides pay-ing any punitive dues. If the employee dies, the sponsor covers all expenses of processing the body for burial in the designated cemetery. The heirs of the deceased, or any other person concerned, however, may ask for the body to be returned to his home country, and the sponsor should then bear the expense of transporting the body. If the sponsor fails to do that, the Ministry of Interior may oblige him to present a bank guarantee, whose terms are set by the Minister of Interior. If the deceased employee was working for a government institution and had violated the terms of his contract, the MOI has the right to recover the expense of his deportation from his salary and dues.

Special terms of the work contract

An unemployed person is usually in a difficult economic situation until he gets a job, and when he finds a job he negotiates with the employer from a weak position, and he may not be aware of the

details of his contract, which is supposed to balance the rights and duties of the worker. An employer could be in a similarly disadvantaged position when he recruits a worker out of a pressing need to fill a vacant position. When the actual working relationship begins, both sides may start to feel uncomfortable with the contract. This and other reasons may lead to termination of the contract.

Both sides may feel satisfied on ending the contract, but there are terms related to termination of the contract that come into force immediately on the end of the contract. These terms may restrict the freedom of the worker, including in relation to his next job, therefore it is important to highlight some of the terms and conditions that both parties should take into account when signing a contract.

In this context, Labour Law No. 14/2004 notes that any contract of employment that includes a pledge from the worker to work his entire life with the employer, or to not take up a job or profession after leaving work, is considered null and void, even if the contract was effective before this law came into force.

If the nature of the work allows the worker to know the company’s clients or gives him access to confidential business information, the employer may require that the worker not work for a rival business or in a competing project after the end of his contract. Such a condition, however, should be limited in terms of its duration, place and type of work to protect the legiti-mate interests of the employer, and the period should not exceed two years.

Taking into account the fact that exclusion of this condition from the employment contract prevents the employer from asking the worker to follow the provisions of the labour law, the law requires including this term explicitly in the contract to be effective.

Regulation of worker’s sponsorship

Law No. 4/2009 regulating the entry, exit, residence and sponsorship of expatriates stipulates that each expatriate granted an entry visa should have a sponsor. An expatriate is not allowed to leave the

country temporarily or for good unless he gets permission from his spon-sor, with the exception of women and children whose sponsorship is under a family visa. Visitors are also exempt from this condition as their visit to the country is for 30 days and they have to leave within this period.

If the expatriate does not get permission to leave the country because of his sponsor’s absence or death without his having authorised someone to represent him, and if the sponsor does not give a clearance certificate showing that there are no lawsuits or claims against the expatriate, the latter can approach the courts 15 days after the date of publication of an advertisement in two daily newspapers about his departure, in accordance with the procedures established by the minister.

The sponsor, whether he is a natural or legal entity, must be Qatari and the expatriate must have entered the country legally and have a legal residential permit. If the sponsor is a legal entity, it must be based in Qatar or have a branch in the country and be eligible to bear the consequences of the sponsorship law’s provisions and adhere to the law.

Sponsorship transfer woes

HEALTH 7PLUS | THURSDAY 19 DECEMBER 2013

Beware! Smoking injurious to genes too, says study

HERE comes another shocker for those reluctant to kick the butt. Smoking not only affects your health but also

increases health risks of your children and grandchildren; today’s puffs of pleasure can permanently damage your genes, according to a new study.

Smoking can also affect the genes important for sperm quality or immune response. The research findings from Uppsala University and Uppsala Clinical Research Center of Sweden showed that smoking alters several genes that can be associ-ated with health problems for smokers, such as increased risk for cancer and diabetes.

The research, led by Asa Johansson, researcher at the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, said the genes of smokers as well tobacco users can change and expose them to more health risks. However, according to the find-ings, tobacco itself may not be the cause of gene alterations, but the different elements that are formed when the tobacco is burnt.

“Our results therefore indicate that the increased disease risk associated with smok-ing is partly caused by epigenetic changes. A better understanding of the molecular mecha-nism behind diseases and reduced body function might lead to improved drugs and therapies in the future,” Johansson said. The findings of the study have been published in the journal Human Molecular Genetics.

Light exercise may reduce risk of kidney stones

JUST a little exercise each week — jogging for an hour or walking for about three hours — can reduce the risk of developing

kidney stones by up to 31 percent, according to a new study. Researchers looking at data on more than 84,000 postmenopausal women found that engaging in any type of light physical activity can help prevent the formation of these pebbles in the kidneys.

Even light gardening might curb their devel-opment, according to the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. “Even small amounts of exer-cise may decrease the risk of kidney stones,” said study author Dr Mathew Sorensen, of the University of Washington School of Medicine. “It does not need to be marathons, as the inten-sity of the exercise does not seem to matter.”

Kidney stones, which have become increas-ingly common, are more prevalent among women. During the past 15 years, research has shown that kidney stones might actually be a systemic problem, involving more than just the kidneys.

Recent research has linked the stones to obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and heart disease. In conducting the study, the research-ers analysed information compiled since the 1990s on the women’s eating habits and level of physical activity. After taking into account the women’s body-mass index (a measurement of body fat based on a ratio of height and weight), the researchers found that obesity was a risk factor for the development of kidney stones. Eating more than 2,200 calories a day could increase the risk for kidney stones by up to 42 percent, they found. Agencies

BY KATE KELLAND

SCIENTISTS derided research published on Tuesday that suggested ear acupuncture may help people lose weight,

saying the study’s design was flawed and its conclusions highly implausible.

Responding to the findings of research published online in the journal Acupuncture in Medicine, experts not involved in the work said it was unreliable and probably a waste of money.

“It is hard to think of a treatment that is less plausible than ear acupuncture,” said Edzard Ernst, a professor of complementary medicine at Britain’s University of Exeter.

A summary statement about the study, conducted by Korean researchers, said it compared three approaches in a total of 91 people — acupuncture on five points on the outer ear, acupuncture on one point, and a sham treatment as a control.

It said participants were asked to follow a restrictive diet, but not one designed to lead to weight loss, and not to take any extra exercise during eight weeks of treatment.

Its results suggested significant

differences were apparent after four weeks, with the active treatment groups receiving acupuncture on one or five points having lower body mass index scores compared with the sham treatment group, where there was no such reduction.

Weight also differed significantly after four weeks in both active treatment groups compared with the sham treatment group, the researchers reported in the journal, which is one of 50 specialist titles published by British Medical Journal group.

According to background information given in the journal, auricular acupuncture therapy is based on the understanding that the outer ear represents all parts of the body and was first used in France in 1956 by a doctor who noticed that a patient’s back-ache was cured after a burn on the ear.

