TUESDAY 25 APRIL 2017

Bannet to sing for Bhatt’s next movie

CAMPUS | 3 HEALTH | 10 BOLLYWOOD | 11ISL Qatar’s Beauty

and the Beast enthrals audiences

Liver carcinogen traced to sunflower

seeds

Email: dohatoday@pen.com.qa

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A group of innovative Danish musicians, submerged like fish in an aquarium, have created an underwater concerto with instruments specially adapted to resonate in a silent world.

AQUATIC MUSICAQUATIC MUSICP | 4-5

CAMPUSTUESDAY 25 APRIL 2017 03

Bhavan’s Public School cele-brated the World Heritage Day on April 18 at all the

three campuses by conducting special assembly.

Students spoke about the importance of the cultural herit-ages and preserving it with pride for future. An oath was taken to preserve the rich cultural legacy of human race. Various pro-grammes and activities related to the day, including presentation on world heritage sites, were held Students also displayed placards and charts based on theme.

Bhavan’s Public School marks World Heritage Day

The five performances of Beauty and the Beast by International School of Lon-

don, Qatar’s Performing Arts Department cemented the school’s performance reputation as the Doha musical production not to be missed.

Building on last year’s stunning and acclaimed interpretation of the Lion King, the cast of over 50 stu-dents, including twenty primary-aged students in the choir, transported a total audience of over 2200 people into a far-away mag-ical world.

As the popular Beauty and the Beast song goes….’a tale as old as time, with a song as old as rhyme’, the story unfolded with great panache, fun and vibrancy. The intricate and elaborate costumes further enhanced the faultless sing-ing, dancing and acting performances of the students. From the opening moment, when the curse is cast, until the final moving

scene, the audience was carried along by the exciting, emotional and engaging action. Rousing numbers like Be Our Guest, Gaston and Human Again were complemented by the beautifully lyrical and touch-ing Beauty and the Beast, sung with aplomb by an ensemble cast and choir who worked brilliantly together.

ISL Qatar’s Beauty and the Beast enthrals audiences

COVER STORY TUESDAY 25 APRIL 201704

Denmark AFP

Talk about fluid tunes: A group of innovative Danish musi-cians submerged like fish in

an aquarium have created an underwater concerto with instru-ments specially adapted to resonate in a silent world.

In the central Danish town of Aarhus, a Godsbanen centre con-cert hall looks more like a fish farm than a music set, with its jumble of water tanks, canisters, tubes, pipes and retrofuturistic objects.

One after the other, the five members of the Between Music band — Laila, Robert, Morten, Dea Maria and Nanna — descend into their own individual glass-paned water tanks for their latest project AquaSonic, where they play the vio-lin, cymbals, bells, a crystallophone with a pedal, and a kind of hurdy gurdy with a long neck.

Hydrophones, or special micro-phones that pick up the sound of the music in the water, amplify the soundwaves, producing music that resembles the sounds whales make.

A pioneer in the field, Laila Sko-vmand wears several hats with the ensemble: she is artistic director, music and lyrics writer, and vocal-ist. She sings both underwater and

at the water’s surface.Like a siren, her lips at water

level, Skovmand releases a capti-vating chant.

“I’m an educated singer and I wanted to explore new songs. I got the idea that if I sang into the sur-face of the water I might get some

other timbre, some delays, so I tried that,” she explains.

The group collaborates with engineers and makers of musical instruments to develop water-resistant instruments whose sounds respect the harmonies composed by Skovmand.

“There are a lot of musical lim-itations. There are so many things we can’t play because of the strug-gle with the water, the struggle with the sound, but I think that what the water gives is that special kind of timbre that you can’t get in air,” she says.

Musicians in aquariums make sounds in a silent world

COVER STORYTUESDAY 25 APRIL 2017 05The resulting effect is a sound closer to an

accompaniment for Tibetan meditation than it is to chamber music. And it’s far from other well-known tributes to water such as Maurice Ravel’s

“Fountains” or Luciano Berio’s “Water Piano”.While the water transports the sound, it also

stifles it and slows it down considerably: the effect is a bit like playing Pink Floyd or Jean-Michel Jarre in slow motion.

Musician and producer Robert Karlsson plays the violin -- made of carbon fibre -- and the crystallophone, a distant relative of the glass har-monica invented by Benjamin Franklin.

Nanna Bech performs the rotacorda, an instrument inspired by a traditional Byzantine hurdy gurdy. It has six stainless steel strings which can make sound either with a sustained pulling of the string or when fingered.

“It’s the only one in the world so I don’t even have a teacher. And that’s a shame!,” she jokes.

Skovmand also plays the hydraulophone, a type of underwater organ.

“We want to show that the impossible is pos-sible, to discover a new element with live music,” says Karlsson.

The band spends the entire performance under water, surfacing regularly as part of the choreography to take breaths of air.

Ahead of the recent Aarhus concert, the ensemble spent almost six hours in the tanks in one afternoon to prepare for that night’s 50-minute performance.

The water is kept at 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit). “We do some diving training, prac-ticing to hold our breath under water,” Bech explains. And she has developed a special tech-nique to sing under water.

“I can’t let the air bubbles get out of my mouth, because they will become bubbles (in the water) and that makes a lot of noise under water. So I can only make short notes.” For Karlsson, mak-ing music in water has a magical effect on him.

“I’m actually not very fond of water person-ally. I can feel claustrophobic in a bathtub. But somehow when I get into this tank and am play-ing an instrument, I get calm and really secure,” he says.

Between Music is currently performing Aqua-Sonic across Europe. After a world premiere in Rotterdam last year, the band is now touring Denmark, and will take part in the International Diaghilev Festival in Perm, Russia in May.

MARKETPLACE TUESDAY 25 APRIL 201706

Blue Salon, renowned luxury fashion and lifestyle retailer, hosted the launch ceremony

of the latest fragrance from Premier Perfume House, ‘Memo Paris’, lat-est fragrance, Eau de Memo.

The latest fragrance was cre-ated in celebration of Memo Paris’ 10th anniversary.

