Daniel Radcliffe says that even though J K Rowling has resurrected Harry Potter, he doesn't plan to pick up the wand again any time soon. Rowling on Tuesday gave fans a glimpse of the grown-up boy wizard in a new story posted on her Pottermore website. The 1,500-word story describes Harry, now 34, attending the Quidditch World Cup with his old friends Ron and Hermione, and their children. At a television critics press tour in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Radcliffe said he was "inclined to say no" to the possibility of playing the boy wizard on the screen again. "It's not even really a hypothetical question now," said the 24-year-old actor. "I haven't read it yet, though I will. But my understanding is that it's very short, not worthy of adaptation to film." – The National staff
Salman Khan served notice in blackbuck-hunting case
India's supreme court on Wednesday issued a notice to Salman Khan on a plea by the Rajasthan government, challenging the stay on his conviction and sentencing in a blackbuck-hunting case. The Bollywood star was convicted by a trial court in February 2006 for hunting chinkara, an endangered species of gazelle, in Rajasthan. – IANS
Jay Z to perform at Global Citizen Festival
Jay Z will headline the Global Citizen Festival on September 27 in New York's Central Park. Organisers announced on Wednesday that fun., Carrie Underwood, The Roots, No Doubt and Tiësto will also perform. Tickets are free for the event, but must be earned through actions that help end extreme poverty around the world. VIP tickets are being sold through Ticketmaster. The festival is designed to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly meeting and put pressure on world leaders to address the needs of the world's poor. Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys and John Mayer headlined the festival last year. Neil Young, Foo Fighters and The Black Keys performed in 2012, when the festival debuted. – AP
Stevie Nicks joining The Voice as adviser
Stevie Nicks is joining The Voice as an adviser to Adam Levine's team for the forthcoming season. Filming is currently under way on the television show's seventh season. Nicks, the 66-year-old Fleetwood Mac singer, has been working with Levine and his 12 team members as they assign songs and rehearse with the contestants in preparation for the show's battle rounds. Levine and Blake Shelton will be joined by Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams as coaches when the NBC show returns on September 22. – AP
Conan makes grand debut in China
The late-night American talk show Conan has racked up more than three million hits since its debut on an online video site in China. The comedy show, hosted by Conan O'Brien and featuring celebrity interviews, is available on the website of Sohu Video, a unit of the Chinese online media group Sohu.com. The show, complete with subtitles in Chinese, has received more than three million hits in less than two weeks. Like other Chinese online video sites, Sohu licenses many hit American television shows, including the late-night comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live and Ellen DeGeneres's talk show. Online video is not as heavily regulated as television in China so there is more freedom to show dramas and comedies from the United States and other countries. – AP
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Results
5.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
Winner Spirit Of Light, Clement Lecoeuvre (jockey), Erwan Charpy (trainer)
6.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner Bright Start, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
6.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner Twelfthofneverland, Nathan Crosse, Satish Seemar
7.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Imperial Empire, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
7.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m
Winner Record Man, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner Celtic Prince, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)