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CAMPUS | 4 FASHION | 8 ENTERTAINMENT | 11

Olive school hosts interactive session with space expert

Sumptuous gowns close Paris

fashion week

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TUESDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2016 @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatarEmail: [email protected] thepeninsulaqatar

Texas A&M University at Qatar’s campus help Qatar’s technical workforce maximise value in the hydrocarbon supply chain. The university’s continuing education courses offer a remarkable value for professionals in local industry amid tightening training budgets.

P | 3

BUILDING CAREERS

COVER STORY

| 03TUESDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2016

The Peninsula

As Qatar’s industrial and

commercial sectors adapt to

rapidly shifting market forces,

Texas A&M at Qatar is uniquely

positioned to offer advanced training

and professional development.

The campus help Qatar’s technical

workforce maximise value in the

hydrocarbon supply chain. Texas

A&M University at Qatar’s continuing

education courses offer a remarkable

value for professionals in local industry

amid tightening training budgets,

according to officials.

“Knowledge and skills gained through

Texas A&M at Qatar’s continuing

education courses can be immediately

applied on the job,” said Dr Hassan S

Bazzi, Assistant Dean for Research.

“These courses allow industry

professionals to increase their value

to their employers, and local industry

is increasingly looking to Texas A&M

at Qatar to enhance the knowledge of

productivity of their employees,” said Dr

Bazzi.

More than 200 working professionals

in Qatar — and their companies —

benefited from 16 workshops and short

courses offered by experts at Texas

A&M University at Qatar in 2015, he said.

“Texas A&M at Qatar offers local

expertise with global reach through

continuing education,” Bazzi said. “Our

faculty deliver the same high-quality

training here in Doha that industry

professionals might otherwise travel to

find.”

Workshops and courses range

from advanced leadership concepts

and practices to emerging engineering

technologies, techniques and tools.

Topics have included process safety

in the chemical-processing industries,

modernised power systems, technical

writing and presentation skills, and

project management.

Many of the courses are offered

through the branch campus’ research

centes, including the TEES Smart Grid

Centre extension in Qatar and the TEES

Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety

Centre extension in Qatar. TEES (Texas

A&M Engineering Experiment Station) is

an engineering research agency of the

State of Texas and a member of The

Texas A&M University System.

Dr Haitham Abu Rub, Managing

Director of the Smart Grid Center, said

that Texas A&M at Qatar’s continuing

education courses directly support

the needs of industry professionals

by promoting continuous growth

and development, and applying

novel techniques and cutting-edge

technology.

“In the Smart Grid Centre extension

in Qatar, our mission is to serve the

country and help build competent

electric power engineers,” Abu-

Rub said. “Continuing education

courses help professional engineers

continuously develop their skills and

knowledge, and keep up-to-date with

top knowledge and skills to retain and

improve their professional competence.

The organised courses significantly help

those engineers develop their current

and future careers.”

Also courses can also be

developed or tailored to best meet an

organisation’s training needs through

custom-designed courses.

The Mary Kay O’Connor Process

Safety Centre extension in Qatar has,

with help of a local industry consortium,

dedicated major efforts to providing

a variety of process-safety–related

courses to engineers in the process

industry in Qatar. “During the past two

years, MKOPSC-Qatar has offered 53

days of process safety courses to 266

attendees in the Qatar industry,” said

the center’s managing director Dr Luc

N Vechot. “The courses helped the

attendees to develop and consolidate

their competencies in the prevention

and mitigation of major hazards, hazard

identification, risk assessment and

process safety management. Above

all, these courses contributed to raising

the level of competence in process

safety in the country and contributed

to consolidate the safety culture in the

process safety industry in Qatar.”

Since Texas A&M at Qatar launched

its continuing education program, more

than 700 people have participated in

more than 60 courses. In 2016, eight

courses are already scheduled, with the

branch campus aiming to offer a total of

25 courses through August.

Texas A&M University, recognised as

having one of the premier engineering

programmes in the world, has offered

undergraduate degrees in chemical

engineering, electrical and computer

engineering, mechanical engineering

and petroleum engineering at Qatar

Foundation’s Education City campus

since 2003, and graduate degrees in

chemical engineering since fall 2011.

For a list of upcoming Texas A&M at

Qatar courses, visit www.tamu.qa/ce

A campus enhancingknowledge of productivity

Knowledge and skills gained through Texas A&M at Qatar’s continuing education courses can be immediately applied on the job

CAMPUS

04 | TUESDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2016

Olive school hosts interactive session with space expert

An interactive session on Sci-

ence and Society was con-

ducted by Dr G Madhavan

Nair, former Chairman of In-

dian Space Research Organisation and

Secretary to State for the Department

of Space at Olive International School,

Nuaija. The session was for a selected

audience of students, young scientists,

teachers and parents. It was attend-

ed by students from various schools in

Qatar.

Dr Madhavan Nair spoke at length

about his vision about education sys-

tem in general and space missions. He

said that in the present Indian system,

schools are like factories, producing

machines rather than focusing on de-

veloping student’s talents. He reiter-

ated that we need to nurture analyti-

cal, thinking and communication skills

in students to make them pursue re-

search and be innovative.

Dr Nair mentioned that the an-

cient ‘gurukulam’ education system in

India was the best method of educa-

tion, where students learn by doing

and practising what teacher does. Lat-

er on, as part of the colonialism the ed-

ucation system’s focus was shifted to

creating people with English skills for

office works.

He added that the mission of teach-

ers is to make students more than ten

times skilled and capable than them-

selves. The young generation is more

talented than the old and needs to be

nurtured in effective manner to be ef-

fectively tap the talents.

Dr Nair called for creating innova-

tion labs at every schools and free ac-

cess to labs for students to innovate

and try whatever they would like to. He

reiterated that the failures of students

also needs to be appreciated, not just

success. According to him failures are

stepping stone to new inventions.

He paid tribute to his mentors and

teachers Dr Vikram Sarabhai and Dr

Abdul Kalam.

