Features

There is a lush pine tree right opposite my study that has spread quite majestically, both outwards and upwards. Every now and then its long branches, which are covered in green pointy leaves, sway gently in the breeze. Of all the other vegetation in my garden, this tree is the most eye-catching one. It is also the most musical one because it’s a favourite haunt for all the singing birds in my neighbourhood. 

I don’t know whether it is a robin, a blackbird, thrush, magpie or a cuckoo but to me, the loudest songbird outside my window sounds like a nightingale because all daylong it sings the sweetest of songs. Sometimes I wonder how such a small organism can manage to produce so much of melody. From its tiny voice box, that is. 

What I also marvel at is the sheer abandon and joy with which the little creature sings. Do these songs have any meaning in the bird world? In their own coded language, do they relate any tales of glory and valour perhaps, or stories of loss and sadness? Has anyone tried to decipher it? Being birdbrained is considered to be dimwitted, but have we really analysed this implication properly? If they can sing so tunefully, are we not being a bit too harsh on our feathered friends by assuming that they are of less than average intelligence? Is there any way to change this wrong impression? 

While I was searching for answers to these questions, my friend’s children paid me a surprise visit. These two identical three-year-olds waddled up to the pine tree and promptly started a musical conversation with the singing bird. “Tweet twoot” one twin chirped, and waited for the bird to respond. Within seconds came the reply, “twoot twoot”, from the branch overhead. The other twin gurgled with delightful laughter. It was her turn now to address the bird. She did so in a singsong tone and almost immediately came the birdy rejoinder. I watched this unbelievable communion between two human toddlers and a bird, with growing astonishment. Soon it was difficult to figure out whether the bird was copying the babies or they were imitating the bird. The only other witness to this incredible scene was the solitary pine tree that continued to give an exaggerated sway to its leafy branches, every now and then. 

As I escorted the children inside the house I caught sight of the songbird that had been entertaining them. It had a long tail, blackish grey plumage and an uncanny ability to mimic the sounds of other birds. It jumped from one bush to another before flying past me with a piercing whistle. “Maybe it is a mockingbird,” said the voice in my head. But were they not the inhabitants of North America? How did this one manage to fly across to Jordan? Was it not an impossibly long journey to undertake?

“I’m quite sure it’s a mockingbird,” I told my husband over lunch. 

“I think the twins are vegetarian,” he replied. 

“Why did it make this transatlantic trip,” I wondered aloud. 

“You better check with their mum,” my spouse said. 

“How would she know?” I queried. 

“You said you were feeding them some bird,” he clarified. 

“You never listen to me,” I protested. 

There was a minute of silence.

“Harper Lee,” he called out. 

No one answered. 

“It’s not nice,” he went on. 

“To do what,” I asked. 

“To kill a mockingbird,” he answered.

NEW YORK — Movie stars don’t open movies anymore? Tell that to Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks.

The pair, once co-stars in “Philadelphia”, have together dominated the last three weeks of the box office. After Clint Eastwood’s Miracle on the Hudson docudrama “Sully”, starring Hanks as Captain Chesley Sullenberger, topped ticket sales of the last two weeks, “The Magnificent Seven” rode Washington’s star power to a $34.7 million debut over the weekend, according to studio final tallies on Monday.

Though both Washington and Hanks are in their early 60s, their box-office clout might be just as potent as ever. The debut of “Sully” was Hanks’ fourth best opening of his career; the opening of “The Magnificent Seven”, Antoine Fuqua’s remake of John Sturges’ 1960 Western (itself a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai”), is Washington’s third best.

Both films boasted other enticements. Eastwood is himself a draw. And the ensemble of “The Magnificent Seven” most notably includes Chris Pratt, the “Guardians of the Galaxy” star and a potential heir apparent to Washington and Hanks.

But Washington and Hanks ranked as the overwhelming reason audiences went to see either movie, according to comScore’s survey of moviegoers.

“They are the model of consistency and they are the model of quality,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore. “These are guys who can draw a huge audience in any type of movie that they’re in. It’s not like they’re pigeonholed into one kind of franchise. Denzel Washington can be part of a genre, the Western, that doesn’t exactly have teenagers scrambling to the movie theatre.”

Sony Pictures’ “The Magnificent Seven” wasn’t cheap to make — it cost about $90 million — so its path to profitability isn’t assured. Directed by Fuqua (whose “Training Day” and “The Equalizer” also starred Washington), the film made splashy premieres at both the Toronto International Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival.

