‘Brangelina’ reach stop-gap deal over kids

MARKETPLACE | 07 FASHION | 09 ENTERTAINMENT | 11

Stars line up for debut of Dior’s first

female designer

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SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2016 @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatarEmail: dohatoday@pen.com.qa thepeninsulaqatar

Blue Salon holds event for men’s fashion

brand ISAIA

Women in an eastern province of Afghanistan describe how the Taliban treated them. They narrate more sordid tales of the time the Islamic State dislodged the Taliban and took over the province.

BETWEEN IS & TALIBAN P | 4-5

| 03SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2016

COMMUNITY

A farewell party was organised by Indian Women’s Association (IWA) for their outgoing patron Chaya Arora at Shangri-La Hotel. IWA Vice-President

Renu Malhotra along with managing committee members handed over a bouquet and thanked her for being there as a great mentor and guide, wishing her

a wonderful life ahead. She will always be remembered with love and warmth.

The Peninsula

Divya Chowdhary, a versatile Od-

yssey dancer has taken over as

Odyssey teacher from Shiley

Chatterjee, who has just relo-

cated back to India.

Divya has been dancing since she

was eight years old. She was involved

in Bollywood, tango, waltz, rumba, sal-

sa, and merengue.

Divya became a disciple of Dr.

Aparupa Chatterjee, an eminent od-

yssey dancer, in June 2012. Over the

years, she has undertaken inten-

sive Odyssey workshops with em-

inent artists. Divya is a member

and Principal of the Odyssey Dance

Company (ODC).

Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) current-

ly offers classes at nominal rates and

under the supervision of experienced

teachers on Indian classical, western

and Odyssey dances, Karate, Yoga and

Chess.

ICC has announced two more class-

es on the list. Free music classes for

the differently-abled children of Indian

community and Kalari (Kerala martial

art) classes at its premises. ICC said it is

honoured to have Ismail These Othayo-

th, a well-qualified and chief instructor

of martial arts as the trainer.

New Odyssey teacher takes over at Indian Cultural Centre

NU-Q alumnus narrates his experience at Al Jazeera ArabicThe Peninsula

Jassim Al Rumaihi (pictured), a

senior producer at Al Jazeera Ara-

bic, spoke to a room full of aspiring

communication professionals, fac-

ulty, and staff about his career journey to

working with a leading media network.

Al Rumaihi — an NU-Q alumnus —

spoke about his passion for journalism,

which he said began at a young age when

he was reporting from the sidelines on Al

Gharafa football club’s activities.

Since joining Al Jazeera, Al Rumaihi

has been sent as a correspondent to a

number of countries, including Nepal to

cover the 2014 earthquake, Tunisia to cov-

er the parliamentary elections, and Sau-

di Arabia, where he reported on the war

in Yemen. “Several NU-Q students have

pursued careers within the different en-

tities under Al Jazeera, namely Jeem TV

Channel and Al Jazeera English. Speaking

to some of the managers at the network

on our students’ performance, we have

been told that NU-Q students work hard-

er and dig deeper for news stories, and

that’s really what sets them apart,” said

Everette E Dennis, dean and CEO.

NU-Q established a partnership with

Al Jazeera in 2013 and has held the AJ

Speaker Series each year, hosting sever-

al renowned media professionals from

the network. “Before joining NU-Q, I nev-

er dreamed I would speak in front of a live

audience, let alone work at Al Jazeera as

a producer and reporter. However, thanks

to the training and support I received at

the university, I was skilled enough to ap-

ply for an opportunity to work with Al

Jazeera.

COVER STORY

04 | SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2016

From Taliban frying pan to IS fireBy Heather Barr

Foreign Policy

Gales of laughter greeted

my question: “So, which is

worse, ISIS or the Taliban?”

I was speaking to a room

full of women who had recently fled

areas in Afghanistan’s eastern Nan-

garhar province controlled by groups

claiming allegiance to the Islamic

State. But they didn’t laugh for long.

“ISIS is worse,” one said. “They kill

boys, girls, women, men — every-

one.”

The life these women described

in Islamic State-controlled areas of

Nangarhar was so bad they sound-

ed almost nostalgic for those ear-

lier years spent under the Taliban’s

thumb. While the Taliban’s abuses

were extreme — and deeply resent-

ed — the Islamic State has brought

a whole new level of suffering to vil-

lagers already expert at ranking hurt

during Afghanistan’s 38 years of

conflict.

Rumours of the Islamic State’s

presence in Afghanistan first be-

gan to surface in 2014, and initial-

ly appeared exaggerated. In early

2015, however, the Islamic State an-

nounced plans to expand into what

it calls “Khorasan,” an area that in-

cludes regions of both Pakistan and

Afghanistan. As of mid-2016, the Is-

lamic State’s efforts to establish it-

self in other parts of Afghanistan

have in large part failed, but the

group now controls significant por-

tions of four districts of Nangarhar

province, which borders Pakistan.

When the Islamic State first

popped up in Afghanistan, its fight-

ers formed an uneasy alliance with

the Taliban, based on a shared op-

position to the US-backed govern-

ment of President Ashraf Ghani.

Some Islamic State recruits were de-

fectors from the Taliban, still bound

by the complex webs of kinship and

rivalry that see some Afghan fami-

lies with one foot in the government

and one in the insurgency. The re-

lationship quickly soured, however;

the Taliban came to see the Islam-

ic State as a threat, and increasing-

ly violent clashes erupted between

the two groups.

The Taliban and Islamic State

have fundamentally different objec-

tives. The Taliban consistently artic-

ulates goals that solely pertain to its

quest to regain control of Afghani-

stan. As the group’s leader wrote on

Sept. 9, 2016:

“[O]ur country has been invaded

and an anti-Islamic, subservient and

surrogate regime has been imposed

on us by dent [sic] of tanks, artill-

eries and bomber aircrafts against

the wishes of our religion and in-

dependence-loving and independ-

ent thought-loving people. An Is-

lamic system and independence of

our country is our human and reli-

gious right.”

