SUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 2017

CAMPUS | 3 BOLLYWOOD | 10

TNG Education Fiesta: An extravagant affair

Speech impairment not a subject

but reality: Rani Mukerji

A STROLL THROUGH

18TH CENTURY WILLIAMSBURG

Find your nostalgic fix at the restored 18th century Williamsburg, the capital of Virginia.

P | 4-5

CAMPUSSUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 2017 03

The 1st Quaid-e-Azam Inter School Under 12 Football Tournament was organised

by Pakistan International School Qatar. The final match was played between DPS Modern Indian School and Iranian School on December 14. Honourable chief guest, Jassim Ali, The Manger of Football Al Ahli Club; Principal of PISQ, Nargis Raza Otho; officials, coaches and staff members of respective schools attended the event. The core objective of the tournament was to increase posi-tive socialisation among different youths of the communities.

The tournament was played in two phases. In the first phase, league matches were played on December 7 at PISQ football ground. The teams were divided into two pools.

Each team consisted of 7 play-ers with 3 reserve players. The

duration of each match was 25 minutes. Based on a draw, one side was allowed to play maximum of 3 matches. In the second phase, tie match was played between PISQ Green and MES Indian School. PISQ Green won the match by 1-0.

The semifinal was played between Iranian School and PISQ Green. Iranian School won the semifinal match by 1-0. At last, the final match was played between DPS Modern Indian School and Ira-nian School. In the end, DPS-MIS

won the final match by 4-1. After the match, a grand prize distribu-tion ceremony was conducted.

Principal of PISQ conferred the Certificates of Merit to the Tourna-ment officials. Amanat Ullah as Jury members, Muhammad Anwar as Refree and Noor Hussain as Refree received their certificates.

Principal also awarded the par-ticipation certificates to the representatives of the teams who took part in the tournament.

The members of runner up

team also obtained their certifi-cates one by one from the Principal of PISQ.

Jassim Ali gave out awards of the Best Player of the tournament to Muqarab Khan, the Runner up trophy to the Iranian School and the Certificate of Participation to the members of the winning team. At the end, Jassim Ali awarded the 1st Quaid-e-Azam Inter School Under -12 Football Tournament Trophy to the winning team i.e. ‘DPS-MIS’.

1st Quaid-e-Azam interschool football tournament at PISQ

An evening of educational and creative activities, perform-ances, accolades, food and

games, was organised by The Next Generation on December 15 at the TNG-Ain Khalid campus. The sprawling campus was lit and dec-orated with Qatari flags and posters designed by the students. The Fiesta featured activities arranged by the educational insti-tutes, food, traditional clothes and fun- filled games.

My Gym and AnyTime Fitness conducted boot camp activities at

their stall entertaining children of all ages. A free blood, sugar and dental checkup stall was setup by Naseem Al Rabeeh Medical Centre.

Dr Atiya, a renowned pediatri-cian in Qatar, interacted with families talking about adopting a healthy lifestyle. Popular with children, Bricklyn LEGO, ‘Engi-neering for Kids and Science Made Fun’ activities became a major attraction for children of all ages.

Offering barbeque and scrump-tious savouries, food stalls

attracted the crowd to indulge in different cultural cuisines. At the announcement stall, teachers quizzed children and adults about Qatar history, sports and general knowledge for which food vouch-ers and prizes were awarded. Henna designing, jewellery and traditional designer dresses stalls were swarmed by the ladies.

Children cheered and enjoyed playing different fun- filled games at the game stalls

A cultural event was organised during the Fiesta where TNG

students performed on traditional songs of Qatar. Distinguished guests and dignitaries were invited to witness the program.

Fazal Saleh Ahmed from Com-munity Policing Department in Ministry of Interior and Commu-nity Welfare Attache, Hafiz Junaid Sial graced the occasion as the guest of honour.

The guests and representatives then signed a mural of Sheikh Tamim in a gesture of expressing solidarity with the country’s leadership.

TNG Education Fiesta: An extravagant affair

COVER STORY SUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 201704

The Washington Post

The pineapple-studded wreaths, oyster-shell-trimmed swags and apple fans are some of the highlights of the

annual holiday tours at 18th-cen-tury Colonial Williamsburg. They’re also the icons of what’s become known as the classic Williamsburg look.

But when tour guides drop the bomb that none of these decora-tions, nor the single candles lit in the windows at dusk, would have been there in the 1700s, visitors sometimes gasp.

“It’s a surprise to many, for sure,” says Jim Jolly, one of the interpret-ers who leads the seasonal walks through the streets that begin Thanksgiving week and end Janu-ary 1. Williamsburg, the restored 18th-century capital of Virginia, has

a festive air, with the scent of wood-burning fires and the sound of a fife-and-drum corps.