Coming in at a distant second was Warner Bros.’ “Storks”, an animated release where the large-winged birds have given up the baby delivery business for online sales. The film, which cost about $70 million to make, opened with $21.3 million. Directed by Nicholas Stoller and Doug Sweetland, its voice cast is led by Andy Samberg.

The rest of the top 10 was populated by holdovers, with “Sully” slotting in at third with $13.5 million in its third week. It has now grossed $92.1 million domestically. A potentially bigger test of Hanks’ drawing power awaits the actor next month with the release of “Inferno”, in which he reprises his role as Robert Langdon in the Dan Brown franchise.

“The Magnificent Seven” slots in as one of the biggest openings for a Western ever, though the genre’s heyday predated modern wide releases. The only Westerns to debut better, not accounting for inflation, bended the genre in other directions: sci-fi in the case of “Cowboys & Aliens” ($36.4 million in 2011) and animation in “Rango” ($38.1 million, also in 2011).

The Western, like Washington and Hanks, has proven quite durable at the box office in recent years. The Coen brothers’ “True Grit” (which grossed $171.2 million in total), Alejandro Inarritu’s “The Revenant” ($183.6 million) and a pair of Quintin Tarantino releases (“Django Unchained”, with $162.8 million, and “The Hateful Eight”, with $54.1 million) have all proven the genre’s fortitude.

“When you read this script as well as Antoine’s vision of it, you knew it was going to be cool and relevant,” said Rory Bruer, distribution head for Sony. “When you talk about genres or things that might not, on the surface, look to be the best play, it’s always going to about what’s in the story and how that story is told.”

Dropping from third to fourth was “Bridget Jones’s Baby” at $4.7 million. Renee Zellweger reprises her single-woman role in the romantic-comedy saga, finding herself pregnant and unsure who is the father.

“Snowden”, director Oliver Stone’s film about Edward Snowden, the US intelligence contractor who leaked thousands of classified documents to journalists, ranked fifth in its second week at $4.1 million.

Rounding out the top 10 films were: “The Blair Witch Project” ($4.1 million), “Don’t Breathe” ($3.8 million), “Suicide Squad” ($3.1 million), “When the Bough Breaks” ($2.5 million) and “Kubo and the Two Strings” ($1.1 million).

A special and particularly desirable breed of Lamborghini, the Huracan LP580-2 may not be the most powerful, expensive, extravagant or outlandishly extrovert of the storied Sant’Agata supercar maker’s current line-up. In fact this is the most basic — if you can call it that — and least powerful car they offer, pitched not so much for the supercar poseurs or headline those obsessed with headline specifications.

The Huracan LP580-2, as its nomenclature denotes to those in the know, is, however, the Lamborghini for the auto enthusiast for whom the means are more important than the ends. Powered by a slightly detuned V10 engine producing 572BHP — or 580PS metric horsepower — the LP580-2 is Lamborghini’s only rear-wheel drive offering and a more scintillatingly delicate, involving and visceral sister to the regular four-wheel drive Huracan LP610-4. 

Rear-drive rewards

A follow-up to the current Huracan model line Gallardo predecessor’s well-received Gallardo LP550-2 Balboni special edition, the LP580-2 is virtually indistinguishable visually from the regular Huracan LP610-4 save for new base 19-inch alloy wheels, revised rear bumper and tailpipes, and wider front intakes for improved front down-force. Otherwise, the rear drive Huracan shares the regular model’s same sharp lines, pouncing silhouette and moody front and rear fascia.

Jutting, seamlessly rakish and menacingly assertive, the mid-engine Huracan sits wide, squat and ready to attack, with both variants sharing same rigid and lightweight carbon fibre and aluminium hybrid frame and construction, and double wishbone suspension. Underneath however, the LP580-2 lacks the LP610-4’s four-wheel drive components and is as a result 33kg lighter, weighing in at just 1,398kg, with a 2 per cent alteration of weight distribution for a slightly greater rear-bias at 40:60, front to rear.

More eager, delicate and sharper than the four-wheel-drive version, if not without the same outright traction, grip and capability, the rear-drive LP580-2 receives revised set-ups for its steering and suspension including springs, dampers and anti-roll-bars. The LP580-2 also gets re-calibrated stability, traction and power management systems, driving modes alter damper rates for a more emphasised rear-drive feel and balance in “sport” setting. 