Dr Nair recalled the space missions

conducted under his supervision and

works and specially the first moon mis-

sion of India, Chandrayan, and the ef-

forts went behind the project. During

his tenure, the space mission’s focus

was on building capabilities and sup-

port systems for common man for the

benefit of society in general. Telemed-

icine, tele-education, etc was some of

the projects.

Principal of Olive International

School A J George welcomed the au-

dience and Juttas Paul gave the intro-

ductory speech. Biju John and. Shalini

Rawat also spoke during the occasion.

The session was very interactive where

most of the students, teachers and

parents present asked multiple ques-

tions about different aspects of space

science, space projects, research op-

portunities etc.

Pakistan Education Centre (PEC)

organised a Science & Technology

Exhibition recently. The expo

provided aspiring scientists a

platform to let their imagination

fly and innovate something new

by having a sneak peek into the

research field. The students of

grade III to XII showcased their

models and projects. The displays

were related to the field of living

sciences, chemistry, physics, biology

and information technology. PEC

Principal Nargis Raza Othowas was

the Chief Guest. The projects were

judged by a panel of senior teachers

and the best models were awarded

certificates by the principal.

PEC organises Science & Technology Exhibition

COMMUNITY


Carmel Polytechnic Alumni won

the overall championship in the

Confederation of Alumni Asso-

ciations of Kerala (CAAK) Inter-

collegiate Fest 2016, scoring 56 points.

PSMO College Alumni Qatar (PAAQ) se-

cured the second place with 54 points

and Mar Thoma College Alumni, Thiru-

valla, stood third with 50 points. The

Chief Guest Navas Paleri, a poet and

popular singer from Kerala, handed

over the Champions Trophy to the win-

ners at the closing ceremony held at

Skills Development Center.

‘Kalathilakam’ title was conferred

on Shamin Anna Benny of Mar Thoma

College Thiruvalla. ‘Yuvaprathipha’ and

‘Balaprathibha’ were awarded to Helen

Rachel Reji of Catholicate College and

Namitha Chacko of Carmel Polytech-

nic respectively. More than 150 old stu-

dents from 19 colleges from Kerala

took part in the festival. Competitions

were held in 26 events.

Philip, Principal of Bhavan,s Public

School, Wakrah. CAAK officials Mo-

hammed Iqbal, Babu Abraham, Biju,

Anish, Sam Kuruvila, Mashood Thiruthi-

yad and others from different alumni

gave away the prizes. “Cultural fes-

tivals must be viewed as a venue for

bringing together all our skills and erst-

while college days,” said Navas Paleri.

Mathai Philip, President of CAAK Qa-

tar, inaugurated the function while

General Secretary of CAAK Qatar Mu-

hammed Hashir welcomed the gather-

ing. Abdul Asees Chevidikkunnan pro-

posed a vote of thanks.

CAAK holds festival for alumni associations

Indian Ambassador Sanjiv Arora inaugu-

rated a free medical camp, organised by

the lndian Community Benevolent Forum

(ICBF) with the support of the embassy

and in association with Indian Doctors Club

and Aster Medical Centre. Low-paid work-

ers from India and other countries benefit-

ed from the camp in held the lndustrial Ar-

ea. Nearly 400 workers attended the camp at

which voluntary service was rendered by sev-

eral doctors and paramedics; Indian commu-

nity organisations; students of Indian schools

and embassy officials.

The ambassador interacted with a large

number of workers and volunteers. An official

of National Human Rights Committee of Qatar

was also present at the camp. During the event,

webcast of the programme of Pravasi Bharati-

ya Divas (PBD) celebrations held in New Delhi,

including the address of Sushma Swaraj,

Indian Minister of External Affairs (EAM)

and EAM’s Q&A Session with Indian diaspo-

ra, was screened in continuation of the PBD

event organised by the embassy in coopera-

tion with apex community bodies in Doha on

January 9. The Embassy also operated a ‘help

desk’ to attend to any urgent consular and la-

bour issues of the workers.

ICBF organises free medical camp

MARKETPLACE


Mercure Hotel is holding a special promotion every Friday for lunch at the La Brasserie Restaurant. Soup, salads, appetisers, main courses and desserts – all for

QR50 per adult and QR25 per child. Menu available on hotel’s Facebook page.

Green Globe, the premiere

worldwide sustainabili-

ty stamp for the tourism in-

dustry, has recertified Mov-

enpick Hotel West Bay Doha for the

fifth year running. The five-star hotel

has achieved a score of 75 percent

against the new Green Globe Version

1.7 criteria and indicator requirements,

making the property one of only two

Green Globe-certified hotels in the

country.

Green Globe Version 1.7 is the new

standard guideline that incorporates

60 new compliance indicators, in ad-

dition to over 300 existing indicators,

supporting the mandatory core certifi-

cation criteria. Criteria points cover sus-

tainable management, social/econom-

ic factors, cultural heritage and envi-

ronmental elements. The new Green

Globe standard assists the property to

progress and monitor its sustainability

plans, whilst being rewarded and rec-

ognised for it.

The recertification is part of the ho-

tel and the company’s global commit-

ment to uphold the pillars of sustaina-

bility – social, environmental and eco-

nomic, through the use of effective

management plans.

These reflect the property’s com-

mitment to deliver sustainable oper-

ations and spread awareness about

green living.

One of the key goals of Mövenpick

Hotel West Bay Doha is to promote

and create awareness around sustain-

ability and green-friendly living by es-

tablishing a culture of “Reduce, Reuse

and Recycle”, practicing energy con-

servation activities and upholding cor-

porate social responsibility (CSR) pro-

grammes throughout the hotel’s daily

operations.

Working hand in hand in recycling

with Averda, an environmental solu-

tions provider in the Middle East, the

hotel saved in 2015 approximately

107,316 kilowatts of energy and 6,965

gallons of water, due to its constant

targeted sustainable practices.

Movenpick Hotel West Bay Doha’s

commitment to responsible operations

and giving back to the community was

confirmed by the recent award be-

stowed on it for the Best CSR Initiative

for the Tourism Sector in Qatar.

