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BABY CARE BABY CARE TAKES ITS TOLLTAKES ITS TOLL
The biggest baby boom in 40 years means that the pavements are choked with buggies and schools are overloaded. Alice Fisher reports from the frontline.
2 COVER STORYPLUS | WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2013
BY ALICE FISHER
My daughter Robin is 28 months old and her favourite ques-tion is: “Mummy,
what are you doing?” She repeats it with a frequency that gets to me if I’m tired. Like most parents of young children I’m doing a lot. I’m holding down a full-time job and feeling insecure about my per-formance because I’m knackered all the time. I have to shoot out the door bang on 5pm every day on the nursery run whether I’ve fin-ished my work or not. I’m worrying about the money I pay for child care from a salary that isn’t ris-ing in line with inflation. I’m also worrying about whether I should be working at all. Is it emotionally bad for her, for me?
Obviously I’m also doing amaz-ing, ridiculous things. I am sing-ing for so long to make a car journey pass that I lose my voice. I’m looking for a poo that has dematerialised during a surrep-titious nappy change while we’re on a tour of a cave that’s part of a World Heritage site. I am see-ing snow for the first time. I am being kissed with a ferocity that has not yet been muted by embar-rassment. But mostly, Robin, what am I doing? The truth is I’m not really sure.
It’s an odd time to be a new par-ent. Families seem inescapable at the moment, whether you have one or not. We hog the political agenda with debate about parental leave and benefits. We clog up magazine lifestyle pages with our post-baby figures with our toddlers whose clothes cost more than ours. We ruin your weekend brunch with our howls and our scattered rai-sins and the buggy bumping your table, spilling your flat white.
Part of this is unavoidable: There are more of us. In 2011-12, more babies were born in the UK than in any other year since 1972. There were 813,200 births, according to the Office of National Statistics. It was the most bountiful year of a decade of ever-increasing fecun-dity. Since 2001 the birth rate has risen — we’re in a baby boom which will have major repercus-sions on healthcare, housing and education.
There aren’t enough midwives: More than half of birthing units do not meet staffing guidelines and 28 percent have had to turn expect-ant mothers away because of a lack of space or staff in the past year.
By 2015 we’ll need 450,000 more school places. And as demand grows for places, in the private sec-tor nursery fees are growing faster than a landfill mountain of nappies. Full-time care costs are close to
£200 a week, a rise of 30 percent in just three years. Meanwhile, more mothers work now than a decade ago: 29 percent of households had two full-time earners in 2011 and those who work part-time work more hours.
There is a lot of pressure on a finite pool of resources. There’s not enough money or stirrups or school desks or professionals who know what they’re doing: If par-ents now seem pushier maybe it’s because they feel pushed.
That is the overwhelming rep-utation of the modern parent – pushy. And let’s be honest, when we say parent we still really mean mother, with all the exasperat-ingly traditional, sexist connota-tions that word now holds. We are tiger moms, we are slummy mum-mies. If we want to lean in like Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg we are deluded. If we stay at home we’re making a “lifestyle choice”. We are breast feeding, co-sleep-ing fanatics like Time cover-star Jamie Lynne Grumet. We are the Duchess of Cambridge. We are Gwyneth Paltrow. Mumsnet isn’t just a website but shorthand for a particular type of over-bearing parent. Though there are sound economic reasons for parents to be a national focus, disliking or judg-ing them has become a national pastime.
WHY TODAY’S WHY TODAY’S PARENTSPARENTSARE PUSHY?ARE PUSHY?
3PLUS | WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2013
“It’s ironic,” says Justine Roberts, CEO and co-founder of Mumsnet, “because the underlying common phi-losophy seems to be much more lais-sez-faire than tiger mum. It’s true that Mumsnet users are opinionated, and when they see things that they want to change, we try to use our collective muscle to help achieve those changes. I think there is a strand of thought out there which brands opinionated women as pushy or shouty.”
Jo Swinson, junior equalities minis-ter and under-secretary for employ-ment relations, is expecting her first child, but has already experienced a change in the way people view her. “There’s a gender difference in the way the media approaches these stories,” she says. “I’m currently the only minis-ter in the department for business who does not have a child, but the inter-est in how I’m going to manage my job while being a parent is already there. To my knowledge, that isn’t a question that gets asked of my male colleagues.”
When Dr Aric Sigman spoke at a conference for the campaigning par-ent group Mothers at Home Matter in October and coined the word “mother-ism” to describe the prejudice full-time mothers encounter, he was amazed by the international media interest. “It was just a euphemism to encapsulate how they felt as educated women who, because they had stayed home with their children, had been relegated socially and economically — but there was a huge response.”
For new parents this raising of eye-brows, this pursing of lips is a mean kick in the teeth. The average age of British women having babies is 30. So you’ve had roughly three decades to get used to the prejudice you typically face as a female — you’ve worked out in your head how you feel about being called stupid, fat and ugly. Then you’re given a whole new negative identity to untangle at the point when you feel
most vulnerable. Nothing can prepare you for becoming a parent. One minute you are not and the next you utterly, brilliantly and terrifyingly are. Every action feels earth changing and you do it all on very little sleep, very little food and in a state of panic. It’s akin to try-ing to fill in your mortgage application in your tent during the closing night of Glastonbury or assemble flat-pack fur-niture wearing mittens and a blindfold. Every new parent feels they’re doing it wrong. They really don’t need society to tell them that they are.
Government legislation on shared parental leave comes into effect in 2015 and it could genuinely shake things up, not just giving men the chance to stay home but allowing women to leave it sooner. It will be interesting to see how the reputation of parenting changes when it is less exclusively women’s work. “I’m, sadly, not expecting that suddenly men will do 50 percent of the child care,” says Swinson.
Until the revolution comes, though, it’s understandable that most par-ents fall back on the coping methods they’ve used throughout their adult lives. They search for meaning and expert guidance. They chuck money at the problem. There is a line of argu-ment that there are currently so many gurus in circulation and parenting has become such an intensive occupation because this is how women are used to approaching life now.
Last year in a piece about feminism and mothering, Time magazine jour-nalist Belinda Luscombe wrote that “women’s rising social and economic power… has enabled them to mother with ferocity. They research; they seek out best practices; they join a group, form a committee and agitate for their version of feeding/disciplining/sleeping.” It’s funny that after all that analysis, most women decide the best solution is cuddles. Attachment guru Dr Bill Sears and Dr Harvey Karp
(who suggests you show empathy by talking toddlerese to your child) are two of our most popular experts. We are parents of skin-to-skin contact, of slings and breast is best. We do not leave our children to cry it out. They do throw food.
This professed love of back-to-nature doesn’t stop us spending a lot of hard cash, though. According to a 2013 survey the first year of your child’s life will typi-cally set you back £10,526. A lot of this is spent panic buying nonsense: Baby tea, intricate bands to keep socks on and reusable nappies you’ll never use at all. My personal low point was forking out for a homeopathic teething remedy even though I knew it was hokum. My only excuse is that sleep deprivation does funny things to the brain.
One thing you can waste an awful of money on is clothes. The blue/pink gender debate is another way that today’s parents use up a lot of words and thought trying to control, but that stereotypical girl-boy divide is already blurring. Blue v pink first dominated in
the 40s and 50s and dissipated during the last great wave of feminism in the 70s before reemerging in the 90s. It’s interesting that colour coding is fading as the tide turns back to feminism, but this time it’s happening in a culture awash with fashion and in particular designer clothing.
Now it seems to be not so much a question of whether you let your daughter wear pink, but what style of pink you go for. Do you want to go for a vivid sangria shade in a utili-tarian Scandi style or sprinkle ditsy roses over a frill-collar blouse, a look favoured by the French? What about a coral-coloured tee with an ironic slogan? Children are no longer sim-ply colour coded but styled, and the designer labels have not been slow to notice. The British children’s clothing industry is worth £6.5bn and one of the strong growth sectors is designer wear – global sales of luxury childrens wear went up by 7.4 percent in 2012. Up until five years ago, only a handful of labels produced baby wear: Burberry, Dior and Ralph Lauren. Now pretty much every label has a junior line. There’s Little Marc, Chloé, even Marni and Roksanda Ilincic. In October, Jean Paul Gaultier announced he’s launch-ing couture for kids. This year London hosted the first children’s fashion week. I sat front row and felt uncomfortable, staring at these little boys and girls, making notes on their outfits.
These clothes are aimed at parents, obviously. No child screams for a Gucci little black dress (£455, if you’re inter-ested, for ages 4-12). Everyone wants their baby to look nice, but if you’ve given your child their look, when will they get a chance to find their own? My rule is that until Robin achieves blad-der control, I’m not getting anything that costs more than £40. My advice: If you can’t scrape crusted spaghetti off it with your thumbnail, then don’t buy it.
And that never changes. Advice. Everyone has an opinion on what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. Some of it will actually be helpful. Justine Roberts’s favourite advice was: “It’s just a phase.” Dr Sigman liked: “Be warm, loving and caring, but be their parent – not their best friend.”
The Guardian
PLUS | WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER 20134 NATIONAL DAY
OCCIDENTAL Petroleum of Qatar Ltd (Oxy Qatar) and international callig-raphy artist Sabah Arbilli, presented a National Day
sculpture to H E Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Khalifa Al Thani, Minister of Municipality and Urban Planning, at a ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday on the Corniche. The stainless steel artwork, standing over six metres high, is a gift to the people of Qatar in cel-ebration of the country’s National Day.
The sculpture reflects the rich herit-age of Qatar and offers an exceptional opportunity to enjoy the poetry of Qatar’s Founder as a unique work of art. Featuring a poem by Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohamed Bin Thani, written in Arabic calligraphy, the sculpture is the first of its kind in Qatar to showcase poetry from the nation’s Founder and the first public sculpture of this scale for the artist.
