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Your Proofness: Dilaira Dubash Master Storyteller: Hurmat Majid Creativity Analysts: Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Talha Ahmed Khan, Mohsin Alam, Maryam Rashid, Hira Fareed, Nabeel Khan, Sobia Khan and Umar Waqas

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 3, 2016

Hi light

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Witches have been a part of literature and folklore since the time man started telling tales. Since then many fictional witches have surfaced in literature, drama and film. Even though the name was always associated with a person with dark magical abilities, trends changed in the past century and many good witches surfaced. Here’s a look at some of the most feared and loved witches there have ever been.

There are countless witches in the Harry Potter series, but none are as fearsome as Bellatrix. She’s equal parts beautiful and crazy — it’s a delightful combination to watch, but not to face. Bellatrix often gave the impression of being an utter psychopath, completely and utterly lacking in anything regarding a conscience. She was an intensely sadistic witch who at certain points seemed mentally unbalanced; for instance, she once killed a fox because she was paranoid it might be an Auror in disguise.

Bellatrix was intelligent but could be easily distracted and had a fierce and dangerous temper, a trait that she shared with her cousin Sirius and her aunt Walburga. She was very devoted to Voldemort, believing that she proved her loyalty by her time in Azkaban, which seems to have furthered her mental decline. She was one of Voldemort’s cruellest Death Eaters, always eager to inflict the Cruciatus Curse on enemies.

Say what you will about the film — and yes, it’s hard to compete with CS Lewis’ classic fantasy series — but Tilda Swinton is cast perfectly as the White Witch. Not only does she possess deep magic, she also has the ability to control ice and her magic wand capable of turning people and creatures into stone. She is cunning, intellegent, unspeakably ruthless and has telepathic skills that she uses to shatter objects and creatures at will. If all that wasn’t enough she has incredible swordsmanship, charm, superhuman strength, charisma and she also happens to be immortal. Her single-minded goal is to kill Aslan, one that she succeeds in at first but ultimately fails. Her most fearsome act, however, was to bring down snow upon Narnia for a hundred years and freeze the beautiful lands and its inhabitants into an eternal winter.

Just when we thought the show not get any more evil, Once could no Time brought out it’s Upon A T most evil evi villain yet, Zelena — the he Wicked Wic Wick Witch of the West, wicked sister. Made of Re Regina’s even her shin is pure wickedness, wic a violent shade of green and this doesn’t shy away from making one does at all. In comparison people suffer pe s Regina looks to o her, fire-throwing fi quite tame. tam After all, Regina raised an army of flying never ra monkeys or literally turned green in envy. Set to exact revenge on her baby sister, Zelena enacted a dark curse curs more evil and powerful than the one Regina had casted. of her wickedness is The measure mea found in the fact that she nearly Rumpelstiltskin, the most killed Ru powerful of all dark ones. powerfu

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 3, 2016

Many versions of this role have been played over the years but the best, and possibly the most popular redention of it is seen in the TV series Once Upon A Time. In the show the Evil Queen casts an evil curse on her kingdom and transports her subjects to a modern day town where they are trapped and do her bidding. She does all this to hurt Snow White who happens to be her step-daughter. What puts her in our wicked list is the sheer terror she ignites in her subjects. She’s fearless, cutthroat and cold-hearted. She also takes pleasure in making people suffer, even if it’s without reason. She has powerful magical training, which she got from Rumpelstiliskin and Cora, her own evil mother. Even in the modern world, where she is known as Regina, she bends people to her will and gets them to do her bidding. But what really makes her wicked, is her amazing and fearless wardrobe choice.

Hermione Granger is the wisest of wise witches, she excels at magic and is at the top of all her classes but that isn’t what makes her wise. The fact that she believes in standing up for what’s right and is brave in the face of danger is the mark of her wisdom.

She can think on her feet and is always ready to save the day. After the death of Albus Dumbledore, she promised to go with Harry to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, and she masterminded many plans of deception and stealth to help them obtain them. She was perhaps the only one fully prepared for their mission, and researched everything she could about Horcruxes before they left. At the Battle of Hogwarts, she fought alongside Harry and Ron. She destroyed one of the Horcruxes, and was present when Harry defeated Voldemort.