“We all share great pride and con-

tinued commitment to maintain our

sustainability management policy

and be an example in our tourism

community”, said Ghada Sadek, Gen-

eral Manager, Movenpick Hotel West

Bay Doha. “We are proud to be Green

Globe-certified for the fifth year, and

we will continue to be environmental-

ly conscious by working closely with

Green Globe, to improve our efforts

and be a driver of sustainability in the

region.”

Movenpick Hotel West Bay gets Green Globe re-certification

Special promotion at Mercure Hotel

FOOD


Best ways to preserve speciality citrus

By Cathy Barrow

The Washington Post

Citrus season began last month

and continues until March or

April, depending on the weath-

er. For the next few weeks, I’ll

take the time whenever I am at the

grocery store to poke around in the

produce department. I’m looking for

pink grapefruit, Meyer lemons, blood

oranges, pomelos and cara cara or-

anges. In DIY mode, I plan to take full

advantage of the mountains of clem-

entines, mesh bags of mandarins and

even lower prices on the everyday Eu-

reka lemon.

Preserving citrus leans heavily on

extracting the zest or juice, and it de-

mands the right tool. The zest is the

outermost layer of the peel and con-

tains the oils that carry a pure citrus

flavor. Below the zest is the white pith,

which can have a spongy texture and

adds a bitter edge to the zest’s charac-

teristic taste.

While a vegetable peeler can re-

move the zest and leave the pith be-

hind, recipes for candied peel call for

keeping the pith; in that case, a chan-

nel knife or stripper is an excellent tool

for the job, extracting long, slim pieces

of zest and pith together. Other pres-

entations demand the fine wisps creat-

ed by a garnishing tool called, predict-

ably, a zester. Just about every option

can be achieved with a sharp knife and

perseverance.

Juicing tools run from basic to com-

plex. A modest reamer is useful for a

single lemon but taxing when you’re

faced with dozens of them. I prefer a

juicer that separates the juice from the

pulp and seeds all at once.

The preservation of citrus has a

long history. When sailing ships re-

turned to northern climates, they car-

ried in their holds citrus from the south.

Clever cooks captured the flavors by

drying, candying, salting and jamming.

I do the same, centuries later.

If you’re already zesting, you might

like to try candying citrus peel. It’s

easy, albeit time-consuming, with three

blanching rounds and a long simmer

in sugar syrup until tender, after which

the fruit, dried and sugared, is a great

addition to the pantry. Bakers appreci-

ate orange, lemon and grapefruit peel

and add it, chopped, to quick breads

and scones. I like to dip citrus-peel ba-

tons in chocolate; they make an elegant

gift. When I spend the time on a winter

weekend, I can make enough candied

citrus to accommodate a year of find-

ing new ways to use it until next citrus

season. Once the peel has simmered in

the sugar syrup, the syrup itself is a di-

vine bonus ingredient, useful in cock-

tails, brushed on baked goods or used

to baste meats headed to the barbecue.

More zesting fun: marmalade, the

jam made with the juice and zest. Cit-

rus has copious amounts of natu-

ral pectin, so achieving a proper gel/

set is easy. Keep in mind that, beyond

the scone, marmalade makes an excel-

lent base for barbecue sauce and mar-

inades, adding bitter and sweet ele-

ments. I like to pair it with mustard for

a stunning glaze on a beef roast.

Even when a recipe calls for just

the juice of an orange or lemon, I save

the zest. Whether I grate it, remove it

with a vegetable peeler or use a chan-

nel knife, I cannot throw it out. Instead,

I add it to the zip-top bag of citrus

swaths in the freezer that I’ll later use

in stir-fries and marinades.

After measuring for a recipe, I of-

ten have a pinch or two of zest still

on the cutting board. I tuck that into

granulated sugar and use the result-

ing perfumed sweetener in any bak-

ing project, but especially muffins. Or

I stir zest into kosher salt with a pinch

of crushed red pepper flakes to DIY a

sprinkle for chicken, salad or slices of

avocado.

Juice shouldn’t go to waste, either.

When you’re zesting fruit for a recipe,

squeeze and freeze the juice afterward.

Use an ice cube tray to hold two-ta-

blespoon portions. One cube can give

a sauce or soup some zing, ice down

a glass of sparkling water or activate

fruit’s natural pectin in a jam recipe.

Juice and zest combine with eggs

and butter to make curd. While lemon

curd is the go-to, I also like to use pink

grapefruit, cara caras, Key limes and

blood oranges. The delicious spread

turns up between layers of cake or

atop a cream biscuit served with af-

ternoon tea. Make curd now, freeze

it in jars (leave about an inch of head

space) and it will keep for six months.

Looking for a savory option? Pre-

serving lemons in salt is de rigueur

in Mediterranean cuisine, and I like to

preserve limes in salt, as well. I quarter

the fruit vertically, fill the centers with

kosher salt and pack them into a clean

glass jar, pressing down to encourage

their natural juices to cover the fruit.

(Supplement with additional juice, as

needed.) After a week in a cool, dark

spot, the citrus will have softened and

pickled slightly. After a month, it’s even

better. Citrus preserved in salt is shelf-

stable if thoroughly submerged in the

juice, although its colour may fade.

More tips, recipes tomorrow.

FASHION


Sumptuous gowns close Paris fashion weekReuters

Exquisite craftsmanship wrapped

up Paris haute couture week,

with luxury fashion brands pre-

senting sweeping, intricately de-

tailed gowns aimed at the spring ward-

robes of some of the world’s richest

women.

Chinese designer Guo Pei made

her Paris haute couture debut late on

Wednesday with an array of sumptu-

ous dresses for a collection she said

was called “the emperor’s courtyard”.

Guo was catapulted into the inter-

national spotlight in May when singer

Rihanna wore her 25kg fur-trimmed,

flower embroidered cape dress to the

ball at New York’s Metropolitan Muse-

um of Art, one of the biggest nights in

the fashion year.