Oxy Qatar’s President and General Manager Stephen Kelly welcomed the guests to the unveiling ceremony. “For last year’s National Day, Oxy Qatar and Sabah joined together to present an exhibition of his “Al Moases” artwork, inspired by the poetry of the Founder of the State of Qatar. During the course of that exhibition, Sabah was inspired by one of the Founder’s poems, and envisioned this sculpture to stand here on Doha Corniche, looking out to the sea,” Kelly said. Oxy is proud to have been able to help Sabah bring to fruition this unique celebration of the Founder’s poetry and his passion for creativity.
In addition to promoting Qatar’s rich and vibrant heritage, Oxy supports Qatar’s goal to create dialogue and discourse through the stimulus of art and culture. “We look forward to the rich discussion that Sabah’s sculpture will surely inspire in the year to come,
Oxy Qatar unveils unique sculpture
with its unique fusion of calligraphy, history, poetry and sculpture.”
Kelly said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who was involved in the project for their hard work and dedication, including the support and guidance of Doha Municipality. I also want to extend our sincere gratitude to Sabah Arbilli. Without his talents, support and ded-ication to preserving Qatar’s artistic traditions, this project would not have
been possible.” Arbilli supervised the artwork
design and creation of his sculpture with direct guidance from the Doha Municipality team. Arbilli said: “I am deeply honoured as an artist to con-tribute my sculpture to Qatar National Day celebrations. As an artist I was inspired by a particular verse and its meaning from an exhibition I did last year based on Sheikh Jassim’s poetry. This particular verse inspired me to
design the sculpture. Art is a univer-sal dialogue, capturing the beauty and form within each piece, which is shared with an audience. This piece celebrates Qatar’s culture, history and captivates and draws the viewers to its presence. Qatar is very much an internationally growing country and it is attributes like this which make it more cosmo-politan on a global map.”
The Peninsula
SHERBORNE Qatar pupils, both expat and Qatari, joined to celebrate National Day. The day started with an assembly talking about the history of Qatar and
its rulers. Later Qatari pupils participated in a traditional sword dance.
Throughout the day there were many activi-ties for children, including making of Ruqaq bread, the HINa Chamber for the Qatari pride, booths showing the old way of fishing, life in the desert, old traditional jewellery and old doors and windows from old Qatari houses. Pupils got the opportunity to have henna applied and play traditional Qatari games and contests.
In the school’s courtyard, two Majlis were set up where pupils and staff had a taste of tradi-tional food and coffee. The also saw live hunting dogs, falcons, camels and ponies.
The Peninsula
Slew of activities at Sherborne Qatar
5MARKETPLACE PLUS | WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2013
Malabar Gold to launch festivalM
ALABAR Gold & Diamonds
is set to launch the 3rd edition of ‘Malabar Gold & Diamonds Festival’ in GCC and Singapore that runs from December 19 until February 2, 2014. In Dubai, the festival runs from December 19 to January 1, 2014 so as to start the DSF promotions from January 2, 2014.
The festival is one of the biggest jewellery events in GCC and gives the customers an opportunity to win a total of 100,000 gold coins and Dh1M instant cash refund. For every purchase of gold or diamond jewellery above Dh3,000 customers will get a ‘ Scratch & Win’ coupon through which they get a guaranteed gold coin and a chance to win up to 100 gold coins instantly. If it is a diamond jewellery purchase, the customers get a ‘Scratch & Win’ coupon for a guaranteed cash refund with a chance to win up to 100 percent cash back. The customers who buy diamond jewellery worth Dh3,000 or above is eligible to get both coupons.
The group also offers ‘Zero Deduction Exchange’ scheme through which customers can update their old ornaments to the exquisite collection of Malabar Gold & Diamonds without any loss. Any 22K(916) old gold ornaments can be exchanged with the latest Malabar Gold & Diamonds designs by paying only making charges ensuring they don’t lose any value on the rate of gold. The Peninsula
QATAR Petroleum’s Refining Directorate organised a vari-ety of activities to celebrate
its Annual Refinery Day 2013, which was held on December 12 at the QP Refinery in Mesaieed Industrial City.
Held with the theme “Add Colors to Your Workplace,” this year’s celebra-tion was attended by Hussain Mohd Al Ishaq, Director of Refining, as well as by many senior officials and staff from the directorate’s various departments.
Al Ishaq said: “The Annual Refinery
Day 2013 is an opportunity for us to get together and celebrate our accomplish-ments this year, as we continue to work collectively to meet our business objec-tives and operational targets. I would like to express my gratitude to H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, the Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman of QP, for his strong sup-port and valued guidance, which are instrumental for the continued success of our operations.”
Al Ishaq and the other guests took
part in the various activities, which included a health campaign to increase awareness on common health problems like diabetes and hypertension. As part of the campaign, free blood sugar test-ing and blood pressure checkups were offered throughout the day for the ben-efit of all employees.
QP’s Annual Refinery Day 2013 also featured a painting activity that involved participation of many employ-ees. A staircase on the bund wall of the tank farm was painted with rainbow
colours, while the refinery’s female staff painted some of the palm trees in the area.
Tree planting was another activ-ity that was held as part of the cel-ebration. The staff worked together in planting a total of seven fig trees, thus contributing in making the area greener and in protecting the environ-ment. The celebration concluded with group photos and refreshments for over 300 participants.
The Peninsula
QP celebrates Annual Refinery Day 2013
Aster Medical Centre medical counters at three places today
ASTER Medical Centre, a division of DM Healthcare, a leading healthcare conglomerate in the Middle East and India, has collaborated with Ministry of Interior – Public Relations Department, to organise medical
counters today with regard to the Qatar National Day celebra-tions. The medical booths will be available at Al Rayyan Sports Club, Al Khor Sports Club and West End Park - Industrial Area, from 8:30am to 12:30pm and will continue from 4pm to 10pm.
Free consultations by an expert General Medicine doctor will be available at the different venues. Residents at the various venues can get their blood sugar and blood pressure checked at the Aster medical counter. Personalised health cards will be issued charting the details of the patient. Specially designed educational flyers and posters will be distributed at the counters.
Commenting on the initiative, Dr Sameer Moopan, CEO, DM Healthcare-Qatar said: “On occasion of the Qatar National Day celebrations, we are well pleased to set up medical counters to serve the residents of Qatar. We believe preventive care is extremely important and goes a long way in ensuring the overall wellbeing of individuals as well as the society at large. We are very grateful for the support from the Ministry of Interior – Public Relations, in our endeavour to offer our medical services to the community residing in Qatar.”
The medical counters are part of an initiative of ASTER’s Community Good Health Programme, to promote good health and wellbeing among the people. The Peninsula
PLUS | WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER 20136 MEDIA
BY PAUL FARHI
ACCORDING to sources who didn’t insist on ano-nymity, more and more sources are speaking to the news media on the
condition of anonymity for the oddest of reasons.
Politico, for example, reported a speech by Vice President Joe Biden to a progressive group based on the account of a person who spoke anonymously “because the [speech was] by-invitation only”. The New York Times said one of its sources for an article about Syria asked not to be identified “because of the delicacy of the situation.”
The Times accorded anonymity to sources for the same reason — “because of the delicacy of the situation” — in six other articles this year, including one about a woman who fell off a balcony.
The Washington Post, in an article about the Redskins’ troubles, cited such mysterious sources as “several people familiar with the situation”; “multiple people close to the matter”; “several people with knowledge of the delibera-tions”; and “one person with ties to the team.” The sources, according to the article, spoke anonymously “because of the sensitivity of the situation.”
Question: Does this help much?It used to be that anonymous sources
— Watergate’s “Deep Throat” was the most famous — spoke on the condition of anonymity because ... well, because they wouldn’t speak to reporters any other way. Back then, anonymous sources were just “sources” and you, dear reader, had to take our word for whoever they were and whatever we said they said.
Readers noticed, and apparently didn’t like guessing about who was saying what. In 2004, the New York Times surveyed its subscribers on their concerns about the paper. In the wake of flawed (and often anonymously sourced) reporting before the start of the Iraq war, readers said their big-gest gripe was the use of anonymous sources, and that it trumped political bias or even delivery problems, accord-ing to Margaret Sullivan, the paper’s current public editor.
So, in an attempt at greater transpar-ency, news organisations began explain-ing why their sources weren’t being identified by name. The idea was to offer readers a little peek under the veil of anonymity. The practice is now widely employed. A search of the Nexis data-base turns up thousands of news sto-ries each month in which people speak on “the condition of anonymity” for all kinds of reasons. Or would-be reasons:
The Boston Globe quoted a “Democratic operative” who praised the organising abilities of a local labour union without being identified by name “because he did not want to offend other unions.”
The Post wrote about a dinner meet-ing in Richmond between Sen Mark R Warner and Virginia Gov-elect Terry McAuliffe, citing people who spoke anonymously “in order to discuss a private event.”
The Los Angeles Times reported on a
business deal, citing a person “familiar” with the companies involved who was quoted without being named in order “to preserve a relationship with both companies”.
“Frankly, this kind of sourcing is ridiculous,” says Alicia Shepard, a journalist and NPR’s former ombuds-man. She adds: “I get it that [news organizations] are trying to be trans-parent, but it doesn’t enhance the believability of the anonymous quote. The only thing worthwhile about the convoluted sourcing explainers is how funny they are.”
In fact, such descriptions can do more harm than good, says Matt Carlson, an associate professor at St Louis University and the author of On Condition of Anonymity: Unnamed Sources and the Battle for Journalism, published in 2011. Rather than enhancing a reader’s understanding, the descriptions used by reporters can be disingenuous and misleading about a source’s affiliation or motives, Carlson says.