“We do a good job of getting peo-ple to feel like they’re in the 18th century, between the folks in cos-tume, the carriages riding by and the old shops,” Jolly adds. “So when folks see the decorations, they can easily think they were done that way in the 18th century.”

Very little documentation exists that the colonists who settled in Vir-ginia did any kind of festive decorating inside or outside their homes—no wreaths of dried okra and lemons, no door fans of pome-granates and lady apples.

In the 1920s, philanthropist John Rockefeller Jr and his wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, joined with the Rev William Goodwin, to begin restoring the town to its Colo-nial appearance. In the 1930s, tourists started coming to see the

progress being made in what was then just a handful of restored buildings. Around the holidays, vis-itors expected to find a little festive holiday spirit on the dark streets.

“In 1934, someone in the town put up a couple of evergreen coni-fer trees around the historic area and covered them in colored lights, which did not go over well,” says Carl Childs, director of the John D Rockefeller Jr Library and director of archives and records at Colonial Williamsburg. Officials involved with the restoration preferred to keep the look authentic and asked their researchers to look at what was done in the 1700s. They found that the festive season at that time was a religious celebration, not a decorating frenzy as it is today.

“The holidays in 18th-century Williamsburg were more low-key than we celebrate them today,” says Joseph Beatty, Colonial

Williamsburg’s director of research and interpretive education. “Peo-ple would go to church and have big meals and gather with families and friends. As far as decorations go, we are pretty confident that maybe a few people would put up a bit of greenery and hang mistle-toe inside, as was English custom, but that was it.”

Colonial Williamsburg officials realized there needed to be a com-promise between authenticity and modern expectations. First, they borrowed a practice of lighting sin-gle candles in the windows from a tradition already popular in some other Colonial cities. This also reflected the British custom of light-ing candles in honor of the king’s birthday. Back in the 1930s, the real lighted candles were placed in dishes of water in Williamsburg his-toric houses, but fear of fire meant round-the-clock surveillance. Soon,

The history of Williamsburg’s beloved, holiday decorations

COVER STORYSUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 2017 05

they switched to electric candles.

Outdoors, they decided to dis-play all-natural decorations using Virginia ingredients that would be familiar to a colonist living in the 1700s. They were inspired by Eng-lish traditions depicted in 18th-century paintings and prints that show greenery tucked in vases or window frames and also the Colonial-style revival in American decorative arts that was in vogue in the 1930s.

The decorations have evolved over time, and eventually fruit and greenery became the hallmark of the Williamsburg look. There are classes, books and You Tube vid-eos on how to achieve it. It has been copied in countless traditional East Coast homes, especially in historic Washington-area neighborhoods such as Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria, and featured in books and magazines.

Planning the decorations is a year-round process, says Laura Viancour, director of landscaping, who has worked there since 1982.

She supervises the design of hun-dreds of wreaths and swags, ordering materials, plus harvesting locally grown greens including Eastern red cedar, poet’s laurel, hemlock and magnolia, as well as berries. She and her staff, a dozen designers and eight carpenters, start at the end of September making dried arrangements; the first fresh ones are made the week before the installations begin.

The staff, with the help of vol-unteers, decorates exteriors of more than 100 sites, including exhibition buildings, trade shops, Colonial houses and taverns, for the six-week holiday period. Many of the 24 historical trades sites create their own door decorations represent-ing the shops, such as the wigmaker whose wreaths this year were dot-ted with tiny wigs and clay curlers, and the bindery, which hung rep-licas of 18th-century Virginia Gazettes rolled up into cones and waterproofed with paraffin and beeswax.

About 70 buildings are deco-rated by the residents who rent them, mostly Colonial Williamsburg employees, who promise to deck them for the holidays in a natural way using a list of approved mate-rials. Some get very creative: In 2015, one couple designed a win-dow wreath for their home in the historic area to celebrate the pre-miere of “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.” They had a tinsmith make two 18th-century-inspired lightsaber handles and fitted them with green and red taper candles, keeping within the rules.

Viancour says the decorations

with fruits must be changed out every other week to keep them looking crisp; they are also checked daily, and any repairs are made as needed. The popular apple fan, made using nails on a piece of ply-wood, is a favourite. “As soon as you impale that apple on the nail, decay begins,” Viancour says. Warm days, she says, hasten the rotting.

This year, the supply list included 2,552 wreaths, 4,450 yards of pine roping and 79 cases of fruit, including red and green apples, lem-ons, oranges and pomegranates. One particularly intricate 36-inch Della Robbia-style wreath at the Roscow Cole House has Osage oranges, pomegranates, lady apples and cot-ton bolls.

“Forty degrees is the ideal tem-perature for the decorations,” Viancour says. “It’s not good if it’s

too warm, and if it freezes at night and thaws out during the day, that’s not good, either.”

What would the people of the 18th century make of these decora-tions? “They would not believe that we would be putting perfectly good food outside,” Beatty says. “They would be amazed that we were sticking fruit on the door for squir-rels to eat.”