With her catwalk reminiscent of a

Chinese royal courtyard, the brand de-

signer turned haute couture stylist pre-

sented richly embroidered and jewel-en-

crusted dresses, skirts and cloaks in gold,

pastel blue and pink, yellow and white.

“This collection is some kind of gift

to Paris and also you will see that there

are elements from the Chinese tradi-

tion and many things are handmade,”

she said backstage.

Earlier on Wednesday, Italian fash-

ion house Valentino unveiled “a collec-

tion with a lyrical touch”, presenting

lavish dresses, all showing off carefully

crafted detailing.

On a petal-strewn catwalk, mod-

els walked barefoot in velvet, pleat-

ed and brocade gowns, Grecian style

dresses and overlapping tunics, as well

as patchwork and kimono-style coats,

their heads adorned with gold snake

headpieces.

The fashion house said creative di-

rectors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier-

paolo Piccioli took inspiration from

Mariano Fortuny, describing the de-

signer who was known for his pleated

dresses as “the artist on the borderline

between Eastern Byzantine and West-

ern Classic”.

Their creations, in gold, red, green

and black and some transparent, were

decorated with various designs, in-

cluding peacock feathers and dragons,

and sometimes accessorised with gold

jewellery running along models’ torsos

and shoulders.

The two shows wrapped up this

week’s spring 2016 haute couture cal-

endar, which also saw presentations

from luxury brands Chanel, Dior and

Versace among others.

HEALTH & FITNESS


Exposing your skin to natural sun-

light can offer many health ben-

efits, yet people are often wary

of the sun’s rays due to reports

linking sun exposure with skin cancer

and premature ageing. While there are

undoubtedly risks associated with get-

ting too much sunlight, many health

professionals are now concerned that

the risks are outweighing the bene-

fits and people are not getting enough

sunlight.

Vitamin D and sunlight

Vitamin D is essential for healthy

bones and its deficiency can lead to

a range of health conditions includ-

ing osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes and

hypertension. Vitamin D deficiency in

children can lead to rickets; a condition

that affects bone development and

causes the bones to become soft, lead-

ing to bone deformities.

The easiest and most effective way to

increase your vitamin D level is through

exposure to natural sunlight. Cells in the

skin react to sunlight in a unique way

and stimulate its production.

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in

aiding the absorption and utilisation

of calcium in the body. Without suffi-

cient amounts of vitamin D present

in the body, much of the calcium will

not be absorbed. Vitamin D can be

sourced from certain foods — nota-

bly eggs, dairy and oily fish — howev-

er, it is almost impossible to get suffi-

cient amounts of vitamin D from di-

et alone.

Osteoporosis risk

A lack of vitamin D, leading to

poor calcium absorption, is a ma-

jor contributor to osteoporosis. Os-

teoporosis is a common condition

that affects bone density, resulting in

a loss of bone strength. In its sever-

est form, the bones of osteoporosis

sufferers may become so fragile that

even the slightest knock or fall can

result in a fracture. Although com-

monly associated with post-meno-

pausal women, osteoporosis can al-

so affect men, younger age groups

and children.

Vitamin D deficiency in Qatar

Simply by living in Qatar, a country

with a high number of hours of sun-

light per year, people should be guar-

anteed to produce enough vitamin D

with very little effort. Yet this is fre-

quently not the case. A 2013 study

conducted by Hamad Medical Corpo-

ration found up to 90 percent of peo-

ple in Qatar could suffer from vitamin D

deficiency. The study assessed the vi-

tamin D levels of HMC staff and found

nine out of 10 had low levels of this im-

portant vitamin.

Religious and cultural traditions dic-

tate that Arab women rarely expose

their skin when outside their homes.

The key to vitamin D synthesis is

through direct sunlight as the sun’s rays

do not penetrate clothing sufficiently in

order to stimulate vitamin D production

in the cells. People should be aware of

the issues that may limit their Vitamin

D pools and make a conscious effort to

expose their skin to sunlight in the pri-

vacy of their own gardens.

How long should you spend in the

sun?

The answer to this requires a bal-

ancing act between spending sufficient

time in the sun to absorb enough vi-

tamin D and avoiding overexposure

which could put you at risk of skin can-

cer or the effects of premature ageing.

There isn’t one answer for everyone. It

depends on a number of factors, in-

cluding:

• The time of year, as the sun’s rays

are more powerful in the summer

• The time of day, as the sun’s rays

are most powerful between midday

and 3pm

• Your skin colour, as lighter skin will

be at a higher risk of sunburn

As a general rule, just 10 to 15

minutes exposure to direct sunlight,

three or four times a week, should be

enough to boost your vitamin D lev-

els significantly. If you are spending

more than 15 minutes in the sun then

you should apply sunscreen to protect

your skin.

Vitamin D supplements

You can also boost your vitamin

D levels by taking supplements. Sup-

plementation is good for people who

cannot get sufficient amounts of sun-

light, or are worried about exposing

their skin. For more advice on vitamin

D supplements consult your primary

health doctor.

Contributed by Hamad Medical Corporation www.hamad.qa

Could a lack of sunlight be damaging your health?

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in aiding the absorption and utilisation of calcium in the body. Without sufficient amounts of vitamin D present in the body, much of the calcium will not be absorbed.

ENTERTAINMENT


The 5th Wave drowns in a convoluted plotBy Troy Ribeiro

IANS

Film: The 5th Wave

Director: J Blakeson

Cast: ChloE Grace Moretz, Nick Robin-

son, Ron Livingston, Maggie Siff, Alex

Roe, Maria Bellow, Maika Monroe and

Liev Schreiber

Rating: **

With Harry Potter, Twi-

light, Hunger Games,

Divergent, Maze Run-

ner and now The 5th

Wave, teenage nov-

el series turned film franchises are

starting to wear a little thin. Teenagers

fighting for something in a dystopian

world is not novel anymore.

Based on Rick Yancey’s teen novel

of the same name, the film follows an

Ohio teenager, Cassie Sullivan as she

tries to survive in a world that is devas-

tated by planned attacks from an alien

species called “Others”.