He cites the classic misdirection case: Former New York Times reporter Judith Miller once agreed to identify one of her anonymous sources, Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, not as a sen-ior White House official but as “a former congressional staffer,” a tech-nically accurate but wholly misleading description.
Some sources have important rea-sons for not putting their names next to their words, says Kevin Z Smith, chairman of the Society of Professional Journalists ethics com-mittee. Whistleblowers can lose their jobs if unmasked, he notes, and those in dangerous areas face worse. A recent Los Angeles Times story, for instance,
quoted a resident of a gang-infested Southern California neighbourhood who did not want to be identified “for fear of retaliation”.
But many journalists resort to boilerplate formulations to describe their anonymous sourcing, Smith says. Among the typical construc-tions: saying a person wasn’t “author-ised” to speak on the record, or was granted anonymity because the news hasn’t been “formally announced yet.” Says Smith: “We just seem to take any excuse [sources] toss out. ... It’s awarded summarily for just about any reason.”
One common bit of journalistic shorthand might be unintentionally revealing. The New York Times recently quoted a movie-studio executive who commented on another studio with-out being identified so “he could speak candidly”. Which raises another ques-tion: If anonymous sources are the ones speaking candidly, what are named sources doing?
That suggests the obvious benefit of anonymous sourcing: It often elicits more, and more truthful, information than the on-the-record kind.
Smith, Carlson and Shepard agree that reporters should nudge more of their sources onto the record or work harder to find other sources who are willing to put their names next to the same information. If they can’t do either, they say, reporters should more accurately and fully describe why peo-ple won’t give their names (TV journal-ists use anonymous sources, too, but the practice is far more widespread in print and digital reporting, which doesn’t require the visual elements of TV news).
“The fact is that many companies, government agencies, and institutions
of every type do their best to make sure people with knowledge won’t speak publicly,” says Martin Baron, The Washington Post’s executive edi-tor. “They apply pressure and, at worst, fire people. At other times, people who speak openly can suffer recrimination. Or they are bound by policies that pro-hibit use of their name. As unpleasant as anonymity may be, very often the alternative is no information what-soever. Reporters are encouraged to negotiate to identify people as much as possible and to provide honest reasons for their anonymity. But there can be practical limits on what we can say.”
Indeed, some have said that journal-ism would be permanently disabled without shielding sources, particu-larly in Washington, where reporters employ a coded lexicon (“senior White House official,” “congressional staffer,” etc.) to signal the heft, motives and authority for their otherwise unidenti-fied informants.
Back in its pre-“Deep Throat” days, The Post tried an experiment. Faced with the Nixon administra-tion’s manipulative use of off-the-record sourcing, then-executive editor Ben Bradlee announced a no-more-unnamed-sources policy, banning any story based on one, according to Ben Bagdikian, at the time an assistant managing editor at the paper.
As a result, Bagdikian wrote, “The Post’s competitors, including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, published important news stories that The Post did not have. The paper’s read-ers were deprived of significant infor-mation. For a fierce competitor like Bradlee, that was intolerable.” And so the experiment was dropped — after two days.
WP-BLOOMBERG
Anonymous sources increasing in news stories, along with curious explanations
According to sources who didn’t insist on anonymity, more and more sources are speaking to the news media on the condition of anonymity for the oddest of reasons.
HEALTH 7
Burn body fatwith cardio, weight training
FAT burning is the key to losing weight, toning up and getting the figure you desire. A few basic exercises
involving cardio and weight train-ing work best for long term benefits. According to trainer David Caldwell, the first step towards getting in shape is to start exercising, moving and burning fat, reports femalefirst.co.uk. Here are a few basic tips to get started:• Cardio: If you want to burn fat and
see results quickly, cardio is vital. It speeds up your metabolism and is the best way to burn fat. There are the obvious activities like run-ning, swimming and cycling, but if you don’t fancy them there are lots of other things you can do like horse riding, dancing or squash.
• Weight training: Weight training is essential to burn fat. The more lean muscle mass you have, the more energy your body will need to consume to function effectively and the more efficiently your body will burn fat.
• Combination exercise: These exer-cises combine weight training and cardio. They’re fantastic for burn-ing fat and target multiple muscles so they really help you to get the most from your workout.
Simple rules fora good sleep
PREPARE a set of rules for sound sleep and religiously fol-low them. Here are some of the
sleep rules to stay healthy, reports huffingtonpost.com:• Set a seven days-a-week schedule:
Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time naturally, including holidays. Choose a time that’s a minimum of eight hours before you need to wake up and follow it for one week straight. If you still feel tired you need an earlier bedtime (try just 15 to 30 minutes more). Once you can get up in the morning alarm-free and feel alert most of the day, you’ve hit it just right.
• Cut caffeine after 2pm: Most peo-ple feel tired late afternoon and feel the urge to have caffeine. It will definitely perk you up but it could linger long after you’ve left work.
• Dim your devices: Many are addicted to checking social net-working sites before sleeping. But the emitted light of the device is a problem. Avoid any electronics at least one hour before bed so that you don’t need the sleep hormone.
Agencies
PLUS | WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2013
BY LAURAN NEERGAARD
THERE’S more disappoint-ing news about multivita-mins: Two major studies found popping the pills didn’t protect aging men’s
brains or help heart attack survivors.Millions of Americans spend billions
of dollars on vitamin combinations, presumably to boost their health and fill gaps in their diets. But while people who don’t eat enough of certain nutri-ents may be urged to get them in pill form, the government doesn’t recom-mend routine vitamin supplementation as a way to prevent chronic diseases.
The studies released on Monday are the latest to test if multivitamins might go that extra step and concluded they don’t. “Evidence is sufficient to advise against routine supplementa-tion,” said a sharply worded editorial that accompanied Monday’s findings in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
After all, most people who buy mul-tivitamins and other supplements are generally healthy, said journal deputy editor Dr Cynthia Mulrow. Even junk foods often are fortified with vitamins, while the main nutrition problem in the US is too much fat and calories, she added. But other researchers say the jury’s still out, especially for the coun-try’s most commonly used dietary sup-plement — multivitamins that are taken by about a third of US adults, and even more by people over the age of 50.
Indeed, the US Preventive Services Task Force is deliberating whether vitamin supplements make any dif-ference in the average person’s risk of heart disease or cancer. In a draft proposal last month, the government advisory group said for standard mul-tivitamins and certain other nutri-ents, there’s not enough evidence to tell. (It did caution that two single
supplements, beta-carotene and vita-min E, didn’t work). A final decision is expected next year.
“For better or for worse, supple-mentation’s not going to go away,” said Dr Howard Sesso of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He helps leads a large multivitamin study that has had mixed results — suggesting small benefits for some health condi-tions but not others — and says more research is needed, especially among the less healthy.
Still, “there’s no substitute for preaching a healthy diet and good behaviors” such as exercise, Sesso cau-tioned. As scientists debate, here are some questions and answers to con-sider in the vitamin aisle:
Q: Why the new focus on multivitamins?
A: Multivitamins have grown more popular in recent years as research showed that taking high doses of sin-gle supplements could be risky, such as beta-carotene. Multivitamins typi-cally contain no more than 100 percent of the daily recommended amount of various nutrients. They’re marketed as sort of a safety net for nutrition gaps; the industry’s Council for Responsible Nutrition says they’re taken largely for general wellness.
Q: What are the latest findings?A: With Alzheimer’s on the rise as
the population ages, Harvard research-ers wondered if long-term multivita-min use might help keep older brains agile. They examined a subset of nearly 6,000 male doctors, age 65 or older, who were part of a larger study. The men were given either multivitamins or dummy pills, without knowing which they were taking.
After a decade of pill use, the vita-min-takers fared no better on memory or other cognitive tests, Sesso’s team reported Monday in the journal Annals
of Internal Medicine.Q: Did that Harvard study find any
other benefit from multivitamins?A: The results of the Physicians
Health Study II have been mixed. Overall it enrolled about 15,000 health male doctors age 50 and older, and the vitamin-takers had a slightly lower risk of cancer — 8 percent. Diet and exercise are more protective. They also had a similarly lower risk of developing cataracts, common to aging eyes. But the vitamins had no effect the risk for heart disease or another eye condition, Sesso said.
Q: Might vitamins have a different effect on people who already have heart disease?
A: As part of a broader treatment study, a separate research team asked that question. They examined 1,700 heart attack survivors, mostly men, who were given either a special multi-vitamin containing higher-than-usual doses of 28 ingredients or dummy pills. But the vitamins didn’t reduce the chances of another heart attack, other cardiovascular problems, or death.
Q: What about women?A: Research involving postmenopau-
sal women a few years ago also con-cluded multivitamins didn’t prevent cancer or heart disease. But it wasn’t nearly as rigorous a study as Monday’s research, relying on women to recall what vitamins they used.
Q: What’s the safety advice for mul-tivitamin users?
A: The preventive services task force cited no safety issues with standard multivitamins. But specialists say to always tell your doctor what over-the-counter supplements you use. Some vitamins interact with some medica-tions, and Sesso said anyone worried about nutrition should be discussing their diet with their doctor anyway.
AP
Do vitamins block disease? Do vitamins block disease? Some disappointing newsSome disappointing news
PLU
S |
WE
DN
ES
DA
Y 1
8 D
EC
EM
BE
R 2
013
EN
TE
RTA
INM
EN
T8
9
BO
LLY
WO
OD
NE
WS
Uday
and
I ar
e Dh
oom
, say
s Ab
hish
ek B
achc
han
AC
TO
RS
Abhis
hek B
achchan a
nd U
day C
hopra h
ave b
een p
art
of
the D
hoom
franchis
e’s
journey f
rom
the t
ime it
took o
ff in 2
004.