Sabrina is typically a very out-going, amiable and genuinely caring person. She looks out and stands up for her friends Jenny and Valerie whenever the cheerleaders, particulararly Libby, would insult or be condecending towards them, while simultaneously taking slurs and insults herself. One of Sabrina’s most prominent personailty traits is her quick wit. She’s a playful smart aleck and seems to always have a clever pun or funny comeback up her sleeve, some of which get her into more trouble then she’s already in. She is, for the most part, very level-headed and clever although some of her ideas when it comes to using magic often land her in trouble, which often leads her to panic in some cases but she always makes it up by making sensible decisions in the end. Sabrina is very socially aware and will often speak out against unfair treatment or injustices against those around her.

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Hi light

Brains can be beautiful — not to mention a lifesaver when faced with the apocalypse every now and then. Willow combines her inner nerd with witchy ways to help her pals, defeat demons, and even save the world.

At first, Willow’s major ‘powers’ were her intelligence and computer skills, as well as marked snarkiness. Later as her magical powers developed Willow became capable of flying, absorbing life and magic from others, teleportation, being impervious to physical damage, healing herself and others instantly at will, unleashing powerful energy blasts, locating people and objects at a distance, emitting high-pitched shrieks in frequencies harmful to human ears, and exerting powerful levels of telekinesis and telepathic mind control.

She was a witch and daughter of Xenophilius and Pandora Lovegood. Her mother accidentally died while experimenting with spells when Luna was nine, and Luna was raised by her father, editor of the magazine The Quibbler, in a rook-like house near the village of Ottery St Catchpole.

Luna attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from1992 to 1999 and was sorted into Ravenclaw house. In her fourth year, Luna joined Dumbledore’s Army, an organisation taught and led by Harry Potter, of which she became an important member. She participated in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries in 1996 and the Battle of the Astronomy Tower in 1997, and co-led the reconstituted Dumbledore’s Army when Hogwarts fell under the control of Lord Voldemort. Because of her father’s political dissidence at the time, Luna was abducted

by Death Eaters to be held ransom, and imprisoned in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor for months, but never did her courage falter. She was the epitome of Ravenclaw house’s motto ‘Wit beyond measure is a man’s greatest treasure’.

Design by Sophie Gindele What would you like to see in Hi Five? Send an email to hifive@tribune.com.pk and let us know!

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 3, 2016

Trivia

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Teacher: If you got $20 from 5 people, what do you get?

Student: A new bike Teacher: I hope I didn’t see you looking at John’s exam?

Student: I hope you didn’t either Teacher: Which is the shortest month?

Student: May, it only has three letters Q: Why did closing her eyes remind the teacher of her classroom?

A: Because there were no pupils to see

The Huntsman: Winter War Release date: April 22, 2016 With Freya’s ability to freeze any enemy, the young ice queen has spent decades in a remote wintry palace raising a legion of deadly huntsmen — including Eric and warrior Sara — only to find that her prized two defied her one demand: Forever harden your hearts to love.

Tale of Tales Release date: April 22, 2016 Sorcerers and fairies, fearsome monsters, ogres and old washerwomen, acrobats and courtesans are the protagonists of this loose interpretation of the celebrated tales of Giambattista Basile.

Ratchet and Clank Q: What did the ghost teacher say to the class?

A: Look at the board and I will go through it again

Q: Why did the teacher turn the lights on?

A: Because her class was so dim Q: What do you do if a teacher rolls her eyes at you?

A: Pick them up and roll them back

Release date: April 29, 2016 Ratchet and Clank tells the story of two unlikely heroes as they struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy.

The Jungle Book Release date: April 15, 2016 The Jungle Book is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli, a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan, who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat.

The student becomes the teacher in Kung Fu Panda 3, the latest installment of DreamWorks Animation’s massively successful franchise that follows the adventures of Po, the giant panda improbably chosen as the legendary Dragon Warrior.

Returning to the big screen nearly five years after his previous outing in Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), Po is unexpectedly reunited with his biological father Li much to the annoyance of his jealous adoptive goose father, Mr Ping — who tells his son that there is a whole community of pandas in a secret village in the mountains. But their reunion is interrupted when Po and his cohorts Master Shifu and the Furious Five members Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey — are attacked by a warrior named Kai, who has emerged from the spirit realm and is stealing the powers of all the greatest kung fu fighters. Only a true master of chi can stop Kai, so Po must, once again, rise to the occasion and save the day, while teaching his clumsy brethren how to fight back and defend their village.