The Launch event was attended by Ashraf Abu Issa, Chairman of Abu Issa Holding; John Molloy, Co-Founder of Memo Paris; and Fawaz Al Idrissi, CEO of Abu Issa Holding. They revealed in the festivities that the launch ceremony brought, as well as, Memo Paris lovers from all over Qatar and esteemed members of the press.

“We are delighted to be here with our friends from Abu Issa Holding to celebrate the launch of our latest fragrance, Eau de Memo.

Eau de Memo signals the 10th anni-versary of Memo Paris’ inception and we wanted to create a perfume that truly represented the essence of the brand and to have it serve as an ode to our journey so far,” stated, John Molloy.

The launch ceremony also sig-naled 5 years of a successful partnership between Abu Issa Hold-ing and Memo Paris. “We are elated to celebrate 5 years of this success-ful partnership with our friends at Memo Paris, and it is safe to say that Memo Paris has proved to be amongst the most successful con-tenders in the Niche perfume market, and we look forward to continue on this successful journey with Memo Paris,” said, Fawaz Al Idrissi. Eau de Memo is an orien-tal floral fragrance for women and men. This is a new fragrance. Top

notes are bergamot, lemon and green tea; middle notes are jasmine,

iris and saffron; base notes are white musk, moss and leather.

Memo Paris launches latest perfume at Blue Salon

The Memo Paris celebrating its 10th anniversary at Blue Salon

yesterday. Pic; Baher Amin/ The Peninsula

This week, ExxonMobil Qatar’s Professional Women’s Net-work, EMRA’A, hosted its

second ‘Introduce a Girl to Engi-neering Day’ in coordination with INJAZ Qatar at the Ruqaya Prepar-atory School for Girls in Doha.

The event was an extension of an annual programme that Exxon-Mobil organises in the United States to help introduce young girls to careers rooted in the subjects of sci-ence, technology, engineering and math (Stem).

The event allows students to interact with and learn from pro-fessionals in these fields of expertise, providing real-world examples of what a Stem career entails.

A group of 11 ExxonMobil Qatar volunteers led the event’s pro-gramme that included fun and stimulating activities for the 38 stu-dents from grade nine. The volunteers organised a team com-petition designed to introduce the students to concepts of engineer-ing, budgeting and project management.

The students put their basic Stem skills to the test by building load-bearing bridges out of raw

spaghetti and marshmallows. Fol-lowing the activity, volunteers had a candid discussion with the stu-dents about their own professional experiences as females in Stem fields–the challenges and the rewards—and explained the signif-icance of engineering for society.

“Today was such a wonderful and inspiring experience for me as a professional,” said Nayla Al Naema, Senior Environmental Ana-lystfor ExxonMobil Research Qatar, who delivered the introduction at the event.

“Every day, scientists make dis-coveries that change the way we live. As a scientist myself, I’m

intrigued by these scientific break-throughs - they are the reason I continue to do what I do every day, and I was so excited to share my love of science with the girls at Ruqaya Preparatory School for Girls today.” “I was very impressed with the questions and the students’ enthusiasm and keenness to learn. I hope I was able to inspire them to consider a future career in science or one of the other Stem fields. They are a group of young women with strong career ambitions, and I have no doubt that they will have a lot to contribute to Qatar in the future,” added Al Naema.

“Introduce a Girl to Engineering is a wonderful program that is extremely effective in introducing students to the world of engineer-ing,” said EmadAl Khaja, Chief Executive Officer, INJAZ Qatar. “We are pleased to have helped our part-ner ExxonMobil Qatar hold this unique event in Doha for the sec-ond time – it is truly a unique way to help students develop a passion for engineering.”

“At INJAZ Qatar, we work very hard to provide students with learn-ing experiences that will help them

develop the necessary skills to tran-sition into the workforce. When students have the tools to achieve, the possibilities are endless,” added Al Khaja.

EMRA’A hosts several events each year that supportthe current and future needs of the Qataricom-munity. Last November, the network chose to highlight STEM education – a priority area for Exx-onMobil worldwide– and hosted its inaugural Introduce A Girl to Engineering at Al Bayan School for Girls with INJAZ Qatar. The event is in line with ExxonMobil Qatar’s broader efforts to help educate and developthe scientists, engineers and innovators that will help sustain Qatar’s future knowledge-based society.

ExxonMobil Qatar has been supporting INJAZ Qatar since 2007, harnessing the mentorship of Qatari business leaders to help inspire entrepreneurialism and innovation among Qatari youth. INJAZ Qatar is an affiliate of Junior Achievement Worldwide, the world’s largest non-profit business education organization reaching 9.7 million students annually.

EMRA’A hosts ‘Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day’

COMMUNITY TUESDAY 25 APRIL 2017 07

Mövenpick Hotel Doha launched a 10-day Indian Food Festival, with the

support of the Embassy of India, on April 20.

Presenting what is most widely recognised as the most colourful and exciting cuisine ever, Möven-pick Hotel Doha invites everyone to the 10-day journey through Indian gastronomy.

A recent addition to the Möven-pick Hotel Doha team, an Indian chef Benoy will be recreating his traditional dishes, showcasing the finest ingredients and recipes.

Whether you would rather stick to what you know or go on a culi-nary adventure, the festival will give

visitors the opportunity to try dishes from different parts of India, whilst enjoying a festive atmosphere.

Guests will savour the old world opulence of northern India’s food, including butter chicken and masala, the surprisingly amazing taste of southern India’s biryani and the traditional flair of central India’s tandoori, amongst other crowd pleasers. A bountiful and colourful buffet will feature the marinades, curries and base sauces. Finally, a sumptuous dessert station will tempt diners with Indian sweets, including jalebi and halwa.

Designed to celebrate its fabu-lously diverse range of food, the Indian Food Festival is the perfect

event for families and foodies to enjoy dinner whilst discovering many gastronomic delights from the Hindustan peninsula. The event will take place at Seasons restau-rant, commencing daily at 6.30 pm until 11pm for only QR99 per per-son. During the festival, Seasons restaurant will be offering special discounts and great meal deals for the upcoming Ramadan.