And A
bhis
hek b
elieves
that
oth
er c
haracte
rs o
f th
e fi
lm m
ay c
om
e
and g
o u
nlike h
is a
nd U
day’s
. “P
ardon t
he im
modest
y, b
ut
Uday
Chopra a
nd I
are D
hoom
. T
he franchis
e c
hronic
les
the o
ngoin
g a
dventu
res
of
Jai and A
li, th
at’s
me a
nd U
day. T
hat’s
the f
orm
at
of
the f
ranchis
e. T
he
oth
er c
haracte
rs
may c
om
e a
nd g
o. B
ut
we g
o o
n forever.
Lik
e B
atm
an a
nd
Robin
. C
an t
here b
e a
Ba
tma
n franchis
e w
ithout
Batm
an?”
ask
ed A
bhis
hek.
Havin
g s
aid
that,
Abhis
hek looks
back w
ith m
uch a
ffecti
on a
t th
e jour-
ney.
“F
rom
Dh
oom
to D
hoom
2 a
nd n
ow
to D
hoom
3, it
has
been a
n a
mazi
ng
journey. T
o b
egin
wit
h, it
was
the s
tory o
f th
e a
dventu
res
of
these
three
boys,
me, U
day a
nd J
ohn A
braham
,” h
e s
aid
. “O
ur p
roducer A
dit
ya C
hopra s
uggest
ed w
e t
ry t
o r
e-d
efine t
he a
cti
on
genre in o
ur c
inem
a. W
e w
ere a
ll y
oung, hopefu
l and e
nth
usi
ast
ic, eager t
o
try o
ut
this
experim
ent.
How
were w
e t
o k
now
it
would
turn o
ut
the w
ay
it d
id?”
he a
dded. N
ow
, th
e junio
r B
achchan f
eels
the D
hoom
franchis
e i
s w
atc
hed f
or b
ein
g w
hat
it is.
“Yes,
there a
re s
tars
in t
he fi
lm.
Dh
oom
2 h
ad H
rit
hik
(R
osh
an)
and
Ais
hw
arya (
Rai)
. A
nd n
ow
Dh
oom
3 h
as
Aam
ir (
Khan)
and K
atr
ina (
Kaif
).
But
I th
ink t
he b
rand D
hoom
is
a m
uch larger t
han s
tarcast
.” A
bhis
hek feels
th
e p
rese
nce o
f a n
ew
dir
ecto
r i
n t
he f
ranchis
e b
rin
gs
all-n
ew
challenges
to t
he t
able
. T
he fi
rst
tw
o inst
allm
ents
were d
irecte
d b
y S
anja
y G
adhvi.
“The o
ther t
wo D
hoom
film
s w
ere n
ot
dir
ecte
d b
y V
icto
r (
Vijay K
ris
hna
Acharya).
So, th
ere i
s a n
ew
feel
and fl
avour t
o t
he f
ranchis
e t
hat
Uday
and I
could
identi
fy a
nd f
eel si
nce w
e a
re c
arry-o
vers
from
the e
arlier lif
e
of th
e franchis
e,” h
e s
aid
. “V
icto
r h
ad a
dif
ferent
vis
ion. F
ans
of th
e D
hoom
serie
s w
ould
be s
urpris
ed b
y t
he c
hanges
in t
he franchis
e. E
arl
ier t
he focus
was
on m
akin
g a
fun fi
lm. T
his
is
an e
dgie
r a
nd d
ark
er D
hoom
than t
he
first
tw
o,” h
e a
dded.
The 3
7-y
ear-o
ld h
as
no leadin
g lady in D
hoom
3. B
ut
he d
oes
have A
am
ir.
Abhis
hek c
an
’t s
top r
avin
g a
bout
his
form
idable
co-s
tar.
“I
must
have
been 1
1 w
hen Q
aya
ma
t S
e Q
aya
ma
t T
ak c
am
e o
ut.
It
changed t
he w
ay w
e
look a
t lo
ve s
torie
s. T
he n
ati
on w
ent
crazy
. W
e’v
e loved a
nd a
dm
ired h
im
for t
he k
ind o
f cin
em
a h
e w
ork
s in
. W
ork
ing w
ith h
im w
as
great
learnin
g
experie
nce,” s
aid
the s
on o
f m
egast
ar A
mit
abh B
achchan.
Abhis
hek s
ays
Dh
oom
3 w
as
physi
cally d
em
andin
g, but
he e
njo
yed a
ll t
he
acti
on. “
It w
as
like g
ivin
g f
ancy t
oys
to a
boy t
o p
lay w
ith. I
got
to r
ide
around i
n m
oto
rbik
es
and t
o r
ide t
hese
sle
ek m
oto
r-b
oats
through t
hese
narrow
canals
in C
hic
ago,” h
e s
aid
.A
s fo
r t
rade v
oic
es
alr
eady p
redic
ting a
Rs2
00-c
rore r
un f
or D
hoom
3,
the P
aa s
tar o
pin
es
nonchala
ntl
y: “T
hese
are e
xpecta
tions
from
wit
hin
the
indust
ry. T
he a
udie
nce d
oesn
’t c
are a
bout
how
much m
oney a
film
makes.
D
o y
ou k
now
the c
ollecti
ons
of
your a
ll-t
ime f
avourit
e fi
lm A
ma
r P
rem
? A
udie
nces
go t
o a
film
. T
hey lik
e o
r d
islike it.
That’s
it.”
He w
ill be s
een o
n t
he b
ig s
creen a
fter a
year,
but
says
it w
asn
’t p
lanned
that
way. “I
t’s
not
as
if I
pla
nned i
t th
at
way. A
fter B
ol
Ba
chch
an i
n M
ay
2012
, m
y c
areer p
anned o
ut
in s
uch a
way t
hat
there w
as
no r
ele
ase
unti
l now
. D
hoom
3 k
ept
gett
ing r
epeate
dly
dela
yed f
or w
hate
ver r
easo
ns.
” “A
nd u
nfo
rtu
nate
ly,
for m
y f
ans
and f
or K
atr
ina’s
fans,
there w
as
no
rele
ase
in 2
013
. It
wasn
’t p
lanned t
hat
way. A
nd I
did
n’t
mis
s m
yse
lf o
n
screen. I
see m
yse
lf e
very d
ay in t
he m
irror,”
he s
aid
.A
bh
ish
ek
says
he
felt
n
o career pan
gs
about
bein
g aw
ay fo
r
a lo
ngis
h ti
me.
“B
y
the g
race o
f G
od, I
am
n
ot
an
in
secure a
cto
r
at
all.
An
d i
f you s
ee
the
career-graph
of
oth
ers,
no m
ajo
r a
cto
r
does
more t
han a
cou-
ple
of
film
s per year.
A
am
ir, fo
r t
hat
matt
er,
has
not
been i
n a
film
sin
ce
Ta
laa
sh a year
back
. S
o...n
o!
I don
’t
feel in
secure a
bout
not
bein
g
on
screen
fo
r
som
e ti
me,”
h
e said
. IA
NS
HO
LLY
WO
OD
NE
WS
No In
dian
a Jo
nes
mov
ie in
pip
elin
e fo
r tw
o ye
ars
Walt
Dis
ney S
tudio
s has
con
firm
ed t
hat
there w
on
’t b
e a
noth
er
movie
in t
he a
dventu
re m
ovie
franchis
e I
nd
ian
a J
on
es
for a
t le
ast
tw
o y
ears
as
they w
ish t
o c
om
e u
p w
ith a
new
sto
ry.
The n
ew
s has
com
e t
wo w
eeks
aft
er D
isney p
urchase
d t
he m
ark
eti
ng a
nd d
istr
ibuti
on
rig
hts
to f
utu
re I
nd
ian
a J
on
es
film
s fr
om
Param
ount
Pic
tures.
“We h
aven’t
done a
nyth
ing. W
e d
on’t
have a
sto
ry. W
e n
eed a
sto
ry. It
did
n’t
m
ake s
ense
to p
roduce t
he m
ovie
at
Dis
ney a
nd t
hen h
ave it
be d
istr
ibute
d
and m
ark
ete
d b
y P
aram
ount,”
varie
ty.c
om
quote
d A
lan H
orn, W
alt
Dis
ney
Stu
dio
s’ c
hair
man a
s sa
yin
g.
The I
nd
ian
a J
on
es
franchis
e fi
rst
took o
ff in 1
981
wit
h t
he m
ovie
In
dia
na
Jo
nes
an
d t
he R
aid
ers
of
the L
ost
Ark
. It
s prequel, I
nd
ian
a J
on
es
an
d t
he T
em
ple
of
Doom
, hit
the s
creens
in 1
984 a
nd I
nd
ian
a J
on
es
an
d t
he L
ast
Cru
sad
e c
am
e
out
in 1
989. A
fourth
film
, In
dia
na
Jon
es
an
d t
he K
ingd
om
of
the C
ryst
al S
ku
ll,
was
rele
ase
d in 2
008.
Hurle
y, W
arne
spl
it ag
ain
Actr
ess
Eliza
beth
Hurle
y a
nd f
orm
er c
ric
kete
r S
han
e W
arn
e h
ave
reporte
dly
called o
ff t
heir
engagem
ent
for t
he s
econd t
ime a
fter a
n
init
ial
split
in S
epte
mber.
The 4
8-y
ear-o
ld b
runett
e b
eauty
and t
he
44-y
ear-o
ld r
eti
red c
ric
kete
r g
ot
back t
ogeth
er l
ast
month
, but
if a
source
is t
o b
e b
elieved t
he c
ouple
has
now
called it
quit
s fo
r g
ood.