DreamWorks appears to be following the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy with all its major franchises, and the Kung Fu Panda series is no different. Sticking to the established formula, however, makes the film seem a bit unexceptional and predictable, stripping the movie of any real surprises. But even though its arc of self-discovery may seem a little too familiar, the project still wins you over with oodles of charm and heaps of silly humour.

There are plenty of visual gags, geared primarily towards younger viewers who are guaranteed to enjoy Po’s shenanigans. It is simply impossible not to love the adorable protagonist, and Jack Black’s delightful voice acting brings lots of energy to his endearing character. The rest of the main voice cast is also impeccable; Cranston exudes warmth in his role as Li; Hong is amusing as the jealous Mr Ping; and Simmons makes a playful but fearsome antagonist. The Furious Five, however, are starting to feel a bit redundant here; if the film-makers insist on their continued presence in every chapter of the series, then it might help to give them a more intrinsic role in the next instalment.

Overall, Po’s journey continues to be quite entertaining but Kung Fu Panda 3 is not as exciting as it could have been had the storyline taken a slightly more inventive route. The animation, as usual, is terrific, and copiously uses Chinese influences the project was, after all, co-produced with a Chinese firm — in order to appeal to a global audience. Directors Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni have ensured that the franchise remains amusing and appealing, but haven’t been able to inject enough creativity into the project to make it a truly remarkable viewing experience. The movie will still appeal to viewers who enjoyed the first two films in the series, and its kid-friendly humour will especially delight the younger audience members.

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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 3, 2016

Get your weekly dose of unusual and funny news from across the globe!

Prehistoric hobbits Currently called ‘Flores Man’, the 3.5ft humanoids whose remains were discovered on Flores Island, Indonesia, were not homosapiens, a new study has confirmed.

The four-stone cavemen had brains the size of a grapefruit and lived alongside now-extinct pigmy elephants, known as stegodon. Some researchers thought the Hobbits were just dwarfs or deformed men. But new analysis of their skulls shows they have no characteristics in common with us. Most academics believe the new species of early man lived on the island until about 15,000 years ago. But some believe they are the fabled human-like creatures called the ‘Ebu Gogo’, who local tribes claim lived up to at least the 18th century and may still be alive. Some researchers have claimed Flores Man were just humans deformed by disease or malnutrition. But the new study has ruled this out. Lead author Antoine Balzeau of France’s Natural History Museum said, “There were no characteristics from our species.” The Hobbits could be a distant cousin of humans descended from a common ancestor — who shrank due to a process called insular dwarfing. Sometimes species marooned on islands shrink over hundreds of generations if the food supply declines. The pigmy stegodon whose remains were found alongside homo floresiensis could be another example of this. DAILYSTAR.CO.UK

Ratty stew The feast had been arranged and set up beforehand for hundreds of people. But the rat had apparently tried to steal a bite when no one was arounded. Unfortunately, the rodent appeared to have drown in the stew while attempting to do so. Photos from the otherwise cheerful wedding banquet in China’s Chongqing City show a table lined with some of the most popular traditional Chinese dishes. The classic round table was adorned with vegetables, fish, as well as the guest-favourite braised beef. Yet the fat black rat resting in the centre of the pot seemed to ruin the photo of that particular wedding. Reports said diners at the banquet, held in a restaurant named Badawan, were so disgusted that many at neighbouring tables abandoned the feast altogether, citing concerns over food safety. The photos were sent to the local branch of the China Food and Drug Administration, which sent officials to inspect the restaurant that provided the dishes on the same day. According to reports, officials cleared the restaurant and confirmed that there was no risk of contamination, despite the fat rat found in the pot.

The restaurant managers claim the rat must have drowned in the pot of beef after staff had already prepared the dishes in the banquet hall. DAILYSTAR.CO.UK

World wide weird

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Quite the trim A lock of John Lennon’s hair that was snipped as he prepared for a film role has sold for $35,000. Dallas-based Heritage Auctions said the four-inch lock of hair was purchased by Paul Fraser, a United Kingdom-based memorabilia collector.

