THURSDAY 19 MAY 2016 SMART STADIUMS - The Peninsula · 2016-08-10 · SMART STADIUMS QU-CENG honours distinguished students P | 4-5 Vodafone Arena in Turkey will act as a model for

Sonakshi Sinha gets award for getting angry

CAMPUS | 3 MARKETPLACE | 7 ENTERTAINMENT | 1212

Burger Gourmet back in town with

new menu

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THURSDAY 19 MAY 2016 @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatarEmail: [email protected] thepeninsulaqatar

SMARTSMART STADIUMSSTADIUMS

QU-CENG honours distinguished

students

P | 4-5

Vodafone Arena in Turkey will act as a model for Vodafone Qatar for the smart stadium infrastructures that are planned to be built at eight stadiums to be used during 2022 Qatar World Cup.

| 03THURSDAY 19 MAY 2016

CAMPUS

CCQ launches International Learning and Civic Engagement Symposium

Community College of Qatar

(CCQ) launched an annual In-

ternational Learning and Civ-

ic Engagement Symposium at

the Losail Campus .

The event highlighted the impor-

tance of learning and civic engagement

practices in higher education institu-

tions and how these practices promote

student success. Well-known local and

international speakers shared their ex-

periences and knowledge on the im-

portance of learning and engagement

programs to the student, the college

and to the nation.

CCQ President Dr. Ibrahim Al Naimi

said, “We look forward to making this

an annual event in which faculty and

staff from universities across the Mena

region and around the world congre-

gate to share their learning and civic

engagement activities and best prac-

tices in their institutions. We trust that

our guests and their respective institu-

tions benefit greatly from participating

in this symposium.“

The CCQ has recently established

the Center for Learning and Civic En-

gagement (CLCE). The mission of the

CLCE is to enhance student learning

through a variety of active engage-

ment initiatives and programmes.

The role of the CLCE is to promote

and sustain learning engagement, en-

courage collaboration among students,

faculty and the community, as well as

enhance teaching and learning, lead-

ing to student excellence.

Dr. Maha Al Hindawi, Director for

the Core curriculum programme, in Qa-

tar University said that this programme

is very important and helps to produce

significant graduates with substantial

abilities to the community.

Dr. Michael Reimer K, Professor of

History in the American University of

Cairo, said his participation in this sym-

posium is related to the honours pro-

gramme which aims to offer a more

challenging and rewarding academic

experience for CCQ’s most scholastical-

ly driven students. Those students were

awarded at the end of the symposium.

QU-CENG honours distinguished students Qatar University College of Engi-

neering (QU-CENG) honoured its

academically distinguished stu-

dents named on the Dean’s List in a cel-

ebratory ceremony held recently.

A total of 486 distinguished students

(218 men, 268 women) who obtained

3.5 GPA or higher received their certifi-

cates from CENG dean Dr Khalifa Al Kha-

lifa for their outstanding performance

during Fall or Spring 2015 semesters. Al-

so present were the college’s associate

dean for academic affairs Dr. Moham-

med Samaka, associate dean for devel-

opment and industrial relations Dr. Saud

Ghani, and assistant dean for student af-

fairs Waled Mukahel, as well as faculty,

students and their families.

Dr. Al Khalifa said, “You are here be-

cause you have demonstrated the lev-

el of academic distinction and quality

for which QU is well-known. This event

aligns with CENG’s main objective which

is to provide the State of Qatar with high-

ly-qualified engineers to meet the needs

of the local and regional market. It also

shows the College’s ongoing commit-

ment to offering its students the oppor-

tunity to excel and achieve their goals

and contribute to Qatar’s growth and

progress, in line with national priorities

towards the achievement of a knowl-

edge-based economy and Qatar Nation-

al Development Strategy.”

COVER STORY

04 | THURSDAY 19 MAY 2016

By Fazeena Saleem The Peninsula

How would you like ordering

food and beverages at your

seat while watching a foot-

ball match during Qatar 2022

World Cup?

This would become a reality if Vo-

dafone Qatar’s smart stadium technol-

ogy proposition becomes a reality.

As Qatar’s 2022 World Cup prepa-

rations get accelerated, the fan expec-

tations also increase. Obviously in six

years when more than a million people

expected to visit Qatar for the Middle

East’s first World Cup, they will have a

high level of expectations to stay con-

nected and share the unforgettable ex-

perience via videos, pictures and mes-

sages with others online. Undoubted-

ly, it will be an important aspect of the

fan experience.

With an expectation to grant this

fan experience, Vodafone Qatar, Vo-

dafone Turkey and Beşiktaş JK sports

club signed an agreement recent-

ly in Istanbul to accelerate the trans-

fer of knowledge, expertise and tech-

nological know-how from Turkey’s first

smart-stadium, the Vodafone Arena in

the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul to one

of the world’s fastest growing football

markets in Qatar.