“It
is v
ery s
ad a
nd t
hey t
rie
d t
o m
ake it
work
but
there w
ere just
too m
any
issu
es
in t
he w
ay.
Eliza
beth
is
takin
g i
t one d
ay a
t a t
ime. S
he w
ill
alw
ays
be e
xtr
em
ely
fond o
f S
hane,” H
EL
LO
! m
agazi
ne q
uote
d a
source a
s sa
yin
g.
Rum
ours
of th
eir
split
were fuelled a
fter W
arne t
weete
d: “T
he p
ast
should
be t
he p
ast
and s
tay t
here. It
dest
roys
the f
utu
re. L
ive lif
e f
or w
hat
tom
or-
row
has
to o
ffer,
not
for w
hat
happened y
est
erday.
” T
he d
uo p
arte
d w
ays
in S
epte
mber a
fter H
url
ey r
eporte
dly
found i
nti
mate
text
mess
ages
from
so
meone e
lse o
n W
arne’s
mobile p
hone w
hile p
ackin
g for a
trip
to h
is n
ati
ve
Aust
ralia.
Shee
n fu
rious
ove
r can
celle
d pl
ans
Acto
r C
harl
ie S
heen h
as
lash
ed o
ut
at
his
form
er w
ife-a
ctr
ess
Denis
e
Ric
hards,
aft
er h
e r
eporte
dly
found o
ut
that
he w
on’t
be c
ele
brati
ng
Chris
tmas
wit
h h
is d
aughte
rs.
The 4
8-y
ear-o
ld i
s sa
id t
o h
ave b
een
makin
g p
lan
s about
join
ing R
ichards,
42,
an
d t
heir
tw
o d
aughte
rs,
Sam
, nin
e, and L
ola
, eig
ht,
over t
he h
olidays,
but
accordin
g t
o s
ources
Ric
hards
has
cancelled t
he p
lans,
reports
tm
z.com
.S
ources
clo
se t
o S
heen s
aid
that
Ric
hards
info
rm
ed h
im o
ver t
he w
eekend
that
she d
idn’t
want
him
to join
her,
Sam
, and L
ola
on t
heir
fam
ily C
hri
stm
as
trip
, and d
idn’t
really e
xpla
in w
hy.
Sheen h
as
now
taken t
o h
is T
wit
ter t
o
vent
out
his
anger.
He p
ost
ed a
photo
graph o
f a b
ase
ball b
at
giv
en t
o t
he
couple
as
a w
eddin
g s
ouvenir
chopped into
pie
ces.
“T
he lie
is
over.
I’m
done
bein
g t
reate
d l
ike a
rela
tive w
ith a
one-w
ay t
icket.
.. D
uhN
eese
,” r
ead t
he
capti
on w
ith t
he p
hoto
graph.
Emily
Bro
wni
ng d
isap
poin
ted
Actr
ess
Em
ily B
row
nin
g, w
ho i
s part
of
acti
on fi
lm P
om
peii, is
dis
ap-
poin
ted t
hat
she h
as
no fi
ghti
ng s
equences
in i
t. T
he a
ctr
ess
is
part
of
acti
on s
cenes,
but
she is
seen r
unnin
g a
way f
rom
the fi
ght
most
of
the t
ime. S
he is
envio
us
of her
co-s
tars
Kit
Hari
ngto
n a
nd K
iefe
r S
uth
erl
and,
who a
re p
art
of
all t
he a
cti
on,
reports
con-
tactm
usi
c.c
om
. “I
get
to b
e p
art
of th
e a
cti
on
in t
he s
ense
that
I’m
runnin
g a
way f
rom
all
that’s
happenin
g w
ith t
he v
olc
ano. T
here a
re
som
e p
rett
y c
ool
scenes
in t
he c
hario
t w
ith
me a
nd K
iefe
r w
here i
t gets
prett
y i
nte
nse
and v
iole
nt,”
Bang S
how
biz
quote
d B
row
nin
g
as
sayin
g. “T
here a
re b
ig e
xplo
sions
and e
ve-
ryth
ing, but
I’m
kin
d o
f ... I
mean, I
don’t
get
to h
ave a
fight
scene a
nd I
’m k
ind o
f je
alo
us
when I
see t
he b
oys
doin
g t
hat,”
she a
dded.
Pom
pei
i is
a 3
D a
ctio
n-a
dventu
re fi
lm b
ase
d
on
on
e o
f his
tory’s
big
gest
dis
ast
er s
torie
s.
Harin
gto
n p
lays
Milo, a s
lave w
ho fi
nds
him
-se
lf in a
race
again
st t
ime t
o s
ave h
is t
rue love
Ela
via
, pla
yed b
y B
row
nin
g.
DIR
EC
TO
R
Ja
mes
Cam
eron
an
nou
nced
Monday h
e w
ill film
three
sequels
to
th
e
record-
break
ing
sci-
fi
blo
ck
-bust
er A
vata
r in
New
Zeala
nd a
fter
strik
ing a
deal w
ith t
he g
overnm
ent
for
increase
d p
roducti
on s
ubsi
die
s.C
am
eron
said
th
e m
ovie
s,
wit
h a
com
bin
ed m
inim
um
budget
of
at
least
N
Z$500m
($415
m),
will be s
hot
back-
to-b
ack w
ith e
ach s
equel rele
ase
d e
very
12 m
onth
s fr
om
late
2016
.“I
t’s
quit
e a
thrill to
offi
cia
lly s
ay t
hat
we’ll
be b
rin
gin
g t
he A
vata
r fi
lms
to
New
Zeala
nd,” C
am
eron t
old
reporte
rs.
The orig
inal
Ava
tar
was parti
ally
shot
in N
ew
Zeala
nd a
nd i
ts O
scar-
win
nin
g s
pecia
l eff
ects
were c
reate
d
by W
ell
ingto
n’s
W
eta
D
igit
al, best
kn
ow
n f
or i
ts w
ork
on
Kiw
i dir
ecto
r
Pete
r J
ackso
n’s
Th
e L
ord
of
the R
ings
and T
he H
ob
bit
trilogie
s.A
sid
e f
rom
a b
ooste
d s
ubsid
y t
hat
wil
l accoun
t fo
r u
p t
o 2
5 p
ercen
t of
the fi
lms’ budget,
Cam
eron
said
New
Zeala
nd off
ered sk
ille
d produ
cti
on
crew
s an
d t
he s
pecia
l eff
ects
experti
se
needed t
o b
rin
g h
is A
vata
r v
isio
n t
o
life
. “I
’ve w
ork
ed w
ith c
rew
s all o
ver
the w
orld
, quit
e a
bit
in
the U
S a
nd
Canada, and y
ou d
on’t
have t
hat
sam
e
spark
(th
ere),”
he s
aid
.T
he fi
rst
Ava
tar
was
rele
ase
d in 2
009
an
d t
ells
the s
tory o
f a b
lue-s
kin
ned
indig
enous
specie
s fighti
ng t
o s
top m
in-
ers
explo
itin
g t
heir
pla
net
Pandora.
It e
arned U
S$2.7
8bn w
orld
wid
e a
nd
rem
ain
s th
e h
ighest
-gross
ing m
ovie
of
all t
ime, accordin
g t
o indust
ry w
ebsi
te
boxoffi
cem
ojo
.com
.“I
t’s
a g
reat
ple
asu
re f
or u
s to
rec-
reate
that
win
nin
g c
om
bin
ati
on,” s
aid
C
am
eron
, w
ho a
greed a
s part
of
the
producti
on d
eal
to a
dvis
e t
he g
overn-
ment
on h
ow
to m
ain
tain
a s
ust
ain
able
film
indust
ry.
Prim
e M
inis
ter J
ohn K
ey s
aid
secur-
ing t
he s
equels
was
a c
oup t
hat
“will
scream
out
to th
e w
orld
th
at
New
Z
eala
nd is
a g
reat
pla
ce t
o m
ake m
ov-
ies”
. “W
e’v
e g
ot
to b
e a
lot
more a
s a
countr
y t
han just
lam
b c
hops
and A
ll
Bla
cks,
” he s
aid
, refe
rrin
g t
o t
wo o
f th
e
countr
y’s
best
-know
n s
ym
bols
. “T
hat’s w
hat
the m
ovie
in
dustr
y
does,
it
dem
onst
rate
s to
the w
orl
d t
hat
there’s
more t
o u
s.”
There w
ere f
ears
late
last
year t
hat
New
Zeala
nd w
ould
lose
the d
eal, w
ith
the g
overn
men
t relu
cta
nt
to l
ift
its
screen
producti
on
rebate
from
15 t
o
25 p
ercen
t to
matc
h t
he s
weete
ners
available
in c
ountr
ies
such a
s B
rit
ain
and A
ust
ralia.
Key faced c
rit
icis
m in 2
010
when h
e
changed N
ew
Zeala
nd’s indust
ria
l rela
-ti
ons
law
s to
ensu
re T
he H
ob
bit
trilogy
stayed i
n t
he c
ountr
y, a
move h
e s
aid
had c
reate
d a
bout
5,5
00 jobs.
He
den
ied
the
Ava
tar
deal
was
an
oth
er e
xam
ple
of
Hollyw
ood f
orc-
ing c
oncess
ions
out
of his
governm
ent,
sa
yin
g “
there w
ill alw
ays
be p
eople
who
wan
t to
look a
t th
is a
s a
gla
ss h
alf
em
pty
sit
uati
on”.