The opening ceremony of the festival took place on April 20 sup-ported by the Embassy of India in Qatar, and in the presence of the Counsellor Rajesh Kamble.

Chef Benoy biography:Chef Benoy’s culinary journey

began in India, where the amazing flavours of spices sparked his pas-sion for cooking.

Having started his professional career with The Oberoi Mumbai, he first moved to Dubai to gain more experience. Later, he worked for the pre-opening of the luxurious Al Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh and pre-opening of the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

Chef Benoy reveals his culinary formula. “The right technique, cor-rect seasoning and simple ingredients in a beautiful presen-tation are all you need.”

The Indian Food Festival will definitely become a bright presen-tation of his culinary experience.

Mövenpick Hotel Doha holds Indian Food Festival

Malarvadi, an organisation for children, conducted mappila song contest for

children up-to age 13 . More than 150 children partic-

ipated in this fifth seasonal contest‘s primary round; out of which 48 children were selected for final round.

List of first, second and third place winners respectively

Junior: Hana Hafsa, Nuha Ashraf &Hamda.

Senior: Nihal Abdul Rasheed, Mohamed Rizwan Habeeb, Asmi Abdul Shukoor & Diya Afree N (both are third place).

Indian Islamic Association General Secretary, Abdul Salam K; Ladies Wing General Secretary,

Sareena Basheer; Malarvadi Act-ing Coordinator, Abdul Kader KMP; and Secretary Shamsudheen K dis-tributed prizes. The programme was controlled by Asma Abdulla, Sainaba Abdul Jaleel, Nadeera Ahmed, Abida, Sumayya Rafeeq, Faheema Riyas, Khadeeja Noushad, Waheedudheen, Abdul Latheef VP, Siddique Padiyath and Abdul Jaleel MM.

Malarvadi conducts mappila song contest

Raozan Samity–Qatar (RSQ), a socio-cultural and regional organisation of

Bangladeshi expatriates in Qatar organised an annual picnic at an aesthetic spot at Al Dosari Zoo and Game Reserve in Shahaniya recently.

The picnic at the footsteps of the various rustic row of trees with very fresh air beneath an open sky and listening to the indigenous background music thus adding an additional enjoyment to the day off. The picnic was attended by heads of various political, social, professional and cultural

organisations in Doha; resounded by community leaders and people of Raozan sub-district that turned the event as a rendezvous of

“Bangladeshis”.RSQ was founded in the year

2011 with an aim to extend help-ing hand to its countrymen in need. Ever since RSQ has been an instru-mental community organisation in assisting its community; espe-cially to repatriating stranded people here in Doha and sending the dead body of its countrymen back home. It has a similar type of humanitarian operations in Rao-zan sub-district, Bangladesh.

Raozan Samity–Qatar

organises annual picnic

LIFESTYLE TUESDAY 25 APRIL 201708

IANS

A study suggests that social support provided to older adults by family and friends

may not have an entirely positive effect on their mental health but is instead a “mixed blessing”.

Assistant professor Rahul Mal-hotra and Shannon Ang from Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore found that receipt of social support reduced depressive symptoms among older individuals, but at the same time made them feel like they had lost control over their lives.

The study, published recently in the journal Social Science and Medicine, linked this loss of control to increased depressive symptoms among older adults, which coun-teracted the positive effect of receiving social support.

The researchers analysed data

collected from surveys adminis-tered to 2,766 older adults aged 62 to 97 who were part of the Panel of Health and Aging in Singaporean Elderly (PHASE).

“While receiving social support may help older people feel a sense of belonging or enhance their rela-tionship closeness with the provider, it can also impact them negatively because it reduces their sense of control over their own lives,” said Ang, a research assistant at Duke-NUS.

Malhotra and Ang suggested that in order for social support to improve the overall mental health of older adults, both care-givers and policy-makers should be aware of both its negative and positive effects.

“Our findings have implications for policy-makers because it points toward the importance of crafting policies and encouraging ways to

provide support to older persons that can help them maintain their sense of control over their own lives,” said senior author Malhotra.

“We need to think of ways in

which we can help older adults without increasing their sense of dependence,” he added. The new findings are contrary to the com-mon notion that more social support is always good.

Social support has mixed effect on older adults

When it comes to pack-ing accessories for vacation, minimalism

is the key with a pop of colour, say experts.

Sreenivas Reddy, Principal Designer at BlueStone.com, and Pallavi Foley, a jewellery designer, list down a few ideas for the type of jewellery one can carry for adventurous treks, spontaneous trips and romantic getaways:

* Lightweight jewellery: Min-imalist pendants and earrings are vacation essentials for any des-tination. Small teardrop earrings with semi-precious stones can be paired with any outfit, from sundresses to jumpers. Keeping it simple and elegant on vaca-tion is the key to a stress free and fun-filled holiday.

* Cuffs over bracelets: Choose cuffs over bracelets this summer as they are easier to pack and less likely to tangle, fall off or snap. An elegant cuff in a

contemporary design makes for a perfect fuss-free style state-ment. Team up a cuff with khaki shorts and a cool tee shirt and you are ready for anything, from walk on the beach to a safari.

* Colourful jewellery: Pieces with colourful gemstones such as tourmalines make for very versatile vacation essentials, since they can be paired with almost anything. Jewellery pieces with aquamarines are also

a valuable addition, especially to your whites. Classic colourful stud earrings are a must have for a sojourn to the hills.

* Don’t go all chunky: Chunky jewellery is a burden to carry on vacation. One does not want to worry about managing that chunky necklace or huge ear-rings. Instead opt for a thin gold or platinum chain with an ele-gant pendant teamed with stacked rings.

Along with your wardrobe, ensure a makeover of your abode. Invest in good bedsheets, add faux

botanic and more to make your home summer friendly, say experts.