Snarling, searing and stratospheric delivery

Powered by the same naturally aspirated direct injection 5.2-litre V10 engine positioned behind the cabin and ahead of the rear axle, the Huracan LP580-2’s output is slightly detuned by 30BHP and 15lb/ft to reflect its lower weight and lesser traction next to the four-wheel drive version. Viciously powerful and startlingly swift nonetheless, the LP580-2 develops 5,72BHP at 8,000rpm — 250rpm lower than the 610-4 — and 398lb/ft at 6,500rpm.

With its enormous 305/30R20 rear tyres digging hard into tarmac and generating phenomenal grip in the absence of four-wheel drive, the LP580-2 rockets through the 0-100km/h sprint in just 3.4 seconds and to 200km/h in 10.1 seconds — both down just 0.2-seconds from the LP610-4. Capable of achieving 320km/h, the LP580-2 is just 5km/h slower, but in return posts improved fuel efficiency and emissions ratings, consuming just 11.9l/100km, or 0.6l/100km less than the LP610-4.

A charismatically high-revving high compression engine with razor sharp responses and a sonorous high-strung soundtrack that builds from mechanical low rev staccato to resonant metallic snarl and hardens to a wailing howl and intensely searing delivery as it tears into the upper reaches of its stratospheric rev range. Eagerly progressive in character and delivery, it, however, pulls hard from low down and digs deep in mid-range to deliver muscular versatility.

Agile adjustability

The Huracan’s intense delivery is linear and long-legged for more consistency and reach within each gear, while pinpoint accurate throttle control allows one to dials in exact and immediate power increments for fluent handling and management of grip and slip through corners. Meanwhile, its dual-clutch automated gearbox delivers seamlessly swift shifts, with incrementally more aggressive and succinct selectable shift modes. Alternatively, one can self-shift through steering column-mounted paddle-shifters for more driver involvement.

Engineered to be a more involving and fun drive with more cornering adjustability rather than outright grip and composure, the LP580-2 is in its element through quick winding hillclimbs. With recalibrated steering and slightly softer front damping the LP580-2’s is dartier and more eager into corners. Turning in tidy and crisp, its revised weighting lends it a more balanced feel, and with its superb throttle control and chassis, allows one to adjust a cornering line on throttle or with a quick jab of the brakes. 

Though designed with on-track sideways slides in mind for owners wishing to push it to the limit, the LP580-2 nevertheless and reassuringly develops huge levels of lateral grip to prevent sudden unwanted oversteer. Lighter and with more driving purity, the LP580-2 is an agile corner carving instrument. Tucking and weaving through switchbacks with a connected composure and intuitive involvement, it delivers a sense of progressive clarity to lateral weight shifts and dynamic limits. 

Modern old school charm

Delivering more steering and chassis feel and feedback, the LP580-2’s dynamic character can be slightly altered through its selectable driving modes, with its default “Strada” mode altering its optional adjustable adaptive magnetic dampers for a slightly more predictable tendency for understeer at the limit. Meanwhile, “sport” mode shifts the balance for more oversteer if pushed for that intent, while “Corsa” mode hones and sharpens the car for maximum dynamic ability, focus, driver engagement and autonomy.

The LP580-2 is unflinchingly stable on the highway, with committed directional stability and buttoned down rebound control, while ride quality is certainly firm and focused, but not uncomfortably so, and in “Strada” mode absorbs textural imperfections with more fluency and suppleness than expected. Manoeuvrable and easy to drive, the Huracan offers excellent front visibility, but being a low and wide mid-engine supercar, rear visibility is greatly aided by a rear-view camera and scissor doors, which one can raise for better visibility when parallel parking.

Well-crafted and well-equipped with improved cabin ergonomics than its predecessor, the Huracan’s supportive seats and thick steering wheel provide a focused driving position, but lower seat mounts would add a few welcome centimetres of headspace. Unique among mid-engine competitors, the LP580-2’s savagely willing naturally aspirated engine and rear-wheel drive make it a thoroughly modern car with old school supercar charm, but an optional manual gearbox would make the supercar of choice, if driver involvement and visceral thrills were the criteria.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 5.2-litre, mid-mounted, dry sump, V10 cylinders