But external experts said this research and its apparent conclusions should be viewed with extreme caution.

“While it’s good to see attempts to evaluate so-called alternative treatments using the same approach as is used for more conventional treatments, this study has several features that complicate the picture,” said Kevin

McConway, a professor of applied statistics at Open University.

He noted that more than a third of the study’s small number of starting participants did not complete the course, and yet the main results did not take this into account.

“The study lasted only eight weeks, which is not long when it comes to a long-term issue like being overweight,” he said.

“It tells us nothing about what might happen after eight weeks, and the world is full of weight-loss treatments that have no demonstrable longer-term effect”.

Ernst, whose research at Exeter evaluates scientific evidence for acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal medicine, and other alternative therapies, said the trial had “several serious flaws”.

He too pointed to its small sample size and high drop-out rate, as well as what he called “questionable statistics”.

“Collectively, these limitations render the findings far too unreliable for issuing recommendations about the use of ear acupuncture,” he said. “Consulting an acupuncturist will reduce your cash but not your body weight.”

Reuters

Study saying ear acupuncture aids weight loss is derided

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f th

e

big

gest

film

s like K

rris

h 3

and C

hen

na

i E

xp

ress

and s

everal oth

er fi

lms

that

did

excepti

onally w

ell.

Ch

en

na

i E

xp

ress

collecte

d R

s216

crore,

Yeh

Ja

wa

an

i H

ai D

eew

an

i R

s185 c

rore, K

rris

h 3

clo

se t

o R

s200 c

rore, B

ha

ag M

ilk

ha

Bh

aa

g

Rs1

09 c

rore a

nd R

am

-Leela

Rs1

10 c

rore”,

Thadani

said

and p

oin

ted o

ut

that

“we d

idn’t

have R

s175 o

r R

s200 c

rore c

ollecti

on in 2

012

”.

Kom

al N

ahta

said

: “T

ota

l five fi

lms

have c

ross

ed t

he R

s100-c

rore m

ark

and

am

ong t

hem

, tw

o h

ave e

ven t

ouched R

s200 c

rore c

lub, w

hic

h is

fanta

stic

.”M

anoj

Desa

i, e

xecuti

ve d

irecto

r o

f G

7 m

ult

iple

x a

nd M

arath

a M

andir

, sa

ys

that

Ra

m-L

eela

was

a s

urpris

e e

ntr

y i

nto

the R

s100 c

rore b

racket.

“I

feel com

pared t

o 2

012

, th

e y

ear 2

013

is

bett

er.

A lot

of

unexpecte

d fi

lms

turned o

ut

well a

nd d

id w

ell. W

e w

ere n

ot

expecti

ng R

am

-Leela

to h

it R

s100

crore, but

it d

id. It

cam

e a

s a s

urpris

e.”

This

year,

though s

mall b

udget

film

s did

n’t

do a

s good b

usi

ness

as

in

2012

, th

e e

xperts

cla

im it

was

a d

ecent

year f

or s

mall f

rie

s as

well. A

shis

h

Sakse

na, chie

f operati

ng o

fficer,

BIG

Cin

em

as,

said

: “T

he y

ear h

as

been g

ood,

but

15 t

o 2

0 p

ercent

less

er c

om

pared t

o 2

012

. I

will sa

y it

has

been a

mix

ed

year.

As

far a

s sm

all fi

lms

are c

oncerned, A

ash

iqu

i 2, A

BC

D —

An

yBod

y C

an

D

an

ce, S

peci

al

26 a

nd G

ran

d M

ast

i did

wonderfu

l busi

ness

.”T

hadani to

o feels

that

in t

he s

mall b

udget

film

s se

gm

ent,

the four fi

lms

did

“e

xcepti

onally w

ell”.

Sources

said

that

Aa

shiq

ui 2

collecte

d a

bout

Rs7

9 c

rore,

AB

CD

makers

pockete

d R

s36 c

rore,

Ka

i P

o C

he e

arned R

s49 c

rore,

Fu

kre

y to

ok h

om

e R

s32 c

rore,

Sp

eci

al

26 e

arn

ed R

s67 c

rore,

Ch

ash

me B

ud

door

gross

ed R

s42 c

rore,

Ma

dra

s C

afe

Rs4

0 c

rore a

nd G

o G

oa

Gon

e R

s25 c

rore.

The m

uch-a

wait

ed D

hoom

3 i

s com

ing o

ut

on

Decem

ber 2

0 a

nd w

ith

Aam

ir K

han in t

he fi

lm a

s a g

rey c

haracte

r, it

has

rais

ed t

he e

xpecta

tions

of

the p

eople

and t

he t

rade g

uru f

eels

it

will be a

gam

e c

hanger.

Nahta

said

: “D

hoom

3 w

ill

certa

inly

be a

gam

e c

hanger.

It

will

break a

ll

the r

ecords

and s

et

a n

ew

record. A

lot

of craze

and e

xcit

em

ent

is b

uildin

g

up w

ith D

hoom

3.”

IA

NS

Kea

nu R

eeve

s tu

rns

bilin

gual

Acto

r K

eanu R

eeves

has

turned b

ilin

gual fo

r h

is fanta

sy a

cti

on fi

lm 4

7 R

on

in. H

e t

ook h

elp

from

a J

apanese

coach s

o t

hat

he c

ould

record

his

lin

es

in J

apanese

, and s

ays

it w

as

an “

excit

ing”

experie

nce. T

he

49-y

ear-o

ld s

aid

that

he w

as

ask

ed t

o r

ecord h

is l

ines

in E

nglish

as

well

as

in J

apanese

for t

he m

ovie

, but

he d

id n

ot

giv

e a

ny s

econd t

hought

to it.

“It’s

alw

ays

excit

ing f

or m

e, fo

r t

he i

dea o

f acti

ng i

n a

noth

er l

anguage.

I’ve b

een g

ett

ing i

nst

ructi

ons

on p

ronuncia

tion.

It’s

been f

un.

I recorded

every s

cene w

ith J

apanese

dia

logue a

ccordin

g t

o t

he w

ishes

of th

e d

irecto

r.

If t

he d

irecto

r w

ante

d t

o, he c

ould

probably

rele

ase

a full J

apanese

versi

on

of

the fi

lm,” R

eeves

said

in a

sta

tem

ent.