These aliens make their presence

felt by hovering in spaceships and re-

leasing waves of destruction on Earth.

The waves include electromagnetic

pulses that black out cities, tsunamis,

quakes and diseases.

As one of the last few survivors,

Cassie has to learn the hard way to

trust no one. She also has to rescue

her kid brother, Sammy from being

sent to a training camp established by

the “Others.”

The film starts off with promise

as a survival action film, when Cassie

shoots a guy in self-defence. But then

as the narration progresses, the film

gets swept off and drowns in its own

convoluted plot that includes a battle

for survival against the aliens and a

half-baked romance, giving the film an

inconsistent tone.

The screenplay written by Susan-

nah Grant, Akiva Goldsman and Alex

Pinker, seems to have intentionally

kept the best part of the novel out of

the film. Also, the first three waves as

well as the denouement are hurriedly

compressed, making the narration feel

like a rushed job.

The middle of the film feels dra-

matically inconsequential with forced,

uninspiring scenes and overripe dia-

logues, making the film unsure of its

pace and flow.

Packed with a bunch of young ac-

tors whose performance varies from

natural to perfunctory, the film rests

on ChloE Grace Moretz shoulders. As

Cassie, she is convincing, both as a

responsible individual and a smitten

teenager who falls in love with Evan

Walker.

In poorly developed characters

Alex Roe as Evan Walker is eye can-

dy with a perfectly chiselled physique

and a charming face, Nick Robinson

as Ben Parish — Cassie’s love interest

before the siege — is wasted, Zackary

Arthur as Sammy Sullivan is cute and

Maika Monroe as Ringer their compa-

triot, is the only other standout per-

former nailing the tough girl part.

Among the adults, Maria Bellow

as Sergeant Reznik, Liev Schreiber as

Colonel Vosch and Ron Livingston as

Oliver Sullivan - Cassie’s father - add

some weight, but they simply don’t

have enough screen time to make an

impact.

With good production values, the

film is still a let down as the visuals

lack basic vision. There is nothing ex-

ceptional, every frame seems to be

a derivative which includes computer

generated images. Also, the produc-

tion designs as well as the background

score are run-of-the-mill.

Overall, Director J. Blakeson’s The

Fifth Wave is watchable only if you

have nothing better to do.

Elton John needs music to surviveS

inger Elton John believes he

would be dead if he didn’t have

his music. The 68-year-old says

his excessive drug abuse would have

killed him if he had not also kept re-

cording and performing, reports fe-

malefirst.co.uk.

“I was still working and listening and

making records, which kept me alive.

I didn’t suddenly take three years off

and sit in my room taking coke, other-

wise I wouldn’t be here now. I worked

through it,Â” John revealed in a radio

interview.

The Benny and the jets hitmaker

recalled a night he realised he had a

real problem, but says he made things

worse for himself by being too “stub-

born” to ask for help. “I think one of the

nights I remember I was sitting in a ho-

tel and I played Don’t give up by Peter

Gabriel and Kate Bush and Lost soul

by Bruce Hornsby and then I played

The enigma variations, and I just cried

and cried and cried because I thought,

‘You’re so ill, you’re so sick, you want to

live’ and I went, ‘Yeah of course I want

to live’,” he reminisced. “I knew I had a

problem and even though I was cry-

ing, music helped me get through that,

I was drowning in my own tears but it

was helping me make me realise that I

did have a problem,” he added.

ENTERTAINMENT


Rebellious Flower is a sincere biopicBy Troy Ribeiro

IANS

Film: Rebellious Flower;

Director: Krishan Hooda

Cast: Prince Shah, Shashank Shekhar,

Kirti Adarkar, Bachan Pachehra, Man-

tra Mugdh, Samvedna Suwalka, Divya

Jain and Nitin Sharma

Rating: ***

Rebellious Flower is a sincere

biopic based on the life of

the spiritual leader Osho Ra-

jneesh.

Scripted by Jagdish Bharati, the

narration traces the younger days of

the Guru till he attains nirvana. It is his

journey from a curious young lad, who

is always inquisitive about understand-

ing life and nature, to becoming the

master — the enlightened one.

The narration transports you to

a remote village in Madhya Pradesh,

where young Raja lives with his mater-

nal grandparents. Born with an insa-

tiable appetite for knowledge and be-

stowed with the gift of clarity, he stops

only when he is convinced with the

right answers. Thus, he is always per-

ceived as a troublesome boy who con-

stantly ruffles feathers.

Krishan Hooda, in his maiden di-

rectorial venture, is sincere as he sticks

to the bare aesthetics of his trade. He

balances his subject with the artist-

ry and finesse of a master craftsman,

where he objectively showcases Ra-

ja, giving a humane perspective to Ra-

jneesh, thus preventing it from being a

mindless faith film.

His screenplay is episodic in nature.

It alternates between everyday routine

and bouts of spirituality, rather theatri-

cally, thereby recreating the period cir-

ca 1940s.

He also uses the visuals of the ripe-

golden wheat sheaf, as an ideal met-

aphor, to symbolise Raja’s experienc-

es; which like the grain of wheat when

matured would to be crushed to feed

the hungry souls.

Prince Shah, with his serene looks

and a glint in his eyes when he inno-

cently asks, Ek baat poochu? (Can I ask

a question?), is charming as the young

Osho and endears himself immediately

to the audience. He lays a strong foun-

dation for the narrative to unfurl.

Shashank Shekhar as the older Os-

ho carries the baton forward with

equal ease and aplomb. The anguish in

his transition from a student to the ha-

loed one is palpable.

The rest of the cast, which includes

Kirti Adarkar and Bachan Pachehra as

Raja’s maternal grandparents and Ni-

tin Sharma as Raja’s father, are some

of the prominent roles that are well-

essayed. The versatile and talented

Mantra Mugdh, who essays the three

roles of Raja’s spiritual mentors; Pag-

gal Baba, Magga Baba and Masto Ba-

ba, is free-spiritedly natural and slips

into the characters effortlessly.