This is in sharp contrast to the

global ambitions of the Islamic

State, which announced the estab-

lishment of its own, global caliphate

and called on all Muslims to pledge

allegiance to its leader. As Borhan

Osman, an Afghan analyst, observed,

the Taliban has welcomed foreign

militants on the condition that they

obey the Taliban on Afghan soil, but

Islamic State “is an organisation

claiming jihadist supremacy over all

militant groups in the world, and

would be very unlikely to listen to

the Taliban.”

It is somewhat unclear how Nan-

garhar fits into the Islamic State’s

goals of global domination. In inter-

views, villagers who have encoun-

tered Islamic State fighters said that

they described a plan to overthrow

Afghanistan’s government and re-

name the country Khorasan. Oth-

ers suggested that the Islamic State

sees Afghanistan as a platform for

launching operations in Central Asia,

and pointed to the presence of fight-

ers from Central Asia among the

group’s ranks in Nangarhar.

Women from the Islamic State-

controlled areas of the province said

their families had refused to budge

from their villages through years of

intermittent fighting between the

Taliban and the government, and

had clung on despite Taliban threats

and abuses, only to be dislodged by

the Islamic State.

“We came to Jalalabad two

months ago,” said Mariam, a 45-year-

old mother of 10 whose name has

been changed to protect her safe-

ty, referring to the provincial capital.

Afghan children who fled their homes in eastern Nangarhar province, following threats from the Islamic State, are

shown at a temporary shelter in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, in 2015.

An artillery shell is fired during clashes between Afghan security forces and militants

in Kot district of Nangarhar province.

COVER STORY

| 05SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2016

“My children are students but [the

Islamic State doesn’t] let them go

to school. The school closed three

months ago. They left letters threat-

ening the school and also bombs.”

Mariam said that the Islamic State

left night letters telling parents not

to send any children to school and

ordering villagers to stop going to

the mosque to pray. “Then they put

a bomb and blasted it [near the

school early one morning],” she said.

“The people of the village found the

bomb and called the police.” Be-

fore the police arrived, however, the

bomb exploded, she said, fortunate-

ly without injuries.

Afghans who have lived un-

der the Islamic State described fre-

quent violence: shootings, behead-

ings, and bombings. The group has

sometimes targeted people associ-

ated with the government; other vi-

olence is seemingly random. “My sis-

ter’s 18-year-old son was beheaded,”

an elderly man told me. “People said

he was a spy. He was just a farmer.”

“They killed one or two people

daily in our village,” one woman said.

“Mostly people working for the gov-

ernment.” There were reports of

men, women, and children being ab-

ducted. A few were ransomed; most

were never heard from again.

Daily life all but stopped. “ISIS

made women sit in the home,” one

woman said. “If you go out they will

kidnap you. No one could go out, not

even to the nearest shop.” Anoth-

er said that in her village the mullah

even stopped leading prayers at the

mosque out of fear.

The Islamic State forces villagers

to work for them. “We cooked for

ISIS, we were forced to — then they

wouldn’t harm us,” one woman said.

They described schools sitting empty.

Teachers were threatened into stay-

ing home, or faced with demands

they “donate” their salaries to the Is-

lamic State. At first some parents still

sent their children to class, but the

situation worsened until there was

effectively no school to attend.

Before the Islamic State, schools

faced different threats. “The Taliban

only had problems with girls,” one

woman said. “Girls’ schools were

open, but only up to eighth grade.”

The Taliban had emerged in her vil-

lage five or six years earlier and tried

to close all girls’ schools, but the

community managed to resist and

keep some open, she said. A wom-

an from another village described an

acid attack by the Taliban there that

injured seven or eight girls as they

walked to school, prompting many

girls — including her daughter — to

drop out.

In Jalalabad, which remains un-

der the control of the Afghan gov-

ernment, in spite of worsening secu-

rity the women are able to educate

their children. The government’s de-

partment of education has been

flexible about allowing parents

to register their children in a new

school even if they lack the official

transfer letter normally required.

“They know the situation,” one moth-

er said. “The school was closed but

we had the principal or teacher sign

a paper. They just wrote on simple

paper, and the department of edu-

cation accepted it.”

Access to education is one bright

spot in their otherwise miserable or-

deal for people torn away from their

homes, jobs, and land they strug-

gle to survive in an expensive city.

“We are happy our daughters go to

school here,” one mother said. “I

want my daughter to graduate from

university and become a doctor.”

Their future is uncertain. When

we spoke at the end of July, the Af-

ghan and US militaries were fight-

ing to try to clear the Islamic State

from parts of Nangarhar. The Unit-

ed States said it killed up to 300 Is-

lamic State fighters in the operation.

Media reports from late Septem-

ber, however, suggested that Islamic

State fighters were retaking territory.

For displaced parents, being able

to educate their children may be a

strong push not to go home. “If the

situation remains bad in our village,

we will not leave Jalalabad,” one

woman said. “We like it here be-

cause our girls can continue school

easily. We are trying to find a job

here. We will continue their school.

We will never stop. We want our chil-

dren to get more education.”

Security forces take up position during an operation against fighters from the Taliban and the Islamic State (IS) in the Achin

district of Nangarhar province.

An internally displaced Afghan family flees their home after clashes in

eastern Nangarhar province.

CAMPUS / COMMUNITY

06 | SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2016

The Peninsula

As a part of its commitment

towards community service,

Al Jazeera Printing Press Co

LLC held a blood donation

drive on September 27 at its premises.

The effort, in collaboration with Ha-

mad Medical Corporation (HMC), in-

volved approximately 100 staff mem-

bers from. Jacob Kannath, Director of

Al Jazeera, said: “As a growing organi-

sation, it is part of our duty to edu-

cate staff about the importance of

blood donation which saves lives”. He

also thanked all donors as well as HMC

staff who supported the campaign.

About 100 Al Jazeera Printing Press staff donate blood

King’s College Doha opens doors to students

The Peninsula

Sunday, September 18 saw the

much anticipated opening of

King’s College Doha (KCD). A

capacity crowd of parents and

children passed through the doors into

the newly refurbished school to their

first assembly with Headmaster Nicho-

las Gunn in the impressive central atri-

um.

