Features

WASHINGTON — For those looking for free news online, the search is becoming harder.

Tougher restrictions on online content have boosted digital paid subscriptions at many news organisations, amid a growing trend keeping content behind a “paywall”.

Free news has by no means disappeared, but recent moves by media groups and Facebook and Google supporting paid subscriptions is forcing free-riders to scramble.

For some analysts, the trend reflects a normalisation of a situation that has existed since the early internet days that enabled consumers to get accustomed to the notion of free online content.

“I think there is a definite trend for people to start paying for at least one news source,” said Rebecca Lieb, an analyst who follows digital media for Kaleido Insights.

Lieb said consumers have become more amenable to paying for digital services and that investigative reporting on politics in Washington and elsewhere has made consumers aware of the value of journalism.

A study last year by the Media Insight Project found 53 per cent of Americans have paid for at least one news subscription. A separate report by Oxford University’s Reuters Institute found two-thirds of European newspapers used a pay model.

“Services like Netflix and Spotify have helped people get into the habit of paying for digital content they used to get for free,” said Damian Radcliffe, a journalism professor at the University of Oregon and a fellow at the Tow Centre for Digital Journalism.

“People recognise that if you value journalism, especially in the current political climate, you need to pay for it.”

Making the transition

Newspapers seeking to make a transition from print to digital have found it difficult to replace the advertising revenues that were long the staple of the publications.

News organisations are unable to compete against giants like Google and Facebook for digital advertising, and are turning increasingly to readers.

“For large-scale news organisations whether they are national or regional, that want to have a large reporting staff, reader revenue needs to be the number one source,” said Ken Doctor, a media analyst and consultant who writes the Newsonomics blog.

Doctor said some news organisations are getting close to 50 per cent of revenues from subscriptions and sees that rising to as much as 70 per cent.

The New York Times reported the number of paid subscribers grew to 2.6 million and that subscriptions accounted for 60 per cent of 2017 revenues. The Washington Post last year touted it had more than one million paid digital readers.

Not surprisingly, the Times and Post have both tightened their online paywalls by limiting the number of free articles available. Similar moves have been made at The Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times and elsewhere.

Magazines such as Conde Nast’s Wired and The New Yorker also introduced new online pay models that limit free content.

The Atlantic, a media group bolstered by an investment from Laurene Powell Jobs, said this month it is experimenting with various subscription models as it expands.

Ad blockers used by some consumers have caused deeper revenue woes for online news. 

One site, Salon.com, told its readers that if they used ad blockers, their computers would be used to mine cryptocurrency to offset the lost ad revenues.

While well-known national publications may be able to navigate digital pay models, it will be harder for smaller, regional and local news organisations on slimmer budgets, said Radcliffe.

“Smaller local organisations might find it harder to make their case to readers [to pay], and they have a smaller pool of customers,” Radcliffe said.

Facebook and Google recently agreed to help support paywalls for news organisations on their platforms and Apple agreed to waive its commission for subscription sign-ups from the big social network on its devices, according to Facebook’s Campbell Brown.

These moves could be positive for news organisations after years of tensions with online platforms, according to Lieb.

“This means [online platforms] are trying to work for instead of passively against publishers,” Lieb said.

“This is important because search and social are the way people discover news in the digital age.”

Walls keep people out

According to a study by Digital Content Next — formerly known as the Online Publishers Association — news organisations only got around 5 per cent of their digital revenues from the dominant online platforms but accounted for close to 30 per cent of the content viewed.

The paywall trend may have some other consequences by limiting national “conversations” based on shared news.

“Content that is behind a paywall does not go viral,” Lieb said, but noted that important news scoops can still spark national discussion.

Strict paywalls may also lead to a greater “digital divide” with a segment of the population having access to high-quality news, analysts note.

“From a journalist’s perspective, the big game is to be important to the community,” said Rick Edmonds, a media business analyst at the Poynter Institute.

Radcliffe said that with more news behind a paywall, “some people might not be able to access important content. There is a risk those audiences don’t get access to the range of information and journalism they need to stay informed in the current era”.

There is little evidence that medications improve mild cognitive decline associated with aging, according to a new review of research, but doctors can recommend exercise with confidence. 

Researchers reviewed 11,530 studies of so-called mild cognitive impairment (MCI), to see how many older people are affected and which interventions and lifestyle changes have been shown to improve symptoms. 