B

ut

the a

cto

r a

dm

its

that

it w

as

a c

hallenge t

oo. “I

t’s

alw

ays

excit

ing for

me, fo

r t

he i

dea o

f acti

ng i

n a

noth

er l

anguage. I’ve b

een g

ett

ing i

nst

ruc-

tions

on p

ronuncia

tion. It

’s b

een fun. I

recorded e

very s

cene w

ith J

apanese

dia

logue a

ccordin

g t

o t

he w

ishes

of

the d

irecto

r. I

f th

e d

irecto

r w

ante

d t

o,

he c

ould

probably

rele

ase

a f

ull J

apanese

versi

on o

f th

e fi

lm,” h

e s

aid

.B

ase

d o

n o

ne o

f Ja

pan’s

most

endurin

g legends,

the e

xtr

aordin

ary t

ale

of

courage h

as

its

orig

ins

in t

he e

arly

18th

centu

ry,

when 4

7 n

oble

sam

urais

honoured t

he u

nti

mely

death

of

their

mast

er b

y a

vengin

g h

im. T

he m

ovie

als

o f

eatu

res

Japanese

acto

r H

iroyuki S

anada.

Tere

sa P

alm

er h

osts

bab

y sh

ower

Aust

ralian a

ctr

ess

Teresa

Palm

er h

ost

ed a

sta

r-s

tudded b

aby s

how

er

for h

er y

et-

to-b

e-b

orn c

hild. T

he 2

7-y

ear-o

ld h

ost

ed t

he c

ele

brati

ons

on D

ecem

ber 1

5 a

t th

e R

ed O

Rest

aurant.

The g

uest

s in

clu

ded a

cto

rs

Jaim

e K

ing, K

yle

New

man a

nd B

ella H

eath

cote

, reports

fem

ale

first

.co.u

k.

Aft

er t

he p

arty

, th

e m

oth

er-t

o-b

e t

ook t

o T

wit

ter t

o e

xpress

her g

rati

-tu

de t

o h

er f

rie

nds

for s

uch a

“beauti

ful day”.

Palm

er is

expecti

ng h

er fi

rst

child w

ith a

cto

r fi

ance M

ark

Webber.

She g

ot

engaged t

o W

ebber i

n J

uly

. T

he c

ouple

announced t

he p

regnancy in A

ugust

.

DiC

apri

o de

nies

bod

y do

uble

rum

ours

Hollyw

ood a

cto

r L

eonardo D

iCaprio

has

slam

med r

um

ours

that

he

use

d a

body d

ouble

to s

hoot

inti

mate

scenes

in h

is n

ew

movie

Th

e

Wolf

of

Wa

ll S

treet. T

he 3

9-y

ear-o

ld, w

ho p

lays

stockbroker s

win

-dle

r J

ordan B

elf

ort

in t

he m

ovie

, sa

ys

he s

how

ed o

ff h

is o

wn b

ody d

urin

g

steam

y m

om

ents

wit

h c

o-s

tar M

argot

Robbie

, reports

conta

ctm

usi

c.c

om

.“I

t’s

all m

e, pal. L

ook, w

hen y

ou d

o a

characte

r lik

e t

his

, you h

ave t

o g

o a

ll

out.

You c

an’t

pull a

ny p

unches.

You h

ave t

o s

win

g for t

he fences.

Hopefu

lly

people

enjo

y it,”

he s

aid

in a

n inte

rvie

w. D

irecte

d b

y M

arti

n S

corse

se,

Th

e

Wolf

of

Wa

ll S

treet, w

hic

h i

s base

d o

n B

elf

ort’s

mem

oir

of

the s

am

e n

am

e,

als

o f

eatu

res

Matt

hew

McC

onaughey,

Jonah H

ill and R

ob R

ein

er.

Meanw

hile, D

iCaprio

has

not

stopped p

rom

oti

ng h

is n

ew

movie

desp

ite

a s

prain

ed a

nkle

. T

he a

cto

r, w

hose

man

sion

here i

s un

der r

en

ovati

on

, in

jured h

imse

lf a

t hom

e, reports

fem

ale

first

.co.u

k. “I

sprain

ed m

y a

nkle

...

You feel si

lly just

sayin

g, ‘I

sprain

ed m

y a

nkle

’, b

ut

it d

oes

hurt,”

he s

aid

on

TV

show

. H

ow

ever,

DiC

aprio

has

refu

sed t

o let

the inju

ry g

et

in t

he w

ay o

f w

ork

as

he a

ttended a

press

confe

rence f

or t

he fi

lm in N

ew

York

over t

he

weekend. T

he fi

lm r

ele

ase

s on D

ecem

ber 2

5.

PLU

S |

TH

UR

SD

AY

19

DE

CE

MB

ER

2013

BY

PIY

A S

INH

A-R

OY

HE

’s in y

our f

rid

ge, on y

our

booksh

elf

and t

akin

g o

ver

your

tele

vis

ion

screen

. B

ut

as

An

chorm

an

2:

Th

e

Legen

d C

on

tin

ues

brin

gs

back a

cult

com

edy c

lass

ic, has

ficti

onal

leadin

g m

an R

on B

urgundy s

old

out?

The a

nsw

er is

“yes.

” E

ven t

he d

irecto

r

said

so. In

anti

cip

ati

on o

f th

e o

penin

g o

f A

nch

orm

an

2 i

n U

S t

heatr

es,

the c

hau-

vin

isti

c S

an

Die

go a

nchorm

an

, pla

yed

by c

om

edia

n W

ill F

errell, has

prom

ote

d

Ben

&

Jerry’s

ic

e cream

an

d D

odge

Durangos,

writ

ten a

mem

oir

, anchored

the n

ew

s in

North

Dakota

, and s

erved

as

rovin

g r

eporte

r f

or t

he M

TV

Vid

eo

Musi

c A

wards.

And t

hat’s

just

a s

hort

list

of

his

sti

nts

.H

is in

vasio

n of

the m

ass m

arket

prom

pte

d s

om

e g

rum

bling a

mong d

ie-

hard f

an

s across

socia

l n

etw

ork

s: R

on

B

urgundy h

ad b

ecom

e t

oo m

ain

stream

, th

ey s

aid

, and l

ess

lik

able

to t

he n

iche

audie

nce o

f th

e fi

rst

film

. “R

on

Burgun

dy i

s a s

ellout,”

Adam

M

cK

ay,

the fi

lm’s

writ

er-d

irecto

r, s

aid

. “T

he w

hole

joke o

f th

e c

haracte

r is

that

he i

s a c

om

ple

te a

nd t

ota

l se

llout,

so i

t m

akes u

s l

augh t

o s

ee h

im d

oin

g t

he

new

s and s

ellin

g c

ars.