Mohamed Al Sadah, Chief Oper-

ating Officer at Vodafone Qatar, said,

“We are delighted to partner with our

sister company Vodafone Turkey to

bring their extensive expertise and ex-

perience in deploying smart stadiums

to Qatar. Vodafone is committed to

bring expertise and innovation to Qa-

tar from all parts of one of the world’s

largest telecommunications compa-

nies and to provide the country with

a world class telecommunications in-

frastructure that supports the Qatar

2022 World Cup and Qatar National

Vision 2030”

GökhanÖğüt, CEO, Vodafone Turkey,

said, “We have built one of the world’s

most advanced technological infra-

structures to Vodafone Arena that has

already taken its place in the heart of

Istanbul and Turkey as a monument of

our digital transformation vision.”

“And now we feel quite excited to

export this smart infrastructure to Qa-

tar. Vodafone Arena will act as a model

for Vodafone Qatar for the smart sta-

dium infrastructures that are planned

to be built at 8 stadiums that will be

used during 2022 Qatar World Cup.

As Vodafone Turkey, we will share our

smart stadium know-how and experi-

ence with Vodafone Qatar, providing

them with all the support they need,”

he added.

Media people from Qatar on a visit

to Istanbul last week were given a tour

of the Vodafone Arena. It features a

unique five-layer digital infrastructure.

Smart stadium technology becoming a reality

COVER STORY


Digital heartAt the most basic layer lies system

and telecom rooms which make up the

digital heart of the smart stadium in-

frastructure and the Vodafone Arena.

• Currently the system room in sta-

dium houses 69 cabinets with 228 ac-

tive devices (server/router/switch)

• Aside from this there are eight tel-

ecom rooms surrounding all corners of

the stadium which supports the tel-

ecom infrastructure of the stadium.

These telecom rooms house eight cab-

inets with 30 active devices (server/

router/switch) .

• It has laid down 142,305 metres of

cable to connect all this infrastructure.

has been aid exactly.

• It is providing 60 Gbps aggregate

capacity thanks to our fibre infrastruc-

ture.

Seamless Connectivity • At the second layer of Vodafone

Arena, intelligent infrastructure lies the

Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G and 4.5G compatible net-

work connections that simultaneous-

ly meets the connection needs of 50

thousand visitors.

• In this context, we offer 4.5G con-

nection at speeds up to 150 Mbps

which reaches .300 Mbps combined

with Wifi.

• In order to offer high-speed and

uninterrupted Internet connection to all

subscribers in the best way, it has used

380 antennas and 620 Wi-Fi hotspots.

Interactive displays and Videowalls

• At the third layer of the infrastruc-

ture, lies digital displays installed at dif-

ferent locations which allows to broad-

cast different content empowering with

all the facilities the advanced broad-

casting technology has to offer.

• More than 850 TVs, eight types

of videowalls at 43 different locations,

interactive screens mounted to 2,200

seats to enhance the football experi-

ence by offering not only what’s read-

ily visible but also what’s behind the

scenes.

• In addition, aim to boost the joy

of watching a soccer game for specta-

tors with cutting edge technology LED

screens located at sidelines and in be-

tween stands.

• All VideoWalks, seatback screens

and LEDs, are connected to each oth-

er in an integrated manner with Cisco

Stadium Vision solutions and managed

from a single centre.

• Due to this technology organis-

ers, one can diversify the pre-game, in-

game and post-game content, offering

the ultimate smart stadium experience

for visitors.

• In addition, through live statisti-

cal figures broadcast each minute and

enable spectators to be at top of the

game.

Digital Compass of the Match • The fourth layer, is the VF Arena

APP, which delivers fans and visitors

rich content.

• Through a mobile app, users get

instant access to every detail of the

game.

• The fans who can not make it to

the Vodafone Arena stadium can ac-

cess the 3-D simulations of the stadium

through the app.

• App spectators are also able to

view the game through the mobile app

using Wi-Fi connection.

• Moreover, one can rewind and re-

play the game according to one’s wish.

Value Added Services • The final layer comprises special

advantageous Vodafone services facili-

tating the lives of our subscribers.

• Vodafone Arena aims to en-

hance the in-game comfort of visitors,

through the location-based services

powered by the beacon technology.

• Because of this technology, sub-

scribers will be able to easily find their

seats and in the future will be able to

place orders directly to the seat.

• Special statistics, payment sys-

tems, enhanced visual services will be

also offered.

“We had planned and implement-

ed this infrastructure in an integrated

manner all the way from the construc-

tion phase as a novelty in Europe. We

can say that most important feature of

the Vodafone Arena that sets it apart

from other stadiums in the world,” said

Öğüt.

During the last match played at Vo-

dafone Arena, Turkey’s first smart sta-

dium, nearly 12,000 people used a to-

tal of 413 GB data through Vodafone

SuperNet 4.5G with speeds up to 150

Gbps, and about 7,000 people used

a total of 785 GB data through Voda-

fone Super Net Wi-Fi with speeds up to

300 Gbps. This highlights how around

the world, football fans are becoming

increasingly digital and expect great-

er levels of connectivity as more and

more people take to social media to

post during games.

Such technologies are set to be-

come a fundamentally important ele-

ment in the infrastructure/stadia and

venues being built for major sports

events across the region — from the

IAAF World Athletics Championships in

Qatar in 2019, the Qatar 2022 World

Cup and beyond.