MCI becomes increasingly common at older ages and is characterised by mild problems with thinking and memory that usually do not interfere with daily life or independent function. People diagnosed with MCI are more likely, however, to go on to develop Alzheimer’s or other dementias than people without it. 

Until now, said Ronald Petersen, the lead author of the new study and American Academy of Neurology (AAN) treatment guidelines, “Clinicians didn’t know what to do with these people. Now that we know that it’s a burgeoning condition we need to pay attention when folks come in and complain.” 

Petersen, who directs the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centre in Rochester, Minnesota, and his co-authors found that between ages 60 and 64, 6.7 per cent of people have MCI. In the 65-69 age group, that rises to 8.4 per cent, and about 10 per cent at ages 70-74, nearly 15 per cent at 75-79 and just over 25 per cent at ages 80 to 84. 

When they looked at the use of drugs, such as cholinesterase inhibitors, they found “no high-quality evidence” that the medications work, according to the report in the journal Neurology. 

Their analysis of studies looking at the effects of physical exercise on cognition did find a benefit, though. In one study involving 86 women with MCI, 70 to 80 years old, researchers found that twice-weekly resistance training for 26 weeks was more effective than aerobic training over the same time period at increasing what is known as executive functioning. After completing the exercise regimen, the women were better able to plan, manage and organise their thoughts. 

Based on their review, the authors updated a practice guideline for MCI to include, for the first time, a recommendation that people with the syndrome should exercise regularly as part of an overall approach to managing their symptoms. 

“This is a rich area of study. I don’t think you can say that if you exercise 150 minutes a week you can push back cognitive decline a certain number of years,” Petersen said in a telephone interview. “We don’t know that for sure, but . . . physical exercise might be beneficial in slowing down the rate of cognitive decline since it has been shown to cause some stabilization or improvement of cognition.” 

He thinks a combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training is likely best for MCI patients, but the data about its long-term effectiveness remains “scant”. He recommends that patients with MCI try to work up a sweat by walking briskly for 50 minutes, three times a week, because it might improve blood flow to the brain or induce enzymes to break down proteins that can build up into brain plaques. 

Neurology researchers are hoping to develop more specific evidence-based guidelines on how much exercise and what kind is needed to potentially delay or prevent cognitive decline based on ongoing clinical trials, he noted. 

The new AAN guideline, which is endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association, also urges clinicians to discuss with their MCI patients the diagnosis, prognosis, long-term planning and the lack of evidence that drugs and dietary options, such as vitamins E and C, homocysteine-lowering B vitamins and flavonoid-containing drinks, are at all effective. 

Petersen and his colleagues also analysed five studies of brain-training interventions and found “insufficient evidence to support or refute the use of any individual cognitive intervention strategy”. Nevertheless, they conclude that doctors may recommend this approach because it might improve specific cognitive skills. 

With the advent of multiplex cinema halls all over the world, the fun of the “talkies” has somewhat diminished but there was a time when they ruled, especially in India.

When sound was introduced on celluloid, the Indian film industry came into its own, as a definitive and unique entity. These “talking pictures” were an instant hit with the audience and they could not stop watching them repeatedly, over and over again. Soon, the theatres where the films were screened also began to be referred to as “talkies”with each city boasting of several of them.

Dhanbad, the small coal town where I spent my childhood had on its list, among others, “Mahavir Talkies”, “Deshbandhu Talkies”, “Harinder Talkies” and “Anil Talkies”. And as luck would have it, two maternal uncles of two very close friends of mine, owned the last two! Now, Harinder Talkies was a bit out of the way, so we could only visit that place occasionally but Anil Talkies was in the middle of the busiest part of the township. It was also named after Anil Bhaiya, whose birth, after three daughters, was considered an extremely auspicious one in his family.

To say that he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth would be an understatement. He was so well provided for that he did not need to do anything in life, but to complicate matters, after school, he decided to apply for admission to a medical college. Not being a very bright student, a rejection was expected but to everyone’s surprise, including his own, he got selected.

As soon as he got the news, he rounded up the usual suspects (his younger cousins who was my friends, and me) to assist him in painting a red cross on the windshield of his car. The vehicle was a gift from his doting father, of course, but we could not understand his urgency in acquiring a physician’s privilege before even stepping into his university. He reasoned that since he had been admitted into the medical college, he was now a doctor, irrespective of whether he passed the course or not.