Colonial Williamsburg, a non-profit educational institution, is open daily. Admission ticket ($40.99 for a one-day adult ticket) is required to enter buildings and museums. The seasonal daily walking tours of hol-iday decorations may be purchased for $15, without buying a daily ticket. The streets of the restored area of Williamsburg are public streets, and you can walk there, although no cars are permitted during the day.

The decorations have evolved over time, and eventually fruit and greenery became the hallmark of the Williamsburg look.

CAMPUS SUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 201706

Qatar National Day was cele-brated by Rajagiri Public School with pomp and gai-

ety. The traditional Qatari dance and music were presented by students.

The student speakers high-lighted various aspects of the nation Qatar and its culture.

The whole Rajagiri family wore a special badge and waved the Qatari National Flag as they par-ticipated in the celebrations.

They all said in unison, ‘I Love Qatar.’

Zain M Masood, the care pro-gramme in charge, Qatar Diabetic Association, was the chief guest of

the day. He in his address wished Rajagiri community Happy National Day and expressed his appreciation for the fantastic celebration.

Ashraf PV, the Event Coordi-nator, Qatar Diabetic Association was the guest of honour.

Jinsu Aju, the management

representative was present on the occasion. The principal addressed the gathering.

He said that we all should be grateful to HH the Emir of Qatar and the father Emir for keeping Qatar the most peaceful and friendly country for all expatriates, especially the Indians.

Ideal Indian School bagged over-all Championship in the Cultural Competitions organised by Min-

istry of Interior for expatriate schools on the occasion of Qatar National Day.

It is for the sixth consecutive year that Ideal team won the title.

The school team comprising of 600 students from Boys, Girls and Junior Sections including Scouts and Guides unit took part in a series of cultural contests at Asian Town on December 18.

With 55 total points, IIS team bagged major positions in the con-tests in Thematic Parade, Songs, General Show and a thematic show titled “Qatar- Shine on” .

IIS team received a Trophy from Lt Mubarak Sharida Al Mutlaq, officer, Public Relation Department, Minis-try of Interior and other MOI officials. Principal, Syed Shoukath Ali lauded the efforts put in by the students and teachers and congratulated the team on their glorious victory.

Rajagiri Public School celebrates QND

Ideal Indian School wins QND contest

MARKETPLACESUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 2017 07

One of the year’s highlights for the Resort was being named a ‘Top 100 Luxury Resort

Worldwide 2017/2018’ and the ‘Best Luxury Family Island Resort Mid-dle-East 2017’ by the Hotel of the Year Awards. Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara also took home two highly regarded titles at the World Travel Awards; ‘Qatar’s Lead-ing Villa Resort 2017’, and ‘Qatar’s Leading Luxury Hotel Villa 2017’ for its Three-bedroom Over-water Villa.

In addition to being crowned the ‘World Luxury Spa Award 2017’, the Resort’s renowned Anantara Spa walked away with the ‘World’s Best Private Island Spa’ and ‘Qatar’s Best Hotel Spa’ titles at the 2017 World Spa Awards. Moreover, Anantara Spa earned Ohlala Spa & Wellness Award’s 2017 ‘Best Resort Spa & Weight loss program’ title.

As for its five-star dining venues, Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara’s Al Nahham Restaurant

was named ‘Unique restaurant of the year’ at the Luxury Travel Awards 2017, while the Fact Award 2017 crowned the Resort’s Azraq all day-dining Restaurant.

Commenting on the Resort’s achievements and trophies in 2017, Thomas Fehlbier, Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara’s Area General Manager-Qatar, said:

“2017 has been an incredible year

for Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara in many ways, and it def-initely marked yet another year of redefining luxury in Qatar. What made the year even more special was the recognition we received and the titles we earned from industry experts and at some of the world’s most eminent award ceremonies. This wealth of awards reflects the promise we have made to

our clientele to provide them with superior hospitality and the most tranquil and breathtaking resort and spa experience they will ever have. More importantly, the numerous tro-phies we won throughout the year makes us even more driven to con-tinue raising the bar in Qatar’s luxury resort landscape and bring our guests more unforgettable experi-ences in 2018 and beyond.”

Mercure Hotel will have var-ious promotions during this last week of Decem-

ber. At La Villa Restaurant on the 12th floor, for the nights of Decem-ber 24, 25 and 31, guests can book a table for a couple for QR398 for

a three-course set menu and get a free stay in a Superior Room with Breakfast included.

At La Brasserie Restaurant, there is a festive dinner buffet every evening until January 1, 2018 for just QR95 net with 50 percent for

children below 12 years. Buffet includes roasted turkey, lamb ouzi, grilled salmon, roasted beef, sea-food and for dessert yule log, mince pies, festive pudding, cookies, pan-ettone, including soup, appetizers, and much more.