The parents and children were wel-

comed at the entrance by a friend-

ly and experienced school leadership

team which introduced them to their

new classes and teachers.

The close ties with the UK school

were immediately evident, with chil-

dren beautifully dressed in uniform

matching that of King’s Hall in the UK

and lessons already mirroring those

that would be taking place at their

sister school in the United Kingdom.

Ajay Sharma, British Ambassador-

to Qatar says: “I am delighted to con-

gratulate the staff, pupils and parents of

King’s College Doha on the opening of

the new school. This is a wonderful ex-

ample of education collaboration, and

I am pleased that the British Embas-

sy and the Department of Internation-

al Trade in Qatar have supported the

school to achieve this excellent outcome.

This is a sector which I firmly believe of-

fers the UK and Qatar many exciting op-

portunities and will help strengthen the

important relationship between our two

countries for generations to come.”

Headmaster Gunn, said “this was

an incredibly exciting day for us. After

months of planning and preparation,

it was amazing to see children final-

ly walking through our doors, beauti-

fully dressed in our KCD uniform. More

amazing was to then see them leave at

the end of the day with broad smiles

on their faces, eager to come back

again in the morning.

All my interactions with parents to

date have demonstrated how support-

ive they are and Sunday was no ex-

ception. It was great to see so many

parents joining our first assembly and

staying on afterwards for a coffee —

we are already starting to develop a

strong sense of KCD community. All my

staff have worked remarkably hard to

get us ready for our opening and we

are now all looking forward to building

on the success of our first day during

the rest of this term”.

The children were obviously excited

to get involved in the kaleidoscope of

activities on offer throughout the day

ranging from interactive, multimedia

lessons to a full range of sports, arts

and crafts. The buildings were finished

on schedule and the 5-Star feel has set

the bar for schools in Doha.

The school is aiming to run a series

of open days this term for parents.

MARKETPLACE

| 07SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2016

Breast cancer awareness by InterContinental Doha The City The Peninsula

This October, InterContinental

Doha The City will host several

activities in order to bring

more support to the worldwide

campaign of Breast Cancer Awareness.

A lavish pink afternoon tea party was

held at The Bridge, InterContinental

Doha The City on September 27 to

kick off the activities. Media, bloggers

and influencers gathered around to

taste the savoury items and sweet

treats presented as a preview of the

Pink Afternoon Tea that will be served

during the month of October at the

hotel’s Lobby Lounge.

A presentation about the

importance of regular screening and

early detection of breast cancer was

given by Nancy Ala ‘Eddin, Director

of Marketing of the Breast and Bowel

Screening Programme, an initiative

by the PHCC. In the lecture Nancy

said that the survival rate from breast

cancer is nearly 100 per cent when it is

detected at an early stage

“Breast cancer awareness is

an important initiative and one

which InterContinental Doha The

City supports greatly,” said Pascal

Eggerstedt, General Manager. “Though

many people are aware of what it

is, not many people know about the

importance of early detection and

screening and that is what we are

trying to help inform our guests about

through our various Pink- themed

activities. Our team members will

also be taking advantage of the free

screening programme offered.”

Together with the Breast and Bowel

Screening Programme and Qatar

Cancer Society, InterContinental Doha

The City aims to not only entertain

the guests with pink activities, but

also educate them on the importance

of early detection and the different

initiatives and programmes available

in the country.

InterContinental Doha The City is

set to paint the town pink with its many

activities, from Pink Afternoon Tea and

unique pink treats at the Lobby Lounge,

to an extravagant Pink Bar Squared

Brunch at The Square on October 21. A

new exclusive pink mocktail menu will

be offered at Al Jalsa, and even more

exciting Pink Wednesdays at Strata are

planned with designer pink bags being

given away in a raffle draw every week.

For reservations and enquiries, call

+974 4015 8888 or email icdohatc.

reservations@ihg.com for room

bookings and doharestaurants@ihg.

com for dining reservations.

Blue Salon holds event for men’s fashion brand ISAIAThe Peninsula

Blue Salon, one of Qatar’s leading de-

partment stores specialising in exclu-

sive retrail luxury goods and covet-

ed fashion brands, is hosting a made-

to-measure event for ISAIA, Italian high-class

men’s fashion brand. The event, which is to take

place between today and October 5, aims to

create a one-of-a-kind experience for the ISAIA

man, and to highlight the brand’s latest collec-

tion. Gianluca Rubino, ISAIA’s director of Made-

to-Measure and Bespoke operations worldwide,

will be present throughout the event to elevate

the MTM experience. ISAIA is a successful fam-

ily enterprise that has been transformed in time

into an international business model. The luxu-

ry brand was born in Naples in the 20’s under

the helm of Enrico Isaia, head of the homony-

mous family, who opened a shop with luxury

drapery destined to the most renowned tailor-

ing in the city. Today, ISAIA is a company that

counts more than 200 employees and is man-

aged by its third family generation: Gianluca,

Enrico, Massimiliano and Alessandra Isaia.

FOOD

08 | SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2016

By Ellie Krieger

The Washington Post

These easy snowballs offer a portable pop of

energy wherever and whenever you need it.

Their sweetness provides an immediate pick-

me-up with no refined sugar, thanks to the use

of dates, which offer not only inherent sweetness and

the stickiness that binds everything together, but also

fiber, potassium and essential minerals. (I am partial

to the plump Medjool variety, but any type will work.)

The one-bite wonders provide more sustained

energy by way of the sunflower seeds that provide

satisfying bits of crunchiness, plus protein, fiber and

healthful fat, in a school-cafeteria-friendly, nut-free

way. Shredded coconut gives them a tropical chew,

and fragrant hints of cinnamon and orange zest lend

layers of aromatic flavour.

They are perfectly portioned and will keep for two

to three weeks in the refrigerator and up to three days

at room temperature - just right for putting in a lunch-

box, keeping at work or stashing in your gym bag.

Date-Coconut Energy Balls6 servings (makes 12 pieces), Healthy

MAKE AHEAD: The balls can be refrigerated in an

airtight container for 2 to 3 weeks or in the container

at room temperature for up to 3 days.

From nutritionist and cookbook author Ellie

Krieger.