” M

cK

ay s

aid

the c

ult

thin

g is

over f

or

the s

econd fi

lm, w

hic

h i

s a m

uch m

ore

lavis

hly

prom

ote

d r

ele

ase

than t

he J

uly

2004 fi

lm a

bout

the 1

970s

an

chorm

an

. M

ade by P

aram

oun

t P

ictu

res fo

r a

budget

of $50m

, A

nch

orm

an

2 c

ould

earn

$55m

over i

ts fi

rst

five d

ays,

est

imate

d

Jeff

Bock,

sen

ior b

ox o

ffice a

naly

st a

t E

xhib

itor R

ela

tions

Co.

An

chorm

an

2 p

icks u

p t

he s

tory o

f th

e suit

-cla

d an

d m

usta

ch

ioed R

on

Burgundy,

desc

rib

ed a

s “m

ore m

an t

han

the r

est

,” a

decade a

fter t

he fi

rst

film

, w

hen

he h

as

been

reduced t

o b

ecom

-in

g a

n a

lcoholic S

eaW

orld

an

noun

cer

aft

er l

osi

ng h

is a

nchor j

ob t

o h

is n

ow

est

ranged w

ife, V

eronic

a C

ornin

gst

one.

By a

str

oke o

f lu

ck, R

on B

urgundy is

scoute

d for

a n

ew

glo

bal new

s cable

chan-

nel, a

nd r

eunit

ed w

ith h

is n

ew

s te

am

—

pla

yed b

y S

teve C

arell,

Paul

Rudd a

nd

David

Koechner —

as

they t

ake o

n N

ew

Y

ork

Cit

y’s

worl

d o

f broadcast

new

s, a

nd

unknow

ingly

ush

er in a

new

era o

f new

s know

n a

s “i

nfo

tain

ment”

. “A

meric

an

new

s h

as b

ecom

e r

eally

driv

en b

y r

ati

ngs

and e

nte

rta

inm

ent.

I

thin

k p

eople

work

ing in b

roadcast

new

s w

ould

even a

gree w

ith t

hat,”

said

McK

ay,

w

ho d

irecte

d t

he fi

rst

An

chorm

an fi

lm

and c

o-w

rote

it

wit

h F

errell. “S

o t

he idea

of

makin

g a

ll o

f th

at

Ron

Burgun

dy’s

fa

ult

was

too f

unny t

o p

ass

up.”

Aft

er th

e fi

rst

film

’s jo

kes becam

e

quota

ble

fodder f

or f

an

s,

McK

ay a

nd

Ferrell

h

ad to

fi

nd n

ew

m

ate

ria

l fo

r

the

belo

ved c

haracte

rs.

They e

xclu

ded

a n

um

ber o

f pop-c

ult

ure t

ouchsto

nes

such a

s R

on B

urgundy’s

sig

n-o

ff,

“You

stay c

lass

y, S

an D

iego.”

A f

ew

touches

of

hom

age,

inclu

din

g

Ron

B

urgun

dy’s

ja

zz fl

ute

an

d B

ria

n

Fan

tan

a’s

colo

gn

e,

make b

rie

f appear-

ances,

as

well a

s a s

econd r

ound o

f th

e

new

s gang fi

ght,

featu

rin

g c

am

eos

from

som

e c

om

edy g

reats

who t

he w

rit

ers

wante

d t

o k

eep a

surpris

e.

“For a

percenta

ge o

f people

, it

’ll never

measu

re up to

th

e first

one.

But

we

wante

d t

o t

ake a

big

sw

ing, not

be t

imid

, and c

reate

a m

ovie

that

conti

nues

to s

ur-

pri

se,” s

aid

Ferr

ell, a

co-w

rite

r of th

e fi

lm.

In A

nch

orm

an

2, B

urg

undy o

nce

again

ri

ses

to t

he t

op, but

face

s obst

acl

es

both

in

his

per

sonal and p

rofe

ssio

nal life

, as

he

date

s his

bla

ck fem

ale

boss

(M

eagan G

ood),

fa

ces

off

wit

h a

younger, m

ore

handso

me

anch

orm

an (

Jam

es

Mars

den), t

ries

to b

e

fath

erly

tow

ard

his

son, and lose

s his

eye-

sight. M

cKay c

om

pare

d h

is jo

urn

ey to that

of th

e her

o in a

Gre

ek t

raged

y.

“The w

hole

legend o

f R

on B

urgundy is

all a

bout

ris

ing a

nd f

allin

g, so

we h

ad t

o

thin

k o

f so

me c

razy

way f

or h

im t

o f

all

again

, and t

he i

dea o

f him

goin

g b

lind

just

really m

ade u

s la

ugh,” s

aid

McK

ay,

w

hose

frie

ndsh

ip w

ith F

errell g

oes

back

to t

he m

id-1

990s,

when F

errell join

ed t

he

cast

of

Sa

turd

ay

Nig

ht

Liv

e a

nd M

cK

ay

was

a w

rit

er o

n t

he s

how

.T

he fi

rst

An

chorm

an fi

lm w

as

made for

$25m

and d

istr

ibute

d b

y D

ream

Work

s.

It featu

red a

cast

of com

edia

ns

who w

ere

ris

ing s

tars

, in

clu

din

g F

errell a

nd C

arell,

and g

ross

ed $

90m

at

the w

orld

wid

e b

ox

offi

ce. T

he s

econd fi

lm r

eunit

ed t

he o

rig

-in

al cast

and t

urned a

big

ger s

potl

ight

on

Carell’s

Bric

k T

am

land,

a w

eath

erm

an

wit

h a

very l

ow

IQ

, w

ho w

on o

ver f

ans

wit

h s

tran

ge a

nd n

on

sen

sical

phrase

s su

ch a

s “I

love lam

p,” a

nd w

ho fi

nds

love

wit

h a

quir

ky,

eccentr

ic c

haracte

r p

layed

by K

ris

ten W

iig.

“Ste

ve C

arell is

so g

reat

to w

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PLUS | THURSDAY 19 DECEMBER 2013 TRAVEL610

BY HENRY WISMAYER

OUT of the verdant low-lands it rises, a great black pyramid silhou-etted against the sun. Finally, after countless

ups and downs and 30 footsore miles, I can almost picture the scene: It’s the 1930s in the old British protectorate of Nyasaland, and a young J R R Tolkien is taking in this same view, his unique imagination fired by a new geographi-cal talisman for Middle-earth.