Guests can also order a tradi-tional roasted turkey of 4 to 5 kilos for just QR480. At the Café Le Grand in the lobby, you can make a selection of cakes, yule logs, mince pies, breudher bread, mac-aroons, cupcakes and much more.

Awards galore for Banana Island Resort Doha

Several promotions at Mercure Hotel this week

FOOD SUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 201708

Bonnie S Benwick The Washington Post

There are plenty of peo-ple who cannot get behind the “Zen” of kitchen prep work, and I can understand that

even those who do find the chop-ping somewhat meditative would be hard-pressed to feel that way on a busy weeknight.

So here’s a recipe that involves seasoning, pouring and stirring. The only knife you’ll need is for cutting bite-size pieces at the table. Pan-sear chicken thighs, then stir in a tangy blend of mustard, cit-rus juice, honey and hot pepper sauce. The original recipe calls for fresh orange juice, but I love the extra zip that tangerine juice brings. You can typically find the latter in the refrigerated produce section these days.

About that chicken: You will

save a few bucks when you buy skin-on, bone-in thighs and do the butchering needed to render them skinless and boneless. (In that case, yes, you would need a knife to make this recipe.) It takes about a minute to pull off the skin, trim the fat and detach the thigh bone at two points; see a quick video on the Instagram account for #washpostlife.

Bonus: You’ll have bones for making stock, and skins to make gribenes. Toss them in the freezer, and they’ll be waiting for you.

4 servings, HealthyServe with thin green beans

(haricots verts).

Ingredients4 good-size boneless, skinless

chicken thighsSaltFreshly ground black pepper1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin

olive oil

3/4 cup fresh tangerine juice (may substitute fresh orange juice; see headnote)

3/4 cup no-salt-added chicken broth

1/4 cup whole-grain, spicy brown or Creole mustard

1 tablespoon honey1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

StepsSeason the chicken lightly on

both sides with the salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a nonstick skil-let over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the chicken; cook undisturbed for about 5 min-utes until browned, then turn them over on their second sides. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until just cooked through and browned. Use tongs to transfer the chicken thighs to a plate.

Pour the juice and broth into the pan (over medium-high heat); once the liquid starts bubbling,

cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Whisk in the mustard, honey and hot pepper sauce; once the mixture returns to a boil, cook for 5 to 7 minutes, to form a sauce that has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. You can stir once or twice to eliminate any scorching.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, then return the chicken to the skillet; Cook for about 1 minute, or just until the thighs are heated through, turning to coat them on both sides.

Divide the chicken among individual plates, then spoon the pan sauce over each portion. Serve hot.

Nutrition: Per serving: 260 calories, 29 g protein, 10 g carbo-hydrates, 11 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 130 mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 9 g sugar.

Chicken thighs with mustard-orange sauce

TRAVELSUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 2017 09

Travelling on a budget

Save $350 on Central Holiday’s

Treasures of Greece tour. With the

discount, the trip starts at $949

per person double and includes six

nights’ lodging in four locations; daily

breakfasts and three dinners; six tours

with entrance fees; motorcoach trans-

port with guide; and taxes. Depart

Saturdays through March 28. Info: cen-

t r a l h o l i d a y s . c o m / C o n s o r t i a /

winter-special.

Star Clippers is offer-

ing two free nights

of pre- or post-cruise

hotel accommodations on

select Mediterranean

cruises. For example,

book a five- or seven-

night cruise departing in

May, June, September

and October and receive

two nights with breakfast

at the Radisson Blu 1835

Hotel in Cannes, France.

The hotel rate typically

starts at about $600 for

two nights. Cruise fares

vary. For example, the

seven-night Star Flyer

cruise sailing round trip

from Cannes on June 9

starts at $1,690 per per-

son double, plus $270

port charges. Info

starclippers.com.

With Azamara Club Cruises, receive half-

off fares for the second guest sharing

a cabin and free WiFi, depending on

cabin category. The deal applies to select depar-

tures on or after May 5. For example, the

eight-night Iberian Passage Voyage departing

Lisbon on September 21 costs $3,786 for the

first passenger and $1,986 for the second guest,

including taxes. Also, book an oceanview or

higher stateroom and receive an unlimited Inter-

net package for one device (worth about $20

a day). Book by February 28 and use promo

code BOGOHO. Info: azamaraclubcruises.com.

Tripmasters is offering a deal on an independent trip to Costa Rica. The package

in mid-March, for example, starts at $978 per person double and includes round-

trip air from Washington to San Jose, Costa Rica; three nights at Casa Luna Hotel

& Spa, near the Arenal Volcano; three nights at El Faro Beach hotel, near Manuel Anto-

nio National Park; SUV car rental with manual transmission; and taxes. Priced separately,

the trip would cost about $125 more. Info: tripmasters.com.