Ingredients

8 ounces pitted dates (about 13 large Medjool)

1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1/8 teaspoon salt

Water (optional)

Steps:

Combine the dates, sunflower seeds, 2 table-

spoons of the coconut, the cinnamon, orange zest and

salt in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped

and a pinch of the mixture holds together. Depend-

ing on the moisture level of your dates, you may need

to add water to the food processor, 1 tablespoon at a

time, until the mixture adheres easily.

Place the remaining coconut in a bowl.

Divide the date mixture into 12 equal portions

(slightly rounded tablespoons), then roll each one in-

to a ball. Transfer to the coconut to coat them all over,

pressing as needed so the coconut adheres. Dampen

the balls with a little water, as needed, to help that ef-

fort.

Serve, or store as you like.

Nutrition | Per serving (using 1/4 cup shredded coconut): 210 calories, 3g protein, 41g carbohy-drates, 6g fat, 2g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 50 mg sodium, 5g dietary fiber, 35g sugar.

Delivering a perfect portion of portable pep

FASHION

| 09SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2016

Stars line up for debut of Dior’s first female designer

By THOMAS ADAMSON

AP

Rihanna and Natalie Portman

dressed to the nines. Jenni-

fer Lawrence opted for jeans.

And most of the stars passed

unnoticed amid the sea of celebrities

awash inside Paris’ Rodin Museum on

Friday.

The great equalizer for them all was

a chance to glimpse one of the year’s

biggest fashion spectacles: the huge-

ly-awaited debut from Christian Dior’s

first female designer.

But were the high expectations

met?

Here are the highlights of Friday’s

Spring-Summer 2017 ready-to-wear

collections.

CHRISTIAN DIOR’S “NEW LEXICON”

Being the first woman in history

to head up one of the most influen-

tial dressers of women in history, Mar-

ia Grazia Chiuri certainly had to make

a statement during her first Dior show.

Make it she did.

Most debuts at storied fashion la-

bels pay homage to the house DNA —

and this should especially be the case

at grand Dior, which saved post-war

French fashion with 1947’s ground-

breaking “New Look.”

But in Friday’s show, Grazia Chiu-

ri, the former Valentino designer, was

having none of it.

Gone were the references to the

famed Bar Jacket, the full, thick A-line

skirt, and any flavors of the post-War

style.

In its place was what the program

notes termed a whole “new lexicon” of

style, and Grazia Chiuri did indeed give

the collection her unique stamp.

Sadly, the designs themselves fell

a little flat and not sufficiently vibrant

to live up to the bold move away from

the DNA.

To her credit, Grazia Chiuri made

a creative attempt to explore gender

boundaries by channeling the uni-

forms of fencers with quilted em-

broidered combat jackets, cropped

sporty pants and, yes, high fash-

ion sneakers and knee-high sneak-

er boots.

It was an intelligent way of high-

lighting the concept of gender in the

Dior show — given greater resonance

by the fact she’s the first woman de-

signing at the house.

The gender musing continued in di-

aphanous tulle corsets that were de-

scribed as “unoppressive” because of

their loose fit.

But there was simply too much rep-

etition in the 64-piece collection.

The styles felt a little low-energy

because of a pared-down color palette

— and where detailing and embroider-

ies emerged they came across a little

saccharine.

One look, a black dotted tulle and

lace top, looked visually incoherent

against sporty white crisp menswear

pants and white strap sandals.

Nevertheless, the designer should

be praised for the ambitious effort to

liberate herself creatively and to re-

work the Dior aesthetic.

MILLA JOVOVICH LIKES CHANGE

“Fifth Element” star and veteran

model Milla Jovovich says the spate of

new designers at the helm of Hermes,

Lanvin, Saint Laurent and now Chris-

tian Dior is a “great thing”

“Anytime you’ve got fresh air into a

really amazing old house, it’s always

fun. It’s nice to have this new gener-

ation,” the stunning 40-year-old said

from the front row at the Dior show.

“Dior took quite a long time to

choose the new person, for obvious

reasons. They’re such an important

house. And Maria (Grazia Chiuri), I’m

sure, is going to do a great job,” Jovov-

ich added.

ISABEL MARANT ROCKS BACK TO THE

80s

Isabel Marant dived into a refer-

ence book about the 1980s for her typ-

ically sexy spring-summer display.

High, tight waists led the eye to

round, voluminous shoulders and

oversize sleeves worn by some of the

moment’s hottest models. Gigi Had-

id opened the show in an oversized

cream coat dress. But there was more

to the collection.

Intricate floral prints and half-moon

shoulders rendered in thick textures

conjured up the vestimentary styles

of the 19th century, as well as patterns

that came back into vogue during the

20th century hippy era.

One floral look, featuring a separate

armor-like blue bodice and contrasting

patterned sleeves, had a historic vibe,

but was rendered contemporary by

a micro mini sporting a provocatively

placed zipper.

The necessary disco minis that are

synonymous with the feminine Marant

made sure this collection will please

her loyal clientele.

HEALTH

10 | SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2016

By Gabriella Boston

The Washington Post

It’s a pretty universal desire. I’m not talking about

the living-forever wish - I mean having a flat belly.

Have you ever heard anyone say, “No, actually, I’d

like to go with the round, protruding kind.”

No, didn’t think so.

But how do we get there?

Claims are everywhere. If you believe what you

see online, there are exercises that give you six-pack

abs in 30 days, tart-cherry-based diets that eliminate

flab in a jiffy or, a personal favorite, “belly-fat-fighting

pills.” “There are an infinite set of BS claims out there

spread by the fitness, diet and supplement industry,”

says Scott Kahan, a doctor and the director of the Na-

tional Center for Weight and Wellness in Washington.

“The claims are overinflated or just plain wrong,”

he says. “We all want that silver bullet, but it just

doesn’t exist.”

So, as much as you don’t want to hear it, fighting

belly fat is neither fast nor easy. You have to go back

to the basics: Make general health and fitness part of

your everyday life.

“Exercise, nutrition, sleep and reducing stress are

all important factors in reducing belly fat in particu-

lar and improving general health,” Kahan says. “I can’t

prioritize them, but small changes in one or several of

the categories can make a big difference.”