We nodded our heads, not daring to contradict him, fearing the loss of the use of the VIP box at Anil Talkies. We needed the access to retain our sanity while preparing for our class X board exams. My friends, who were my batch-mates, had drawn up a punishing and exhaustive revision timetable that consisted of learning by rote, from early morning till late night, with hardly any breaks in between. Only our lunch hour was slightly flexible, when we rushed to Anil Talkies, across the road, to catch a glimpse of a song or scene of any movie playing there. Nobody stopped us because we always announced that Anil Bhaiya would be joining us shortly. Which he never did, but his name worked like the proverbial “Open Sesame”.

The air-conditioned chill of the cinema hall induced sleep and Bantu, my friend, would nod off the moment he sat down. His sister and I teased him relentlessly about this, but he insisted he was simply counting twenty breaths.

“You better go home now,” Anil Bhaiya shook Bantu awake, once. 

“Where are the others?” Bantu asked rubbing his eyes.

“I was just counting twenty breaths,” he explained.

“You slept through two, three-hour, shows,” Anil Bhaiya informed him.

“How many breaths is that?” he questioned menacingly. 

“Too many Doctor Bhaiya,” Bantu answered sheepishly, hurrying out.

GENEVA — After gracing our screens for decades, flying cars are about to shift gears from dream to reality, with the unveiling of a commercial model in Geneva this week.

From James Bond to The Jetsons, flying cars have long captured our imaginations, but now a Dutch company says they are almost ready to take to the streets, and the skies.

Pal-V unveiled its Liberty Flying Car — a sleek, red three-wheeled gyrocopter-type vehicle — at the Geneva Motor Show and vowed that client deliveries could start next year.

This kind of transportation, which allows drivers to both zip through traffic on the ground or simply fly above it, has never ceased to inspire engineers.

As a sign that this technology is not only being toyed with in the start-up realm, an alliance between Airbus, Audi and Italdesign also presented a concept flying vehicle, "Pop.Up Next", at the Geneva show.

That modular system, made up of an electric car with a huge quadcopter fastened to the roof, is expected to be commercialised starting in 2025, the companies said.

Inspired by 'frustration' 

For Pal-V (Personal Air and Land Vehicle), it was "frustration" that sparked the idea for Liberty.

In a plane, "you start at a point where you don't want to start and you end up in a place where you don't want to be," company chief Robert Dingemanse told AFP.

"The Pal-V is the perfect product for city-to-city mobility," he said, pointing out that "outside the cities you fly, inside the city you drive".

The vehicle, which seats two, has retractable helicopter blades and is powered by a gasoline-fuelled engine.

It can fly 500 kilometres, or can drive nearly four times that distance without refuelling, reaching a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour.

Buyers are already lining up. For now the expected waiting time for delivery is around two years.

For take off, "you can use the 10,000 strips available in Europe, and because you can drive, that's already enough," Dingemanse said, adding that "every German will have a small airport within 10 or 20 kilometres of his home".

But Pal-V's Liberty will not be a vehicle for every man: Future drivers should expect to dish out between 10,000 and 20,000 euros ($12,000-$25,000) for pilot training, in addition to the anticipated 300,000-500,000-euro cost for the machine itself, Dingemanse said.

That is the same price range as a small helicopter, he said, although stressing that Pal-V's flying car is "easier, maintenance costs are much lower, [and] it's much more useful than a normal plane or helicopter."

‘Public transport 

on the fly’

While also falling into the flying vehicle category, the modular Pop.Up Next is based on a radically different design.

The passenger capsule looks like a futuristic gondola lift, with a giant quadcopter attached to the roof.

The motorised base of the vehicle, which drives, and the upper part, which flies, can be detached and can move autonomously.

The Pop.Up Next is fully electric and was conceived for mass transport in an urban setting.

"This vehicle was not conceived to be sold to individuals, [but] as a shared means of transport," said Mark Cousin, the project chief at Airbus, which developed the flying portion of Pop.Up Next.

Volkswagen's Italdesign unit meanwhile developed the passenger capsule while the motorised underbelly of the vehicle is based on Audi technology. 

"I don't know if you would use it every day," Cousin said, pointing out that the vehicle would be practical, for instance "going to the airport [at a price] hardly more expensive than a taxi", without needing to worry about traffic jams.

Airbus wants to launch its first urban trials by 2022, and is also looking into other uses, including transferring patients between hospitals and transporting goods at night.

"The convergence today of certain technologies, especially in batteries and electric engines, is making it possible to develop this kind of vehicle — something that was impossible five or 10 years ago," Cousin said.