With a modest production budget,

art director Varun Arora’s efforts are

praise-worthy.

Neeraj Tiwari’s lens captures the

rustic landscape as well as the intrigue

and confusion in Raja’s life with utmost

honesty. The music rendered by Amano

Manish, based on folk and classical In-

dian scores, is soulful as well as rustic.

The songs merge seamlessly in the nar-

rative. They are well-picturised and help

in bringing out the ethos of the film.

What could have become an unin-

teresting subject for many, has been

sensitively handled and made into a

watchable interesting film, true to its

genre.

If entertainment is not all that you

seek from cinema, watch Rebellious

Flower.

Sonam Kapoor campaigns against fearA

ctress Sonam Kapoor, who is

prepping for her upcoming film

Neerja, is campaigning against

fear on social media platforms.

The Prem Ratan Dhan Payo ac-

tress uploaded a less than a minute

video on Instagram, where she

urged her fans and followers to

share a clip of themselves talk-

ing about their fears and how they

overcame it.

“Hi everybody, I have a request, I

want you to talk about your fear and

how you overcame it. Neerja’s fear

gave her courage. The best videos

you put out I will post. It will give oth-

er people courage to face their fears,”

Sonam said in the video.

She captioned the video: “Hi eve-

ryone. I often wonder how fear gave

Neerja courage. I would love to hear

your stories in 15 second Instagram

videos.”

“The most fascinating and

touching stories will be posted by

me, so that your stories can in-

spire other people to overcome

their fears. You can be also be

#Neerja. Use #fearvsneerja when

you post.”

Neerja is a biopic on Neerja Bhanot,

a valiant Indian flight attendant who

lost her own life, but saved the lives of

passengers during a hijack.

The Ram Madhvani-directorial fea-

tures Sonam as Neerja, a Pan Am chief

purser who was gunned down by ter-

rorists when Flight 73 was hijacked in

Karachi in 1986. She saved a number

of lives, but lost her own.

The film is set to release on Feb-

ruary 19.

The narration transports you to a remote village in Madhya Pradesh, where young Raja lives with his maternal grandparents. Born with an insatiable appetite for knowledge and bestowed with the gift of clarity, he stops only when he is convinced with the right answers.

TECHNOLOGY


Pesky software updates coming to your carBy Marie Mawad

Bloomberg

You hate them on your phone

and dread them on your com-

puter — now, those pesky

software updates are coming

to your car.

Carmakers led by Tesla are push-

ing over-the-air Wi-Fi and 3G or 4G

wireless downloads to add func-

tions such as self-parking and to up-

grade performances of their vehicles.

It’s prompting suppliers like NXP Sem-

iconductors, Ericsson and Gemalto to

celebrate as car builders fight to keep

hackers out.

“As soon as you connect anything

to the Internet, there’s a hacking risk,”

said Jonathan Olsson, a security expert

at Ericsson, which sells wireless net-

works to clients from mobile carriers to

carmakers like Volvo. “We protect the

software that’s sent to a vehicle and

make sure it hasn’t been tampered

with, while policing who connects to

the car.”

Tesla recently rolled out new soft-

ware that will let its Model S and Model

X electric sedans park in a garage or in

perpendicular spaces without a driver

behind the wheel. The average update

takes 45 minutes. It’s typically aimed

at boosting anything from engine per-

formance to the car’s speed and elec-

tric battery usage.

As software gains ground and con-

trols additional features in vehicles,

such as self-driving capabilities or in-

tegrating with services like Spotify,

cars will require regular updates, just

like Apple pushed modifications to its

iPhone software about 10 times last

year. Many updates will be aimed at

fixing software bugs — there are typi-

cally 200 million lines of code in a car,

which means it’s unlikely to be bug-

proof from day one, Ericsson’s Olsson

said.

The learning curve has proved

messy for some carmakers so far, spur-

ring demand for expert suppliers. Toy-

ota Motor Corp, the world’s largest au-

tomaker, in 2014 had to recall more

than half of the Prius vehicles ever sold

to fix a software bug that could slow

down or bring the car to a halt.

“The car is being converted into a

self-driving robot,” said Lars Reger,

chief technology officer of chipmaker

NXP’s automotive division. “Because

of that, software is becoming far more

important than it was 10 years ago.”

NXP’s chips can be found in cars from

manufacturers including Tesla, Audi,

BMW and Mercedes.

The practice of updating a car’s

software is due to grow at least ten-

fold in the coming six years as vehicles

become increasingly connected, re-

searcher IHS Automotive forecast in a

report. About 4.6 million cars got over-

the-air updates for telematics applica-

tions last year, compared to 43 million

units expected worldwide by 2022, it

said. Maps, infotainment and core au-

to functions will also spur updates, IHS

said.

It’s inevitable that carmakers will

go through the same motions as banks

or retailers did in the past years, bulk-

ing up their security spending to avoid

breaches that would hurt consum-

er confidence, said Olivier Piou, CEO

of cybersecurity company Gemalto,

which has Audi among its customers.

“Companies who have a reputation to

protect can’t afford not to think about

security,” Piou said.

There will be 150 million connect-

ed cars circulating globally in 2016 and

more than 800 million by 2023, ac-

cording to predictions by Analysis Ma-

son.

As software innovation continues

to evolve quickly around a network of

connected objects, from refrigerators

to drones, how long carmakers can up-

keep older vehicles will be key in avoid-

ing future threats from hackers and cy-

bercriminals.

Lessons from the computer soft-

ware world show Microsoft Corp. had

to extend support for its Windows XP

operating system, including security

patches, beyond the initially project-

ed 10-year mark because too many

people were still using the old soft-

ware.

“Some carmakers are ahead of oth-

ers” already, said Jerome Robert, chief

marketing officer at Lexsi, a security

company that banks to governments

hire to attack their systems in order to

help identify vulnerabilities. “Security

is as good as it gets in recent all-elec-

tric models, but in older cars, the ones

with electronics here and there, it’s not

great.”

For suppliers, competition is tough.