Beat the bulge with exercise, nutrition

At the exercise end of things, Kahan recommends

the government guidelines of 150 minutes of cardio

a week and a couple of resistance training “bouts,” as

he puts it.

Denton says she would like to see more emphasis

on resistance training because it helps create more

lean muscle mass, which helps raise your overall me-

tabolism. Moderate aerobic work, such as running, al-

so has a place. Resistance training can’t be done eve-

ry day because the body needs a couple of days to

recover, while steady-state aerobic work can be done

more often, even daily.

So if you want to work out every day, try alternat-

ing cardio and resistance, she says.

Resistance training not only improves the resting

metabolic rate, but it also appears to improve the

health of the actual muscle cells, Kahan says.

And finally, will it help our belly shape if we do a

thousand crunches a day?

“You can tone, but you can’t spot-reduce,” Kahan

says. When it comes to nutrition, there are several

key points, says Rebecca Mohning, a Washington-ar-

ea registered dietitian and owner of the Expert Nutri-

tion website (expertnutrition.net).

“Hydration and increasing fiber in the diet are im-

portant,” Mohning says.

Complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains,

beans and vegetables, are also key in creating a

healthful diet that reduces belly fat.

But, Mohning says, if you haven’t been eating cru-

ciferous veggies, such as broccoli, introduce them

gradually, or you might experience bloating - which is

sometimes confused with belly fat.

“Carbonation and gum can also make you feel

bloated,” she says. Bloating might be reduced by

probiotics, added to the diet through foods such as

kefir or through supplements.

She recommends eating slowly and reducing sug-

ar, which we now know causes inflammation and

metabolic disorder in the body.

Eating enough protein as we age is also important.

As we hit middle age, as much as 25 to 30 grams of

protein per meal can be helpful, she says.

Sleep and stress as prime weapons

Surprisingly, though, as a nutritionist who works

with a lot of athletes, Mohning considers neither nu-

trition nor exercise to be the prime weapons in the

fight against a tubby tummy. Instead, she points to

sleep and stress.

“I would say Number 1 is sleep, Number 2 is stress,

followed by nutrition and then exercise,” she says. “If

you’re exhausted, it’s better to sleep the extra 30 to

40 minutes than to exercise.”

Why is this?

Because while we can’t affect our genetics in

terms of where we deposit fat, we can affect our lev-

els of cortisol, the stress hormone, which has been

shown to specifically increase belly fat.

Not only does cortisol affect where we deposit

fat, but it also encourages us to eat more sugar and

make other unhealthy food choices as we deal with

the cortisol-induced flight-or-fight rush of anxiety

coursing through the body.

Yoga, meditation and good sleep (no caffeine or

alcohol before bedtime, and keep the bedroom cool,

dark, quiet and screen-free, suggests Mohning) are

all crucial. In short: “Stress management is part of

weight management,” she says.

Exercise, nutrition, sleep and reducing stress are all important factors in reducing belly fat in particular and improving general health.

To fight belly fat, prioritise sleep

ENTERTAINMENT

| 11SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2016

AFP

Los Angeles: Angelina Jolie has reached a tem-

porary agreement with Brad Pitt giving her

custody of their six children and granting him

visiting rights, reports said on Friday. Several

celebrity gossip outlets reported that the divorcing

couple were persuaded to agree to the detente by

the Los Angeles County Department of Children and

Family Services.

Both will both get one-on-one counseling while

Pitt has to undergo drug and alcohol testing, TMZ

said, despite already voluntarily submitting to a test

which came back negative.

Jolie will have physical custody of the six children

-- three of whom are adopted -- while Pitt gets a first

visit under the supervision of a therapist who will de-

cide how to proceed in the coming weeks.

“This is a completely voluntary agreement, and it

is not an order or a mandate of any kind, nor is it any

determination of custody,” entertainment website

People quoted an unnamed source as saying.

It said the plan was effective up until October 20

and that the children would remain with Jolie at a

rented LA house.

Jolie, 41, filed for divorce on September 19 cit-

ing irreconcilable differences and seeking permanent

custody of their children.

The A-listers -- given the celebrity monicker “Bran-

gelina” -- wed in France in August two years ago, but

had been a couple since 2004.

The FBI has said it is gathering information before

deciding whether to launch a federal probe into an

alleged incident on a plane carrying Pitt and his chil-

dren back from vacation in France.

It has not offered any details of the allegations

but several US media outlets reported that Pitt had

been involved in an angry outburst with at least one

of his children.

Celebrity news organization “Entertainment To-

night” said on Thursday that Jolie’s team had brought

in well-known crisis manager Judy Smith -- who was

the inspiration for Kerry Washington’s character on

“Scandal.”

Pitt, meanwhile, hired a New York-based strate-

gic communications firm, along with Beverly Hills di-

vorce attorney Lance Spiegel, whose past clients in-

clude Eva Longoria, ET reported.

ET quoted a source close to the couple as saying

the two sides had recently been having “productive

discussions.”

“The fact that things have quieted down is a good

sign for everyone,” the source told the channel.

Representatives for the couple as well as the Chil-

dren and Family services department did not re-

spond immediately to a request for comment.

AFP

Los Angeles: American film pro-

ducer Jeffrey Katzenberg sank

his hands and feet into the

cement at Hollywood’s Chi-

nese Theatre on Thursday to mark a

40-year career as a pioneering mov-

ie maker.

A former studio boss at Disney,

the 65-year-old is best known as

the head of DreamWorks Animation,

which made the money-spinning

“Shrek,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “Mada-

gascar” franchises.

“That’s what all these handprints

and footprints are really all about --

the dreams we, in Hollywood, have

delivered,” Katzenberg said before

plunging his hands into the cement.

“Movies are made by passionate

artists who are dedicated to one

goal -- creating worlds of imagi-

nation that come to life on a giant

screen in a beautiful darkened theat-

er like this one.”

Seen as one of Tinseltown’s most

influental kingmakers, Katzenberg

has a personal wealth estimated at

$880 million.