Natasha Jain, Co-Founder of Bent Chair, and Sumessh Menon, Interior Designer of 1Above, a rooftop lounge, sug-gest how:

* Add some faux botanic to give some vibrance to your room, having flowers in your home will not only boost your mood in the morning but also help you drive away the Monday blues.

* Your bed after your office is the sec-ond place where you spend most of your time, so it is important to have comfort-able sheets for you to relax on after a hot summer day.

* This summer, don’t let your brunches be ordinary, go for quirky cutlery and tea-pots and put your best plate forward.

* Spruce up your walls with soothing and cooling hues like an aqua blue or a green wallpaper. * Your drapes, especially in tropical weather, should be flowy and in lighter shades.

Accessories to pack for vacation How to make your home summer ready

FOODTUESDAY 25 APRIL 2017 09Paula Shoyer The Washington Post

My late mother mostly used kosher box mixes, and I remember the brownies

fondly. I waited all year for the wonderful aroma of cakes rising in the oven.

Thanks to a growing array of suitable ingredient alternatives, I can tell you that it’s possible to bake desserts that are just as good as the ones I make the rest of the year. My children have weighed in on this.

Pastry cream, black-and-white cookies and a less sinful chocolate ganache can be made dairy-free, with almond milk. Tapioca flour can be used to make Brazilian cheese bread, and almond flour has allowed me to improve the taste of cookies and cakes once weighed down by dry matzoh cake meal.

During holidays, my kitchen counter is jammed with platters of cookies, layer cakes, pastries, can-dies and tarts. Nonetheless, the minute the holiday is over, my kids want their beloved chocolate babka. Give me a chance, Shoyer kids - maybe I’ll figure that one out for next year.

Blueberry Pie8 servingsThe fat you use - unsalted but-

ter, coconut oil or margarine - needs to be frozen for 30 minutes before you add it to the food proc-essor. You’ll need a 9-inch pie pan. Use a flower-shaped or scalloped cookie cutter (1 1/2 inches) for the top crust.

IngredientsFor the crust1 1/2 cups ground almonds (may

substitute almond meal or almond flour)

2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting

1/3 cup potato starch4 tablespoons unsalted butter,

or coconut oil or margarine, frozen for 30 minutes and then cut into pieces

1 tablespoon cold water1 large egg, separated into yolk

and white1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

(optional)For the filling4 cups fresh blueberries,

stemmed and rinsed1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1

teaspoon for sprinkling1/2 teaspoon ground

cinnamon1 teaspoon finely grated lemon

zest (from 1 lemon)Dash salt3 tablespoons potato starch

StepsFor the crust: Combine the

ground almonds, confectioners’ sugar and potato starch in a food processor; pulse for 10 seconds to blend. Add the frozen butter, coco-nut oil or margarine pieces; process

until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

Add the water, egg yolk and vanilla extract; process just until a dough comes together, being care-

ful not to over-mix. Gather into a ball and flatten, then break off a lit-tle more than one-third of the dough. Wrap both pieces of dough separately in plastic wrap and flat-ten into disks. Chill in the freezer for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.

Remove the larger piece of dough from the freezer and let it defrost until you can press it gen-tly. Place on a piece of parchment paper sprinkled with confection-ers’ sugar. Sprinkle the top of the dough with some more confection-ers’ sugar and cover with a piece of parchment.

Roll the dough into a 10-inch round. Peel back the top parchment and sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on the dough as you roll. Once or twice, flip over the package of parchment and dough, peel off the bottom and sprinkle some more

confectioners’ sugar on top. Re-cover with parchment and flip back over.

Remove the top parchment. Place your hand under the bottom parchment, lift the dough and invert it into the pie pan. Use your hands to gently press and fit the dough to the pan. Remove the remaining parchment (which is now on top). Use a knife to trim the dough, then patch up any bare or thin spots, and use a fork to prick the dough in sev-eral places. Reserve any dough scraps for additional cutouts that will form the top crust. Cover the pie shell with plastic wrap and freeze until you’re done with the filling, or up to several days.

Roll the reserved scraps between two pieces of parchment to a thickness of about 1/3 inch thick, then remove the top parchment and cut out the shapes. Unwrap the remaining piece of dough (from the freezer) and repeat the same step to make more dough cutouts; you’ll need a total of about 20. Place them on a lined baking sheet and freeze until firm.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Use a pastry brush to brush the

remaining egg white over the dough cutouts atop the pie, then sprinkle the remaining teaspoon of granu-lated sugar all over. Bake (bottom rack) for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top crust cutouts are golden and the filling is bubbling. (If the edges of the cutouts or edge of the pie seem to be getting too brown before the pie is done, crimp aluminum foil loosely over them.

Cool for at least 1 hour before serving or storing.

Nutrition | Per serving (using butter): 330 calories, 5 g protein, 46 g carbohydrates, 15 g fat, 5 g satu-rated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 50 mg sodium, 4 g dietary fiber, 29 g sugar.

Now, festival and pie belong together

HEALTH TUESDAY 25 APRIL 201710

AP

Three African countries have been chosen to test the world’s first malaria vaccine,

the World Health Organization announced yesterday. Ghana, Kenya and Malawi will begin pilot-ing the injectable vaccine next year with young children, who have been at highest risk of death.

The vaccine, which has partial effectiveness, has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives if used with existing measures, the WHO regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said in a statement.

The challenge is whether impoverished countries can deliver the required four doses of the vac-cine for each child. Malaria remains one of the world’s most stubborn health challenges, infecting more than 200 million people every year and killing about half a million,

most of them children in Africa. Bed netting and insecticides are the chief protection.

Sub-Saharan Africa is hardest hit by the disease, with about 90 percent of the world’s cases in 2015. Malaria spreads when a mosquito bites someone already infected, sucks up blood and parasites, and then bites another person.

A global effort to counter malaria has led to a 62 percent cut in deaths between 2000 and 2015, WHO said. But the UN agency has said in the past that such estimates are based mostly on modeling and that data is so bad for 31 countries in Africa — including those believed to have the worst outbreaks — that it couldn’t tell if cases have been rising or falling in the last 15 years.