For a
ll t
he t
echnic
al sk
ills
available
in
New
Zeala
nd, C
am
eron s
aid
he a
nd
20th
Centu
ry F
ox w
ould
have h
ad t
o
look e
lsew
here i
f th
e g
overnm
ent
had
not
off
ered increase
d s
ubsi
die
s.“B
usi
ness
sense
would
have h
ad t
o
prevail a
nd I
’m g
lad t
hat
it n
ever c
am
e
to t
hat,”
he s
aid
.C
am
eron —
whose
oth
er h
its
inclu
de
Tit
an
ic,
Term
ina
tor
an
d
Ali
en
s —
refu
sed t
o r
eveal how
much h
e t
hought
the t
hree fi
lms
would
cost
to m
ake b
ut
said
he h
oped it
would
be less
$1b
n.
The C
an
adia
n-b
orn
dir
ecto
r, w
ho
ow
ns a rural
property
ju
st
outs
ide
Wellin
gto
n a
nd i
s i
n t
he p
rocess o
f obta
inin
g N
ew
Zeala
nd r
esi
dency w
ith
his
fam
ily,
said
pre-p
roducti
on
work
had a
lready b
egun.
He s
aid
th
e s
equels
may e
mplo
y t
he
48-f
ram
e a
secon
d t
ech
nolo
gy —
tw
ice
the sta
ndard rate
—
th
at
Jack
son
used t
o m
ixed r
evie
ws i
n T
he H
ob
bit
.“I
mig
ht
just
use it
in
sele
cte
d
scen
es,
such
as w
hen
th
e c
am
era’s
pan
nin
g,
aeria
l vis
tas a
nd t
hat
sort
of
thin
g,”
he s
aid
.A
fp
PLU
S |
WE
DN
ES
DA
Y 1
8 D
EC
EM
BE
R 2
013
Cam
eron
to fi
lm th
ree
Avat
ar s
eque
ls
PLUS | WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2013 LOCKERBIE610
© GRAPHIC NEWSSources: Culprits of Lockerbie by David Wolchover, Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, AAIB Picture: Associated Press
Pan AM flight 103 was blown out of the sky on December 21, 1988, killing 259on board and 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie, Scotland. LibyanAbdel Basset al-Megrahi was found guilty of murder and jailed for life in 2001
08:52GMT, Dec 21, 1998:Bomb in unaccompanied luggageleaves Malta on flight KM180
OFFICIALVERSION OF EVENTS
11:48: KM180arrives Frankfurt.Bomb transferredto feeder flightPan Am 103A
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1,000Minutes into journey In air
15:53: Pan Am 103A departs Frankfurt
17:40: Pan Am 103A arrives London Heathrow, 25 minuteslate. Bomb transferred to Clipper Maid of the Seas
18:30: Pan Am Flight 103 departs Heathrow
19:02: Bomb explodesover Lockerbie
02:00, Dec 22:Flight due in New York
On ground
CASE FOR THEPROSECUTION
WHAT WEKNOW NOWExhibit PT35b:Fingernail-sized
fragment of printed circuitboard is identified by FBIas part of MST-13 timersupplied to Libyan military.Almost identical timers aremanufactured in Floridafor CIA. PT35b is nevertested for explosiveresidue. Was evidencetampered with toimplicate Libya?
Dec 21, Frankfurtinterline baggage:Luggage fromKM180 is placed
in individually numberedtrays and forwarded tovarious transit flights.No baggage from KM180is destined for Pan AmFlight 103
13:07: Interline baggagetray B-8849 – with suitcasefrom Berlin-Tegel – ishandled at same time asAir Malta baggage
14.17: Frankfurt computerdata shows B-8849 isloaded on flight PA 103Afor London and isretrieved by its ownerat Heathrow. Is thismistaken as bomb?
Exhibit PH/137:Pan Am recordsshow purple holdallchecked in at
Heathrow is placed inAVE4041. This raisesanother possibility thatbomb could also haveoriginated at Heathrow
Improvised explosivedevice (IED), containing
300-450gm of Semtexplastic explosive andMST-13 electronic clocktimer, is built intoToshiba BomBeatradio-cassette player
1 2 3
London Heathrow:Prosecution claims
that luggage containerAVE4041 holds onlyinterline luggage in transitfrom other destinations andluggage transferred ontarmac from PA103A
Germany, Oct 26:West GermanBundeskriminalamt(BKA) arrests 16
members of Popular Frontfor the Liberation ofPalestine – GeneralCommand near Frankfurt.BKA finds Toshiba BomBeatradio-cassette playerpacked with Semtex andaltitude-sensitive trigger
Dec 7: Securityalert issued afterU.S. Embassy inFinland receives
threat to Pan Am flightsfrom Frankfurt to U.S.
Early hours ofDec 21: Break-inat HeathrowTerminal 3 gives
possible access to InterlineBaggage Shed
Malta: IED placed inSamsonite Silhouette
4000 suitcase which issmuggled unaccompaniedaboard Air Malta flightKM180 from Luqa Airport,Malta, to Frankfurt
PA
N A
M F
LIG
HT
103
TR
AG
ED
Y
11SCIENCE PLUS | WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2013
Scientists still waiting for clear signs of ozone hole healingBY IRENE KLOTZ
EARTH’S upper atmosphere is still so saturated with ozone-eating chlorine that it
will take about another decade for evidence that a nearly 25-year-old ban on such destructive chemicals is working, scientists said.
Full recovery of the ozone layer, which shields Earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation, should occur around 2070, atmospheric scientist Natalya Kramarova, with Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said at the American Geophysical Union con-ference in San Francisco last week.
“Currently, we do not see that the ozone hole is recovering,” she said. “It should become apparent in 2025.” Researchers report puzzlingly large variations in the size of the annual ozone hole over Antarctica.
In 2012 for example, the ozone hole was the second smallest on record, an apparently positive sign that the 1989 Montreal Protocol agreement — which called for the phasing out of Freon and other damaging chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs — was working. But scien-tists say that meteorological effects masked the hole’s true size. The year before, they point out, the ozone hole was nearly as big as it was in 2006, the largest on record.
“Currently, small declines in lev-els of ozone-depleting substances are far too small to show ozone recovery, in comparison with year to year variability,” Kramarova said. With the stratosphere still flush with ozone-destroying chlo-rine, the size of the annual hole over Antarctica is more dependent on temperature and upper atmos-pheric winds, scientists said.
As chlorine levels drop, how-ever, the annual ozone holes over Antarctica will consistently decrease in size, they said. “We’ve still got so much chlorine up there that the ozone hole area just doesn’t depend on chlorine,” said atmospheric scien-tist Susan Strahan, also with Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
As a result of the Montreal Protocol, scientists expected chlo-rine levels to decrease by about 5 percent this decade. Instead, meas-urements from instruments aboard satellites show chlorine levels increase or decrease by 5 percent every year, Strahan said. Chlorine is gradually declining, she said, “but it’s bumpy road down — some years it’s higher, some years it’s lower.”
Reuters
BY JOEL ACHENBACH
THE search for life in the solar system took a turn last Thursday with the announcement that Europa, a moon of Jupiter
first discovered by Galileo, shows signs of water geysers erupting from its south pole.
This could be the best evidence yet that Europa has a subsurface ocean. With liquid water and energy from the moon’s internal tidal forces, Europa could fit the scientific definition of a habitable world, a place where life could exist, dark and chilly though that existence might be.
The hidden ocean has long been suspected, but scientists have never seen anything as dramatic and overt as plumes of water vapour more than 100 miles high. If this finding holds up, it will boost Europa even further as a target for robotic exploration.
“If there’s a geyser 200km tall, and you could fly a spacecraft through it and sample the water coming out from Europa, that would be phenomenal. What if there are organics in it? That’s getting to the question of ‘Are we alone in the universe?’ “ said John Grunsfeld, Nasa’s top official for space science.
The discovery, detailed in a paper led by Lorenz Roth at the Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, is published online by the journal Science.
Since the late 1970s, when a Nasa probe took the first close look at Europa, scientists have thought the moon could have an ocean beneath its cracked, icy crust. Late last year, the Hubble Space Telescope took a closer look. It didn’t see the plumes but rather saw an occasional surplus of hydrogen and oxygen appearing in a spatially confined area over a period of roughly seven hours.
The implication is that tidal forces within the moon — created by Jupiter’s immense gravity — cause Europa to con-tract and expand, a bit like a tennis ball being squeezed and released. The Hubble spotted the signs of plumes when Europa was farthest from Jupiter in its slightly elliptical orbit of the planet. The likely scenario is that, when the crust decom-presses slightly, liquid water squeezes through a crack and squirts into the cold vacuum of space.
The water would quickly change form, freezing and then sublimating into water vapour. Those water mole-cules would be split into atomic hydro-gen and oxygen in the harsh radiation environment of the Jupiter system.
This is not the first moon to show signs of geysers. Another candidate for exploration is Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, which has similar south pole
Hubble Space Telescope sees geysers on Europa
plumes and might have a subsurface sea, though perhaps not a global ocean as Europa appears to have.
Carolyn Porco, leader of the imag-ing team for Nasa’s spacecraft Cassini, which is exploring the Saturn system, said of the Europa announcement: “If it really is a plume of material coming from the ocean beneath the ice shell, that is truly extraordinary. It would put it in the same league as Enceladus as an accessible target.”
Alan Stern, a former Nasa associate administrator for science who is prin-cipal investigator for New Horizons, a probe on its way to Pluto, said: “I
think it’s game-changing.” He said any probe looking to sample geyser water would be able to get to Europa much more quickly than Enceladus, which is almost twice as far away.
“If Europa is truly venting water, then that is a slam dunk on the liquid ocean,” Stern said. Nasa has plans for a robotic mission known as the Europa Clipper, though it is in the formula-tion phase and has not yet been fully approved. In recent weeks, budget pressures have made new, expensive Nasa robotic missions look increasingly less likely to be funded.