The host of glitzy political fund-

raisers attended by Oliver Stone, Ted

Danson and others, he is said to have

convinced Hollywood figures to con-

tribute around $15 million to Presi-

dent Barack Obama’s 2012 election

campaign and has given more than

$1 million of his own money to the

Democratic Party.

As head of Walt Disney Studios,

he oversaw hits including “The Little

Mermaid” and “The Lion King” before

leaving acrimoniously in 1994.

He sued the company for a re-

ported $250 million, an unpaid bo-

nus amounting to two percent of the

profits “in perpetuity” on all movies

and television shows produced dur-

ing his tenure as division chief.

Soon after his Disney departure,

Katzenberg, music mogul David Gef-

fen and Oscar-winning director and

producer Steven Spielberg, put to-

gether a reported $2 billion to start

DreamWorks SKG.

DreamWorks Animation separat-

ed from its parent company in 2004

to become an autonomous studio

focused exclusively on animated

films.

In 22 years it has produced 32

features, which have in all made

$13.5 billion at the global box office.

The mogul recently netted more

than $300 million after Comcast --

the biggest cable television operator

in the US -- completed a $3.8 billion

buyout of the studio.

Movie mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg honoured by Hollywood

‘Brangelina’ reach stop-gap deal over kids

ENTERTAINMENT

12 | SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2016

By Subhash K Jha

IANS

There is a moment of reckoning

in Dhoni’s life when getting on

that moving train would mean

the difference between life and

stillness. That metaphorical moment

when Sushant Singh Rajput, playing

Dhoni as though by birthright, jumps

on that train, shot with astute hones-

ty and gritty resplendence by Santosh

Thundiyil, is so brilliant in capturing the

moment, that changes a life from ordi-

nary to something extra, that greedily

one waits for more such moments in

the vast stretches of storytelling that

occupy the film.

First things first. There is nothing

‘Untold’ in this three hour-plus sprawl-

ing paean to one of the most iconic

cricketers of our times. All we see for

what seems like an eternity of playing-

time are scene after scene from Dho-

ni’s life and career. All these incidents

have been in the public domain for as

long as we can remember.

The movie goes through the crick-

eter’s life chapter by chapter. This is not

a film. It’s a book. A biography mas-

querading as a film. So prosaic that it

makes the poetry in the songs played

in the background, seem redundant.

This is an authorised biography, if you

will, since the legend himself imprints

his signature on every frame, and that

includes the actor who plays Dhoni on

screen.

Sushant Singh Rajput is so fero-

ciously correct in assuming Dhoni’s

personality, you wonder how he got so

much feeling into the batting. But more

about his virtuoso performance later.

What gets our attention immedi-

ately is the eye for elaborate detailing

of the biographical figures’ emotional

and geopolitical status. Director Neer-

aj Pandey and his co-writer Dilip Jha

ransack every nook and corner of Dho-

ni’s lifescape in pursuit of the demi-

god who played the field as though he

owned it.

From his childhood escapades as

an accidental cricketer to his triumph

during the World Cup, Dhoni is project-

ed as an icon with almost no flaws.

There is a scene where Dhoni’s

wife-to-be (Kiara Advani) who doesn’t

know who Dhoni is (ha ha ha), asks

her room-mate about him. “He’s very

hot,” the friend sighs in her sleep. That

friend embodies the film’s team. Awe-

stuck, adulatory sighing and oohing

over the cricket icon’s quirks and whims

as though Mother Teresa has been re-

born on the playing field. This is not a

biopic. It’s a three-hour ‘bhajan’.

Say hello to the halo, then. And if

you are looking for the dirt under the

finger-nails... Then you are in for a dis-

appointment. This is a celebration of

Dhoni’s legendary status in the bold-

est strokes... pun intended. The sprawl-

ing but comprehensive and at times

compelling plot takes us on a journey

that spills with enthusiasm and brio --

thanks mainly to Sushant’s bright and

measured interpretation of Dhoni --

but devoid of any surprises.

Some of what is seen to be a sign

of the man’s greatness comes across as

extremely strenuous attempts to rein-

force the haloed argument. A sequence

in a hotel room where Dhoni greets an

old friend warmly, is supposed to reveal

how ‘normal’ the icon remained even af-

ter his fame. But life teaches you that

it is the peripheral people who “make” a

star. And this is the subtext that lifts this

eulogistic bio-pic to a believable level.

The ‘supporting’ characters -- the

ones who saw recognized acknowl-

edged and encouraged Dhoni’s gen-

ius -- are all brilliantly played by actors

who seem to understand the dying art

of selfless devotion. Mention must be

made of Anupam Kher, Kumud Mishra

and Rajesh Verma. The ever-reliable

troopers, they turn their cramped spac-

es into middle-class homes and hearts,

into rooms with a view into the soul.

Unknown actors playing Dhoni’s pals in

Ranchi are heartwarming and earnest.

Dost ho to aisa!

A sizeable portion of the commo-

dious plot is devoted to Dhoni’s two

love relationships, one of them leading

to marriage. It’s debutant Disha Patani

who as Dhoni’s lost love, lights up eve-

ry frame she gets to be in. Her death

ought to have been a devastating mo-

ment in the narrative.

Regrettably, the breakdown after her

death as he sobs in the middle of a busy

road, is the only sequence that Sushant

plays unconvincingly. He is otherwise on

a firm wicket, playing out Dhoni’s aspira-

tion on an even pitch, imbuing warmth

credibility and authenticity to Dhoni’s

persona. Sushant’s physical transforma-

tion displaying different stages of Dho-

ni’s life is astonishing.

What would “M.S. Dhoni: The Un-

told Story” have been without Sushant

Singh Rajput? What would Dhoni, the

man and the legend, have been with-

out his family and friends?

The women, including Dhoni’s very

supportive sister (played by Bhumi-

ka Chawla), are shown to be preclud-

ed from the main drama. As though a

feeble understanding of the nuances of

cricket makes them the weaker sex. One

of the wives of a Bengali cricket coach is

either shown buying fish or offering tea

to her husband as he cheers his pro-

tégé’s performance on live television.