The vaccine will be tested on children five to 17 months old to see whether its protective effects shown so far in clinical trials can hold up under real-life conditions. The

vaccine has taken decades of work and hundreds of millions of dollars to develop.

Kenya, Ghana and Malawi were chosen for the vaccine pilot because all have strong prevention and vac-cination programs but continue to have high numbers of malaria cases,

WHO said. The countries will deliver the vaccine through their existing vaccination programs.

WHO is hoping to wipe out malaria by 2040 despite increas-ing resistance problems to both drugs and insecticides used to kill mosquitoes.

World’s first malaria vaccine to test in Africa

Researchers have discovered by accident cancer-fighting properties in a drug typically used to treat high blood pressure.

The drug carvedilol can protect against the sun-induced cell damage that leads to skin cancer, the findings showed.

“What began as an experimental error led to a very interesting scientific discovery,” said co-leader of the research team Ying Huang from Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy, California, US.

“Our research could lead to the development of a class of new cancer-preventive agents,” Huang said.

The findings are scheduled to be presented at the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimen-tal Therapeutics annual meeting during the Experimental Biology 2017 meeting being held from April 22-26 in Chicago. Carvedilol’s cancer-fighting properties were discovered when a former graduate student in Huang’s lab was studying whether carvedilol and similar beta blockers might increase cancer risk.

The student inadvertently tested carvedilol’s ant-icancer effect rather than its ability to promote cancer, finding that carvedilol surprisingly showed some pro-tective effects against skin cancer. The researchers then conducted experiments with cell cultures and mice to see if carvedilol could prevent skin cancer caused by ultraviolet-B (UVB), the portion of sunlight that tends to damage the skin’s top epidermal layers and plays a key role in skin cancer development.

Researchers have shown that sunflower seeds are frequently

contaminated with a toxin which has the potential to cause liver cancer.

In the study, the team of scientists documented fre-quent occurrence of aflatoxin — a toxin produced by Aspergillus molds that commonly infect corn, pea-nuts, pistachios and almonds

— in sunflower seeds and their products.

Chronic exposure to aflatoxin causes an esti-mated 25,000-155,000 deaths worldwide each year, from corn and peanuts alone.

Since it is one of the most potent liver carcinogens known, the research to detect and limit its presence in sunflower seeds and their

products could help save lives and reduce liver dis-ease in areas where sunflowers and their byproducts are consumed, said study co-author Gale Strasburg, Professor at Mich-igan State University in the US. “These high aflatoxin levels, in a commodity

frequently consumed by the Tanzanian population, indi-cate that local authorities must implement interven-tions to prevent and control aflatoxin contamination along the sunflower com-modity value chain, to enhance food and feed safety in Tanzania,” he said.

BP drug treats skin cancerLiver carcinogen traced to sunflower seeds

BOLLYWOODTUESDAY 25 APRIL 2017 11

IANS

Actor Rana Daggubatin (pic-tured), who awaits the release of “Baahubali 2: The

Conclusion”, believes the success of SS Rajamoulis “Baahubali” as a franchise has given Indian filmmak-ers the faith and confidence to go big. “I think ‘Baahubali’ has proved it that when you’re making a film for the entire nation, it is bigger than any film made in one language. You could be a filmmaker sitting in Madurai and if you have a great superhero film to make, you have the faith and confidence to make your film because there’s a coun-try of audience to watch it,” Rana said.

Does he feel there is sudden urge to make bigger films, espe-cially after the announcement of Mohanlal-starrer multilingual film

“The Mahabharata”, to be made on a budget of Rs 1000 crore?

“I think it is amazing filmmak-ers have started to think big. ‘Baahubali’ has given them the license to go big,” he said.

In “Baahubali” franchise, Rana plays a fictional character Bhalla-ladeva, who locks horns over an ancient kingdom with his brother Amarendra Baahubali, played by Prabhas.

Asked if he finds surprising that a negative character vis-à-vis all the positive ones he has played so far has won him nation-wide rec-ognition, he said: “It’s a Rs 450 crore war film and it will give you far greater visibility.”

“It is the biggest film in the coun-try and even if I played any other character, it would have given me the same visibility. This is franchise cinema which is far bigger than any

film that I have been part of so far,” he explained.

Rana, known for being part of films such as “Leader”, “Dum Maaro Dum” and “Department”, says he has always been on the lookout for projects that transcended regional boundaries. “‘Baahubali’ helped me explore new avenues across bor-ders. It has given us so much strength that even while sitting in Hyderabad, we could think of mak-ing a huge franchise-based film that will be lapped up by the entire nation. It has taught me to take con-tent to wherever I want,” he said, adding the experience of working on the country’s biggest film helped him to “understand and portray a character better”.

“It is because of the experience of working with finer actors and a highly talented director. Everything I have learnt from both the parts of

the film will reflect on whatever I choose to do next,” he said.

“Baahubali: The Beginning” had a phenomenal run at the box office. It ended up as one of the biggest grossers of Indian cinema. Is there a sense of nervousness ahead of the release of “Baahubali 2”, consider-ing part one was a huge hit? “It is the same story audiences are going to watch after two years. It’s the continuation of what happened at the end of first part. When we were making part one, we didn’t realise how big it will become and where it will take us,” Rana said.

‘Baahubali’ has given filmmakers

license to go big: Rana Daggubati

The trailer of Jyotika-starrer Tamil drama “Magalir Mat-tum” was released yesterday

at it’s audio launch in Mumbai.Directed by National Film

Award-winning filmmaker Bramma, the movie also stars Oor-vasi, Bhanupriya and Saranya Ponvannan apart from a host of supporting artistes. Going by the trailer, it looks like a story of self-exploration of three women who get to live life their way once with

the help of Jyotika’s character. In the movie, Jyotika plays a post-modernistic documentary filmmaker. Talking about the project, Bramma said, “There are a lot of things about women that need to be spoken about. Women-centric subjects, in general, still remain unexplored and my film is an attempt to fill the vacuum. While it’s not an out-and-out women’s film but it does feature them in very strong characters.”