BOLLYWOOD SUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 201710

IANS

Actress Rani Mukerji, who attended the trailer launch of her upcoming film

“Hichki”, says that “speech impairment” is not a subject but a reality that most people live with in real life.

When asked if talking about the speech impairment issue with the movie will help bring awareness, she said: “First of all, I would like to say this isn’t a subject but a part of many lives.”

“The people who suffer from the syndrome are challenged in every part of their lives. During research for the role, I met many kids who suf-fered from it and their parents, they haven’t been able to come out properly in India.

Rani Mukerji also informed that her perform-ance in the movie also comes from a very personal space as she used to stammer in her childhood.

“Hichki” traces the journey of a teacher who suffers from Turrets syndrome.

Students make fun of the side-effects of her disease and schools do not agree to hire her. Finally, she gets admitted to one of the schools

but has to deal with a set of municipal students who no one wants to teach.

Acclaimed Bollywood actor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui (pic-tured) will play the title

role of the late Shiv Sena founder-president Bal Thackeray in the upcoming biopic titled

“Thackeray”.Bollywood megastar Amitabh

Bachchan, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut attended the glit-tering launch function

“It’s truly a great day for me. I am fortunate to have got an opportunity to enact the role of such a great personality which any actor in the world would love to do. I am sure Balasaheb will inspire and bless me in this ven-ture,” said Nawazuddin in a video message since he was unable to attend the function as he is away shooting in Mauritius

The first promotional posters of the Hindi biopic - to be directed by Abhijit Panse - was unveiled by Uddhav Thackeray amidst a thunderous applause.

The film is scheduled for release on January 23, 2019, the

93rd birth anniversary of Thackeray.

Terming Bal Thackeray as “an unparalleled leader of the masses,” Raut - who has scripted the film for nearly four years - exuded confidence that the film would prove popular with the main-stream audiences.

“I had spent much time with Balasaheb, and have been asso-ciated with him for nearly four decades. I have a deep knowledge of his life and there are many aspects which shall be brought forth in the film,” he said.

Actor Akshay Kumar (pictured) says he and superstar Salman Khan couldnt work on “Kesari” together but he is making the film with filmmaker Karan Johar.

Akshay was present at the launch of PVR Icon with Kamal Gianchan-dani, CEO, PVR Pictures. Salman had teamed up with Akshay for a project in which the latter was to play the hero. Salman was to co-produce it with Karan. Asked to comment on Salman backing out of the project

“Kesari”, Akshay said: “Yes, we couldn’t do it. I am making the film with Karan Johar and that’s it.”

What’s the film’s progress?Akshay said: “The title has

been finalised as ‘Kesari’. I will start working on the film in Jan-uary. We will be continuously shooting for it.

“Kesari” will be based on Bat-tle of Saragarhi.

Asked about his latest movie clashing with Neeraj Pandey’s

“Aiyaary” at the box office on Jan-uary 26 next year, Akshay said:

“Both the films are absolutely dif-ferent from each other. Neeraj Pandey (director) is a dear friend.

“And, yes, this word ‘clash’ has actually come from media. We have no problem in releas-ing films. There are around 4,000-5,000 screens in India and my film is screened in 2,800 screens. I think it’s fair enough.”

Speech impairment not a subject but reality: Rani Mukerji

Nawazuddin Siddiqui to play Bal Thackeray in biopic

Couldn’t do ‘Kesari’ with Salman: Akshay Kumar

LIFESTYLESUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 2017 11

IANS

Beat the winter blues by painting your home in fresh, warm shades to

completely transform the space. Invest in organic ceramics, wool rugs, carpets, suggest experts. Team Jaypore and Tania Rogers, Senior Designer at HomeLane.com, have given a few ideas:

If you can’t choose a single colour for a room go for the col-our blocking trend. It is the perfect remedy to the winter blues and you can pick several contrasting shades together for an extra impact.

An uplifting tone that sits between turquoise and blue, teal is the perfect shade to use to give a room a brighter look. It works particularly well when combined with fresh white and looks fan-tastic with pale blonde wood, as can be seen here. The simple lines of the furniture give a mod-ern feel while the teal rug adds a decorative touch and links to the wall colour.

Paint your home in fresh, warm shades to completely transform the space. A warm tone that won’t feel cold in low light is perfect. You could try a dusky pink or a muted earthy tone for a warming lift.

Emphasize spaces by adding flower vases throughout your home. This provides instant cheer

and brings nature to you, even when it is too cold to go outside.

Glistening candlelight can turn the gloomy and cold Decem-ber nights into a comfy and intimate setting. Brass is the new copper especially when incorpo-rated into home decor in an overt way. It can be combined with natural and clean materials such as marble in kitchens and baths to create a cool, industrial aesthetic.

Get those beautiful rugs out. Create a welcoming entrance by covering up bare floors that are cold. A large, soft, but durable rug such as one made of nylon or acrylic, will withstand the heavy foot traffic and keep the entry feeling warm.