This film is an extremely clever amal-

gamation of two favourite national past

times: cricket and patriotic jingoism. Di-

rector Neeraj Pandey adopts the voice of

a serial director, going through episode af-

ter episode in Dhoni’s life with reverence .

“The Untold Story”, some other time.

‘M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story’:Sushant is brilliant but the film is notThere is nothing ‘Untold’ in this three hour-plus sprawling paean to one of the most iconic cricketers of our times. All we see for what seems like an eternity of playing-time are scene after scene from Dhoni’s life and career.

Film: "M.S. Dhoni: The Untold

Story"

Director: Neeraj Pandey;

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput,

Kiara Advani, Disha Patani

Rating: **1/2

TECHNOLOGY

| 13SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2016

Parents invent a social network app for childrenBy Stephanie Kanowitz

The Washington Post

Ah, parenthood. It’s an umbrella term for so

many jobs: scheduler, social secretary, chauf-

feur. ... But in the digital age, can some of

those tasks be outsourced to an app? That

was the original idea behind KidMix, an app Lisa and

Clay Goldberg of Maryland launched in May (free, iOS

and Android). The couple started developing a way

to let youngsters plan play dates, which evolved into

creating a social network for children.

Scheduling, therefore, is not the app’s greatest

potential virtue - introducing children to managing

social media and their digital

presence within the confines of

parental supervision is.

About 2,000 people (about

20 percent are locally based)

have registered with KidMix, ac-

cording to Clay Goldberg. To join,

parents create a username and

password and verify their iden-

tity through a credit card or a

PayPal or Amazon account or via

KidMix Verification, which asks

for personal information such as

the last four digits of users’ So-

cial Security numbers.

Whether parents choose a trusted

or limited security level for their tech-

nophile, they’ll have to approve play

dates and other interactions. (“Lim-

ited” means parents must approve

friend connections, and kids can’t

write their own messages; “trusted,”

recommended for kids 8 and older,

means they can write status updates in their profiles

without parents’ okay.)

Children have their own username and password,

and a more colorful interface. (In a nod to paren-

tal privacy concerns, they can choose to be identi-

fied only by first name and the first letter of their last

name.) To set up a play date, they pick the friend they

want to contact - who must also have a KidMix ac-

count - and fill out details such as location, time, date

and who will provide transportation. Play dates show

up on both the child’s and parents’ calendars, keep-

ing everyone on the same digital page.

Kids can also can make profiles, upload pic-

tures, update statuses and comment. They can scroll

through the News Feed, play games or visit the

SmartZone, which offers videos of the day, sports tips

such as how to shoot a basketball, and educational

information. The developers will be opening the app

to teens soon (anyone 13 or younger will still need

parental permission to join) and will be adding video

uploads and other features.

It’s a bit too early to say how parents and kids

are taking to KidMix. But not everyone is convinced

that children need to “schedule their own playdates

and participate in independent, kid-friendly commu-

nication,” as the KidMix website puts it. “They need

to learn social skills and manners and how to talk to

people face to face,” says my friend Stacey Schmidt,

a Fairfax, Virginia, mom of two kids younger than 6.

“These are skills they will need when they are adults.”

Melody Jams

In Melody Jams, kids can assemble

a band of musical monsters.

Each monster plays a different

instrument, and a player can

mix and match to create many

combinations of styles and sounds.

Players can get in on the action

themselves, choosing an instrument

and jamming along with the band as

they see fit. The app comes with one

free stage - a garage jam session -

and players can join in with the gang

on the piano, the xylophone or the

drums.

There admittedly isn’t a whole lot

to Melody Jams, but it packs a lot

of fun in a very simple premise. It’s

not the app for kids looking to get a

music composition education, since

you essentially play with lots of loops.

And because it doesn’t have sharing

options or ask for registration, it’s a

pretty low-risk app to download as

well. There are in-app purchases -

for 99 cents players can get another

stage on which to play, as well as

some different instruments for the

monster and kid musicians. Further

updates and scenes are expected.

Free, for iOS.

Allo

Google’s new messaging app

Allo has two main advan-

tages: It has an “incogni-

to mode” for extra security

and it has Google’s personal artificial

intelligence assistant. (Named, rath-

er straightforwardly, Google.) Con-

versations with the AI assistant it-

self will turn up suggestions for plac-

es to hang out that evening, give

you weather forecasts and conduct

your Google searches. The assist-

ant also understands more conver-

sational language, so you don’t have

to use an exact phrase to get what

you want. When talking to friends, it

will also suggest replies for you. Still,

there are times when the assistant

misses the mark - it should get better

over time but may frustrate some

more than it helps.

It is worth noting that Goog-

le originally promised that all con-

versations in the app would be de-

identified, and therefore not stored

on Google’s servers. But the app

that the firm released this week on-

ly offers that option for those start-

ing chats in incognito mode, rather

than all chats. That means that chats

could be tied to individuals if Goog-

le is subpoenaed by the federal gov-

ernment. Free, for iOS and Android.

NAME: KidMixCOST: FreeOPERATING

SYSTEM: iOS and AndroidCREATOR: KidMix LLCREVIEW’S BOTTOM LINE:

Parents won’t gain much “me time” because of this app, but they can use it to help kids learn digital re-sponsibility.

ASIAN TOWN

AL KHOR

NOVO

MALL

ROYAL PLAZAVILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

BABY BLUES

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE

A guard at an armored car company in the Southern US organises one of the biggest bank heists in American history. Based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery.

14 SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2016

CINEMA PLUS

Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice.