Trailer of ‘Magalir Mattum’ released

After emerging as the winner of the first edition of live voting-led singing TV show “Rising Star”,

singer Bannet Dosanjh is now set to make his debut as a playback singer with the next project by Mahesh Bhatt’s home banner, Vishesh Films. Bhatt, who has launched Bollywood singers like Ari-jit Singh, Atif Aslam and Arko Pravo Mukherjee, will now give a platform to Bannet.

Bannet to sing for Bhatt’s next movie

Bannet, hailing from Jalandhar’s Dosanjh Kalan, was named the winner of the TV show on April 23. Along with a trophy, he took home Rs 20 lakh as prize money and bagged a contract with Vishesh Films.

“‘Rising Star’ has taken my passion for singing to another level; it has given me the platform to share it with the world! I am indebted to the viewers whose constant support and votes have encouraged me to be a better performer,” Bannet said in a statement. Delhi’s Maithili Thakur and Bengaluru’s Ankita Kundu were named the first and second run-ners-up respectively. Aired on Colors channel, the show was judged by singers Diljit Dosanjh, Shankar Mahadevan and Monali Thakur. Bol-lywood actor Anil Kapoor joined the judges for the finale episode.

The shooting for filmmaker Hansal Mehta’s upcoming movie “Simran” has been

wrapped up. Mehta took to Twit-ter, where he shared a photograph of himself along with actress Kan-gana Ranaut, who will be seen playing the role of a Gujarati NRI named Praful Patel. “And it’s a wrap on ‘Simran’. Thank you crew

and friends. What a journey this has been!” Mehta captioned the image.

Slated to release in Septem-ber, “Simran” is co-produced by T-Series honcho Bhushan Kumar and Shailesh Singh. The film, which also stars National Award-winning actor Sohum Shah, is said to be based on a real life.

Shooting for ‘Simran’ wrapped up

HOLLYWOOD TUESDAY 25 APRIL 201712

AP

“The Fate of the Furious” sped into first place at the box office again, leaving new thriller

“Unforgettable” and historical drama “The Promise” in the dust.

Universal Pictures’ eighth installment in “The Fast and the Furious” franchise earned $38.7m in North American theatres over the weekend, down 61 percent from its debut, according to studio estimates.

The newcomers could not com-pete with the high-octane film, which had the biggest worldwide opening of all time last weekend. It has earned $908.4m globally so far and is expected to cross $1bn this week. Holdovers dominated the charts on this quiet weekend in theaters.

“The Boss Baby” took second place with $12.8m, and “Beauty and the Beast” landed in third with $10m. Disney’s animal documen-tary “Born in China” opened in fourth place, with $5.1m from 1,508 locations. The two other new mov-ies fared worse.

Warner Bros. thril ler

“Unforgettable,” starring Katherine Heigl as a jealous ex-wife and Rosa-rio Dawson as the new fiancee, opened at No. 7 with just $4.8m. Critics were tough on the film, and audiences gave it a deathly C Cin-emaScore rating.

The directorial debut of long-time producer Denise Di Novi cost only $12m to make, but the meager result still disappointed.

“Unfortunately, the movie just missed the intended audience,” said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.’ pres-ident of domestic distribution. “We had higher expectations, and we’re disappointed we didn’t achieve them.” There is a silver lining for the studio. The buddy comedy

“Going in Style,” starring Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin, is chugging along after three weeks in theaters, taking fifth place with $5m. Meanwhile, the histori-cal epic “The Promise,” starring Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale, bombed with a mere $4.1m from 2,251 theaters.

The movie delves into the mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey that many countries and m o s t h i s t o r i a n s

call genocide. Turkey still denies genocide, saying the deaths stemmed from civil unrest and war.

It’s not a surprise the film, which was estimated to cost around $100m to make, failed to gain trac-tion, comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said.

“It didn’t really jump out as any-thing that would be a surprising box-office hit,” Dergarabedian said.

“But it wasn’t really about the box office.”

Made outside the studio system and distributed by Open Road Films, the point of “The Promise” was to

raise awareness around a global event that many know nothing about, he said.

Celebrities from Kim Kardashian West to Cher promoted the film on social media. Its mak-ers said they will donate all proceeds to nonprofits and intend to use the PG-13-rated film as an education tool in schools.

“It was a tough weekend in gen-eral for the newcomers,” Dergarabedian said, noting that many moviegoers are likely saving up for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” which hits theaters on May 5.

‘The Fate of the Furious’ laps new films at box office

Robert De Niro helped Burt Reynolds (pictured) onto the red carpet for the Tribeca

Film Festival premiere of his new movie “Dog Years” on Saturday night in New York. It was a rare appearance for the 81-year old actor, who at times struggled to walk.

Reynolds was given a chair on the red carpet, so that he could speak to a limited number of press outlets about the film. He was over-joyed at the turnout. “Great to see De Niro, who I love, and ... you know, all the people that I know,” Reynolds said. “It’s very sweet.” In the film, which is still shopping for distribution, Reynolds portrays an aging movie star who realizes his best days are behind him. The actor sees similarities in the character with his own life.

Reynolds laughed at the

obvious parallel with his own life, though he said, “I guess I’m doing all right. I think because it’s a hell of a turnout.” Written and directed by Adam Rifkin, the film also stars

“Modern Family’s” Ariel Winter, Chevy Chase and Nikki Blonsky.

Reynolds joked about working with younger co-stars. “You don’t learn from young actors,” Reynolds said. “You just tell them how to behave.”

Actors Neill Byrnes and Anthony Rocco Bovo will play aerosmith rockers, Ste-

ven Tyler and Joe Perry, in the Lynyrd Skynyrd biopic “Street Sur-vivors: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash”.

While Ian Shultis plays Pyle with Taylor Clift as Van Zant, Sam-uel Kay Forrest will essay Gaines while Rich Dally III will play Allen Collins, reports variety.com.