Bore x stroke: 84.5 x 92.8mm

Compression ratio: 12.7:1

Valve-train: 40-valve, DOHC, direct injection

Gearbox: 7-speed automated dual clutch

Driveline: rear-wheel-drive, multi-plate clutch, limited-slip differential

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 572 (580) [426] @8,000rpm

Specific power: 109.7BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 411BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 398 (540) @6,500rpm

Specific torque: 103.7Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight: 388.7Nm/tonne

0-100km/h: 3.4 seconds

0-200km/h: 10.1 seconds

Top speed: 320km/h

Fuel consumption, urban/extra-urban/combined: 17.2-/8.9-/11.9 litres/100km 

CO2 emissions, combined: 278g/km

Fuel capacity: 80 litres

Length: 4,459mm

Width: 1,924mm

Height: 1,165mm

Wheelbase: 2,620mm

Track, F/R: 1,668/1,620mm

Dry weight: 1,389kg

Weight distribution, F/R: 40 per cent/60 per cent

Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion

Turning circle: 11.5 metres

Suspension: Double wishbones, adaptive magnetic dampers

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated, perforated discs 365 x 34mm/356 x 32mm

Brake callipers, F/R: 8-/4-piston callipers

Tyres: 245/30R20/305/30R20

DETROIT — While sales of its main competitors are rising, the ageing Chevrolet Equinox compact SUV has taken a dramatic tumble so far this year in the fastest-growing part of the US market.

General Motors is hoping to turn that around when it replaces the Equinox with a revamped model that goes on sale early next year.

Its main competitors, the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue and Ford Escape, all have seen sales increases through August, but Equinox sales are down almost 18 per cent. Some of that can be attributed to GM’s corporate cut in sales to rental car companies, but much of it is due to age of the SUV, which was last revamped in 2010. Newer models generally sell better, and most of its competitors are newer.

The Equinox is an important product for GM in what has become the biggest part of the US market, where the company gets most of its sales and profits. Compact SUVs accounted for just 7.2 per cent of the US market just a decade ago, but that has more than doubled to 16.5 per cent so far this year, according to the Edmunds.com automotive website. The SUVs appeal to just about all demographic groups, from ageing baby boomers who are downsizing vehicles to millennials who like the high seating position and ability to haul outdoor gear.

The boxy old version of the Equinox, even in its late years, sold well but is starting to fade against the market leading CR-V and RAV4.

Edmunds senior analyst Jessica Caldwell says it will have to look less like an SUV in order to catch buyers who are now attached to Honda and Toyota entries. And even if it gains sales, the Equinox won’t be the newest in the market for very long. “Chances are your competitors are right behind you,” she said. “It’s tough.”

The timing is right for the new Equinox, said John Mendel, the executive vice president of Honda. “I don’t know that it’s going to be a quantum shift or some seismic event,” said Mendel, who hasn’t driven the new Equinox yet.

On Thursday night in Chicago, GM showed off the sculpted new 2018 version, which the company says borrows much of its looks from sleek new cars such as the Chevrolet Cruze and Malibu. The new Equinox is 180 kilogrammes lighter, 13 centimetres shorter and about 2.5 centimetres lower than the old model. But it also has slightly less front and rear legroom, according to GM’s specifications.

Gone are the Equinox’s old 3.6-litre V6 and 2.4-litre four-cylinder engines, replaced by two smaller four-cylinder gas powerplants and a diesel, all turbocharged for better acceleration. The base 1.5-litre engine puts out 170 horsepower, while an upgraded 2-litre four cranks out 252. The base engine will get a GM-estimated 8.5 litres per 100 kilometres on the highway, the same as the outgoing model. But the 1.6-litre diesel will get an estimated 7 litres per 100 kilometres on the highway, GM said.

“Customers can select an engine that offers more of the attributes that are important to them: efficiency, performance and capability,” said Dan Nicholson, GM’s vice president of global propulsion systems.

The new version also comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to integrate smart phones into the SUVs, and a host of safety features including low-speed automatic braking and an alert if you’ve left a child in the rear seat. Price and a specific sale date were not announced.

LONDON — Exposure to bright light can raise testosterone levels and lead to greater sexual satisfaction in men with low sexual desire, according to the results of a small scientific trial.

Scientists at the University of Siena in Italy found that regular, early-morning use of a light box — similar to those used to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD — helped men increase testosterone and improved their sex lives.

Andrea Fagiolini, a professor who led the study and presented it at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology conference in Vienna on Monday, said the treatment may prove useful during the Northern hemisphere’s darker winter months.