A German hairdresser kept a tuft of Lennon’s hair after giving him a trim before the Beatles started filming How I Won the War, a dark comedy released in 1967. The movie follows the World War II misadventures of British troops led by an inept commander. The hair was one of several Beatlesrelated items on auction. A photograph of the iconic band signed by all four members went for $42,500. And a sealed copy of the band’s ‘butcher cover’ for the Yesterday and Today album went for $125,000. NBCNEWYORK.COM

Up in the air Thrill-seekers looking to take their fear of heights to a new level can go to downtown Los Angeles this summer and careen down a clear glass slide atop the tallest building west of the Mississippi.

The ‘Skyslide’ is scheduled to begin sending urban adventurers down the relatively brief ride 1,000 feet above the ground in June. It will span 45 feet from the 70th to the 69th floor of the US Bank Tower downtown. Nothing but one¼-inch thick glass separates riders from the ground, promising to provide both a thrill and quite the view for anyone willing to open their eyes along the way. On a clear day, the 72-story tower provides panoramic views that extend to Catalina Island 22 miles off the Pacific Coast and over the Santa Monica Mountains to the city’s sprawling San Fernando Valley. “There will be nothing like it in the US,” said Lucy Rumantir, head of US operations for the building owner OUE Limited of Singapore. And that is just the reason for building a giant slide in the sky, Rumantir said. “When you do something new in LA you’ve got to be creative,” she said. NEWS.YAHOO.COM

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 3, 2016

Reading corner

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Approximate time: 30-40 hours As it’s not an RPG, the length of Ocarina of Time was an impressive feat back in 1998. Final Fantasy VII may have been a three-disc time guzzler, but few action-adventure titles could match Ocarina of Time’s scope. The world of Hyrule held many secrets and distractions, but without taking these into account, the main quest can easily consume your life.

Approximate time: 5 hours — Infinite Building a dominant, world-conquering empire would take a lot of time in real life, so we’re not surprised that Civilization IV can potentially last months, if not a year.

It all depends on how you want to play it really, as Civilization IV has an end point that can potentially be triggered whenever you feel like it. Let it not be said that Sid Meier doesn’t give you value for money.

Approximate time: 40 hours It’s one of the most tense stealth titles available, requiring laboured, meticulous planning and incredible patience. There is a good 40 hours worth of gameplay in Thief III besides replaying levels, and for a stealth game this is a huge achievement. Thief III’s biggest achievement is that the quality and pacing is consistent throughout, never falling into the trap of a dull final third or slow hand-held opening. Few games hit this mark, but Thief III is one of them.

Approximate time: 20 hours These days, you will be lucky to find a modern FPS that lasts beyond the six-hour mark. Not only does Half-Life 2 smash this barrier to tiny pieces, it manages to cram a myriad of genres, mechanics and set-pieces into the some of the most gripping 15-20 hours in FPS history. Although this timeframe can alter depending on your pace, you can easily stretch Half-Life 2 out for many hours if you play it with a laboured approach.

Approximate time: 40-60 hours Just Cause 2 can prove incredibly intimidating to newcomers. From the gigantic mountain range to the vast web of island clusters, the game world is huge. Sheer size aside, the key missions take a long time to complete. Looking at Rico’s PDA to search for available missions can sometimes be a rude awakening of just how little you’ve actually done in the last five hours of gameplay. Daunting, but brilliant.

Approximate time: 80 hours It’s no secret that GTA: San Andreas is a big game, but actual geographical size alone, the game’s districts are densely packed with missions and a manner of distractions to keep your game clock ticking over nicely. The key quests themselves equate to a mammoth task. So if you want to finish this game in the same year you buy it, spend less time doing everything else and more time doing quests.

Approximate time: 50-200 hours If you want to do everything Morrowind has to offer, prepare to spend a good 200 hours in the world of Vardenfell. The sheer ambition of Bethesda in creating such a fleshed out, lore-rich world must be applauded. The size is likely to put more time-pressed gamers off, but we’d encourage you to press on if you ever find yourself in that situation.