Travel readers may be accustomed to seeing stories inspired by the return of Bilbo, Gandalf and company to the silver screen. But let me clarify straightaway that this is not an article about New Zealand, the country whose dramatic landscapes have formed the backdrop for Peter Jackson’s block-buster adaptations of Tolkien’s fan-tasy novels. Instead, with the second installment of the Hobbit triptych, The Desolation of Smaug, now in theatres, I’m taking you to Africa, someplace more obscure, in pursuit of a rumour.

The fertile plains of southern Malawi might seem an improbable place to unearth the origins of a book written in leafy 1930s Oxford, England. But there’s something fantastical here.

Throughout the southern tail of the Great Rift Valley, the landscape is peppered with freestanding eroded mountains known as monadnocks or inselbergs. King of them all is Mount Mulanje, an enormous granite mas-sif located an hour’s drive southeast of the tumbledown commercial hub of Blantyre. Carpeted in plateaus, cut by valleys and piled high with jagged peaks, it covers 250 square miles.

Apart from Lake Malawi, it’s this southeast African country’s most out-standing geographical feature, and a popular myth — propagated in forums as varied as travel blogs and scientific jour-nals — has it that this sudden outcrop-ping provided the blueprint for Tolkien’s Lonely Mountain, home to the dragon Smaug and his hoard of gold.

There’s plenty of tenuous evidence to support the claim. Quite apart from its formidable dimensions, Mulanje is steeped in local legend. A community of diminutive people is said to have once lived on its plateaus (Hobbits, anyone?), and among the more superstitious, its nearly 10,000-foot apex goes by an omi-nous sobriquet: “the place where you are not supposed to go.”

I wasn’t sure whether the association was true or a fib dreamed up by some wag over sundowners at the Blantyre Sports Club. And then I saw it through the bus window, a huge green blister muscling across the horizon, and I real-ized that whatever the reality, my aim to traverse the mountain from south-west to northeast was going to present a superlative adventure.

Mid-afternoon the next day, the adventure is already well under way. I set off this morning through emerald tea plantations, before moving steeply uphill through forests of bamboo. Leading the way is a man whose name would make Thorin Oakenshield raise a quizzical eyebrow.

MALAWI’S MULANJE:A mountain of inspiration

My rangy guide goes by Comestar. He knows plenty about the mountain. For the past two hours, his scientific commentary has accompanied each twist in the trail: “Mahogany sap — we use this to treat ringworm”; “There! Eastern double-collared sunbird”; and “Look, leopard poo.”

There are several routes onto the mountain’s highlands, but we have masochistically opted for the Boma route, which is among the steepest.

With each upward step, the views have grown — of the green mosaic of the Phalombe flatlands dissolving into the horizon, of other far smaller monad-nocks rising abruptly here and there like breaching whales.

But now, as we approach the plateau, the mood is changing. A thick fog has rolled in, reducing visibility to a few yards. For the next two hours, my eyes are fixed on Comestar’s boot-heels as we claw over boulders slippery with

lichen and burrow through eerie clois-ters of close-set trees. Then, up ahead, an oblong apparition appears through the gloom: Lichenya Hut, our sanctu-ary for the night.

The next morning dawns in bril-liant sun. The day takes us through a breathtaking range of scenery, from undulating grasslands to gnarled for-ests draped in wisps of light-green lichen. After an hour, we’re skirting the mountain’s western rim, looking out over an ocean of cloud punctured by the giant fin of Chambe Peak, the kind of inverted view that has led Mulanje to be dubbed “Island in the Sky”.

Along the way we find evidence of ongoing efforts to conserve Mulanje’s unique environment. However, any impression of human influence over this wild realm quickly subsides as we turn east and head toward Sapitwa, a jumble of naked crags that comprise the massif ’s 9,843-foot-high point, and the crucible of Mulanje’s nefarious myths. “The capital city of the spirits,” Comestar breathes as we walk beneath its gray ramparts. “My forefathers said if you go there they will make you work” — his voice contracts to a rasp — “without payment!”

Despite admonitions, we had planned to climb Sapitwa, but the decision is reversed when we meet a bedraggled group of German trekkers who have abandoned the summit trail. “We only went halfway,” puffs their flip-flop-wearing guide. “Too many clouds.” With no sign of the clouds shifting, we opt to heed the superstition and leave the summit to its slave-driving spirits.

Pushing north, we find further evidence of Mulanje’s Middle-earth credentials — Sapitwa’s ever-present molars become the Misty Mountains, where Bilbo defeats Gollum in a game of riddles; corridors of ferns and cedars become the Mirkwood where his dwarf companions are captured by giant spi-ders. And the evening brings us beauty to rival Rivendell, sylvan refuge of the elves.

After dumping our bags at nearby Thuchila Hut, we sit at the nape of a great rounded promontory known as the Elephant’s Head, because of the way it undulates, and watch the shad-ows lengthen on the lowlands. Below us, Malawi sprawls in a glowing pas-tel expanse punctuated by columns of smoke from evening fires. Distant Lake Chilwa shimmers luminous in the low sun, the Zomba Plateau a great black barrier to the north, while the ines-capable Malawian sound, a bar blaring reggae, drifts up from a village below. Mulanje has a magic all its own.

WP-BLOOMBERG

11WHEELS PLUS | THURSDAY 19 DECEMBER 2013

BY LEON MANGASARIAN and PATRICK WINTERS

IN THE 1930s, British sports-car maker MG made exactly 33 of the K3 open-top race car. If you want to buy one now, there are more than 100 to choose from.

No, the defunct carmaker didn’t restart production. The tripling of the K3 fleet is part of the booming trade in fake antique autos as soaring prices for classic cars spur sophisticated counter-feits, according to Bernhard Kaluza, vice president of international antique auto club FIVA.

“In the 1990s, I would find one faked car every five years,” said Norbert Schroeder, who verifies classic cars at TÜV Rheinland, a Cologne, Germany-based technical testing company. “Now I find up to five fakes a year.”

Vintage cars have gained in appeal, especially since the financial crunch. Auction values have risen more than sevenfold over the past decade, accord-ing to data from market tracker Historica Selecta.

British auction house Bonhams, which says global sales total more than $1 billion a year, sold a 1954 Mercedes-Benz F1 car for £19.6m ($32.1m) in July, setting a world record at auction.

The lure of antique autos is evident in the case of a 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4. Bonhams sold the exact same car in unchanged condition for £230,000 in 2011, more than four times

the price paid in 2003, said James Knight, head of the auction house’s motoring department.

Demand remains high. At a December 1 auction, Bonhams, which performs numerous checks before accepting a vehicle for auction, sold dozens of vintage autos, including a 1964 Porsche 904 GTS racing coupe for 1.15 million pounds, 1959 Aston Martin DB4GT Sports Saloon for £1.57m and a 1956 Jaguar D-Type “Shortnose” for £2.58m pounds.