“The increased levels of testosterone explain the greater reported sexual satisfaction,” he said. “In the Northern hemisphere, the body’s testosterone production naturally declines from November through April, and then rises steadily through the spring and summer with a peak in October.”

Low sexual desire can affect significant numbers of men after the age of 40, with studies finding that up to 25 per cent of men report problems.

Fagiolini’s team recruited 38 men diagnosed with either hypoactive sexual desire disorder or sexual arousal disorder — both characterised by a lack of interest in sex. 

After taking baseline readings, they divided the men into two groups and gave one regular treatment with a bright light box, while the control, or placebo, group was treated with a light box adapted to give out significantly less light.

“We found fairly significant differences,” Fagiolini said.

“Before treatment, both groups averaged a sexual satisfaction score of around 2 out of 10. But after treatment, the group exposed to the bright light was scoring sexual satisfaction scores of around 6.3. In contrast, the control group only showed an average score of around 2.7 after treatment.”

SAN JOSE, California — When it comes to map apps, consumers are finding plenty of fresh paths to digital navigation thanks to Google, Apple and a whole host of rivals.

Here WeGo, Waze, MapFactor, Mapquest, Scout GPS, Maps.Me and InRoute are just some of the apps that are challenging Google Maps and Apple Maps, which dominate smartphone mapping services, by focusing on new and novel features.

Google and Apple, though, aren’t content to stay in the slow lane of innovation. Both have added new features to their map apps in recent months, including enabling users to add interim destinations to go along with the ultimate stop on a trip. Google’s changes rolled out in an update to Google Maps this summer; Apple’s changes will be included in iOS 10, the soon-to-be released next version of its mobile operating system.

“Just open the app, enter a destination, tap the corner menu, and then click add a stop,” Google says in a blog post. “To rearrange the order of your stops, tap and hold the three-dot menu to the left of Add Stop and drag it to the position you want.”

The Apple Maps service has new features that seek to meld activities and services associated with a trip.

“Apps like OpenTable can integrate bookings right into Maps,” Apple says on its website. “Services like Uber and Lyft can make it easier for users to book a ride, without ever leaving the Maps app.”

And while this navigational arms race shifts into high gear, it’s become apparent the original stand-alone GPS devices are becoming stranded by the side of the road.

The proliferation of smartphone apps has reshaped a market once dominated by the stand-alone machines, such as TomTom, Garmin and Magellan. According to market research firm Berg Insight, worldwide shipments of personal navigation devices have decreased from 40 million units in 2008 to a projected 11 million by the end of this year. That number is expected to drop to just 7 million in 2019 — less than a tenth of projected smartphone map app users in that year.

“Most consumers are using their smartphones as their primary navigation and map system,” said Ben Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies, a market researcher. “Retailers, in a lot of cases, don’t really promote the stand-alone devices any more.”

The established map apps from Google and Apple offer a wide array of features, with the centrepiece being turn-by-turn navigation. And while the emerging apps also typically offer turn-based directions, they all attempt to offer niche features that also can go beyond the basics of the apps from the tech titans.

Google-owned Waze, whose service is separate from Google Maps, emphasises the social aspects of travelling, and its new features include improved ways to share your estimated time of arrival with others. It also provides quick access to frequent destinations.

“You can use Waze to find out about lots of things,” Bajarin said. “It pops up icons to tell you about traffic, police in your area, gives you suggestions on alternate routes. It’s the integration of social media with navigation.”

Other apps also seek to meld the drive with other services. Scout GPS emphasises social interaction, including the ability to message friends and family and share your location or destination with designated people. Here WeGo allows you to summon taxicabs or access a ride-hailing service.

And some apps focus on improving the driving experience. Mapquest, one of the first computer-based navigation guides, recently began allowing drivers to see speed limits on the street they’re travelling. Maps.Me has added navigation elements that take up less space on the screen, and the speed the vehicle is travelling has been added. InRoute, designed mainly for long road trips, offers the ability to add numerous stops — and drivers can easily select routes that avoid areas with hot temperatures or hilly terrain.

Saying it makes “cities easier to use”, Citymapper is geared to the daily commuter. In addition to vehicle navigation, the app has found a way to coordinate public transit and ride-hailing services so people can plan integrated trips.

Citymapper’s service can be especially handy in big cities with major transit networks, said Michael Tchong, founder of Las Vegas-based Ubercool Innovation, which tracks technology trends.