COMMUNITY


PEF holds seminar on ‘Autism: How Technology can assist’

As a World Autism awareness

programme, Pakistan Engi-

neers Forum (PEF) organ-

ised a seminar on “Autism:

How Technology can assist” recently

at Sapphire Plaza Hotel Doha.

PEF President Tahir Jamil wel-

comed Chief Guest Wajid Hasan Hash-

mi, Charge D’ affair at Pakistan embas-

sy Qatar.

Mohamed Badr Al Saada ,Chair-

man, Shafallah Center, Qatar, Michelle

Gaddy ,Science Coordinator, Al Aw-

saj Academy, Qatar, Dr. Uvais Qidwai,

Associate Professor of Computer En-

gineering, Qatar University, and his

team and Nawal Hafeez coordinator

for Pakistan welfare programme for

special need education at TNG School

were present at the occasion.

In his speech, Mohamed Badr Al

Saada said: “We at Shafallah are trying

to introduce all kinds of new technolo-

gy to enable the disabled children in-

teract normally in their lives with peo-

ple. We are always looking for new

technologies to bring them to Sha-

fallah.” He shared his experience with

the audience and presented some

video of those special need children

educated at his centre. He said they

have full services for any child such as

educational, medical and psychologi-

cal besides rehabilitation.

Michelle Gaddy said in Awsaj Acad-

emy they are putting an increasing

rigor in LEGO Robotics. It is a grade 1

to12 school that addresses the needs

of students with learning challenges,

and an outreach centre that provides

evaluation and professional develop-

ment services to the community.

Dr. Uwais has given an overview

of what is the alarmingly increasing

problem of autism (or Autism Spec-

trum Disorder ASD) in the world and

how it can be handled.

While no known cure exists to date

for this disorder, many technological

efforts have been made inside Qatar

as well as internationally to alleviate

the impediments in the learning and

social intractability of kids suffering

with autism.

Wajid Hashmi, in his address, ap-

preciated the PEF’s efforts in spread-

ing awareness about the issue. “I am

grateful to the organisers of this fo-

rum for spreading awareness about

this issue. PEF for the past many

years has been continuously spread-

ing awareness about the scientific de-

velopments and we must commend

their efforts. I sincerely hope that all

the efforts in the direction of research

on autism achieve great success and

people everywhere in the world can

benefit from it,” he said.

PEF President Tahir Jamil thanked

the speakers and the participants to

help in spreading awareness about

this important issue through the sem-

inar. He presented certificate of ap-

preciation to the chief guest and Wa-

jid presented certificates to speakers

and sponsors.

Beach clean-up drive at Al Safliya IslandAmey’s Consulting team in

Qatar joined forces with

the Ministry of Municipal-

ity and Environment (MME) to

launch a clean-up initiative on Al

Safliya Island with volunteers re-

moving over 50 bags of rubbish,

including plastic bags and bot-

tles, cans, metal as well as items

of clothing from the beach.

Al Safliya Island is a popular

visitor destination so the team

from Amey donated their com-

munity involvement day as part

of the business’ continued com-

mitment towards promoting en-

vironmental protection and pre-

serving the natural beauty of Qa-

tar.

Richard Allen, Amey’s General

Manager said: ”We’re really pas-

sionate about making a positive

difference in the communities we

work in, that’s why each of our

employees gets one paid day per

year to help out with local com-

munity or charity projects.”

A spokesperson for the MME

praised Amey’s contribution to

the clean-up campaigns and

their efforts towards the tidiness

of the nation.


MARKETPLACE

Four Seasons Hotel Doha announces ‘MoveAMuscle’ initiative

Four Seasons Hotel Doha re-

cently announced ‘MoveAMus-

cle’, a complimentary health and

wellness initiative in support of

muscular dystrophy. Designed to raise

awareness of the muscle-debilitating

disease, the hotel will feature an ongo-

ing wellness series to encourage guests

and Doha residents to ‘move a muscle’

and live an active lifestyle. “Our goal is

to empower individuals and families

to make their health and wellness a

top priority,” said Todd Cilano, General

Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Doha.

“Four Seasons is honored to help raise

awarenesstowards this vital cause and

offer complimentary programing to

the community through our innovative

MoveAMuscle campaign,” the hotel said

in a statement.

Four Seasons on May 14 host-

ed a successful inaugural MoveAMus-

cle event featuring a 60-minute Zum-

ba class that was attended by over100

enthusiastic participants who ‘moved a

muscle’ in support of those affected by

the disease. The event was hosted by

Nawaal Akram, a 17 year-old Pakista-

ni born and raised in Qatar, model, ac-

tress, fashion designer, comedian, and

Paralympian living with the rare genet-

ic disease. Nawaal is the founder of the

non-profit organisation Muscular Dys-

trophy (MD) Qatar, which aims to cre-

ate awareness about the disease and

to help people with similar conditions.