Sheep & Wolves(2D/Animation) 10:00am & 12:00pmDeepwater Horizon (2D) 11:00am,11:20am,1:40, 3:10, 4:00, 6:20, 8:40, 11:00, 4:30, 7:00, 7:20, 9:30, 11:00, 11:30pm & 12:00amMasterminds (2D/Action) 10:00am, 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00, 1:20, 5:30, 9:30 & 12:00amMiss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children (2D/Family) 10:00am, 2:40, 12:20, 5:00, 9:20, 9:40pm & 12:00amKilling Salazar (2D/Action) 10:00am, 2:20, 7:00 & 11:20pmKill Zone (2D/Action) 12:00, 4:40 & 9:00pmStorks (2D/Comedy) 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00 & 9:00pmLaaf Wa Dawaraan (2D/Arabic) 12:20, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40, 11:00pm & 12:00amThe Magnificent Seven (2D/Action) 10:30am, 1:10, 3:50, 6:30, 9:10 & 11:50pmBilal (2D/Arabic) 10:00am, 12:10, 2:20 & 4:30pmHajwala (2D/Arabic) 6:45, 9:00pm & 11:00pmTaht El Tarabiza (2D/Arabic) 10:00am & 2:40pm

Masterminds (2D/Action) 11:00am & 6:15pm; Hajwala (2D/Arabic) 1:00 & 9:30pm; Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children (2D/Family) 11:00am, 3:00 & 5:15pm Deep Water Horizon (2D/Action) 11:30am; 7:30 & 9:30pm

M.S. Dhoni:the Untold Story (2D/Hindi) 1:00 & 8:00pmStorks (2D/Comedy) 1:30 & 3:30pm Bilal (2D/Arabic) 4:15pmLaaf Wa Dawaraan (2D/Arabic) 5:30 & 7:30pmAandavan Kattalai (2D/Tamil) 11:15pm Killing Salazar (2D/Action) 11:30pm Kill Zone (2D/Action) 11:30pm

Hyper (Telugu) 11:15am, 2:15, 5:15, 8:15 & 11:15pmStorks (2D/Comedy) 10:45am, 12:45, 2:45, 6:45, 9:45 & 11:45pm

M.S. Dhoni:the Untold Story (2D/Hindi) 12:00, 3:30, 7:00 & 10:30pm

Oozham (3D/Malayalam) 5:00, 7:00 & 10:00pmAandavan Kattalai (2D/Tamil) 6:00, 8:45 & 11:30pm M.S. Dhoni:the Untold Story (2D/Hindi) 6:45 & 9:00pm

Killing Salazar (2D/Action) 11:00am & 3:30pm

M.S. Dhoni:the Untold Story (2D/Hindi) 1:30pm & 10:30pmDeep Water Horizon (2D/Action) 11:30am, 7:00 & 9:00amBilal (2D/Arabic) 1:30pm Storks (2D/Comedy) 2:30 & 4:15pmMiss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children (2D/Family) 11:15am, 6:00, 8:15pm Masterminds (2D/Action) 7:30pm Hajwala (2D/Arabic) 5:30pmLaaf Wa Dawaraan (2D/Arabic) 5:00 & 9:30pm Aandavan Kattalai (2D/Tamil) 11:00pm Kill Zone (2D/Action) 11:30pm

15SUNDAY 2 OCTOBER 2016

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.

Yesterday’s answer

MEDIUM SUDOKU

ALL IN THE MIND

CROSSWORD

BRAIN TEASERS

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

ANNEX, APPENDIX,

CLIMAX, COMPLEX,

CONVEX, CRUCIFIX,

DUPLEX, EQUINOX,

EXECUTRIX, FLUMMOX,

HELIX, IBEX, ICEBOX,

INDEX, INFLUX, JINX,

JUKEBOX, LARYNX,

LETTERBOX, MATCHBOX,

MATRIX, MULTIPLEX,

ONYX, ORTHODOX,

PARADOX, PERPLEX,

PREFIX, REFLEX, RELAX,

SPHINX, SUFFIX, SURTAX,

TELEX, TOOLBOX,

TRANSFIX, VERTEX,

VORTEX.

07:00 News

07:30 UpFront

08:00 News

08:30 People &

Power

09:00 Scent From

Heaven

10:00 News

10:30 Inside Story

11:00 News

11:30 Talk To Al

Jazeera

12:00 News

12:30 TechKnow

13:00 NEWSHOUR

14:00 News

14:30 Inside Story

15:00 Al Jazeera

World

16:00 NEWSHOUR

17:00 News

17:30 The Listening

Post

18:00 NEWSHOUR

19:00 News

19:30 101 East

20:00 News

20:30 Inside Story

21:00 NEWSHOUR

22:00 News

22:30 Talk To Al

Jazeera

01:00 News

01:30 Witness

02:00 NEWSHOUR

03:00 News

03:30 Inside Story

08:30 Tashn E Ishq

09:30 Jamai Raja

10:00 Vishkanya

10:30 Sanyukt

11:00 Ek Tha Raja

Ek Thi Rani

12:00 Yeh Vadaa

Raha

12:30 Sanyukt

13:30 Ek Tha Raja

Ek Thi Rani

14:00 Jamai Raja

14:30 Tashn E Ishq

15:00 Vishkanya

15:30 Jamai Raja

16:00 Yeh Vadaa

Raha

16:30 Ek Tha Raja

Ek Thi Rani

17:00 KumKum

Bhagya

17:30 Vishkanya

17:00 Tashn E Ishq

18:30 Kaala Teeka

19:00 Sanyukt

19:30 Yeh Vadaa

Raha

20:00 Ek Tha Raja

Ek Thi Rani

20:30 Jamai Raja

21:00 KumKum

Bhagya

22:00 Vishkanya

22:30 Bangistan

01:30 Amma

02:30 Chef On

Wheels

TV LISTINGS

15:25 Into The Pride

16:15 Gator Boys

17:02 Dr. Dee: Alaska

Vet

17:49 Dr. Jeff: Rocky

Mountain Vet

18:36 Village Vets

19:00 Village Vets

19:25 Groomer Has

It

20:15 Dr. Jeff: Rocky

Mountain Vet

21:10 Dr. Dee: Alaska

Vet

22:05 Tanked

23:00 Groomer Has

It

23:55 Bondi Vet

15:15 The Hive

16:10 Hank Zipzer

17:00 Violetta

17:45 The Hive

17:50 Mouk

18:00 Jessie

18:25 Jessie

19:15 Tsum Tsum

Shorts

19:20 Liv And Maddie

19:45 Bunk’d

20:10 Austin & Ally

20:35 Shake It Up

21:00 A.N.T. Farm

21:25 A.N.T. Farm

22:40 Good Luck

Charlie

23:30 Jessie

King Features Syndicate, Inc.