“The wave of the future is Citymapper,” Tchong said. “It integrates vehicle navigation, buses, subways, trains, Uber, Lyft all in one package. It will tell you whether the train you are on is running on time.”

Experts predict the pace of innovation will pick up even more for map apps.

“The map apps could become automated and start working as soon as you turn on your phone,” said Rob Enderle, an Oregon-based analyst who tracks the tech sector. “That way, if you’re driving, you don’t have to juggle a bunch of apps.”

And map apps also may become more closely attuned to their users. They might start taking note of what types of restaurants you visit and only suggest those when you’re looking for a place to eat, Bajarin said.

“The unique personalisation of mapping is the next step,” he said. “We are on that cusp.”

You as of Today My Homeland: Stories of War, Self, and Love
Tayseer Al Sboul
Translated by Nesreen Akhtarkhavari
East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2016
Pp. 89

Tayseer Al Sboul’s novella, “You as of Today My Homeland”, first published in Arabic in 1968, is both a very concrete historical novel and a parable. It is the story of a son of the village who goes to the city and gets an education but can’t make sense of the world around him. It is the story of the Arab citizen who wants to be part of building a great nation, but finds no inspiration, only defeat, hypocrisy, corruption and oppression.

The plot traces a defining period in contemporary Arab history, from the 1948 Palestine war to the 1967 Arab defeat, from a Jordanian perspective. It is heavily autobiographical, registering the milestones in Sboul’s life and their effect on his feelings and thinking. Sboul’s genius lies in having penned a very personal account that gives voice to the experience of his entire generation.

It is significant that the protagonist is named Arabi, whose name means “an Arab”, thus making him a symbol of the common man. Partly, Arabi narrates his own story; at other times, an omniscient narrator reveals his impressions and emotions. For Arabi, oppression begins at home. His father is a violence-prone tyrant who beats his wives and Arabi without mercy or reason. His brother, a hero of the Bab Al Wad battle, a Jordanian victory in the Palestine War, proves to be no better as he tries to dispossess his mother of her inheritance, her house, after the father dies. 

The story opens with the father cruelly killing a small white cat for snitching a piece of meat, leaving Arabi fearful and without appetite as the family gathers for the Ramadan meal. Instinctively, he sides with the victim but is powerless to act, instead exiting the house. This scenario recurs in different forms throughout the novella, as Arabi reels from one frustrating experience to another. Meanwhile, visions of violence, death and impotence cloud his nightmares.

At first, studying at the university seems to provide an outlet for Arabi’s intellect and dreams. He makes friends with whom he can discuss common ideas of freedom and justice, but when he joins a political party which claims to work for these aims, he is again disappointed. The party’s pamphlets bore him, and the leaders are non-inspirational and hypocritical. He is confused by the campus fights between nationalists and communists, and finds no answers about how to end colonialism or create democracy. What he does find is a great similarity between the security services and the party: “regardless of the animosity between them, they both interfered in my personal affairs”. (p. 31)

His experiences with women also leave him disillusioned. Alienation mounts. 

Only two things excite Arabi: hearing of people rebelling against unjust rulers, and the “sizzling reports of victories and great statistics” broadcast by Arab radio stations at the start of the 1967 war. (p. 35)

But then, when “things were over, Citizen Arabi walked through the streets aimlessly, meandering around like a dizzy fly”. (p. 37)

He went to the bridge over the Jordan River to see for himself what was happening, “looking for the last inch of what remained from my homeland… It was not just defeat; it was something else, much more… a nation drowning in sadness”. (pp. 42-44)

Yet, though overwhelmed by what had happened, Arabi in the end regains the moral high ground, realising that: “The problem was that this nation was forced to fight” by Israel and its aggression. (p. 46)

The narrative switches from voice to voice, from time to time, and place to place, without much explanation, echoing Arabi’s disorientation. Short, direct sentences convey an experience that is immediate, sensory, personal and political. There is also evocative imagery to remind that Sboul was a poet, but the overall effect is a bleak picture of fragmentation and alienation.

This style has led critics to identify “You as of Today” as one of the first modern Jordanian novels that had a wider impact on Arab writing in terms of style and content. In more recent times, Dr Ahmed Majdoubeh analysed the novella as post-modernist. One can only imagination the larger contribution Sboul might have made to literature, had he not been overwhelmed by the Arab defeat which led him to take his own life in 1973, at the age of 34.