Not everyone is convinced that flying cars will soon be darkening our skies.

"It's a beautiful idea," Ferdinand Dudenhoffer, who heads the Centre for Automotive Research in Germany, told AFP.

Women with regular exposure to cleaning products may face a steeper decline in lung function over time, according to an international study. 

Women who used sprays or other cleaning products at least once per week had a more accelerated decline than women who did not, the study authors wrote. 

“We’re cleaning in our houses every day and every week. It’s important to have this discussion about cleaning and what we do in our homes,” said lead study author Dr Oistein Svanes of the University of Bergen, Norway. 

“This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t clean — of course we need to clean our houses,” he told Reuters Health by phone. “But we need to question what chemicals we’re using and how they affect us.” 

Bergen and colleagues studied more than 6,200 participants in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. At 22 health centres in nine countries in western Europe, participants had lung function tests and filled out questionnaires three times over the course of 20 years. 

On average, the survey takers were in their mid-30s when they enrolled. About half were female. Eighty-five per cent of the women said they were the person cleaning at home. 

Altogether, 8.9 per cent of the women and 1.9 per cent of the men said cleaning was their occupation. 

The survey used two measurements to assess lung function: forced expiratory volume per second which is the amount of air a person can forcibly exhale in a second and forced vital capacity, or the total amount a person can exhale in a second. 

According to the American Lung Association, lung function slowly declines after about age 35. 

Over the two decades of the study, women not working as cleaners and not involved in cleaning at home showed the slowest declines in lung function. 

Compared to those women, women who used sprays or other cleaning products at least once a week had a faster decline in lung function. The decline was faster still for women who worked as cleaners. 

Exposure to cleaning products was not linked to a decline in lung function for men. However, the authors admit, that may be because there were so few professional male cleaners in the study. 

Declines in lung function were not linked with a higher risk for obstructive airway diseases like emphysema or asthma, however. 

Still, the authors said, for women whose occupation was cleaning, the effect of exposure to cleaning products was only “somewhat less” than smoking a pack of cigarettes every day for 20 years. 

“The biggest surprise was that the results were quite consistent,” Svanes said. “After following people for 20 years and taking lung capacity measurements three times, the results still stood out, even across a multi-centre, multinational study.” 

While the study was not designed to prove that exposure to cleaning products causes lung problems, the authors suggest that the findings might be attributable to the irritation that cleaning chemicals cause to the mucous membranes that line the airways. 

In many cases, instead of chemicals, “lukewarm water and a microfiber cloth would do it,” Svanes said. “Cleaning experts would see that as perfectly fine for most purposes.” 

Future studies should investigate the types of chemicals and cleaning agents that cause the most harm, he added. Cleaning sprays, in particular, may contribute to an increased risk of asthma as particles fly in the air. 

“There’s an idea that clean equals good and healthy, but this should broaden our idea of what cleaning work is and what the chemical hazards are in particular,” said Dr Margaret Quinn of University of Massachusetts in Lowell, who was not involved with the study. 

Quinn is researching how home care aides who care for elderly patients are affected by cleaning tasks. In Quinn’s experimental lab, aides perform typical cleaning tasks while air monitors test air quality for off-the-shelf cleaners. 

“We need to think about our products and the way we apply them,” Quinn told Reuters Health by phone. “Cleaning products, especially sprays, now contain a mix of chemicals that can cause respiratory illness.” 

The fact that the study included few women who did not clean at home or work, and few men who worked as cleaners, raises a broader social question about gender and cleaning work, Quinn added. 

“Cleaning at home, in hotels, at office buildings and in kitchens is still seen as women’s work, and most workers are still women,” she said. “We need to think about this societal perception and how different types of work carry occupational hazards.” 

PASADENA, California — The Caliburger chain cannot keep burger flippers employed — they quit too often, it says.

So the plan is to try something new: A robot that has been programmed to flip hamburgers all day long. Named Flippy, the $100,000 machine is capable of flipping as many as 2,000 burgers a day.

As of Monday, a human at Caliburger’s restaurant here is making the burger patties and seasoning them, and then placing them in a tray for the robot. Flippy then pulls them out, places them on the griddle, monitors their temperature, flips them and then takes them off the griddle to cool. They then get placed by a human into buns for customers.

“People see a robot, they hear robot, they assume job replacement,” says David Zito, the CEO of Miso Robotics, which created Flippy with the Cali Group, the owner of the Pasadena-based Caliburger chain. “This isn’t about replacing jobs. This is about a third hand in the kitchen.”