Dress up the windows! Block out chilly drafts by layering on window treatments. Thick dra-peries add volume, colour, style and warmth to any space.

While decor and accessories help in cosying up your home vis-ually, it’s important to entice other senses too. A fragrant bowl of potpourri, in a wintry scent such as cinnamon, pine needles, or evergreen will fill your home with seasonal cheer. Display the arrangement prominently on a mantel or as a casual table cen-tre piece. Include mirrors, lamps and metallic pieces. Items that bounce light are instant mood lifters in this chilly season.

Prep your home for cosy winter

SCIENCE SUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 201712

IANS

Researchers have found evi-dence to show that a Sun-like star 550 light years

from Earth is slowly consuming its “offspring”—crushing one or more planets in its orbit into vast clouds of gas and dust - like the ancient Greek god Cronus who devoured his children.

The discovery that the star, RZ Piscium—located in the constella-tion Pisces—is an insatiable “eater of worlds” was published in The Astronomical Journal.

The researchers found the star’s temperature to be about 5,330 degrees Celsius—only slightly cooler than our Sun’s.

The study also showed that the star could be relatively young.

Doomed worlds that fly too close to their sun—only to be ripped apart by its tidal forces—are offi-cially known as “disrupted planets.”

In the case of RZ Piscium, the mate-rial near the Sun-like star is being slowly pulled apart to create a small circle of debris about the same distance from the star as the planet Mercury’s orbit is from our sun, the study said.

In the study, the researchers

determined the gravitational strength near RZ Piscium’s surface and the observation helped shed light on the star’s radius and bright-ness, both of which suggest a young star in the midst of a freewheeling solar system with unstable planets.

The first observations of a merger between two far-away neutron stars, a

violent celestial event that gen-erated tiny ripples in the fabric of spacetime called gravita-tional waves, was the

“breakthrough of the year”, according to the journal Science.Although the two neutron stars spiralled together 130 million light years away, the event was sensed by enormous gravita-tional wave detectors on Earth.

Neutron stars are the dense, collapsed cores that remain after large stars die in a super-nova explosion.

Scientists made the first direct observation of the two neutron stars colliding on August 17.

Gravitational waves from the event first arrived at the twin Laser Interferometer

Gravitational-wave Observa-tory (LIGO) detectors, located in the US and the Virgo detec-tor, located near Pisa, Italy.

Seconds later, the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor on Nasa’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Tel-escope detected a short burst of gamma rays. This merger also triggered an explosion studied by hundreds of astron-omers around the world.

Researchers first picked up on gravitational waves over two years ago, when two massive black holes crashed into each other. This space tremor was detected by the LIGO, a discov-ery that won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics.

The discovery showed that gravitational waves offer a new way of observing the universe and a major tool for astronomers.

An analysis of ancient fossil microorganisms indicates that life on

Earth evolved very early on the planet’s history—at least about 3.5 billion years ago.

The microorganisms were found preserved in rocks from Western Australia.

Two of the species the researchers studied proba-bly performed a primitive form of photosynthesis, another apparently pro-duced methane gas, and two others consumed methane and used it to build their cell walls, suggests the study published in the journal Pro-ceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“By 3.465 billion years ago, life was already diverse on Earth,” said the study’s lead author William Schopf, Professor of Paleobiology at University of California.

“These are the first data that show the very diverse organisms at that time in Earth’s history and our pre-vious research has shown that there were sulfur users 3.4 billion years ago as well,” Schopf said. “This tells us life had to have begun substan-tially earlier and it confirms that it was not difficult for primitive life to form and to evolve into more advanced microorganisms,” Schopf added.

The evidence that a diverse group of organisms had already evolved extremely early in the Earth’s history strengthens the case for life existing elsewhere in the universe because it would be extremely unlikely that life formed quickly on Earth but did not arise any-where else, the study suggests.

Sun-like star found eating its own planetary offspring

Observation of two neutron stars merger ‘breakthrough of the year’

Oldest known fossil is 3.5 billion-year-old

TECHNOLOGYSUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 2017 13

The Washington Post

To accompany the release of “Coco,” Pixar and Facebook-owned Oculus produced

“Coco VR,” an experiential film that allows viewers to plunge into the movie’s Day of the Dead underworld in the emerging medium of virtual reality. For the past few weeks the roughly 15-minute film has been available free on a number of VR headset platforms, as Disney dips into waters that other studios - particularly new subsidiary Fox - have already jumped in.

It is Pixar’s first foray into VR. (Disney has had some nascent efforts.) The results could be a key indicator of the fate of a much-touted VR entertainment revolution - and whether legacy firms like Pixar will be behind it.

