‘The Batman’ screening features surprising guest

Moviegoers in Austin, Texas, got to see more than one type of bat during a screening of The Batman at the weekend.

An actual bat was spotted swooping around inside the theatre, putting the movie on pause while management called animal control and tried — unsuccessfully — to get the creature out, KXAN reported on Friday.

Guests were offered their money back, but most chose to stick it out and watch the film, “bat and all”, one moviegoer said.

Giant panda cub takes a tumble in the Washington snow

Frozen iguanas are falling from Florida's trees due to cold weather

The Moviehouse and Eatery by Cinepolis says the bat was likely released into the theatre as a prank.

The theatre’s general manager Heidi Deno said they will be “adding additional security and checking all bags upon guest entry".

There were no reports of anyone being bitten during the incident. Less than 1 per cent of bats in the wild have rabies.

The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson in the title role, is the latest film featuring the Caped Crusader and centres on a murder case involving the mayor of Gotham and famous villains such as The Riddler, The Penguin and Catwoman/Selina Kyle.

It opened in cinemas in the US on March 1 and will hit cinema screens in other countries on March 4.

The Arabian oryx is on the UAE's latest Red List for endangered animals. Reuters

About 700 Indian Ocean humpback dolphins inhabit Abu Dhabi waters. They are classed as endangered and are included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Photo: Environment Agency Abu Dhabi

The sand gazelle is also on the list of endangered animals. Jaime Puebla / The National

A female Arabian leopard at Al Ain Zoo. The zoo focuses on conserving wildlife and is involved in research and breeding. Photo: Al Ain Zoo

The striped hyena has disappeared from many of its former habitats and is listed as 'near threatened' in others. Silvia Razgova / The National

The Arabian gazelle is on the list of threatened mammals in the Arabian Peninsula. Pawan Singh / The National

Researchers believe the Arabian wolf no longer exists in the wild in the Arabian Peninsula. Photo: Wikicommons

AP contributed to this report

Quick%20facts

%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStorstockholms%20Lokaltrafik%20(SL)%20offers%20free%20guided%20tours%20of%20art%20in%20the%20metro%20and%20at%20the%20stations%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20tours%20are%20free%20of%20charge%3B%20all%20you%20need%20is%20a%20valid%20SL%20ticket%2C%20for%20which%20a%20single%20journey%20(valid%20for%2075%20minutes)%20costs%2039%20Swedish%20krone%20(%243.75)%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETravel%20cards%20for%20unlimited%20journeys%20are%20priced%20at%20165%20Swedish%20krone%20for%2024%20hours%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAvoid%20rush%20hour%20%E2%80%93%20between%209.30%20am%20and%204.30%20pm%20%E2%80%93%20to%20explore%20the%20artwork%20at%20leisure%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A

57%20Seconds

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rusty%20Cundieff%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJosh%20Hutcherson%2C%20Morgan%20Freeman%2C%20Greg%20Germann%2C%20Lovie%20Simone%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Four tips to secure IoT networks

Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:

- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version

- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number

- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently

- Always create a different guest network for visitors

Start-up hopes to end Japan's love affair with cash

Across most of Asia, people pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and merchandise with smartphone-readable barcodes — except in Japan, where cash still rules. Now, as the country’s biggest web companies race to dominate the payments market, one Tokyo-based startup says it has a fighting chance to win with its QR app.

Origami had a head start when it introduced a QR-code payment service in late 2015 and has since signed up fast-food chain KFC, Tokyo’s largest cab company Nihon Kotsu and convenience store operator Lawson. The company raised $66 million in September to expand nationwide and plans to more than double its staff of about 100 employees, says founder Yoshiki Yasui.

Origami is betting that stores, which until now relied on direct mail and email newsletters, will pay for the ability to reach customers on their smartphones. For example, a hair salon using Origami’s payment app would be able to send a message to past customers with a coupon for their next haircut.

Quick Response codes, the dotted squares that can be read by smartphone cameras, were invented in the 1990s by a unit of Toyota Motor to track automotive parts. But when the Japanese pioneered digital payments almost two decades ago with contactless cards for train fares, they chose the so-called near-field communications technology. The high cost of rolling out NFC payments, convenient ATMs and a culture where lost wallets are often returned have all been cited as reasons why cash remains king in the archipelago. In China, however, QR codes dominate.

Cashless payments, which includes credit cards, accounted for just 20 per cent of total consumer spending in Japan during 2016, compared with 60 per cent in China and 89 per cent in South Korea, according to a report by the Bank of Japan.