This volume also includes two of Sboul’s short stories, which complement the novella by addressing human and Arab identity in other contexts. There is a prologue by the author’s son, Otba Al Sboul, and a very interesting and helpful introduction by the translator, Nesreen Akhtarkhavari, correlating the story events with Sboul’s actual life and explaining his references to ancient Arab history.

Akhtarkhavari highlights the current relevance of “You as of Today My Homeland”, since the young generation in the Arab world still faces many of the same frustrations to which Sboul so eloquently gave voice.

WASHINGTON — Google took aim Wednesday at the red-hot mobile messaging market, with a new artificial intelligence-powered Allo app that seeks to compete with popular rivals such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

But the app’s reliance on Google’s predictive software drew immediate criticism from privacy advocates who argued it could open up user data to law enforcement — with former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden warning people not to use it.

Google defended its privacy stand, saying users can opt for a more secure “incognito” mode if they prefer.

The app includes Google Assistant, an artificial intelligence programme which makes live suggestions as you chat.

“You no longer need to leave a conversation with friends just to grab an address, share your favourite YouTube video, or pick a dinner spot,” Google said in a blog post.

“Google Allo can help you make plans, find information, and express yourself more easily in chat. And the more you use it, the more it improves over time,” Google said.

The app will adjust according to whether its user’s style is usually an emoji or written response, for example.

Like rival apps, it has tools for personalising chat messages including changing the size of emojis and a choice of stickers. 

Keeping pace

Allo was unveiled by Google in May at the same time as Google Duo, an app for video calls, which hit the market last month.

The app is available on smartphones using Google’s Android system and Apple’s iOS.

Google faces a challenge in carving a place in a sector dominated by popular apps such as WhatsApp, which Facebook acquired for some $20 billion in 2014 and which counts more than a billion users.

In July, Facebook said that users of its own Messenger application had also passed the one billion mark.

Apple has also moved to catch up with rivals, upgrading the messaging app in its latest iOS 10 launched last week.

Google and its earlier messaging app Hangouts had failed to keep pace in a market that also includes Snapchat, Skype and global rivals such as WeChat, Viber, Line, Kik and Telegram.

Privacy, encryption

Conversations in Allo will be encrypted, according to Google. And additional privacy will be offered with an “incognito” option in which messages will disappear after a fixed period.

But some analysts expressed disappointment that Google did not go further in agreeing not to store messages on its servers, where they can be accessed by authorities.

Christopher Soghioan, a privacy researcher with the American Civil Liberties Union, lamented that Google “decided that improving auto responses was worth making all messages accessible to law enforcement”.

Snowden, the former US intelligence contractor wanted for leaking National Security Agency documents on surveillance, said in a tweet, “Don’t use Allo”.

A later tweet from Snowden called Allo an “app that records every message you ever send and makes it available to police upon request”.

Google argues that the “smart” features of the application require “data processing” and that the tech giant needs to store chats to improve responses.

“We’ve given users transparency and control over their data in Google Allo,” a Google statement e-mailed to AFP said.

“Our approach is simple — your chat history is saved for you until you choose to delete it. You can delete single messages or entire conversations in Allo. 

“We also provide the option to chat in Incognito mode, where messages are end-to-end encrypted and you can set a timer to automatically delete messages for your device and the person you’re chatting with’s device at a set time.”

TIRANA — The two five-year-old Albanian bears carry physical and mental scars from their days of mistreatment and captivity — Pashuk has marks from the tight chain on his neck, while Tomi is an alcoholic.

The pair are temporarily staying in Tirana zoo after they were rescued from their jailers, amid a new drive to liberate the Balkan country’s cruelly caged brown bears.

There are up to 250 of them roaming free in Albania’s mountains, according to the international animal rights group Four Paws. But another several dozen, between 50 and 80, were taken from the wild as cubs.

Displayed in cages in restaurants or shackled on beaches, the bears’ role is to amuse and attract tourists and well-heeled customers — who can pose with the animals for 1 euro ($1.1) per photograph.

Tomi’s former owner, who runs a restaurant 80 kilometres north of Tirana, allowed customers to serve their new furry friend beer and “raki”, the traditional local tipple.

“Coffee and alcohol, there was nothing better to wake him, as with my clients,” the businessman, aged around 40, told AFP, declining to give his name.