Whether it is burgers, cars or farming, robots are becoming capable of doing jobs that were once staples of employment. In late 2017, a study by the Pew Research Centre showed three-quarters of Americans said it is at least “somewhat realistic” that robots and computers will eventually perform most of the jobs currently done by people, and the survey found respondents worried about the fallout, such as income inequality.

Tests by restaurants using robots have been mostly viewed as a public relations stunt. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the Zume Pizza chain uses a pizza-making robot to cook the pies while Sally the robot, also in the San Francisco area, makes your salad.

If the robots do take off, they raise the prospect of sapping — or at least shaking up — one of the high growth areas of US employment. Between 2007 and 2017, restaurant jobs that focus on fast food rose 40 per cent to 4.9 million, according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics. That is faster than healthcare, construction or manufacturing.

Fast food workers have been pushing for higher wages — and some big chains, facing high turnover and voter mandates, have complied.

But not all. Many workers are still fighting to get $15-an-hour wages.

“People who work in fast-food are not scared of robots – what’s really scary is getting paid so little we need food stamps and public assistance to take care of our families,” said Rosalyn King, a McDonald’s worker from Detroit who is active in the union-backed Fight for $15 movement.

For the Caliburger chain, which advertises $3.99 “Southern California style” hamburgers, keeping employees in the kitchen is the most difficult aspect.

“We train them, they work on the grill, they realise it’s not fun...and so they leave and drive Ubers,” John Miller, the CEO of the Cali Group.

Miller hopes the robot can turn that around. From Pasadena, he is looking to bring Flippy to his restaurants in Seattle, Washington DC, Baltimore and Annapolis later this year. He has 50 stores in his chain, and says he will eventually get the robot to all of them.

Some 54 per cent of all tasks associated with fast food restaurants are poised to be automated, says McKinsey Global Institute.

At a test run recently of Flippy for the press, the robot flipped with ease, but when it took the burgers off the griddle to cool on the tray, several didn’t make it all the way, and fell off the tray. Zito said those were learning pains that would be fixed.

The robots gets direction from thermal imaging and camera vision to get direction on when to flip the burger and eventually remove it.

Flippy will most certainly take jobs away, says Julie Carpenter, a research fellow with the Ethics and Emerging Sciences Group at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, California. But she does not see fast food going 100 per cent robotic. Restaurants will still need cashiers, people to open and close up and for other tasks.

Coinciding with Russia’s resurgence as a world power and it’s emerging role in the region, Lada is also making a comeback to certain Middle East Markets, including Jordan, as of late last year.

The right car at the right time for Jordanian motorists, Lada’s affordable model range is an antidote to rising prices. Star among the Russian carmaker’s line-up, however, remains its long-serving, compact, rugged and iconic 4x4.

Ditching the familiar Niva nameplate, the Lada 4x4 is improved but little changed since it was first launched 40 years ago, it does make slight concessions to comfort and convenience in Urban trim level, as driven.

Attainable icon

Though mildly refreshed cosmetically and with more comfort than before, the Lada 4x4 oozes authenticity, and is a product of Soviet times that remains relevant today. Engineered for rugged off-road ability in harsh rural Russian conditions, the 4x4 is however also designed to be comfortable and manoeuvrable on city streets, and in that regard was ahead of its time and long predated the now wildly popular crossover SUV segment. Uncomplicated, unpretentious and easily maintainable, the 4x4 was both a “people’s car” and Russian answer to Land Rover and Jeep when launched, and is now one of the most affordable, manoeuvrable and off-road capable cars available.

An affordable and utilitarian daily car for many, the Lada 4x4 is for others an attainable second or third occasional, dedicated or hobby vehicle like a Caterham for trackday enthusiasts or a Harley-Davidson for weekend bikers.

Ideal for mechanical and aesthetic customisation and off-road adventuring, the 4x4 offers extensive ability and peace of mind over inhospitable terrain, next to “precious” SUVs costing multiples more. Iconic and honest, the petite 4x4’s features boxy, uncomplicated styling and surfacing, with distinctive low-slung headlights and revised vertical rear lights. The Urban version driven additionally features new integrated body colour bumpers and more road-friendly 16-inch alloy wheels and 185/75R16 tyres.