“It was such an overwhelming feel-

ing of having support from the com-

munity and Four Seasons Hotel. I didn’t

find this support from the communi-

ty growing up, and from this Movea-

Muscle event we got people from the

community together for a cause,” said

Nawaal, “This event gave a chance to

bring people together who have peo-

ple in their family suffering from Mus-

cular Dystrophy and they felt a sense of

happiness of having so much support.”

Burger Gourmet back in town with new menu

The well-established Burger res-

taurant Burger Gourmet is back

in town with the new menu.

Indulge yourself in the Gourmet ex-

perience as one of the most celebrat-

ed Burger hub of the country; Burger

Gourmet has reopened its doors on

May 18, following few weeks’ of closure,

with its new menu and interior reno-

vation.

Located in Lagoona Mall, Burger

Gourmet is known for serving its burg-

ers with high regards in presentation,

that has drawn the burger lovers across

Qatar since August 2013. The restau-

rant was always known for serving the

freshest burger, which includes hand,

selected and traditionally reared meat

cuts, fresh ingredients and handmade

condiments, made from scratch every

day. At the opening, Navin Prasad, Cor-

porate Chef and Senior Vice president

Food & Beverage Savy Hospitality, said,

we are excited to welcome all patrons

back to try our new menu. After going

through all the suggestions and feed-

back of our customers, we created our

new menu which includes options for

everyone in terms of price and selec-

tion; however it still keeps the classics

such as Hollywood Star, 24 Carat and

the Surf and Turf, made of premium

Wagyu meat.

The new menu also contains steaks

but one of the highlights would be

‘Monster Shakes’ to draw the milk-

shakes lovers who wouldn’t mind melt-

ing Oreo, Peanut Butter or Honeycomb

on their jar, Chef Navin added.

Founder and managing director of

SAVY WLL and the Lifestyle Restau-

rants, Yoonus Salim Vappattu, add-

ed, “Burger Gourmet has been greatly

missed, and with the occasion of its re-

opening it has chosen to renew the ex-

perience with the launch its new menu

where the prices are for every pock-

et. We are confident that this will bring

back the success we created years ago

when we first launched Burger Gour-

met.”

HEALTH & FITNESS

QU-CMED hosts roadshow on World Hypertension Day

The Peninsula

In recognition of the World Hyper-

tension Day, Qatar University Col-

lege of Medicine (QU-CMED) re-

cently organised a roadshow titled

“Know Your Numbers” in conjunction

with the organisation’s Health Clinic, as

part of its strategic objective to raise

community awareness on specific dis-

eases and medical issues relevant to

Qatar.

The event included a mobile vitals-

measurement unit which moved in var-

ious locations on campus. Four medi-

cal staff and licensed physicians were

on hand to provide students, staff and

visitors with body mass index and free

testing of blood pressure, blood sugar,

uric acid and cholesterol, as well as ad-

vising on hypertension symptoms and

prevention. The event also included a

health risk assessment workshop deliv-

ered by health clinic staff on topics re-

lated to hypertension.

An interactive activity “Heads Up”

was offered by medical students in

which participants had to guess words

related to hypertension in 60 seconds

from hints and suggestions. The med-

ical students measured the partici-

pants’ blood pressure before and after

the activity and assessed the impact of

emotional reactions on their vital signs.

Commenting on the event, QU VP

for Medical Education and CMED Dean

Dr. Egon Toft said: “Hypertension is oc-

curring when the higher number is

140mmHg or more and/or the lower

number is 90mmHg or more. As the

blood pressure varies from day to day,

it needs to be documented on more

than one occasion. Hypertension can

lead to potentially life threatening con-

ditions on a shorter or more common-

ly a longer term if it leads to its com-

plications as occlusions of arteries or

rupture of major blood vessels. Ac-

cording to the latest WHO data pub-

lished in 2014, hypertension deaths

in Qatar constitute approximately 0.7

percent of total deaths ranking Qatar

at 168 in the world. Also a recent study

published in Population Health Metrics

journal showed that the overall preva-

lence of hypertension in Qatar was es-

timated to be approximately one third

in both men and women. It is impor-

tant to detect hypertension as early as

possible. It can be treated with med-

icine, diet changes and other chang-

es of lifestyle, and treatment reduces

the risks associated with hypertension.

This year’s campaign aims to promote

this early detection and we are very

pleased to collaborate with QU Health

Clinic’s physicians on this important ac-

tivity.”

Health Clinic head Dr. Hafsa Hashad

said: “High blood pressure or hyper-

tension is often referred to as the “si-

lent killer”. People may suffer with this

condition for years without any symp-

toms, but if left untreated it can in-

crease the likelihood of serious cardi-

ovascular and renal diseases. Hyper-

tension is quite prevalent in Qatar — as

such, awareness of what hypertension

is and of its possible symptoms, treat-

ment and prevention, is of utmost im-

portance to protect the health of our

community members. As part of the

health clinic’s continuing commitment

to health education, we are pleased to

collaborate with the College of Medi-

cine to raise awareness about hyper-

tension and how to minimise risks of

this condition. Health Clinic physicians

and nurses were available to provide

screening and blood pressure tests.

