The Guardians of the Galaxy are not only helping to save the universe in their debut film, but they could also save Hollywood's so far lacklustre summer season. Marvel's latest comic-book blockbuster proved to be a box-office smash on its opening night in the United States and Canada, earning US$11.2 million (Dh41.1m). That was more than the most recent Marvel movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which featured a well-established character from the Avengers universe and made $10.2m on its first day of release. The film, which leads in to next summer's Avengers sequel, Age of Ultron, follows a rogue band of misfits on an intergalactic space adventure as they attempt to save the galaxy from evil warlords. But they could also "save the summer" for a slumping movie industry that has failed to excite audiences so far, said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst at Rentrak. Summer ticket sales in North America are down 20 per cent on last year, at $2.93 billion. – Reuters
Hollywood’s pioneering ‘Godfather of Make-up’ dies at age 92
The pioneering movie make-up artist Dick Smith, who transformed the look of Marlon Brando in The Godfather and Linda Blair in The Exorcist, among other high-profile film work, has died. He was 92. Known as the "Godfather of Make-up", Smith was the first make-up artist to win an Academy Award for lifetime achievement and helped to pioneer now-standard techniques and materials. In 1970's Little Big Man, he convincingly made Dustin Hoffman, who was in his mid-30s at the time, look like he was 100 years old. He transformed the middle-aged Brando into the jowly, ageing mafia patriarch Don Vito Corleone in 1972's The Godfather. The following year, he turned the teenage Blair into a hideously scarred victim of demonic possession in The Exorcist. In 1985, Smith shared an Oscar with Paul LeBlanc for their work on Amadeus. Smith died on Wednesday in California of natural causes. – AP
Pamela Anderson flies in to the Faroe Islands to save pilot whales
The former Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson has travelled to the Faroe Islands in attempt to halt the annual hunting of pilot whales, a tradition that dates back 400 years that she described as a "barbaric, psychotic frenzy". She flew in to the semi-autonomous Danish archipelago, located between Scotland and Iceland, this weekend to support a campaign by the Seattle-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. "We want to protect the whales, not fight the Faroes," the actress said. "We hope to convince people here to move on to something else." Pilot whales are not endangered, but activists say the hunt is cruel. Each year, islanders drive herds of pilot whales into shallow waters, where they are killed. The drives are regulated by legislation and the meat and blubber are shared by the community. Islanders kill up to 1,000 whales annually out of an estimated population of 128,000. – AP
Lorde given the job of choosing music for the third Hunger Games movie
The teenage pop star Lorde will select the songs that appear in the third Hunger Games movie, which is due for release in November. The 17-year-old New Zealander – whose song Royals was an international smash hit last year – will hand-pick the artists featured in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1. She will also supply the first single from the movie. "I am so pleased and proud to have been announced the sole curator of the soundtrack," she told her 1.94 million followers. "I sat down with Lorde on the set of Mockingjay this spring and I was immediately struck by how she so innately understood what we, as both fans and filmmakers, were trying to accomplish with the film," said the director Francis Lawrence. The Hunger Games movies, based on a series of books for young adults written by Suzanne Collins, star Jennifer Lawrence as the bow-wielding survivor of a brutal reality-TV contest in a dystopian future. – AFP
Salman Khan to promote Dr Cabbie in Toronto
The Bollywood star Salman Khan is heading to Toronto on August 28 for a whirlwind three days to promote the Indo-Canadian actor Vinay Virmani's English-language comedy Dr Cabbie, just a few days before the opening of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF; September 4 to 14).
But Dr Cabbie won't actually be premièred or screen at TIFF – Virmani and his entrepreneur father Ajay Virmani decided that it might not stand a chance against all the big-ticket Bollywood films premiering there, including Priyanka Chopra's Mary Kom, whose recently launched trailer has gone viral online.
Instead, the makers of Dr Cabbie have "decided to steal the thunder" by bringing Khan to the Canadian city to meet and greet his fans. Khan serves as the official producer of the film.
While details of the actor's itinerary have not been revealed, sources say that he will spend a lot of time on the streets of Toronto interacting with Indian cab drivers – the film is about an Indian immigrant doctor newly arrived in Canada, who cannot get a job and so is forced to become a cabbie. He becomes a local hero when he converts his taxi into a mobile medical clinic. The film is directed by the Canadian filmmaker Jean-François Pouliot, and the cast includes Adrianne Palicki (G I Joe), Kunal Nayyar (the TV series The Big Bang Theory), Rizwan Manji and Bollywood's Lillete Dubey and Isabelle Kaif (the sister of the A-lister Katrina Kaif).
Dr Cabbie will be released in India later this year but a date has not been announced yet. – The National staff
artslife@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
HAJJAN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Abu%20Bakr%20Shawky%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3EStarring%3A%20Omar%20Alatawi%2C%20Tulin%20Essam%2C%20Ibrahim%20Al-Hasawi%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
Dunki
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rajkumar%20Hirani%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Taapsee%20Pannu%2C%20Vikram%20Kochhar%20and%20Anil%20Grover%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Company%20profile
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
WHY%20AAYAN%20IS%20'PERFECT%20EXAMPLE'
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
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The%20Letter%20Writer
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VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
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