“People with a lot of money prefer to have a classic car in the garage than money in the bank,” said Adolfo Orsi, president of Historica Selecta, a consulting company that special-izes in classic cars. “When there is a lot of money, there are fakes. In today’s world, it is possible to replicate everything.”

Sophisticated forgers have been known to buy up old screws and wash-ers, leave reproduced frames in fields to weather and have parts copied to make fakes harder to detect.

FIVA’s Kaluza says counterfeiters even bought an old movie theatre in France to get the worn antique leather from the seats.

“The people faking cars are not a few lone wolves,” said TÜV’s Schroeder, who has traveled as far as California to authenticate cars, including evaluating welding joints and chemically testing the metal to determine its age.

“It’s organised crime because it’s

expensive to build such cars and you need a good infrastructure to do it.”

Christian Jenny has confronted the risks. The former chief information officer of Zurich Insurance Group AG spent five years proving his rare 1952 Jaguar C-Type convertible was authen-tic, after another model showed up on the market claiming to have the same identification number.

The owner of 13 vintage Jaguars consulted numerous experts, includ-ing Norman Dewis, chief test engineer for the British luxury brand for more than 30 years. With the car valued at about $2.5m , there was a lot at stake.

“It might be a problem if you tried to sell the car years later,” said Jenny, who is now retired and lives in Thalwil, Switzerland. Verifying the car was “a precautionary measure.”

AUTHENTICATING CARSAuthenticating cars isn’t easy. Simon

Kidston, a classic-car consultant in Geneva, was offered an Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ racer from the 1960s from a seller who claimed to have discovered the car in a scrap yard in northern Italy.

After consulting numerous sources, Kidston eventually discovered a photo of a car with the same identification number that was involved in a fiery crash at the Sebring race in 1964. The driver only barely escaped.

“It was clear there could be nothing left of the original car,” said Kidston, who rejected the offer.

Other frauds are more subtle, like taking an authentic vintage Porsche 911 and turning it into a high-perform-ance 911 RS version, which would effec-tively quadruple the car’s value.

Others take authentic parts and build a vehicle around them, mak-ing the line between refurbished and forged models murky.

“There are plenty of adapted cars,” said Bonhams’ Knight. “Fake has another meaning: it’s trying to deceive.” There are also legitimate copies of classic cars, which don’t try to fool buyers.

“The replica game isn’t evil,” said Martin Emmison, a lawyer at Goodman Derrick LLP in London, who advised Jenny and drives a Jaguar C-Type look-a-like. “It gives people like me who can’t afford a real C-Type a chance to drive the machine almost exactly how they were.”

The extent of classic-car fraud is dif-ficult to track since few victims come forward, and it’s still considered rela-tively rare. Still, to prevent the threat of counterfeits from discrediting the whole market, FIVA has created a passport for antique cars to improve transparency.

“The whole problem of faked classic cars is being treated warily,” because people in the market “don’t want to ruin the good mood,” said TÜV’s Schroeder. “I want to speak out on this before the whole thing blows up.”

WP-BLOOMBERG

That $2.5m classic Jaguar you’re buying may be fake

A Jaguar C-Type XKC 023 automobile owned by Christian Jenny in Greer, Arizona. Jenny, the former chief information officer of Zurich Insurance, spent five years proving his rare 1952 Jaguar C-Type con-vertible was authentic after another model showed up on the market claiming to have the same iden-tification number.

TECHNOLOGYPLUS | THURSDAY 19 DECEMBER 201312

BY SAMUEL GIBBS

GOOGLE’S recent acquisition of Boston Dynamics marks its eighth robotics purchase in the past six months, show-ing Google’s “moonshot” robotics vision is more than just a pet project.

Boston Dynamics is the most high-profile acquisi-tion, however, instantly adding world-leading robot-ics capability, including robots that can walk all on their own, to Google’s arsenal — as well as signifi-cant links to the US military — conjuring images of Skynet and the artificial intelligence-led robot uprising straight out of the 1984 film The Terminator.

WHAT IS IT?

Boston Dynamics is an engineering and robot-ics design company that works across a wide range of computer intelligence and simulation systems, as well as large, advanced robotic platforms. The company was created as a technology spin-off from Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Prof Marc Raibert in 1992, then the founder and lead researcher of the Leg Lab — a research group focussed on sys-tems that move dynamically, including legged robots.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

Raibert describes the Boston Dynamics team as “simply engineers that build robots”, but in reality Boston Dynamics is much more than that. Its robot-ics work is at the forefront of the technology creating the self-proclaimed “most advanced robots on Earth” particularly focused around self-balancing humanoid or bestial robots. Funding for the majority of the most advanced Boston Dynamics robots comes from military sources, including the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) and the US army, navy and marine corps. The terms of contracts cur-rently held by Boston Dynamics with military bod-ies are unknown, although Google has committed to honouring existing contracts, including recent $10.8m funding from Darpa.

BIGDOG

Funded by Darpa and the US army, BigDog is Boston Dynamics’ most famous robot, a large mule-like quadruped that walks around like a dog, self balancing and navigating a range of terrain.

Standing about 76cm tall, 91cm long and weighing 109kg, BigDog is an autonomous system powered by an engine and controlled by on-board computer sys-tem processing a series of sensors that monitor joint

Is Google now Skynet?position, joint force, ground contact, ground load, a gyroscope, LIDAR and a stereo vision system. BigDog is capable of running at 4mph, climbing 35 degree slopes and carrying 155kg loads. Its derivative, the Legged Squad Support Systems, increases BigDog’s carrying capacity to 181kg with a 20-mile range.

CHEETAH

The world’s fastest robot, Cheetah, runs like a big cat at over 29mph – faster than 100m world cham-pion sprinter Usain Bolt. Like a real cheetah, the robot has an articulated back that flexes back and forth with each step, increasing its stride length and running speed. Funded by Darpa’s Maximum Mobility and Manipulation program, in its current implementation Cheetah runs tethered on a tread-mill, powered by a separate hydraulic pump. The next generation of the Cheetah platform designed to operate untethered, the WildCat, recently entered initial testing.

ATLAS

One of Boston Dynamics’ latest robots funded by Darpa, Atlas is a humanoid robot designed to nego-tiate outdoor, rough terrain in a bipedal manner, while being able to climb using hands and feet as a human would.

Atlas is will be equipped with articulated hands with sensors enabling the robot to use tools designed for humans, as well as an articulated sensor head including stereo cameras and a laser range finder. The robot currently is powered by a tethered electric power supply, and controlled remotely.