The film is being directed by Jared Cohn with Brian Perera, founder of Cleopatra Records, pro-ducing it. The biopic is based on drummer Artimus Pyle’s recollec-tion of the events surrounding the crash of the group’s touring plane in Mississippi on October 20, 1977.

The accident killed original band members Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, backing vocalist Cas-sie Gaines, an assistant road manager, and the two pilots.

One week before Lynyrd Sky-nyrd boarded the flight, members of Aerosmith were scheduled to board the same Convair CV-300. The band deemed the plane unsafe and decided not to lease the Con-vair. “Street Survivors: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash” will also have Keith Sutliff, who will play the role of the air con-troller caught up in the flight. Hudson Long will essay Skynyrd keyboardist Billy Powell and Nick Cairo Chandler has been cast as bassist Leon Wilkeson.

Burt makes rare public appearance Neill Byrnes & Anthony Rocco to essay aerosmith rockers

TECHNOLOGYTUESDAY 25 APRIL 2017 13

AFP

Electronics giant Samsung will this week offer an unusually early software update for its

newly-released Galaxy S8 phone, it said yesterday after some con-sumers complained of red-tinted screens.

The launch of the device is a key step for the South Korean tech firm as it seeks to move on from last year’s humiliating withdrawal of the Galaxy Note 7 over exploding batteries, which hammered the firm’s once-stellar reputation.

The Galaxy S8 started over-the-counter sales in the US and its home market but South Korean users who pre-ordered the phones com-plained their screens displayed an unusually reddish hue.

Online images of their phones

went viral on social media but Sam-sung denied a hardware flaw and maintained that users could man-ually adjust the colour range according to their preferences.

As more users voiced doubts, Samsung said yesterday that a soft-ware update would fix the problem by allowing them to readjust col-ours over a wider range than at present.

“Samsung... has decided to release a software update starting from this week which will provide consumers with a further enhanced ability to adjust the colour setting to their preference,” it said in a statement.

Samsung -- the world’s largest maker of smartphones -- has pinned its hopes on the Galaxy S8 to compete against archrival Apple’s iPhone after last year’s Note

7 disaster. The recall debacle cost Samsung billions of dollars in lost profits and hammered its global

credibility, forcing it to apologise to consumers and postpone the S8 launch

Red screen: Samsung to update S8 software

Google Home, a voice-acti-vated speaker powered by the Google Assistant for

home automation, now has the ability for up to six people to con-nect their account and can recognise who is talking to it.

When you connect your account on a Google Home, Google asks you to say the phrases “Ok Google” and “Hey Google” two times each. Those phrases are then analysed by a neural network, which can detect certain charac-teristics of a person’s voice.

From that point on, any time you say “Ok Google” or “Hey Google” to your Google Home, the neural network will compare the sound of your voice to its previous analysis so it can understand if it is you speaking or not. This compar-ison takes place only on your device, in a matter of milliseconds.

“The feature will start rolling out for Google Home users in the US and will be expand to Britain in the coming months,” said Yury Pinsky,

Product Manager, Google Assist-ant, in a blog post. To get started, first make sure that you have the latest Google Home app. Then, look for a card that says “multi-user is available” when you open the app.

If you don’t see a card, click on the icon in the top right to see all of your connected devices. Once you see your Google Home in the list, select “Link your account.”

From there, you will teach your Assistant to understand it’s you, not your partner, family member or roommate and vice versa, based on who is speaking. For certain fea-tures, like personalised music and commute, you will also need to set up your preferences within the app, Pinsky noted.

Google Home gets ability to support multiple users

Apple and Nike are working to expand their smartwatch series partnership for the Apple

Watch 2 with a new limited edition NikeLab offering.

“NikeLab will feature a simple face to focus on fitness and will go on sale on April 27, but will only be available through Nike’s website and at an Apple pop up shop in Tokyo,” US-based new service thestreet.com reported on Fri-day. Last year, Apple released Apple Watch Nike+ that features built-in GPS to track users’ pace, distance and route

-- even if they don’t have iPhone with them. Apple Watch Nike+ is water resistant (50 metres). Training data including pace, distance and heart rate are available at a glance and through shared run summaries.

Apple and Nike to unveil limited edition Apple Watch 2

Jivi Mobiles launched a new fea-ture phone “Sumo T3000” with a powerful 3600 mAh battery

that claims to keep the phone charged up to 50 days. “The device ‘Sumo T3000’ has a potent battery which will help the people keep them going when they work tire-lessly with all their might,” the

company said. The device comes with 2.8-inch screen size. It also features camera with flash, auto call record, mobile tracker, torch light, GPRS and many more. “We are extremely happy to introduce our new device to match the needs of people who are constantly sup-porting us in a big way.”

One charge keeps this phone for 50 days

BABY BLUES

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE

Barely coping with the end of her marriage, Tessa Connover learns

that her ex-husband, David, is now happily engaged to Julia. Trying

to settle into her new life, Julia believes she has finally met the man

of her dreams, the man who can help her forget her troubled past.Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice.

NOVO — Pearl ROYAL PLAZA

MALL

LANDMARK

Ghost In The Shell (2D/Action) 10:30, 12:45, 1:30, 3:00, 5:15, 6:30, 6:40, 7:30, 8:45, 9:45, 11:00 11:45pm & 12:00midnightFast & Furious 8 (2D/Action) 10:30, 11:30am, 12:00noo, 2:30, 3:00, 4:00, 5:30, 6:00, 8:30, 9:00, 9:05, 11:30 & 11:55pm The Boss Baby(Animation) 3D 10:00am, 1:40, 5:20 & 9:00pm 2D 11:50am, 3:30, 7:10 & 11:00pm Unforgettable (2D/Thriller) 10:00am, 12:00noon, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00pm & 12:00midnight The Void (2D/Horror) 11:00am, 3:10, 7:20 & 11:30pm Yejaalo Amer (2D/Arabic) 11:00am, 3:00, 7:00 & 11:00pmWhen A Man Falls (2D/Arabic) 1:00, 5:00 & 9:00pmFast & Furious 8 (2D IMAX/Action) 12:00noon, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 & 11:55pm