The first-person multiplayer film allows users both to wander through and ride a train around the underworld - think of it as a really interac-tive bonus DVD. While playing “Coco VR” viewers can detour into side-room art galleries and pub-lic-plaza concerts alongside film characters such as Hector and Ceci. Users can also try on differ-ent costumes and pop off (and on) characters’ heads. There are a number of Easter eggs aimed at rewarding multiple uses.

Maybe most consequential is the networked aspect. “Coco VR” is meant to be experienced in tandem with another user, with two people able

to walk alongside and talk with each other in VR no matter how far apart they are in real life.

Oculus, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014, has recalibrated its content efforts after earlier this year disbanding Oculus Story Studio, the Emmy-winning unit that was made up of, yes, former Pixar artists. The company says it wants to keep funding stories but wants to work with outside partners more often, including Dis-ney, under an umbrella deal, as well as start-ups like the Canadian pioneers Felix & Paul Studios, whose new work will be showcased at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival.

“We don’t think of it as farming out,” said Colum Slevin, the head of experiences at Ocu-lus VR, when asked about the new direction. Oculus’ philosophy speaks to one of the busi-ness dilemmas facing VR content: Will it be led

by startups, Silicon Valley giants, Hollywood behemoths or some combination of the three?

It also remains an open question whether consumers will be more interested in original material or the branded marketing-oriented con-tent of “Coco VR.” Pixar’s Sondheimer is candid that one of the goals of the project is “to get butts in seats.”

Both Pixar and Oculus are mum on costs and the tally of downloads of “Coco VR” so far. VR has been plagued by low penetration of head-sets; content, which once lagged behind the technology, now has moved far beyond the abil-ity of many people to consume it.

Still, Pixar executives said they’d like to con-tinue exploring potential VR spinoffs for its upcoming slate, which includes new installments in the “Toy Story” and “Incredibles” series.

Oculus’ philosophy speaks to one of the business dilemmas facing VR content: Will it be led by startups, Silicon Valley giants, Hollywood behemoths or some combination of the three?

Amazon brings web browsing to Fire TV

Pixar’s quiet attempt to tackle a new medium

IANS

Amazon rolled out Mozilla Firefox and Amazon Silk browsers on all Amazon Fire TV devices in over

100 countries and territories.With this, customers can now access

the World Wide Web (www) including popular sites as well as local and inter-national news sites, video sharing services, cloud photo sites and other social news, sports and entertainment content.

“We want to make it easy for custom-ers to access the Web from the comfort of their couch,” said Marc Whitten, Vice President, Amazon Fire TV and Appstore.

Mark Mayo, Senior Vice President of Firefox, said: “Bringing Firefox to Fire TV is an exciting new way to reach our users and serve up more of the full web to everyone.”

With Fire TV, customers already have access to more than 500,000 mov-ies and TV shows.

BABY BLUES

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE

The life of Saji Thomas, a differently-able man from Kerala. It

showcases how Saji, who had speech and hearing impairment,

fought all odds and built a lightweight aircraft from recycled

materials without any external support.Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice.

VILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

SUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 2017CINEMA PLUS14NOVO — Pearl

Tiger Zinda Hai (2D/Hindi) 10:00am, 1:30, 5:00, 8:30pm & 12:00midnight Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (Action) 2D 10:30am, 12:15, 12:45, 3:00, 4:45, 5:15, 7:00, 7:30, 9:15, 9:45, 11:30pm & 12:00midnight 3D 10:00am & 2:30pmThe Paddington 2 (2D/Animation) 10:15am, 2:45, 7:15 & 11:45pm Coco (2D/Animation) 12:30, 5:00 & 9:30pmShantet Hamza (2D/Arabic) 10:00am, 2:00, 6:00 & 10:00pmFather Figures (2D/Comedy) 10:00am, 12:15, 2:30, 4:45, 7:00, 9:15 & 11:30pmStar Wars: The Last Jedi 2 (2D/Action) 11:30am, 2:30, 5:30, 8:30 & 11:30pm Ferdinand (2D/Animation) 10:15am, 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:15, 9:30 & 11:45pmStar Wars: The Last Jedi 2 (2D IMAX/Animation) 10:30am, 1:30, 4:30, 7:30 & 10:30pmJumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2D/Action) 12:00noon, 2:45, 5:30, 8:15 & 11:00pm

MALL

LANDMARK

ROYAL PLAZA

ROXY

ASIAN TOWNVimanam (Malayalam) 7:00, 8:45 & 10:00pm Velaikkaran (Tamil) 6:30pm MCA (Telugu) 6:00pmSakka Podu Posu Raja (Tamil) 9:30pm Tiger Zinda Hai (Hindi) 7:00 & 10:15pm

AL KHORFerdinand (2D/Animation) 10:30am, 3:00 & 8:45pm Jumanji (2D/Animation) 12:45, 6:15 & 11:45pm Velaikkaran (Tamil) 11:45am, 3:15, 5:30, 8:45 & 11:15pm Tiger Zinda Hai (2D/Hindi) 1:00, 4:15, 7:30 & 10:45pm