Other robots in the Boston Dynamics stable include Petman, a robot that tests humanoid chemi-cal protective clothing; the wheeled SandFlea robot that can leap small buildings; a small six-legged robot capable of traversing rough terrain called RHex; and the RiSE robot capable of climbing vertical walls, trees and fences using feet with micro-claws.

WHAT ELSE HAS GOOGLE GOT?

Boston Dynamics is not the only robotics company Google has bought in recent years. The acquired companies included Schaft, a small Japanese humanoid robotics company; Meka and Redwood Robotics, San Francisco-based creators of humanoid robots and robot arms; Bot & Dolly who created the robotic camera systems recently used in the movie Gravity; Autofuss an advertising and design company; Holomni, high-tech wheel designer, and Industrial Perception, a startup developing computer vision systems for manufacturing and delivery processes.

ROBOTIC CARS

Google is no stranger to robots. Its robotic car project, which kicked off in 2009, is one of the leaders in the field. It currently has a fleet of at least 10 con-verted Toyota Priuses, which have covered more than 300,000 miles on Californian roads without incident.

The robotic cars have roof-mounted cameras and sensors that monitor the road ahead and its sur-roundings, building a 3D model of the route and navigating obstacles.

The Guardian

COMICS & MORE 13

Hoy en la HistoriaDecember 19, 1915

960: The reconstruction of Japan’s Imperial Palace in Kyoto began after it was damaged by fire1863: Londoner Frederick Walton patented linoleum floor covering1996: In Italy, Formula 1 team owner Frank Williams was charged with the manslaughter of driver Ayrton Senna2009: Five Eurostar trains got stuck in the Channel Tunnel, trapping 2,000 people for 16 hours, after icy weather caused electrical failures

French singer Edith Piaf, nicknamed the “Little Sparrow”, was born. Her songs include La Vie en Rose and the legendary Non, Je ne Regrette Rien

Picture: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS

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

ALIBI, ARREST, CAPTURE, CAUTION, CHARGE, CLUE, CRIME,CRIMINAL, DETECTIVE, EVIDENCE, FORENSIC, INVESTIGATION,MOTIVE, MURDER, MYSTERY, OPPORTUNITY, PERPETRATOR,PLOT, POLICE, PURSUIT, SENTENCE, SOLVE, SUSPECT, WEAPON.

LEARN ARABIC

Baby Blues by Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman

Zits by Dennis Young and Denis Lebrun

Hagar The Horrible by Chris Browne

At the Book shop

Paper Waraqa

Ruler Mis�ara

Chalk �ab�oor

Shelf Raff

Black board Law� aswad

Map �aree�a

Rubber Mim�at

Globe Koura ar�iyya

Ink �ibr

ç = ‘a’ in ‘agh’ when surprised

PLUS | THURSDAY 19 DECEMBER 2013

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 Balkan land

7 Semi compartment

10 Former Chevy subcompact

14 Countenance

15 Burmese P.M.

16 Classico rival

17 Approval indicators

19 Calendario spans

20 Sharp-eyed sort

21 Ban

23 Greenish shade

26 Legion

27 “Public Enemies” officer

31 Repeated cry in the Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop”

34 “Honor Thy Father” author

35 Shape of the Aleutian Islands, on a map

37 Miles away

38 Tulsa sch.

39 December 31

42 H.I.V. drug

43 Old

45 Capital of 58-Down, briefly

46 Some navels

48 Places for judokas

50 Mail that isn’t opened

52 H-dos-O?

54 Striking part

55 What a “forever” stamp lacks

59 2007-08 N.B.A. M.V.P., to fans

63 “___ Dinka Doo”

64 Union supporter?

67 Manhattanite, e.g., informally

68 Figure who works with figures, for short

69 On

70 Kit ___ (candy bars)

71 City ESE of the 10-Down

72 Managed

DOWN

1 Bond girl Barbara

2 Watchdog org.

3 Expel forcibly

4 Accessory for Annie Hall

5 ___ factor

6 $$$ source

7 Make waves?

8 1950s heartthrob Paul

9 ___ Gardens

10 Kazakh border lake

11 Magazine with an annual Hollywood issue

12 Inflated things?

13 Boot

18 Competent

22 ___-i-noor diamond

24 “No sweat”

25 Arthur and his family in “Hoop Dreams”

27 Coen brothers film

28 Sailor

29 Deal breaker?

30 Number of colors on the Italian flag

32 Tormented, as pledges

33 Scraps

34 Lowly sort

36 Big bill

40 Jungfrau, e.g.

41 Il ___

44 Place savers of a sort

47 Ale vessel

49 Santa Fe or Tucson, in brief

51 Short detail?

53 Car repair

chain

55 Informer

56 Author Seton

57 Sitting spots on Santas

58 See 45-Across

60 Steinbeck character

61 Distort, as the truth

62 “In which case …”

65 It often gets cured

66 Wartime stat

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

70 71 72

P O L K A B A R B T V P GA B E N D A C H E E E L YP A T E S H O O V E R D A MA M I E A I R E R I N SW A T S O N A N D C R I C K

S O W N O V OW E N C E S L A U S K R I SE W O K S I R S F I E R YD E W S W E R E W O L V E S

I W O A T O IH O U S I N G P R O J E C T

S O R T A Y U M O W A RW Y A T T E A R P B U E N AA L T E A P O P E L R O YB E E R U P S Y Y E S E S

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

13:00 Futbal Mundial

13:30 Football’s

Greatest Team;

Arsenal

14:00 Omni Sport

14:30 Copa Del Rey;

Osasuna V

Malaga

16:30 Inter Channel

17:30 European Tour

Weekly

18:00 Copa Del Rey;

Barcelona V

Cartegena

20:00 Transworld

Sport

21:00 This Is Paris,

Inside

21:30 Copa Del

Rey; Rayo V

Valladolid

23:30 Futbal Mundial

24:00 Inter Channel

08:00 News

09:00 Al Jazeera

Correspondent

10:30 Inside Story

11:00 News

11:30 The Stream

12:30 People &

Power

13:00 NEWSHOUR

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15:00 Witness

16:00 NEWSHOUR

17:30 The Stream

18:00 NEWSHOUR

19:00 News

19:30 Soapbox

Mexico

20:00 News

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21:00 NEWSHOUR

22:00 News

22:30 The Stream

23:00 Muslims of

France

16:00 English Premier

League,

Everton V

Fulham

18:00 English Sports

News


League

Football Today


League Season

Review

22:00 Capital

One Cup;