Approximate time: 60-120 hours One intrepid NowGamer team member sank 120 hours into this beast. That’s 120 hours of questing, going on hunts and seeing everything there is to see in Final Fantasy XII if you play at a sensible pace. The world of Ivalice is colossal, and it’s liberating that you can venture across the entire game world on foot from the start if you choose. Sure, you would get killed by killer fruit after just a few minutes, but the option is there if you choose. Final Fantasy XIII’s linear opening hours pale by comparison.

SOURCE: NOWGAMER.COM

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 3, 2016

Activity corner

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Test your problem solving skills by completing this puzzle in the least possible time.

Key to last week’s puzzle.

Nick needs to find her sister and you can help her by finding all the words below in the puzzle.

SISTER BIRTHDAY SCARS LOST FIND

SIBLING KIDNAPPING WORLD SHAKE EFFORT

THOUGHT GIRL VANISH LINK SLEUTH

What it’s about: When Dara mysteriously vanishes Nick doesn’t worry much. Then she finds out about another girl missing from the neighbourhood and realises that the two cases might be connected. Determined to bring her sister back Nick goes on an unforgettable journey.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 3, 2016

Duolingo Set your goal and pick up the app and start learning everyday.

Duolingo has the biggest following due to the fact that it is free and will be free forever. There are no ads or hidden charges.

The app makes it fun to learn on your own or in a group with friends. There are levels and competitions that you can use and can get addictive, which is what you need to be when learning a new language.

• Chloë Grace Moretz was only six years old when she landed the role of Chelsea Lutz inThe Amityville Horror, but the movie left an indelible mark on the young actress. In its honour, she named her dog Fuller after producer Bradley Fuller, and another Missy after the nickname of her character in the movie.

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Memrise The app uses planting analogy in learning; plant, water and grow. Start planting new memories in your garden, water and grow them into long-term memories. We love the imaginative learning function with mnemonics and morphing images as well as quizzes to help you learn. There is talk about the app offering more than languages; extending to geography, history, science and pop culture through crowd sourcing. Watch this space.

• No wonder this girl’s got a taste for all things tomboy and macabre! She has four older brothers — Brandon, Trevor, Colin and Ethan.

“My mom has always taught us that blood is thicker than water,” Moretz says of her relationship with her siblings.

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Busuu New to the App scene but not new on the web is Busuu. Practice speaking with native speakers and apply what you have learnt.

Use the listening, reading, writing and speaking task to improve your language skills, take on interactive learning exercises and quizzes and stay motivated with regular feedback. The community has over 35 million native speakers, so there is plenty of help to practise speaking the lingo.

• In Carrie, the mother of Moretz’s title character is played by veteran actress Julianne Moore — whom she has nothing but praise for. “With Julianne, she is the nicest lady, but at the same time she is the most fearsome actress you’ll ever see,” Moretz gushes.

“She’s the type of actress I look up to in a mentor-type way, and she’s someone whose career I will try to emulate.”

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Google Translate Not a learning app but a learning tool, Google Translate will help you translate any language. It also verbalises the translation, great for those practising to read and speak.

However, the app would need to be online to work and not all translations are accurate.

• Some people can’t get their big brothers to be seen in public with them, much less devote their entire life to helping their little sister out. Chloë’s older brother Trevor was among the first to recognise his sister’s talent. “Even as a tiny child, she had something,” he said. He walked away from his own career ambitions and now serves as her producer, mentor, guru and more.

• She loves gymnastics, ballet and basketball. She also loves to swim and play with her dogs.

• At the time of the The Amityville Horror premiere, Chloë was not allowed to see the movie.

• Her favourite song is ‘You’re Beautiful’ by James Blunt.

• She loves the Legally Blonde movies.

• She got to read lines with Renée Zellweger during her Case 39 screen test.

• She prefers to be called Chloë Grace rather than just Chloë.

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iHandy Translator Free Translate sentences or a phrase into any of the 52 destination languages from the list. You can track your translation history and searches. This is a cut down free version. The paid, PRO version goes without the banner ads, access to commonly used expressions and text-to-speech functionality.

• She has a cat named Zoe. Rating: SOURCE: HUFFINGTONPOST.COM

SOURCE: PHOTOTECH.NET