VIMANAM

Ferdinand (2D/Animation) 2:00 & 4:00pm Tiger Zinda Hai (2D/Hindi) 2:30, 5:30, 8:30 & 11:15pm Hello (Telugu) 4:45pm Shantet Hamza (2D/Arabic) 6:00pm Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2D/Animation) 2:30pmSweet Virginia (2D/Drama) 9:45pm Father Figures (2D/Comedy) 11:30pm Sakka Podu Posu Raja (2D/Tamil) 11:30pm

Ferdinand (2D/Animation) 10:30am, 12:50, 3:10 & 5:30pm Tiger Zinda Hai (Hindi) 10:30am, 1:45, 4:10, 5:00, 8:15, 10:20 & 11:30pm MCA (Telugu) 10:30am, 1:20 & 9:30pm Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (Animation) 10:30am, 1:00, 3:30, 6:00, 8:30 & 11:00pm Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Action) 7:50 & 10:50pm

Tiger Zinda Hai (2D/Hindi) 2:00, 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pm Ferdinand (2D/Animation) 2:15 & 6:00pm Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2D/Animation) 4:00, 8:00 & 11:30pmMCA (2D/Telugu) 2:00pm Father Figures (2D/Comedy) 4:30pm Rangreza (2D/Comedy) 6:30pm Shantet Hamza (2D/Arabic) 10:00pm Vimanam (2D/Malayalam) 9:30pm Velaikkaran (Tamil) 11:30pm

Tiger Zinda Hai (2D/Hindi) 2:15, 5:00, 8:00 & 11:00pm Ferdinand (2D/Animation) 2:15 & 4:00pm MCA (2D/Telugu) 2:15pm Vimanam (2D/Malayalam) 8:45pmJumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2D/Animation) 6:00, 8:00 & 11:30pmRangreza (2D/Comedy) 4:45pm Shantet Hamza (2D/Arabic) 10:00pm Sweet Virginia (2D/Drama) 7:15pm Velaikkaran (Tamil) 11:15pm

CROSSWORD CONCEPTIS SUDOKU

ALL IN THE MIND

08:00 News 08:30 People & Power 09:00 Iraq: A Deadly

Deception 10:30 Inside Story 11:00 News 11:30 Talk To Al

Jazeera 12:30 TechKnow 13:00 NEWSHOUR 14:00 News 14:30 Inside Story 15:00 Al Jazeera

World 16:00 NEWSHOUR 17:30 The Listening

Post 18:00 Newsgrid 19:30 101 East 20:00 News 20:30 Inside Story 21:00 NEWSHOUR 22:00 News 22:30 Talk To Al

Jazeera

13:00 Bunk’d15:05 Miraculous

Tales Of Ladybug And Cat Noir

15:30 Bizaardvark 15:55 Elena Of

Avalor17:00 Tangled:

The Series 17:50 K.C.

Undercover 20:05 Star Wars

Forces Of Destiny

20:10 Miraculous Tales Of Ladybug And Cat Noir

20:35 Disney The Lodge

21:00 Alex & Co. 22:15 Lolirock22:40 Evermoor

Chronicles

13:50 Australia Doesn’t Just Want To Kill You

14:45 Keeping Up With The Kruger

15:40 Wildest Africa

17:30 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner

18:50 Shamwari: A Wild Life

19:20 Monsters Inside Me

20:15 Alaska Monsters

21:10 North Woods Law

22:05 Wildest Islands Of Indonesia

13:10 Alaska: The Last Frontier

14:40 Gold Divers15:25 Misfit

Garage16:10 Street

Outlaws17:50 Extreme

Collectors18:20 Container

Wars18:50 Deadliest

Catch21:00 Diesel

Brothers21:50 Super-

truckers22:40 What On

Earth?23:30 Misfit

Garage00:20 Street

Outlaws01:05 Diesel

Brothers

King Features Syndicate, Inc.

BRAIN TEASERSSUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 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.

ABOUT, ABOVE, ABUTTING,

ACROSS, ADJACENT,

ADJOINING, ADVANCE,

AROUND, ASCENDING,

BACKWARDS, BELOW,

BENEATH, CIRCLE,

CONTIGUOUS, DECLINE,

DECREASE, DESCENDING,

DIAGONAL, DOWN, EAST,

EBBING, FALLING, FLOWING,

FORWARDS, HIGHER,

HORIZONTAL, INCLINE,

INCREASE, INSIDE, LEFT,

LOWER, NEXT TO, NORTH,

OUTSIDE, OVER, RETREAT,

REVERSE, RIGHT, RISING,

SOUTH, THROUGH, UNDER, UP,

VERTICAL, VIA, WANING,

WAXING, WEST.