Engaging driver

Powered by a proven, uncomplicated and lower revving naturally-aspirated 1.7-litre 8-valve SOHC 4-cylinder petrol engine mounted in-line, the Lada 4x4 develops 83HP at 5000rpm and 95lb/ft at 4000rpm. With aggressive gearing, light 1210kg weight and little sound deadening, the 4x4 feels quicker than the 17-seconds it takes from standstill to 100km/h. Meanwhile, its engine is responsive and eager in lower and mid-range, delivering perky city and confident motorway driving. Progressive in delivery but with good low-end pull, the 4x4 accumulating speed well on motorway, but sounds strained and gruff as revs rise toward the redline, while acceleration trails off somewhat as it nears its 142km/h top speed.

Available exclusively with a 5-speed manual gearbox with long and angled gear lever, the Lada 4x4, however, shift action is shorter than one imagines. Crisp, clean and satisfyingly firm, mechanical and precise through ratios, and with intuitive clarity to its clutch biting point, the 4x4’s manual gearbox adds immensely to its uncorrupted and engaging driving experience. Driving the rear wheels in normal on-road conditions and moderate dirt roads, the Lada’s 4x4 system is, however, engaged with a separate lever for more demanding off-road driving. The Lada’s off-road hardware also includes low-ratio four-wheel-drive to drive with full power at crawling pace for yet more extreme off-road conditions and inclines.

Agile adventurer

An innovative and genuine dual-use vehicle for off-road and practical daily driving when first launched, the Lada 4x4 is built on a unibody frame underpinned by independent double wishbone front and live-axle, coil-spring rear suspension for comfort and ability. If not as insulated from noise as more modern crossovers, the Lada rides with refined and forgiving fluency over Jordan’s lumpy, bumpy roads and on rugged unpaved roads. With supple suspension absorbent high profile tyres and small wheelbase, the Lada 4x4, however, felt surprisingly more buttoned down in vertical travel over crests and dips, and better damped and settled on rebound than quite a few more modern cars.

Small and light with short wheelbase, big footprint and balanced chassis and weighting, the Lada 4x4 is unexpectedly engaging and fun on road, especially given its primary reputation for off-road ability. Weaving through winding county switchbacks in rear-drive mode, the Lada like to be pushed hard, with its slim tyres and well-weighted hydraulic-assisted steering providing decent road feel and its accurate throttle control allowing one to gradually dial in power out of corners. Confident through corners and seemingly immune to under- or over-steer in most situations, and while body lean is more pronounced than with a stiffer more modern car, it remains nevertheless delivers reassuringly committed road-holding.

Affordable ability

Stable at motorway speeds for so small a car, the Lada 4x4 is also agile and manoeuvrable. Turning on the proverbial dime through corners, it is easily manoeuvrable through narrow country and city roads, and can access narrow off-road trails that larger SUVs can’t. Ruggedly effective, the 4x4’s off-road ability is extensive, and includes excellent 213mm ground clearance and approach, break-over and departure angles owing to its size and short overhangs. In addition to estimated 510-600mm water fording and 1,000mm snow fording capability, the Lada 4x4 also features a locking rear differential keep it moving over steep inclines, low traction surfaces and extreme off-road conditions.

A victory of engineering minimalism over excess, the 4x4’s boxy design and small 3,640mm long and 1,680mm wide dimensions provide excellent visibility and manoeuvrability in tight confines, and terrific space efficiency and packaging. Accommodating four adults, the 3-door 4x4 features good headroom front and rear, and 263-litre cargo volume that expands to 982-litre. 

Relatively minimalist inside, the 4x4’s comfortable cabin features tough hard plastics and clear instrumentation, but now includes conveniences like electric windows and two-speed A/C. Meanwhile, upright seating and driving position are good, but better side and lumbar support, steering reach adjustment and rear head restraints would be welcome features.