Software for cars is attracting resourc-

es from companies as varied as Goog-

le and Jerusalem-based Mobileye. Eric-

sson says it can transpose decades of

developing network-security technolo-

gy for mobile carriers. Meanwhile, NXP

and Gemalto have built a reputation by

helping secure banking transactions,

mobile phones and electronic pass-

ports.

As software gains ground and controls additional features in vehicles, such as self-driving capabilities or integrating with services like Spotify, cars will require regular updates, just like Apple pushed modifications to its iPhone software about 10 times last year.

SCIENCE


An artificial intelligence milestoneBy Will Dunham

Reuters

You can chalk it up as anoth-

er victory for the machines.

In what they called a mile-

stone achievement for arti-

ficial intelligence, scientists said on

Wednesday they have created a com-

puter program that beat a profession-

al human player at the complex board

game called Go, which originated in

ancient China.

The feat recalled IBM supercom-

puter Deep Blue’s 1997 match victo-

ry over chess world champion Gar-

ry Kasparov. But Go, a strategy board

game most popular in places like Chi-

na, South Korea and Japan, is vastly

more complicated than chess.

“Go is considered to be the pinnacle

of game AI research,” said artificial in-

telligence researcher Demis Hassabis

of Google DeepMind, the British com-

pany that developed the AlphaGo pro-

gram. “It’s been the grand challenge,

or holy grail if you like, of AI since Deep

Blue beat Kasparov at chess.”

DeepMind was acquired in 2014 by

Google.

AlphaGo swept a five-game match

against three-time European Go

champion and Chinese professional

Fan Hui. Until now, the best computer

Go programs had played only at the

level of human amateurs.

In Go, also called Igo, Weiqi and

Baduk, two players place black and

white pieces on a square grid, aiming

to take more territory than their adver-

sary.

“It’s a very beautiful game with ex-

tremely simple rules that lead to pro-

found complexity. In fact, Go is prob-

ably the most complex game ever de-

vised by humans,” said Hassabis, a

former child chess prodigy.

Scientists have made artificial intel-

ligence strides in recent years, making

computers think and learn more like

people do.

Hassabis acknowledged some

people might worry about the increas-

ing capabilities of artificial intelligence

after the Go accomplishment, but add-

ed, “We’re still talking about a game

here.”

While AlphaGo learns in a more

human-like way, it still needs many

more games of practice, millions rath-

er than thousands, than a human ex-

pert needs to get good at Go, Hassa-

bis said.

The scientists foresee future appli-

cations for such AI programs includ-

ing: improving smart phone assistants

(Apple’s Siri is an example); medical

diagnostics; and eventually collaborat-

ing with human scientists in research.

Hassabis said South Korea’s Lee

Sedol, the world’s top Go player, has

agreed to play AlphaGo in a five-game

match in Seoul in March. Lee said in

a statement, “I heard Google Deep-

Mind’s AI is surprisingly strong and get-

ting stronger, but I am confident that I

can win, at least this time.”

Students play the board game “Go”, known as “Weiqi” in Chinese, during a competition to mark the 100-day count-

down to the opening of Beijing Olympics at a primary school in Suzhou, Jiangsu province

Finger tracing can help students perform better in maths: Study

Mathematics has always been a

troublesome and scary subject

for many children. But a recent

study has found that school kids who

trace math problems using fingers are

able to solve them more quickly and

easily.

Students who use their fingers to

trace over practice examples while si-

multaneously reading geometry or

arithmetic material were able to com-

plete tasks more quickly and correctly

than those who did not use the same

technique, according to researchers.

“Our findings have a range of impli-

cations for teachers and students alike.

They show math learning by young stu-

dents may be enhanced substantially

with the simple addition of instructions

to finger-trace elements of math prob-

lems,” said Paul Ginns, senior lecturer

at the University Of Sydney.

“We are cautiously confident such

effects could be applied in the class-

room and to subjects outside of math,

but more research is clearly required,”

he said.

The research is published in Learn-

ing and Instruction and Applied Cogni-

tive Psychology.

The study involved 275 children

aged between nine and 13 and found

that tracing over elements of math

problems enhanced how they under-

stood and solved problems in geome-

try and algebra.

Using an index finger to physically

touch and trace the angles of a triangle

can result in that information receiving

processing priority in the brain. Doing

so may reduce the load on working

memory and its ability to retain com-

plex material by ‘chunking’ information

together, the scientists suggested.

“At the classroom level, teachers

can assist students to learn new math-

ematical content by giving instructions

to ‘trace over’ the important elements

of worked examples that already ap-

pear in mathematics textbooks or

worksheets,Â” Ginns stated.

“This simple, zero-cost teaching ap-

proach can enhance the effectiveness

of mathematics instruction across mul-

tiple areas of the subject,” Ginns ex-

plained.

Seethamma Andalu Ramayya Siralu (2D/Drama) 2:00pm

American Hero(2D/Action) 4:15pm Exposed (2D/Drama) 6:15pmOcean 14 (2D/Arabic) 8:15pm

Stand Off (2D/Thriller) 10:00pmConcussion (2D/Drama) 6:15 & 11:30pmAlvin & The Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2D/Animation) 2:45, 4:30 & 5:45pm Airlift (2D/Hindi) 8:30pmTwo Countries (2D/Malayalam) 10:30pmSaala Khadoos (2D/Hindi) 2:00 & 7:30pmRide Along 2 (2D/Action) 4:00pmKedbet Kol Youm(2D/Arabic)9:30pm Irudhi Suttru(2D/Tamil) 11:30pm

Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2D/Animation) 2:30, 5:00 & 7:00pmOcean 14 (2D/Arabic) 4:15pm Stand Off (2D/Thriller) 6:00pmExposed (2D/Drama) 7:30 & 11:30pm

Kedbet Kol Youm(2D/Arabic) 9:30pmThe Good Dinosaur (2D/Animation) 3:00pm Airlift (2D/Hindi) 9:00pm Concussion (2D/Drama) 6:15 & 11:15pm Irudhi Suttru(2D/Tamil) 2:30 & 11:15pmAmerican Hero (2D/Action) 4:30pmTwo Countries (2D/Malayalam) 8:30pm

ROYAL PLAZAThe Good Dinosaur (2D/Animation) 2:30pm Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2D/Animation) 4:15, 6:00 & 8:00pm Stand Off (2D/Thriller) 9:45pmSaala Khadoos (2D/Hindi) 2:30 & 11:30pmExposed (2D/Drama) 4:30 & 11:00pm Airlift (2D/Hindi) 6:30pm

Concussion (2D/Drama) 8:45 & 11:00pm Ride Along 2(2D/Action) 3:00pm Ocean 14(2D/Arabic) 7:00pmAmerican Hero (2D/Action) 5:00pmKedbet Kol Youm(2D/Arabic) 9:00pm

ASIAN TOWN

NOVO

MALL

LANDMARKVILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

AMERICAN HERO

BABY BLUES

ZITS

Melvin, a reluctant Superhero, lives only for crime and women until he realises that the only way he will ever get to see his estranged son is to go straight and fulfil his potential as a crime fighter.

14 TUESDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2016

CINEMA PLUS

Exposed (2D/Drama) 10:30am, 11:30, 12:00noon, 2:20, 4:10, 4:40, 7:00, 8:50, 9:20 & 11:40pmAlving And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2D/Animation) 11:15am, 1:15, 3:15, 5:15, 7:15, 9:15 & 11:15pmDirty Grandpa (2D/Comedy) 10:00am, 12:00noon, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00 & 11:55pmStandoff (2D/Thriller) 11:30am, 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30pmOcean 14 (2D/Arabic) 10:30am, 2:50, 7:10 & 11:30pmKedbet Kol Youm (2D/Arabic) 12:40, 5:00 & 9:20pm Ride Along 2 (2D/Comedy) 11:00am, 3:00, 7:00, 9:10 & 11:15pmDaddy’s Home (2D/Comedy) 1:00 & 5:00pmThe Boy (2D/Horror) 10:35, 3:00, 7:25, 9:35 & 11:50pmThe 5th Wave (2D/Adventure) 12:45 & 5:10pmConcussion (2D/Drama) 11:50am, 1:40, 2:10, 4:30, 6:20, 6:50, 9:10, 11:10& 11:30pmStar Wars:The Force Awakens(Action) 3D IMAX 11:30am & 5:30pmThe Revenant (2D IMAX/Adventure) 2:30, 8:30 & 11:30pm

Seethamma Andalu Ramayya Sitralu 1:00pmIrudhi Suttru (Tamil) 6:00 & 10:45pm2 Countires (Malayalam) 6:30, 7:15, 8:15, 9:30 & 10:00Saala Khadoos (Hindi) 6:30 & 11:00pm

Airlift (Hindi) 5:00pm

EASY SUDOKU

15TUESDAY 2 FEBRUARY 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 answer

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.

KAKURO

ACROSS

1 Woe that’s the result of extreme materialism

10 Pie hole

14 “Be there shortly”

15 Know-it-all?

16 Expo

17 Spread

18 King of Israel who founded Samaria

19 Hearst publication since 2000

21 Singer of stories

24 Hoffman’s role in “Midnight Cowboy”

25 European

refusal

28 Peri of “Frasier”

31 Finished with precision, say

36 “What ___?”

37 “What ___!”

38 Balderdash

39 Corleone’s enforcer in “The Godfather”

40 Diluted

41 Cut some slack

43 Hindu god with the head of an elephant

45 Take in

46 Full

48 Randall ___, recurring character in Stephen King novels

52 What might make you a big fan?

56 Harsh punishments

58 For the birds?

59 “The jig is up!”

62 Brown ___

63 “It’s true!”

64 Door part

65 Stinko

DOWN

1 Regarding

2 Physicist who coined the word “neutrino”

3 Confessions to a therapist

4 Girl’s name derived from the name of an ancient Anatolian kingdom

5 It’s served by Gulf Air: Abbr.

6 Story’s opening?

7 Big Apple neighborhood

8 Zip

9 ___ al-Awlaki, terrorist targeted in a 2011 American drone strike

10 Sticks in a Halloween bag?

11 1938’s “The War of the Worlds,” e.g.

12 “It’s true!”

13 Ache

15 Neighbor of a Mozambican

20 Movie with the song “I Remember It Well”

22 Rare blood type, for short

23 Charisse of “Brigadoon”

26 Sein : German :: ___ : French

27 Little cover at the beach

29 “That ___ true”

30 European refusal 31 Homey

32 Some ancient halls 33 Sends out

34 Lose one’s shirt

35 Response to an attack by a group of senators

39 Blast 41 Sharpen

42 One working hard before the holidays

44 Poker-faced 47 Bits

49 ___ it all 50 More like Paree

51 Legendary guard of treasure

52 Ring exchange

53 Place for an iris

54 It’s a sign

55 Certain plea, briefly

57 Went after, in a way

60 Actor Cage, informally

61 Sci-fi drug

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

H A I F A J A W E D S H AA S H E N A R O M A H A GS H O R T L U N C H A Z OP E P H H I N G E S V E N

S E A L E A T E R YP L I E R S O L D B A TC A R R A A R E B A DS P R I N G V A C A T I O N

D I V A A I D A I L S AT I G E R S G H O S T S

B E A C O N B I E NA N T E D C A R E A J E BU N I C O M M E R C I A LD U O B R O O D R I N S ES I N S A N K A T A X E D

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

CROSSWORD

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.

BRAIN TEASERS

Hoy en la HistoriaFebruary 2, 1971

1536:�� 1709: Alexander Selkirk, who inspired the novel Robinson Crusoe, was rescued after five years on an uninhabited island2004: �� !�"��2007: The IPCC concluded that human activity was the main factor contributing to global warming

Major General Idi Amin took over as military head of state in Uganda. Over 100,000 people are believed to have been killed during his eight-year regime

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Cartoon Arts International / The New York Times Syndicate

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