WP-BLOOMBERG
ABOVE: This illustration of Europa (foreground), Jupiter (right), and Io (centre), is an artist’s concept of geysers on Europa, a moon of Jupiter. BELOW: This enhanced colour image shows cracks and ridges on the surface of Europa, a moon of Jupiter, that reveal a detailed geologic history.
TECHNOLOGYPLUS | WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER 201312
BY STUART DREDGE
APPLE has published its end-of-year Best of 2013 charts for iPhone and iPad apps, revealing Minecraft -Pocket Edition as the top
seller on its UK App Store, and Candy Crush Saga as the top grossing app.
Minecraft’s success stood out in a year dominated by “free-to-play” games making their money from in-app purchases on Apple’s store. Mojang’s creative sandbox was released for iOS in November 2011, and in 2013 was the 18th top grossing app on both iPhone and iPad in the UK — the only paid game in the top 20 of those charts.
The game’s long-burning mobile suc-cess is partly due to the large number of children who have enthusiastically adopted it, even if that wasn’t the company’s original target audience for Minecraft.
“This wasn’t planned to be a kids game from the beginning, and it’s still not planned to be a kids game! It’s a happy accident,” said Mojang’s business developer Daniel Kaplan in an inter-view with The Guardian.
“When we design the game, we’re not thinking ‘how do children react to this?’. But maybe their big brother or sister plays it, and they want to be a part of that too. There wasn’t really a specific plan for this to happen though.”
Meanwhile, Candy Crush developer King’s co-founder and chief crea-tive officer Sebastian Knutsson told The Guardian that its free-to-play puzzle game, which was released in November 2012, has also exceeded
initial expectations by some distance.“We were aiming to have a Top 10
game: That was the ambition,” he said. “We exceeded our ambitions by quite a margin! The truth in the industry at that stage was that casual games could never be the top game: you could have a nice hit, but you could never be number one. We disproved that by making a game that hit the top and kept growing.”
Both charts were heavy on games. iPhone’s top 10 paid apps also included Angry Birds Star Wars and its sequel, Temple Run: Oz, The Chase, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Plague Inc, along with health apps Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock and 7 Minute Workout Challenge and photo-editing app Facetune.
All 10 top paid apps for iPad were games, with Wreck-it Ralph, Angry Birds Star Wars HD, The Chase, Temple Run: Oz, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Angry Birds Star Wars II, Peppa Pig’s Holiday, Plants vs Zombies HD and Scrabble sitting behind Minecraft in the end-of-year rankings.
In Apple’s top-grossing iPhone apps chart, nine of the top 10 were games: Candy Crush Saga beat Clash of Clans, The Simpsons: Tapped Out, Top Eleven, Hay Day, The Hobbit, Kingdoms of Camelot, Megapolis and Marvel: War of Heroes, with only dat-ing service Match.com breaking up the gaming.
iPad’s top-grossing chart saw Candy Crush Saga, Clash of Clans and Hay Day take the top three spots, with The Simpsons: Tapped Out, The Hobbit, Modern War, Kingdoms of Camelot and The Sims FreePlay also in the
top 10. The Times & The Sunday Times charted in fifth place, with The Guardian and Observer app in seventh.
Apple also published a chart of the most popular free apps, ranked by downloads. On iPhone, Candy Crush Saga beat Snapchat, Temple Run 2, 4 Pics 1 Word, YouTube, Google Maps, Facebook, Instagram, Despicable Me: Minion Rush and Skype.
For iPad, Candy Crush Saga led YouTube, Skype, Temple Run 2, BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, eBay for iPad, Despicable Me: Minion Rush, 4 Pics 1 Word and Calculator for iPad Free.
As part of the Best of 2013 feature, Apple has also picked its favourite apps of the year, with language-learning app Duolingo winning App of the Year and Ridiculous Fishing Game of the Year for iPhone, and Disney Animated and Badland taking the respective honours on iPad.
Apple’s Best of 2013 charts vary by country, although Minecraft was still the top paid iPhone and iPad app in the US, with Candy Crush Saga topping the free and top-grossing lists for the year there.
Google does not publish similar charts for Android smartphones and tablets, although this year the com-pany invited customers of its Google Play app store to vote for their favour-ite apps and games in a range of cat-egories. Winners included Knights & Dragons, Bejeweled Blitz, The Hobbit, Ingress and Samurai Siege for games, and Duolingo, Movies by Flixster, YouTube, NewsHog and SwiftKey Keyboard for apps.
The Guardian
BY NATASHA BAKER
NEW apps that listen to conver-sations or scan emails and cal-endars can predict and provide
information such as websites, videos and maps to users before they ask for them or realize they want them.
MindMeld for the iPad is a voice con-ferencing assistant that understands conversations, and depending on what people are talking about, will find a map of a city and tourist information if the chat is about a trip, or restaurants if it is about eating out.
“Imagine a situation where you’re on the phone or talking with a friend,” Timothy Tuttle, founder of San Francisco-based Expect Labs, which created the app, said in an interview. “wouldn’t it be great if your phone could automatically find the information you’re talking about and display it at the right time?”
To use MindMeld, which costs $3.99, users log on to the app with Facebook. The app detects words and phrases related to current events and local busi-nesses and searches the Internet while people are speaking to each other to gather more information related to the conversation.
Up to eight people can join in on a chat. The app also summarises key concepts of the discussion. To protect privacy, conversations are not recorded or stored.
Tuttle predicts that during the next few years computing devices will move from laptops, smartphones and tablets to everyday objects like a table or wearable technologies such as Google Glass. He believes the new devices will not have keyboards, which was the motivation for creating MindMeld app.
“Tomorrow, our computing devices will pay attention continuously, anticipate what information might be relevant, and be ready at a moment’s notice to give you the exact information you need,” Tuttle explained. The devices and apps will listen to what people are saying, or watch what they are reading and writ-ing, as well as the places they visit. The company also plans to release iPhone and Android apps. “By interpreting these contextual signals, our apps and devices will become much better at finding the information we need, in some cases, before we even need to ask,” he added.
Google Now, available in the free Google Search app for iPhone and Android, and EasilyDo, for iPhone and Android, also predict what a user might want or do based on data such as emails, search histories and calendars. But the app does not listen to conversations.
If the app detects a user has an appointment, for example, it provides a map to get there and traffic conditions.
Reuters
Minecraft and Candy Crush Saga top Apple’s 2013 app charts
New apps predict and provide information about what users want
COMICS & MORE 13
Hoy en la HistoriaDecember 18, 1943
1991: The first international project to save the world's rainforests was launched in Brazil1994: Legendary West Indian cricketer Brian Lara was dismissed for just 23 runs by a woman bowler at a charity match in Australia2000: Popocatepetl volcano erupted near Mexico City, forcing over 50,000 villagers to evacuate their homes2009: The infamous Arbeit Macht Frei sign was stolen from Auschwitz
Keith Richards, co-founder of British rock band the Rolling Stones, was born. With singer Mick Jagger he is responsible for writing most of the band’s songs
Picture: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS
ALL IN THE MIND Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal,vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards.
ADAPTATION, AGAINST THE ROPES, ALIEN, ALONG CAME POLLY, AMADEUS, ANNIE HALL, BABE, BASIC INSTINCT, BEN HUR, BIG FISH, BRAVEHEART, CABARET, CASABLANCA, CHICAGO, CONFIDENCE, DAREDEVIL, DIE HARD, DR ZHIVAGO, EVITA, GHANDI, GHOSTBUSTERS, GLADIATOR, GOLDFINGER, INSOMNIA, IRIS, JAWS, LANTANA, LOST IN TRANSLATION, MAD MAX, MIRACLE, MR DEEDS, NETWORK, PEARL HARBOR, PLATOON, PSYCHO, ROCKY, SIGNS, STAR WARS, THE LORD OF THE RINGS, THE STING.
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
Books Koutoub
Pens Aqlam �ibr
Pencils Qalam ra�a�
Arithmetic book Kitab �isab
Geography book Kitab jou�rafia
Science book Kitab çouloom
History book Kitab taree�
Grammar book Kitab qawaçid
Reading book Kitab qira'a
ç = ‘a’ in ‘agh’ when surprised
PLUS | WEDNESDAY 18 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 Some Lawrence Welk
music
6 Fishhook part
10 Rating for many a sitcom
14 V. S. Naipaul’s “___ in the River”
15 Broken-heart symptom
16 Slippery like a fish
17 Cracker spreads
18 Construction on the Colorado River
20 French girlfriend
21 Put on the radio
22 Brockovich and others
23 DNA modelers
27 Planted
28 Lacto-___ vegetarian
29 Sainted king who inspired a carol
33 “American Idol” winner ___ Allen
37 Furry allies of Luke Skywalker
38 Org. with a staff of auditors
39 Blazing
40 Morning moistures
41 Lycanthropes
43 ___ Jima
44 Yours, in Tours
45 Publicly funded residential complex
52 Somewhat, informally
53 “Tasty!”
54 Man ___ (racehorse)
55 Lawman at the O.K. Corral
58 ___ Vista (part of Disney)
59 Old one, in Austria
60 Each, pricewise
61 The Jetsons’ boy
62 Molson or Michelob
63 “___-daisy!”