Among the most affordable and accessible cars available in Jordan presently at JD13,500 on the road with a recently advertised down payment of JD999, the Lada 4x4 Urban comes with a 3-year warranty inclusive of a 60,000km parts and labour service package and unlimited mileage roadside assistance, and a 6-year paint warranty.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Engine: 1.7-litre, in-line 4-cylinders
• Bore x stroke: 82 x 80mm
• Compression ratio: 9.3:1
• Valve-train: 8-valve, SOHC
• Gearbox: 5-speed manual, four-wheel-drive
• Driveline: low gear transfer, locking rear differential
• Final drive: 3.9:1
• Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 82 (83) [61] @5000rpm
• Specific power: 48.5BHP/litre
• Power-to-weight: 63.8 (kerb)
• Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 95 (129) @4,000rpm
• Specific torque: 100.4Nm/litre
• Torque-to-weight: (kerb)
• 0-100km/h: 17-seconds
• Top speed: 142km/h
• Fuel consumption, combined: 9.9-litres/100km
• Fuel capacity: 50-litres
• Length: 3,640mm
• Width: 1,680mm
• Height: 1,640mm
• Wheelbase: 2,200mm
• Overhang, F/R: 650/780mm
• Track, F/R: 1,440/1,420mm
• Minimum ground clearance: 213mm
• Cargo volume, min/max: 263-/982-litres
• Water fording: 510-600mm (est.)
• Snow fording: 1,000mm (est.)
• Slope angle 58° (est.)
• Unladen/kerb weight: 1,210/1,285kg
• Gross weight: 1,610kg
• Towing capacity, braked/unbraked: 600/300kg
• Suspension, F: Independent, Double wishbones, coilovers
• Suspension, R: Trailing arm, Panhard rod, coil springs
• Steering: Power-assisted recirculating ball
• Turning circle: 11-metres
• Brakes, F/R: Discs/drums
• Tyres: 185/75R16

Price, on the road: JD13,500

HOLLYWOOD, California — “The Shape of Water” on Sunday won top honours at the Oscars including the coveted best picture statuette, bringing the curtain down on a Hollywood awards season overshadowed by scandal over sexual misconduct in showbiz.

Guillermo del Toro’s fairy tale romance led the charge going into the show with 13 nominations, and took home best picture — the top prize of the night — as well as best director and statuettes for production design and best original score.

In a night of honours being shared fairly evenly among several candidates, Martin McDonagh’s dark crime comedy “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” had to settle for best actress for Frances McDormand and best supporting actor for Sam Rockwell.

Christopher Nolan’s World War II thriller “Dunkirk” also picked up three awards, but in the less glitzy technical categories, while several movies ended the evening with two trophies.

“I am an immigrant,” an emotional Del Toro said in collecting his first prize of the night, praising the power of filmmaking to “erase the line in the sand” between people of different countries and cultures.

“I want to dedicate this to every young filmmaker — the youth that is showing us how things are done,” he said. 

“I thought this could never happen. It happens. And I want to tell you, everyone that is dreaming of using fantasy to tell the stories about the things that are real in the world today — you can do it.”

In Del Toro’s native Guadalajara exuberant fans everywhere from swanky parties to street parades celebrated their hometown hero, with one ecstatic crowd chanting, “Ole, ole ole ole! Toro, Toro!” 

‘Long overdue’ 

Hosted for the second straight year by late night funnyman Jimmy Kimmel, the 90th Academy Awards capped a difficult few months during, which the industry has declared war on the pervasive culture of sexual impropriety unearthed by the downfall of movie mogul and alleged serial sex attacker Harvey Weinstein.

Kimmel set the tone by targeting Weinstein in his opening monologue, describing the disgraced producer’s downfall following dozens of allegations of sexual harassment and assault as “long overdue”.

“We can’t let bad behaviour slide anymore. The world is watching us. We need to set an example,” he said. 

McDormand, a winner throughout the awards season for her scintillating turn as a grieving, rage-filled mother in “Three Billboards”, took home her second Oscar, 21 years after winning for “Fargo”.

In a statement about the need for inclusion in the industry, she got all of the female nominees in the room to stand to highlight their work.

“We all have stories to tell and projects we need financed,” she said to enthusiastic applause.

Her “Three Billboards” co-star Rockwell kicked off the night by claiming best supporting actor for his acclaimed turn as a racist, violent police officer.

Best actor went to runaway favourite Gary Oldman, who sat in make-up for three hours a day to disappear entirely into the role of British wartime prime minister Winston Churchill for “Darkest Hour”.

Allison Janney won best supporting actress for her turn as the cold, sardonic mother of disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya” — capping a sparkling awards season which saw her sweep the major prizes.

“My fellow nominees, you represent everything that is good and right and human about this profession. You are all extraordinary,” the statuesque 58-year-old Janney, the overwhelming favourite, enthused at the podium.

Activism

With the #MeToo and Time’s Up campaigns against sexual misconduct and gender inequality dominating the 2018 awards circuit, this year’s Oscars gala was seen as an opportunity for Tinseltown to support female filmmaking.