Our medical team also carried our risks

assessment workshops to determine if

individuals are at risk of hypertension,

diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and

gout. This is a quick and convenient

opportunity for QU members to assess

their risk for a disease that is often left

undiagnosed for years.”

Hypertension is quite prevalent in Qatar and awareness of what hypertension is and of its possible symptoms, treatment and prevention, are of utmost importance to protect the health of our community members.


FOOD


Check your freezers and beware of Listeria By Katie Mettler The Washington Post

A food packaging company in

Washington state has expand-

ed a voluntary recall —which

at one time included just 11

products — to encompass nearly 360

different organic and non-organic fro-

zen fruits and vegetables that may be

contaminated with the deadly Listeria

monocytogenes bacteria.

The Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention announced the outbreak,

which has hospitalised eight people

across three states in the US. Two of

those patients, one from Maryland and

the other from Washington state, died,

though listeriosis was not considered to

be the cause, according to the CDC. The

other cases were reported in California.

The products in question are frozen

fruits and vegetables from 42 different

brands that were packaged at CRF Fro-

zen Foods of Pasco, Washington, and

sold at popular grocery stores like Trad-

er Joe’s and Costco in all 50 US states

and some parts of Canada.

“The long shelf life of the recalled fro-

zen produce is of particular concern be-

cause consumers could have purchased

the products long ago and not real-

ise they have them in their homes,” Bill

Marler, a personal injury and products li-

ability attorney from Washington, wrote

in his blog on food poisoning outbreaks.

The US Food and Drug Administra-

tion released a full list of the recalled

products on its website, which includes

organic and non-organic broccoli, but-

ternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, corn,

edamame, green beans, Italian beans,

kale, leeks, lima beans, onions, peas,

pepper strips, potatoes, potato medley,

root medley, spinach, sweet potatoes,

various vegetable medleys, blends, and

stir fry packages, blueberries, cherries,

cranberries, peaches, raspberries, and

strawberries, according to a CRF Frozen

Foods news release. “We apologise for

any concern or inconvenience this ex-

panded recall has caused our custom-

ers and consumers who enjoy our prod-

ucts,” the news release said. “We are

issuing this release to alert consumers

not to eat these products. Consumers

who purchased these products may re-

turn them to the store where they were

purchased for a refund, or simply dis-

card them.” “Listeria monocytogenes is

commonly found in soil and water,” ac-

cording to the CDC. “Animals can car-

ry the bacterium without appearing ill

and can contaminate foods of animal

origin, such as meats and dairy prod-

ucts. . ..When Listeria bacteria get into

a food processing factory, they can live

there for years, sometimes contaminat-

ing food products.”

Listeria is a serious infection caused

by consuming food contaminated with

the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria

and primarily affects the elderly, new-

borns, adults with compromised im-

mune systems and pregnant women,

according to the CDC. Listeria in preg-

nant women can lead to miscarriages,

premature delivery, stillbirth and life-

threatening infections in newborns.

Symptoms include fever, muscle

aches and diarrhea. If untreated, the in-

fection can be deadly.

The packaging company initially re-

called 11 frozen vegetable products on

April 23, then expanded the recall this

week to include all products processed

at the facility since May 1, 2014. Opera-

tions at the Pasco facility were suspend-

ed April 25 while a review is conducted.

The outbreak was first identified in

March, according to the CDC, when sev-

eral ill people reported eating Organic

by Nature brand frozen vegetables, pro-

duced by CRF Frozen Foods.

Around that same time, the Ohio De-

partment of Agriculture tested sever-

al packages of frozen vegetables for a

routine product-sampling programme,

according to the CDC. The department

found Listeria in frozen organic white

sweet cut corn and petite green peas,

both from the brand True Goodness by

Meijer, which is produced by CRF Frozen

Foods.

After further testing, officials found

that the food products were related ge-

netically to the Listeria found in the ill

patients, the CDC reported, providing a

more concrete link to CRF Frozen Foods.

Of the eight known cases, six were

discovered between 2013 and 2015.

The first was found in September 2013

and the most recent was on March 28,

2016. The victims have all been be-

tween 56 and 86 years old and most

are female. All were hospitalised.

Listeria outbreaks aren’t uncommon

in the United States.

One of the most well-known out-

breaks came in 2015, when Blue Bell

Creameries recalled all of its ice cream

products after 10 people across four

states fell ill. Three people died. The re-

call was the first it the company’s more

than 100-year history.

In January 2016, Dole recalled all sal-

ad mixes produced in an Ohio process-

ing facility after people who consumed

the greens fell ill. In total, 19 cases were

reported across 19 states. All 19 people

were hospitalised, and one person from

Michigan died from the infection. One

case was reported in a pregnant wom-

an. An additional 14 cases were report-

ed in Canada, according to the Public

Health Agency of Canada.

Past Listeria cases have included

contaminated raw milk, prepackaged

caramel apples and several different

cheese products.

Listeria is a serious infection caused by consuming food contaminated with the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria and primarily affects the elderly, newborns and adults with compromised immune systems and the pregnant women.