64 Thumbs-up responses
DOWN 1 Elongated fruit from a
tree
2 44th president
3 Phrase sung three times in a row in a holiday song
4 Shin coverers
5 Commercials
6 Coastal Brazilian state
7 Oak nut
8 Letter after pi
9 Pepsi or O.J.
10 Country singer Gibbs
11 Pertaining to Hindu scriptures
12 Pirate ship feature
13 School areas with high ceilings
19 Architect Saarinen
21 St. ___ (London neighborhood)
24 Has a negative net worth
25 Put out, as a flame
26 Rite Aid competitor
29 Tie the knot
30 Lamb raiser
31 Rest atop
32 Flight board abbr.
33 1,000 watt-seconds
34 Ones quoted on Rotten Tomatoes
35 Anger
36 Method: Abbr.
39 Pic
41 Conflict for which “Over There” was written: Abbr.
42 Toasty
43 “The hour ___ hand”
45 Card game rules expert
46 Speechify
47 Out-and-out
48 Greek sandwiches
49 Litter member
50 Birchbark, e.g.
51 Places for dental tools
52 Deck washer
56 Mer contents
57 iPad user’s purchase
58 Ottoman nabob
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
S L I T A D A M O R B I TN O A H L O N E C A I N EA C M E L U T E T B O N EG O B B L E R S K N O B
L U G O P I A T EC U T E A S A B U T T O N
J E E Z C A G E S T W OG A L S T R I L L D A I SA P T C E E L O S E C TB A I T A N D S W I T C HE N C I N O M A O
C O N T R O L G R O U PA B A T E I O W A A L S OP O L A R L I L T T I E DE X E C S E L S E E N D 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.
PLUS | WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2013
CINEMA / TV LISTINGS 15
TEL: 444933989 444517001SHOWING AT VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER
13:00 90 In 30
14:00 Omni Sport
14:30 Nba Basketball;
Oklahoma @
Denver
16:30 European Tour
Weekly
17:00 This Is Paris,
Match
17:30 Football’s
Greatest Team;
Arsenal
18:00 Rugby Heineken
Cup; Glasgow V
Cardiff
21:00 Futbal Mundial
21:30 Copa Del Rey;
Almeria V Las
Palmas
23:30 This Is Paris,
Inside
24:00 Rugby Heineken
Cup; Perpignan
V Munster
08:00 News
09:00 Witness
10:30 Inside Story
11:00 News
11:30 The Stream
12:30 Life Apps
13:00 NEWSHOUR
14:00 News
14:30 Inside Story
15:00 Al Jazeera
World
16:00 NEWSHOUR
17:00 News
17:30 The Stream
18:00 NEWSHOUR
19:00 News
19:30 People &
Power
20:00 News
20:30 Inside Story
21:00 NEWSHOUR
22:00 News
22:30 The Stream
23:00 Witness
16:00 English Premier
League, Everton
V Fulham
18:00 English Sports
News
18:30 English Premier
League
Football Today
20:30 English Premier
League Season
Review
21:30 English Premier
League
Netbusters
22:00 Capital One
Cup; Tottenham
V West Ham
13:00 Do Dil Bandhe
Ek Dori Se
14:30 Jodha Akbar
15:00 Pavitra Rishta
18:30 Ek Mutthi
Aasmaan
20:30 Sapne Suhane
Ladakpan Ke
21:00 Qubool Hai
22:00 Doli Armaano Ki
22:30 Do Dil Bandhe
Ek Dori Se
13:00 Shake It Up
14:35 Dog With A
Blog
15:00 Wolfblood
17:00 A.N.T. Farm
20:05 Jessie
20:30 My Babysitter's
A Vampire
20:50 Wolfblood
22:00 Austin And Ally
22:50 Good Luck
Charlie
12:00 Beware The
Gonzo
14:00 This Means War
16:00 Blame It On The
Bellboy
18:00 Just Crazy
Enough
20:00 Venus & Vegas
22:00 Flypaper
13:15 River Monsters
14:30 Storage Hunters
17:00 Ultimate
Survival
17:50 Dirty Jobs
18:40 Mythbusters
Specials
19:30 American Guns
20:45 Flip Men
21:10 How Do They
Do It?
21:35 How It's Made
22:00 You Have Been
Warned
22:50 Treehouse
Masters
23:40 Mythbusters
13:00 Ellen DeGeneres
Show
14:00 Criminal Minds
15:00 Burn Notice
16:30 Coronation
Street
18:00 Criminal Minds
21:00 Marvel's
Agents Of
S.H.I.E.L.D.
22:00 Hannibal
23:00 Rescue Me
11:00 Journey 2: The
Mysterious Island
13:00 Katy Perry The
Movie: Part Of
Me
15:00 Now Is Good
17:00 The Double
19:00 Pitch Perfect
21:00 Girl In Progress
23:00 Hansel &
Gretel: Witch
Hunters
13:00 Daddy Day Camp
14:45 Princess Sydney:
Three Gold Coins
16:00 A Monster In Paris
18:00 Everyone's Hero
20:00 Home Alone: The
Holiday Heist
22:00 Princess Sydney:
Three Gold
MALL
1
Philips & The Monkey Pen (2D/Malayalam) – 2.00 & 8.45pm
Haunter (2D/Horror) – 4.30pm
Waar (2D/Pakistani) – 6.30 & 11.15pm
2
Homefront (2D/Action) – 2.30pm
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (3D/Adventure) – 4.30, 7.30 & 10.30pm
3
Niko 2 (3D/Animation) – 3.00pm
Tarzan (3D/Animation) – 5.00 & 7.00pm
Homefront (2D/Action) – 9.00pm
Haunter (2D/Horror) – 11.00pm
LANDMARK
1
Philips & The Monkey Pen (2D/Malayalam) – 2.30pm
Ivan Veramathiri (2D/Tamil) – 5.15pm
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (3D/Adventure) – 8.15pm
Haunter (2D/Horror) – 11.15pm
2
Niko 2 (3D/Animation) – 3.00pm
Tarzan (3D/Animation) – 5.00 & 7.00pm
Haunter (2D/Horror) – 9.00pm
Homefront (2D/Action) – 11.00pm
3
Homefront (2D/Action) – 2.30 & 4.30pm
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (3D/Adventure) – 7.00 & 10.00pm
ROYAL
PLAZA
1
Jackpot (2D/Hindi) – 2.30pm
Ivan Veramathiri (2D/Tamil) – 5.15 & 11.00pm
Philips & The Monkey Pen (2D/Malayalam) – 8.15pm
2
Tarzan (3D/Animation) – 3.00 & 4.45pm
Homefront (2D/Action) – 6.30 & 11.30pm
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (3D/Adventure) – 8.30pm
3
Haunter (2D/Horror) – 2.30 & 8.30pm
Jackpot (2D/Hindi) – 4.30pm
Tarzan (3D/Animation) – 6.45pm
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (3D/Adventure) – 10.30pm
PLUS | WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2013
QF RADIO 91.7 FM ENGLISH PROGRAMME BRIEF
LIVE SHOWS Airing Time Programme Briefs
SPIRITUAL HOUR
6:00 - 7:00 AM A time of reflection, a deeper understanding of the teachings of Islam.
RISE 7:00 – 9:00 AM Today on Rise, Laura and Scott speak with Shabina Khatri from Doha News. Shabina will fill us in on everything that's happening locally here in Qatar.
INTERNATIO-NAL NEWS
1:00 PM The latest news and events from around the world.
DRIVE 3:00 – 4:00 PM A LIVE daily afternoon show broadcast at peak travel time. Today Nabil focuses on movies, what’s showing in cinemas and upcoming must sees with Amir Ghonim from the Doha Film Institute.
Repeat Shows
LEGENDARY ARTISTS
10:00 – 11:00 AM The show tells the story of a celebrity artist that has reached unprecedented fame. Throughout the episode the artists’ memorable performances/songs will be played to put listeners in the mood.
FASHION 12:00 – 1:00 PM A weekly show hosted and produced by Laura Finnerty. The show brings together the latest fashion trends along with exciting interviews with local and international designers.
INNOVATIONS 7:00 – 8:00 PM A weekly show hosted and produced by Scott Boyes. The show talks about all the newest and exciting advancements in the world of science and technology.
PLUS | WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2013 POTPOURRI16
Editor-In-Chief Khalid Al Sayed Acting Managing Editor Hussain Ahmad Editorial Office The Peninsula Tel: 4455 7741, E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected]
MEDIA SCAN A summary ofissues of the daydiscussed by the Qatari communityin the media.
• Following the closure of 40 eateries in
the Industrial Area by food inspectors
from the Ministry of Municipality this
week, some people have demanded
that the authorities tighten monitoring
of eateries and supermarkets,
particularly in the Industrial Area,
where many workers are turning
their accommodations into eateries or
groceries, disregarding health rules and
legal requirements.
• There is talk on social networking sites
about the Qatari citizen who died while
trying to hoist the national flag on the
roof of his house. He lost his balance
because of the strong wind and fell.
• There is talk in the social media about
Qatar’s flag entering Guinness World
Records as the largest flag, with a total
area of 101.978sqm.
• People have appreciated the issuing
of the first postal stamp carrying an
image of the Emir, by the Qatar Postal
Authority.
• There is talk about the ambitious
infrastructure project called Al Sharq
Crossing, which will connect Doha,
Hamad International Airport, Katara
cultural village, and the downtown
central business district of West Bay.
• There is talk about the Emiri directive to
establish a permanent centre for Darb
Al Saai events, which aim to reinforce
the national identity and introduce
national history, culture and traditions
to new generations.
• There is talk on social networking
sites about the possibility of building a
giant bear lamp at Hamad International
Airport when it is fully operational. It is
expected to cost $6.8m, according to
commentators.
IN FOCUS
A view of the Corniche.
by Rakesh Verma
Send your photos to [email protected]. Mention where the photo was taken.
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
Jamela Al-Shraim, prominent Qatari artist
She is one of the ten pioneers of plastic arts in Qatar and a member of Qatari Plastic Arts
Association since 1984. As an educa-tor, she had worked at the Ministry of Education since 1988 teaching art in Primary and Secondary lev-els. Her students have won various competitions organised by public and private organisations. She has also been honoured by various govern-ment institutions for her contribution in the field of visual art. She will be the guest of honour at the upcoming Women in Art expo in Italy.
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