Greta Gerwig, only the fifth woman in Oscars history to be nominated for best director — for comedy/drama “Lady Bird” — went home empty-handed, despite other nominations for best picture and best screenplay.

There was also the first nod in history for a female cinematographer — Rachel Morrison, who shot Dee Rees’s racial drama “Mudbound” — although the award ended up going to Roger Deakins on his 14th attempt, for “Blade Runner 2049”.

The Time’s Up initiative was not as visible as at the Golden Globes in January, with no coordinated protest — like the striking Globes red carpet “blackout”.

But towards the end of the show, Salma Hayek fronted the presentation of a video of stars advocating for women’s rights and racial equality, including Ava DuVernay, Chadwick Boseman, Lee Daniels and Geena Davis.

“This entire fall, [through] the #MeToo, the Time’s Up movements, everyone is getting a voice to express something that has been happening forever, not only in Hollywood, but in every walk of life,” said Mira Sorvino [“Mighty Aphrodite”].

In another nod to the women’s movements, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tapped past winners Jennifer Lawrence and Jodie Foster — on crutches — to present McDormand’s best actress Oscar.

Traditionally, the previous year’s best actor winner would present that statuette, but Casey Affleck, who triumphed in 2017 for “Manchester by the Sea”, withdrew under a cloud of sexual harassment accusations he denies.

Presenters atone for 2017 flub

Other winners included Pixar’s “Coco” for best animated feature and “A Fantastic Woman” — a love story from Chilean director Sebastian Lelio with a much-praised star turn from transgender actress Daniela Vega — in the foreign film category.

And Jordan Peele won the award for best original screenplay for his highly acclaimed debut film, horror satire “Get Out”.

Organisers were looking to rebound after last year’s flubbed announcement by Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway of the best picture winner — the trophy was initially given to “La La Land”, when the actual winner was “Moonlight”.

In a surprise turn of events, Beatty and Dunaway were tapped to present the same prize this time around and the presentation went without a hitch.

“It’s so nice seeing you again,” joked Beatty, to laughs from the audience.

By Dr Renad Seheimat

Clinical Pathologist 

& Laboratory Medicine Specialist

Are you finding weight difficult to lose? Even with exercise and a restricted-calorie diet, are you still gaining weight? Well, it is incredibly hard to win against an obstacle you do not know is there! Your own body hormones may simply be way out of balance. Maybe it is time to visit the lab for a check-up. Here are some of the important blood tests for resolving stubborn weight.

Your thyroid hormones

An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) is generally associated with a low metabolic rate and some weight gain. The cause of the weight gain is also complex and not always related to excess fat accumulation. Most of the extra weight gained in hypothyroid individuals is due to excess accumulation of salt and water. Massive weight gain is rare. In general, two to five kilogrammes of body weight may be attributable to the thyroid and if weight gain is the only symptom of underactive thyroid, it is less likely that the weight gain is solely caused by the thyroid.

Your insulin levels

The most significant factor in fat storage is the level of insulin in the blood. This is such a key point to understand. Insulin is known to be a fat building hormone, so excess levels are sure to guarantee fat accumulation in the body. Not only does insulin result in fat storage but it also prevents the breakdown of fat as an energy source. Insulin resistance (when insulin levels are sufficiently high over a prolonged period of time, causing the body’s own sensitivity to the hormone to be reduced) increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Hence, it makes sense to get your fasting blood sugar and insulin levels tested. Consuming complex carbohydrates helps control insulin levels and makes losing weight easier. In some cases, a medication is prescribed to improve insulin sensitivity, promoting the use of sugar for energy production.

Your sex hormones

High levels of testosterone hormone levels are seen in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). If you are struggling with weight and have irregular periods or excess hair growth, it would be wise to visit your gynaecologist, who will check your testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone.

Vitamins and minerals

I also recommend checking your iron, zinc, vitamin D and B 12 levels. They are responsible for helping your body use oxygen to burn sugar and produce energy. Adequate intake of vitamins and minerals is important to ensure optimum energy production, making exercise and weight loss easier.

Stress hormones

Chronic stress leads to prolonged periods of high cortisol levels. Cortisol is one of our stress hormones that increase our sugar level and fat storage, which in turn may lead to insulin resistance and weight gain around the middle of the body, further hindering weight loss. Keep in mind it also increases cravings, especially for sugary foods. You can check your cortisol levels in the lab with a blood test or saliva analysis.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine