New comic hero makes headlines

Holy bust-up Batman! The Caped Crusader has found himself on the receiving end of a dastardly attack. The assailant? Not the evil Penguin nor even the maniacal Joker. This time, the hero of Gotham City has ignited the fury of a far more villainous foe ... the US conservative blogging network.

His perceived wrong-doing? Recruiting a Muslim to run his crime-fighting operation in Paris.

The controversy surrounds the new superhero, Nightrunner, who appeared in DC Comics' Batman Annual 2011 last month. "Real" name Bilal Asselah, he is an Algerian immigrant, adept at the gymnastic sport parkour and a resident of Clichy-sous-Bois, the crime-ridden area east of Paris, which was the epicentre of the country's 2005 riots.

A recent storyline has seen the Dark Knight scouring the world for similarly minded vigilantes, including members in Argentina, the UK and Japan - all united under the Batman Incorporated banner.

But the furious blustering of a few US conservatives was quickly drowned out by more moderate online commenters supporting DC's decision to give Batman a Muslim counterpart and condemning the blog posts as "racist".

"For comics fans it is a non-issue," says Rich Johnston, the editor of the comics website Bleeding Cool. "He's not even the first Muslim superhero; you've had them in the X-Men for example. It's just something these bloggers haven't noticed before."

Nightrunner-gate is just the latest controversy that has seen the contents of contemporary comic-books targeted by right-wingers. Marvel Comics' Captain America #602, released in January 2010, was accused of containing a jab at the Tea Party movement. It saw the story's heroes stumble across an anti-tax rally in the 1950s. During the protest, Captain America's black counterpart, The Falcon, jokes that he would probably be unwelcome in a crowd of "angry white folks".

Last month, the white supremacist group the Council of Conservative Citizens called for a boycott of the forthcoming superhero movie Thor, based on the Marvel character, on the grounds that a black actor, Idris Elba, had been cast in the role of a Norse god. Elba - who stars in the HBO television series The Wire - will play Heimdall in the Kenneth Branagh-directed film.

Muslim superheroes also hit the headlines in the US last year with the US president (and loyal comics fan) Barack Obama's endorsement of The 99 - about a band of crime-fighters whose individual powers are based on the 99 names of Allah. The president praised the work of the comic's creator, the Kuwaiti psychologist Naif al-Mustawa, and said the characters "embody the teachings of the tolerance of Islam".

However, the New York Post criticised the animated version of the comic, which was set to air on the children's channel The Hub, and urged the network to "cancel The 99 before it starts".

But in Nightrunner's case, the controversy created by those desperate to see him hang up his cape could in fact help the character to become one of DC's regular stable of heroes.

"A publisher who wants to sell lots of copies would probably try to piggyback off all this publicity," says Johnston.

Here's hoping we see plenty more of him.

Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting

- Don’t do it more than once in three days

- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days

- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode

- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well

- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days

- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates

- Manage your sleep

- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting

- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert

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The details

Heard It in a Past Life

Maggie Rogers

(Capital Records)

3/5

Mina Cup winners

Under 12 – Minerva Academy

Under 14 – Unam Pumas

Under 16 – Fursan Hispania

Under 18 – Madenat

Brave CF 27 fight card

Welterweight:
Abdoul Abdouraguimov (champion, FRA) v Jarrah Al Selawe (JOR)

Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (TUN) v Alex Martinez (CAN)

Welterweight:
Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA) v Khamzat Chimaev (SWE)

Middleweight:
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Rustam Chsiev (RUS)
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) v Christofer Silva (BRA)

Super lightweight:
Alex Nacfur (BRA) v Dwight Brooks (USA)

Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) v Tariq Ismail (CAN)
Chris Corton (PHI) v Zia Mashwani (PAK)

Featherweight:
Sulaiman (KUW) v Abdullatip (RUS)

Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) v Mohammad Al Katib (JOR)

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Kumulus Water

Started: 2021

Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid

Based: Tunisia

Sector: Water technology

Number of staff: 22

Investment raised: $4 million

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The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

On sale: Now

if you go

The flights

Emirates fly direct from Dubai to Houston, Texas, where United have direct flights to Managua. Alternatively, from October, Iberia will offer connections from Madrid, which can be reached by both Etihad from Abu Dhabi and Emirates from Dubai.

The trip

Geodyssey’s (Geodyssey.co.uk) 15-night Nicaragua Odyssey visits the colonial cities of Leon and Granada, lively country villages, the lake island of Ometepe and a stunning array of landscapes, with wildlife, history, creative crafts and more. From Dh18,500 per person, based on two sharing, including transfers and tours but excluding international flights. For more information, visit visitnicaragua.us.

The biog

Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha

Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude

Holiday destination: Sri Lanka

First car: VW Golf

Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters

Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars

RACE CARD

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $65,000 (Dirt) 2,000m

7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (Turf) 1,800m

7.40pm: Meydan Classic – Listed (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,600m

8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $195,000 (T) 2,810m

8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m

9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m

MATCH INFO

Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')

Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)

The specs

Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed

Power: 271 and 409 horsepower

Torque: 385 and 650Nm

Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000

Scoreline:

Cardiff City 0

Liverpool 2

Wijnaldum 57', Milner 81' (pen)

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ICC Awards for 2021

MEN

Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)

WOMEN

Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)

RESULTS: 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING - EUROPE

Albania 0 Italy 1
Finland 2 Turkey 2
Macedonia 4 Liechtenstein
Iceland 2 Kosovo 0
Israel 0 Spain 1
Moldova 0 Austria 1
Serbia 1 Georgia 0
Ukraine 0 Croatia 2
Wales 0 Ireland 1