Tomi, who now aggressively paces up and down, will on Monday be sent with Pashuk and another female bear to neighbouring Kosovo, which has built a “bear sanctuary” after facing a similar problem.

“Tomi is always stressed and this could be explained by his withdrawal from alcohol,” said Sajmir Shehu of Four Paws.

In March, Albania’s authorities made a deal with Four Paws pledging to liberate its bears and adopt a lawmaking private possession of wild animals a crime against the environment, punishable by prison.

Until now, fines of 20 to 30 euros for keeping these animals were hardly a deterrent. But Albania wants to draw more tourists — and does not want to raise controversy over animal abuse.

Environment Minister Lefter Koka insists the time of impunity is over: “Cruelty to animals cannot be a tourist attraction.”

“We have already identified more than 50 bears in cages,” Koka told AFP.

Several of them have already been sent to parks and sanctuaries in other European countries, while two cubs are due to go to Germany.

But what about the dozens of others, who are incapable of rediscovering a fully wild life?

These animals are “stressed, passive, they bite, they have lost all reflexes to feed themselves, they are sad”, said Zamir Dedej, the director general of Albania’s Agency for Environmental Protection.

Dancing bears

“Our space is limited and we cannot keep them here long,” said Mirjam Kastrati, director of Tirana’s small zoo, which is surrounded by concrete towers.

A park would cost more than 4 million euros, an exorbitant sum for Albania, one of the poorest countries in Europe. 

Koka is, however, determined to carry out his “Bear Forest” project, which he envisages in the Dajti mountain, 10 kilometres east of Tirana.

The tradition of exhibiting captive bears has a long history in the Balkans. In Serbia, a common phrase to disperse a curious crowd is: “What’s going on? Is a female bear dancing?”

Although such capture was prohibited in Albania under dictator Enver Hoxha, the period of anarchy that saw communism collapse in the early 1990s opened the door to the practice. 

Nature, along with factories, was looted. Pheasants as well as eagles — the emblem of the country — have almost disappeared from the mountains. Like bears, they were officially protected. Yet, no one protested.

Koka says citizens need educating if Albania is to preserve and restore its rich wildlife — and it seems changing mindsets could take time.

“The Table of the Bear”, a chic restaurant in Tirana, draws members of the city’s elite and has welcomed former US first lady Laura Bush among its most famous guests.

Before sitting down to eat, it is fashionable to be photographed with Mark and Liza, aged 22, who for a decade have known only their cage.

Men over 40 who are plagued with the omnipresent of generalised anxiety disorder are more than twice as likely to die of cancer than are men who do not have the mental affliction, new research finds. But for women who suffer from severe anxiety, the research found no increased risk of cancer death.

That finding, presented Tuesday at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology’s Congress in Vienna, emerges from the largest study ever to explore a link between anxiety and cancer. It tracked 15,938 Britons over 40 for 15 years.

Even after researchers took account of factors that boost the risk of cancer, including age, alcohol consumption, smoking and chronic diseases, men with a diagnosis of generalised anxiety disorder were 2.15 times as likely to die of cancer than were those with no such diagnosis.

Generalised anxiety disorder — a condition marked by excessive, uncontrollable worry about many areas of life — affected women more commonly than it did men. Among women in the large cohort studied, 2.4 per cent suffered from the disorder. Among men in the cohort, 1.8 per cent did.

The authors of the new research acknowledge that the findings do not reveal how cancer and anxiety are related, and do not show that anxiety causes cancer. Men with anxiety may engage in behaviours that increase cancer risk. But the two diseases may also spring from common origins, including, possibly, higher rates of systemic inflammation.

Whatever the relationship, says the study’s lead author, the new findings identify extremely anxious men as a population whose mental and physical health should be closely tracked.

“Society may need to consider anxiety as a warning signal for poor health,” said study lead author Olivia Remes of the Cambridge University’s Institute of Public Health. “With this study, we show that anxiety is more than just a personality trait,” but rather, a disorder linked to real and serious health risks.

Imperial College psychiatrist David Nutt, who was not involved in the new research, said the intense distress suffered by those with anxiety comes with insomnia and widespread physical stress.

“That is bound to have a major impact on many physiological processes, including immune supervision of cancerous cells,” said Nutt, a former president of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology.

“As a psychiatrist who used to run one of the very few clinics in the UK specialised in the treatment of people with severe anxiety disorders, these results do not surprise me,” Nutt added.