ENTERTAINMENT

Spielberg on his ‘bromance’ with ‘buddy’ RylanceAFP

You have to feel sorry for Tom

Hanks. For nearly two dec-

ades from “Saving Private

Ryan” to “Bridge of Spies”,

the actor has been the go-to star for

director Steven Spielberg (pictured).But now Hanks seems to have

been pushed down the Hollywood

mogul’s speed dial by British actor

Mark Rylance. The Spielberg-Rylance

“bromance” is the talk of the Cannes

film festival, with the director blush-

ingly admitting that the two had be-

come “buddies”. “I have so much re-

spect for Mark,” he said.

Spielberg has cast Rylance in four

films in a row, including his adap-

tation of the children’s classic “The

BFG”, with critics adoring the actor’s

performance as Roald Dahl’s friend-

ly giant after its weekend premiere at

the festival.

“I have not done that with any oth-

er actor since Rod Steiger, who was in

everything I did from ‘Jaws’ to ‘Close

Encounters,’” the director said.

“Working with Mark on ‘The BFG’

was one of the most astonishing ex-

periences I ever had in my entire ca-

reer working with anybody,” he had

earlier told reporters. “I just feel lucky

to know him. I am even luckier that

we became friends,” he added.

“I have made a lot of acquaintanc-

es over 44 years of directing and I

haven’t brought a lot of people from

the movies into my life. “We have so

much fun together as friends, as bud-

dies. But that is not why I am casting

him. There is nobody better to play

the roles,” said 69-year-old Spielberg.

Rylance, regarded by many as

one of the greatest stage actors of

his generation, is to play Pope Pius IX

in Spielberg’s upcoming tale of 19th-

century anti-Semitism, “The Kidnap-

ping Of Edgardo Mortara”, as well as

starring in sci-fi thriller “Ready Play-

er One”.

“To have a friendship and a pro-

fessional working relationship (with

Rylance) is just a dream come true.

That’s my golden whizzpopper,”

Spielberg joked, referring to the word

the giants in “The BFG” use for farts —

a sign of happiness in Giant Country.

And he laughed off any idea that

Hanks had been elbowed out of the

picture. He said Hanks saw the gen-

ius of Rylance’s Oscar-winning per-

formance in Cold War thriller “Bridge

of Spies” from his very first take.

“My jaw dropped open (too) at

what he was doing,” Spielberg said of

Rylance’s first scene in the movie, in

which he plays a Soviet agent being

handed back to the Russians in a spy

swap negotiated by Hanks’ American

lawyer.

“The second we finished this long

four-and-a half-minute shot, Tom

Hanks hustled me to the side of the

room and gasped, ‘Oh my God!’

“Tom’s eyes were popping out.

‘Can you believe him! Can you believe

what he did?’ he said. Hanks was go-

ing nuts. It was an incredible day. At

the end of it I asked Mark to read a

script for ‘The BFG’,” he added.

Ironically, Rylance said that he

turned down the chance to work

with Spielberg 30 years ago on “Em-

pire of the Sun” when he was still a

struggling young actor. “I was offered

a theatre job the next day which did

change my acting fundamentally

and I met my wife,” he said. “It was

a good decision,” he said, even if that

season at London’s National Thea-

tre ended with him being laid off be-

cause the audiences were so small. “I

did think at the time, ‘That was my

chance to get into film and now I nev-

er will’,” he said.

“Steven is very sweet,” said Ry-

lance, 56. “He said if I had done ‘Em-

pire of the Sun’ he would have cast

me in a lot of films. But I don’t think

I was ready.”

Asked what it felt like to be Spiel-

berg’s new best friend, he said: “In-

explicable... it’s very remarkable for

me as an actor to have the chance

to hang out with him. He has a very

good and sensitive heart. He likes to

work so the only way you can hang

out with him is to work as well. And

you gradually become aware that he

also surrounds himself with geniuses,

so that is very interesting.”

Spielberg said he loved the gen-

tle, vivid openness of Rylance’s imag-

ination. “My dream life is my creative

process. In everything we do we play

with each other’s dreams.”

But for all his Oscars and success

at the box office, the director said

only two films had changed his life —

“ET” and “Schindler’s List”.

“I never wanted to be a father be-

fore ‘ET’ but I really bonded with the

three kids. I walked away wanting to

have kids and my first son was born

three years later,” he said.

Filipino director Brillante Mendoza (right) and Filipino actress Jaclyn Jose pose during the photo call for ‘Ma’Rosa’ at the 69th annual Cannes Film Festival,

yesterday. RIGHT: Cast member Adele Haenel during the photocall for the film “La fille inconnue” (The Unknown Girl) in Cannes.


ENTERTAINMENT

IANS

Veteran actor Anupam Kher

went down memory lane

when he visited the Himach-

al Pradesh capital and said

he was overwhelmed when he met his

old-time friends. But he was sad too

for missing his father who died three

years back.

“Every year I visit this town as it’s

my home. I feel myself deeply rooted

to this town where every second per-

son knows me and asks about my wel-

fare,” Anupam told reporters.

Sitting in an Indian Coffee House in

Shimla, Anupam, accompanied by an-

other star Neena Gupta, said he was

sad too. “This time it is different as my

father is no more with me,” an emo-

tional Anupam told reporters in an in-

formal interaction.

His father Pushkar Nath, a Kashmiri

Pandit, who settled in Shimla in 1949,

died in February 2012. “I have spent

17 years of my life in this town. I know

each and every resident and I am fa-

miliar with every shop,” he said.

The actor thanked the people of

the town for showing him great re-

spect.

On being asked about the reset-

tlement of Kashmiri Pandits in Jam-

mu and Kashmir, Anupam, who him-

self belongs to this community, said:

“The Kashmiri Pandits, known for their

unique cultural identity and wisdom,

are today living the life of a refugee in

their own nation.”

“However, no one has worked to re-

habilitate them for more than two dec-

ades and to impart justice to them in

their own native land.”

But he was optimistic.

“I would continue to raise the issue

till the Kashmiri Pandits get justice and

their privilege as the citizens of this na-

tion.”

He refused to comment on a ques-

tion about his recent remarks about

the Jawaharlal Nehru University row.

Anupam and Neena were here to

stage a play “Mera Woh Matlab Na-

hi Tha”, directed by Rakesh Bedi in the

historic Gaiety Theatre.

Anupam Kher gets

nostalgic in his home town

Sonakshi Sinha gets award for getting angryIANS

Bollywood actress Sonak-

shi Sinha, who has never

shied away from express-

ing her anger towards in-

ternet trolls, was awarded with The

Angries — a special award by the

team of forthcoming film “The An-

gry Birds Movie”.

As the name suggests, the

film is all about expressing anger,

speaking up for the right and find-

ing a right way to channel anger.

On the same lines, a campaign

titled The Angries has been started

where in the birds award celebrities

who get angry for a good cause.

The first celebrity to be con-

ferred with The Angries was Bolly-

wood’s “Shotgun Junior” Sonakshi

for taking on cyber bullies, read a

statement.

The “Tevar” star who was de-

lighted to get the award, said: “Any

kind of bullying is wrong! Stand up

for yourself, be strong, be true, be

you.”

Sonakshi, who will be soon seen

in films like “Akira” and “Force 2”,

makes it a point to take her trolls

head-on and has often expressed

her anger at people’s judgmental

views in the virtual world.

Taking the basic structure of

Rovio Entertainment’s mobile game

of the same name, the movie brings

the game’s action to the big screen

in a witty manner.

In the game, angry but cute lit-

tle birds fight it out with pigs which

have stolen their eggs.

The film, which will hit the

screens in India on May 27 in Eng-

lish, Hindi and Tamil, takes the au-

dience back in time, tracing the ori-

gin of the battle between the birds

and pigs.

The film is supported by Jas-

on Sudeikis as Red, Danny McBride

as the volatile Bomb, Bill Hader as

a pig, Maya Rudolph as Matilda, and

Peter Dinklage as the Mighty Eagle. It

will be distributed by Sony Pictures.


X-Men Apocalypse (2D/Action) 11:15am, 8:00 & 10:45pm Angry Birds(Animation) 2:00 & 5:00pmRatchet & Clank (2D/Action) 11:30am & 3:45pm

Captain America: Civil War (2D/Action) 5:30pmSarbjit (2D/Hindi) 2:30 & 11:00pm This Time (2D/Tagalog) 7:00pm Hassan Wa Baqloz (2D/Arabic) 9:00pmWyrmwood: Road of The Dead (2D/Horror) 12:00noonPettson And Findus (2D/Animation) 1:30pmThe Jungle Book (2D/Action) 3:15pm Correspondence (2D/Romantic) 5:00 & 9:15pmOur Kind of Traitor (2D/Thriller) 7:15 & 11:30pm

AL KHORX-Men (Action) 12:00noon, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00pm & 12:00 Angry Birds(Animation) 10:30, 11:30am, 1:30 & 3:30pm Brahmot Savam (Telugu) 12:30, 3:15, 6:00, 8:45 & 11:30pm King Liar (Malayalam) 5:30, 8:30 & 11:30pm

ASIAN TOWN

NOVO

MALL

ROYAL PLAZAVILLAGGIO & CITY CENTER

CORRESPONDENCE

BABY BLUES

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE

Focused on the relationship between an astronomer and his lover, who spend their years apart.

13THURSDAY 19 MAY 2016

CINEMA PLUS

X-Men: Apocalypse (Action) 3D 11:00, 11:40am, 2:00, 2:30, 5:00, 5:20, 8:00, 8:10 & 11:00pm 2D 10:00am, 12:45, 3:30, 6:20, 9:10pm & 12:00midnight Captain America: Civil War(2D/Action) 11:30am, 2:30, 5:30, 8:30 & 11:30pmThe Jungle Book(2D/Adventure) 10:00am,12:00noon, 2:00,4:00&6:00pm Wyrmwood Road of The Dead (2D/Horror) 8:00, 9:50 & 11:40pmHassan Wa Baqloz (2D/Arabic) 11:00am, 3:10, 7:20 & 11:30pmKangar Hoppiena (2D/Arabic) 1:00, 5:10 & 9:20pmRatchet And Clank (2D/Animation) 10:00am, 2:30 & 6:10pmTerm Life (2D/Action) 11:50am, 4:20 & 9:50pmThe Trust (2D/Thriller) 12:40, 8:00 & 11:40pm Our Kind of Traitor (2D/Thriller) 10:00am, 2:30, 7:00 & 11:30pmCorrespondence (2D/Romantic) 12:10, 4:40 & 9:10pmAngry Birds (2D/Animation) 10:00, 11:55am, 1:50, 3:45 & 5:40pmHepta (2D/Arabic) 7:40, 9:50 & 11:55pmX-Men: Apocalypse (3D IMAX/Action) 10:10am, 1:00, 3:50, 6:45, 9:40pm & 12:30am

King Liar (Malayalam) 1:30, 3:30, 4:30, 6:30, 7:30, 9:30 &

10:00, 10:30pm, 12:30, 01:00 & 01:30am

Jacob’s Kingdom of Heaven (2D/Malayalam) 1:00 & 7:00pm

Brahmot Savam (Telugu) 12:30, 1:00, 4:00 & 7:00pm

Maruthu (Tamil) 4:00, 10:00pm & 12:45am

This Time (2D/Tagalog) 11:30am & 8:45pm Pettson And Findus (2D/Comedy) 1:30pmThe Jungle Book (2D/Adventure) 4:15pmWyrmwood: Road of The Dead (2D/Horror) 5:00pmCorrespondence (2D/Romantic) 6:30pm King Liar (2D/Malayalam) 2:00 & 10:45pmOur Kind of Traitor (2D/Thriller) 12:00noon & 9:00pmAngry Birds (2D/Animation) 5:00pm Hassan Wa Baqloz (2D/Arabic) 7:00pmSarbjit (2D/Hindi) 11:00pm & 2:00pm X-Men Apocalypse (2D/Action) 11:30am, 6:00, 8:30 & 11:00pm

Note: Programme is subject to change without prior notice.

14 THURSDAY 19 MAY 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.

ARCADIAN, BARN, BUCOLIC,

CATTLE, CHICKENS,

COUNTRYSIDE, CULTIVATE,

DAIRY, DUCKS, ESTATE,

FARM, FIELD, FODDER,

GEESE, GOAT, HARVEST,

HOMESTEAD, HORSES,

LIVESTOCK, MEADOW,

MILL, PASTORAL, PASTURE,

PROVINCIAL, RANCH,

RURAL, RUSTIC, SHEEP,

SILAGE, SILO, STABLE,

TRACTOR.

07:00 News

07:30 The Stream

08:00 News

08:30 Witness

09:00 Lifelines:

The Quest

For Global

Health

10:00 News

10:30 Inside Story

11:00 News

11:30 The Stream

12:00 News

12:30 People &

Power

13:00 NEWSHOUR

14:00 News

14:30 Inside Story

15:00 Witness

16:00 NEWSHOUR

17:00 News

17:30 The Stream

18:00 NEWSHOUR

19:00 News

19:30 Women

Make

Change

20:00 News

20:30 Inside Story

21:00 NEWSHOUR

22:00 News

22:30 The Stream

23:00 Lifelines:

The Quest

For Global

Health

12:00 Yeh Vadaa

Raha

12:30 Ek Tha Raja

Ek Thi Rani

13:00 KumKum

Bhagya

13:30 Meri Saasu

Maa

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

18:00 Tashn E Ishq

18:30 Kaala Teeka

19:00 Meri Saasu

Maa

19:30 Yeh Vadaa

Raha

20:00 Ek Tha Raja

Ek Thi Rani

20:30 Jamai Raja

21:00 KumKum

Bhagya

21:30 Tashn E Ishq

22:00 Vishkanya

22:30 Pizza

01:30 KumKum

Bhagya

02:00 Kaala Teeka

TV LISTINGS

13:50 Animals Gone

Wild

14:45 Urban Jungle

15:40 Man And The

Wild

17:30 Hunting The

Hammerhead

18:25 I, Predator

19:20 Urban Jungle

20:10 Man And The

Wild

21:00 Kingdom Of

The Oceans

21:50 Hunting The

Hammerhead

22:40 I, Predator

23:30 Shocking

Sharks

13:20 Through The

Wormhole

With Morgan

Freeman

14:10 Ecopolis

15:20 Food Factory

16:30 Mega Builders

18:00 Mythbusters

18:50 Secret Space

Escapes

19:40 How The

Universe Works

21:15 Ecopolis

22:00 Secret Space

Escapes

22:45 How The

Universe Works

23:35 Mythbusters

King Features Syndicate, Inc ·

THURSDAY 19 MAY 2016 SMART STADIUMS - The Peninsula · 2016-08-10 · SMART STADIUMS QU-CENG honours distinguished students P | 4-5 Vodafone Arena in Turkey will act as a model for

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