The Baby Boss (Animation) 2:30 & 4:30pm

Mine (2D/Thriller) 2:15pm Smurfs: The Lost Village (2D/Thriller) 2:30pmThe Fate of The Furiours (2D/Action) 4:30, 9:00 & 11:15pm Oru Mexican Aparatha (2D/Malayalam) 4:30pm Ghost In The Shell (2D/Action) 6:30 & 8:30pm Yejaalo Amer (2D/Arabic) 7:00pm Can’t Help Falling In Love (2D/Tagalog) 7:00pmThe Void (2D/Horror) 9:15pm The Great Father (2D/Malayalam) 10:30pm Unforgettable (2D/Thriller) 11:30pm

The Baby Boss (Animation) 2:00, 3:45, 5:30 & 7:30pm1971: Beyond Borders (2D/Malayalam) 2:30pm Ghost In The Shell (2D/Action) 3:00, 5:30 & 9:30pm Noor (2D/Hindi) 5:00 & 11:15pmThe Fate of The Furiours (2D/Action) 5:00, 7:15 & 9:30pm Can’t Help Falling In Love (2D/Tagalog) 7:15pm Yejaalo Amer (2D/Arabic) 9:30pm The Void (2D/Horror) 11:30pm Unforgettable (2D/Thriller) 11:45pm

Noor (2D/Hindi) 2:15 & 9:15pm Oru Mexican Aparatha (2D/Malayalam) 4:30pm The Baby Boss (Animation) 2:15 & 4:30pm Mine (2D/Thriller) 2:30pm Smurfs: The Lost Village (2D/Thriller) 2:30pm Noor (2D/Hindi) 4:45 & 9:15pmYejaalo Amer (2D/Arabic) 7:00pm Can’t Help Falling In Love (2D/Tagalog) 7:00pm1971: Beyond Borders (2D/Malayalam) 6:30pm The Void (2D/Horror) 9:00pm The Fate of The Furiours (2D/Action) 9:00 & 11:00pmUnforgettable (2D/Thriller) 11:30pm Ghost In The Shell (2D/Action) 11:30pm

TUESDAY 25 APRIL 2017

VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

CINEMA PLUS14

AL KHOR1971: Beyond Borders 11:15am & 5:15pm Oru Mexican Aparatha 2:15 & 8:15pmThe Fate of The Furious 12:30, 3:15, 6:00, 8:45 & 11:30pm The Baby Boss 11:00am, 1:15, 3:30 & 5:45pm The Great Father 8:00 & 11:00pm

ROXYThe Baby Boss 2:00, 4:00 & 6:00pm 1971: Beyond Borders 2:00, 4:45 & 7:30pm The Ghost In Shell 2:00, 8:00 & 10:15pm The Fate of The Furious 4:15, 7:00 & 9:45pm Oru Mexican Aparatha 2:00, 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pm

UNFORGETTABLE

ASIAN TOWNThe Great Father (Malayalam) 4:30 & 7:30pm 1971: Beyond Borders (Malayalam) 7:00 & 10:00pm Oru Mexican Aparatha 7:30, 9:30 & 10:30pm Baahubali (Malayalam) 10:30pm

CROSSWORD CONCEPTIS SUDOKU

ALL IN THE MIND

08:00 News08:30 Counting the

Cost09:00 Al Jazeera World10:30 Inside Story11:00 News11:30 The Stream12:00 News12:30 Wukan: China’s

Democracy Experiment

13:00 NEWSHOUR14:30 Inside Story15:00 Taliban Oil 16:00 NEWSHOUR17:00 News17:30 The Stream18:00 Newsgrid19:00 News19:30 TechKnow20:30 Inside Story21:00 NEWSHOUR22:00 News22:30 The Stream23:00 Al Jazeera World

13:00 Welcome To The Ronks

15:00 Bunk’d 15:25 Kirby

Buckets 15:50 Sunny

Bunnies17:10 Liv And

Maddie18:05 Stuck In

The Middle 18:30 Bunk’d 18:55 Bizaardvark 19:25 Alex & Co. 19:50 Jessie 20:15 Tsum Tsum

Shorts 20:20 Backstage 20:45 Austin & Ally 21:10 The Next Step21:35 Cracke 21:40 Disney The

Lodge 22:05 Girl Meets

World

13:15 Gibbons: Back In The Swing

13:45 Gator Boys14:40 North

America16:30 Snake

Sheila17:25 Meet The

Penguins17:50 Meet The

Penguins19:15 Wildlife SOS20:10 Wildest

Islands21:05 Meet The

Penguins22:55 Gator Boys23:50 Snake

Sheila00:45 Bondi Vet01:40 Pit Bulls &

Parolees02:35 Wildlife

SOS

13:05 How Do They Do It?

13:30 Storage Hunters

14:20 Gold Rush15:10 Marooned

With Ed Stafford

16:00 Railroad Australia

17:40 Street Outlaws

19:20 Marooned With Ed Stafford

20:10 Storage Hunters

22:40 Running Wild With Bear Grylls And President...

23:30 Fast N’ Loud

King Features Syndicate, Inc.

BRAIN TEASERSTUESDAY 25 APRIL 2017 15

Yesterday’s answer

Conceptis Sudoku: Conceptis Sudoku

is a number-placing puzzle based on a

9×9 grid. The object is to place the

numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so

that each row, each column and each

3×3 box contains the same number

only once.

ABSENCE, AMUSEMENT, BREAK,

CAPER, CAREFREE, DIVERSION,

ENJOYMENT, ENTERTAINMENT,

ESCAPADE, ESCAPISM,

EXCURSION, FESTIVITY, FIELD

DAY, FREE TIME, FREEWHEELING,

FROLIC, HOBBY, HOLIDAY,

HONEYMOON, JAUNT, JUNKET,

LEAVE, LEISURE, PASTIME,

PICNIC, PLAY, PLEASURE TRIP,

RECREATION, RELAXATION,

RESPITE, REST, SPARE TIME,

TIME OUT, UNWORRIED,

VACATION.