Tottenham V

West Ham

13:00 Do Dil Bandhe

Ek Dori Se

15:00 Pavitra Rishta

15:30 Sapne Suhane

Ladakpan Ke

17:00 Doli Armaano

Ki

18:30 Ek Mutthi

Aasmaan

19:30 Jodha Akbar

22:30 Silver Screen

(Love Story

2050)

13:00 Shake It Up

15:00 Wolfblood

15:50 Jessie

16:10 Violetta

19:20 Violetta

20:05 Jessie

22:00 Austin And Ally

22:25 A.N.T. Farm

22:50 Good Luck

Charlie

23:10 Wizards Of

Waverly Place

14:00 Tooth Fairy 2

16:00 I Don't Know

How She Does

It

18:00 Adventures In

Babysitting

20:00 Revenge Of The

Nerds

22:00 Stripes

13:15 Mythbusters

14:05 Border Security

16:10 Fast N' Loud

17:00 Ultimate

Survival

17:50 Dirty Jobs

19:30 American Guns

20:20 Storage

Hunters

20:45 Flip Men

21:10 How Do They

Do It?

21:35 How It's Made

22:00 Sons Of Guns

22:50 Amish Mafia

23:40 Amish Mafia

11:00 Franklin & Bash

12:30 Coronation

Street

13:00 Ellen DeGeneres

Show

14:00 Criminal Minds

15:00 Royal Pains

16:30 Coronation

Street

18:00 Criminal Minds

19:00 Franklin & Bash

22:00 Top Gear (US)

23:00 Rescue Me

11:00 Pitch Perfect-

PG15

13:00 Of Two Minds-

PG15

15:00 Pop Star

17:00 Puss In Boots-

PG

19:00 Prometheus-

PG15

21:00 Broken City

23:00 The Watch

13:00 Home Alone: The

Holiday Heist

14:30 Barbie In The

Pink Shoes

18:00 Beethoven's

Second

20:00 Twigson

22:00 Barbie In The

Pink Shoes

MALL

1

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (3D/Adventure) – 2.30pm

Waar (2D/Pakistani) – 5.30pm

Biriyani (2D/Tamil) – 8.15pm

Philips & The Monkey Pen (2D/Malayalam) – 11.00pm

2

Tarzan (3D/Animation) – 3.00pm

Frozen (3D/Animation) – 5.00 & 7.15pm

Blood of Redemption (2D/Action) – 9.30 & 11.30pm

3

A Madea Christmas (2D/Comedy) – 2.30pm

The Citizen (2D/Drama) – 4.30pm

Hours (2D/Drama) – 6.30 & 11.00pm

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2D/Comedy) – 8.30pm

LANDMARK

1

Niko 2 (2D/Animation) – 2.30pm

Homefront (2D/Action) – 4.30pm

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (3D/Adventure) – 7.00 & 10.00pm

2



Blood of Redemption (2D/Action) – 9.30 & 11.30pm

3

Hours (2D/Drama) – 2.30 & 9.00pm




ROYAL

PLAZA

1

Niko 2 (2D/Animation) – 2.30pm

Biriyani (2D/Tamil) – 4.30 & 7.15pm

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (3D/Adventure) – 10.00pm

2



Hours (2D/Drama) – 9.30pm

Blood of Redemption (2D/Action) – 11.30pm

3

Blood of Redemption (2D/Action) – 2.30pm


Hours (2D/Drama) – 7.00pm




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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.

PLUS | THURSDAY 19 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]

IN FOCUS

A view of the setting sun from Aspire Zone.

by Biren

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Who’s who

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

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

Sports Portrait Photography Workshop – By Joe McNally When: Dec 15-19, 8am-6pm Where: Visual Arts Center, Building 19 What: A five- day workshop covering the fundamentals of sports portraits photography with DSLR camera equipments, speedlights and strobes.To register email: [email protected] or [email protected].

Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim: A Leader’s Legacy When: Until January 30, 2014Where: QMA Gallery, Katara What: The first of its kind to showcase Qatar’s modern history, 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

Run The World Festival 2013When: December 19 to 21, 2pm to 10pm. Where: Katara Beach What: The event is a regional youth sports festival, aiming at encouraging active and healthy lifestyles through sports activities, and promoting cultural interaction and community outreach. Entry: Free Entry

Events in Qatar

Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassem bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman,Qatar Chamber

SHEIKH Khalifa bin Jassem bin Mohammed Al Thani is a well-known businessman. Since 2006,

Sheikh Khalifa has been the Chairman of Qatar Chamber which is playing a vital role in promoting Qatar’s rapidly grow-ing economy. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ICC Qatar involved in World Chambers Federation’s activities and initiatives. He is a council member of World Chambers Federation (WCF) and the ICC G20 Advisory Group. He is also the Vice Chairman of Doha Insurance Company.

NEW YORK: Facebook on Tuesday began serving up video ads that pop up and play when users check their news feeds.

The leading online social network said it is testing the new advertising technique this week with a clip teasing the new film “Divergent”.

“Since September, we’ve been test-ing a way to make videos more engag-ing on Facebook, and as a result we’ve seen views, likes, shares and comments increase more than 10 percent,” the California-based firm said in a blog post.

“We’re beginning to test a similar video viewing format for advertisers.”

Video ads will play on mobile devices as well as when people visit Facebook from laptop or desktop computers.

On smartphones or tablets, video ads will be pre-loaded in the background when in range of wireless hotspots to avoid the rich downloads eating into users telecom service data allowances, according to Facebook. “Videos will begin to play as they appear onscreen — without sound — similar to how they behave when shared by friends or veri-fied pages,” Facebook said.

“If you don’t want to watch the video, you can simply scroll or swipe past it.” The clips could last for up to 15 seconds, and an advertiser wanting to reach all Facebook users aged between 18 and 54 might have to pay $2m per day.

“This news further confirms that Facebook has abandoned social mar-keting in favour of standard push-style ads,” said Forrester analyst Nate Elliott.

“But if they’re choosing to be just another online ad seller, this is a good move. Marketers love video.”

“We’ll be watching to see how far and how quickly Facebook pushes these ads,” Elliott said.

“The company hasn’t always been smart about testing new ad formats and rolling them out slowly, but that’ll be important here to avoid compromis-ing both the user experience and the video ads’ effectiveness.”

Facebook, which like all free sites draws most of its income from adver-tising, reported in October that ad revenue in the third quarter rose 66 percent from a year earlier to $1.8 bn.

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Facebook adds videoads to news feeds

thursday 19 december 2013 • [email protected] • www ......inside p | 10 learn arabic • learn...

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