The 91st Academy Awards ceremony is definitely going to be unlike any we’ve seen before. Considering that some categories were relegated to commercial breaks and then brought back, several scandals emerged among the nominees ― and oh yeah, there’s no host ― the Oscars aren’t exactly cruising to Feb. 24 with ease.

“Don’t Sleep On It,” HuffPost’s daily news brief, talked to entertainment reporter Matthew Jacobs to break down all of those controversies. Hear him dive into Oscars history ― including that Rob Lowe/Snow White performance in 1989 ― to see if the past can help predict the future.

And speaking of predictions, find out how the Best Picture category’s preferential voting system might actually put “Black Panther” on top (Wakanda forever!) and why Bradley Cooper of “A Star Is Born” might have a shot for Best Actor despite his snub for Best Director.

Plus, Jacobs discusses the future of these very traditional awards shows as they navigate new terrain. Live TV events are slowly becoming obsolete as technology leaps forward, and practically every comedian in Hollywood is saying no to thankless hosting gigs.

If you want to sound like an expert at your Oscars party, let Jacobs help you prepare for Hollywood’s most prestigious ― and potentially disastrous ― night. Listen above or on Apple Podcasts, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Stitcher or Pocket Casts.

A scientist was delighted when a juvenile killer whale swam toward her in Antarctic waters off New Zealand and head-butted her camera. He then opened his mammoth mouth and displayed a partially eaten toothfish between his jaws. 

Regina Eisert said she believes the whale may have wanted to share the meal with her — or was simply showing off.

Elsert spotted the Orca approaching as she was standing on the edge of sea ice last week while doing research for Antarctica New Zealand, a government agency that studies and protects the area environment. She said she had just enough time to set up her “whalfie stick” (a whale selfie mount) before he approached.

“It made a beeline, bumped the camera with its nose, opened its mouth and showed me a piece of toothfish inside as though it was trying to get me to take it,” she said, per the New Zealand Herald. “It was really special. The only way I can describe it is like when a cat offers you a mouse.”

Elsert, a marine mammal expert from the University of Canterbury, said such an experience was a first for her, though she had once heard of a leopard seal offering a penguin to a diver.

Elsert’s close encounter occurred just as she was finishing her research for the season in the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area. She has been studying the diet of the Orcas in the area, and how they might be affected by the availability of toothfish.

“Here I am carrying out research to help protect the Ross Sea region and find out whether or not the whales eat toothfish, and one comes up showing me it does,” she said.

Let’s talk about hair oil, one of the many products out there that promises to give you shiny, healthy, Pantene commercial-worthy hair. 

It’s typically used to moisturize and hydrate the hair, as well as smooth and protect it from all your styling tools. But hair oil is definitely not a one-size-fits-all product.

We spoke to a few hair experts to get the lowdown on all things hair oil, including how to use it.

So what’s the point of using hair oil? 

Our hair is dead once it breaks through the surface of the scalp, as Jasmine Merinsky, a Toronto-based hairstylist, explained to HuffPost. And if it weren’t for our sebaceous glands, which secrete natural oils, that hair would be dry and brittle.

“Similar to skin, we need oil to have healthy, strong hair,” Merinsky said. “Oil lubricates the outer cuticle and strengthens the inner core by providing moisture to help keep the bonds strong.”

Everyone’s scalp and hair are different and some people are just oilier than others, she added. 

That’s where hair oils come in. The store-bought product is meant to replicate and supplement the natural oils that our bodies already make. Plus, Merinsky said, hair oils smell nice and provide you with control over the amount and application.

Bobby Eliot, a Los Angeles-based celebrity hairstylist with Starworks Artists, told HuffPost that hair oils can be used both as a nourishing treatment and as a styling tool to help smooth the hair. 

Should you be using hair oil? 

Takisha Sturdivant-Drew, a New York-based celebrity hairstylist with Exclusive Artists, believes there’s a hair oil out there for everyone. But there are a few things to consider ― especially in regards to your hair type and texture ― before you start slathering it all over your locks. 

Sturdivant-Drew said hair oils are particularly good for individuals with dry or tight scalps that are lacking moisture. If your hair itself is also dry, she said applying hair oil can help “give it a nice, natural shine.” She added that she often uses oil on her clients, especially those with coarser, textured, or curly hair, to finish off the hairstyle. 

“Hair with a curl is naturally drier so an oil coats the hair and absorbs for a smoother cuticle,” Eliot explained.

You would also likely benefit from the moisturizing effects of a hair oil if you have chemically treated or processed hair or use relaxers, which can also be very drying. 

On the other hand, those with very fine, straight hair might not want to use oil, Merinsky said, noting that the natural oils produced by their scalp “are probably enough, especially if you brush regularly and wash every other day.” 

“Brushing helps distribute the oils from your scalp throughout your mid-shaft and ends,” she said. “It also stimulates blood flow to the scalp, which helps with new growth as it removes dead skin cells and opens up your hair follicles.”

Individuals with fine hair can still use oil, Eliot said, if they avoid applying it directly to the roots “as it can weigh the hair down and make it look greasy.”

How do you use hair oil?

One way to use hair oil is as a moisturizing treatment. To do so, Eliot said he tells his clients “to apply before you take a shower, pin your hair up and let the steam from the shower open the cuticle and penetrate into the hair.” 

Then, he said, you shampoo and condition as normal and “your hair will feel amazing!”

Sturdivant-Drew described a somewhat similar hot-oil treatment, which she said can be done at home or at the salon. (She noted that actress Kerry Washington is a fan.) The process works on pretty much any hair type, the stylist said. 

Essentially, you put a mixture of hot oil and conditioner onto the hair and scalp and massage it in really well. Then you sit under a heating cap, steamer or dryer for about 20 minutes. After you wash the oil out, your hair will feel revamped and rehydrated, Sturdivant-Drew said. 

“If your hair’s feeling dead, it brings it back to life,” she said. 

Another way to use hair oil is as a styling product, Eliot said. He likes to apply it before blow-drying to help keep hair smooth and free of flyaways. 

Sturdivant-Drew noted that you can apply oil when hair is wet or dry, depending on your styling routine.

“Some natural women wear their hair wet, like me,” she said. If that’s the case, you can definitely add oil while your hair is still wet. On the other hand, if you have a blowout and your hair feels dry, you can add oil to those dry strands, Sturdivant-Drew added.

One warning: You can apply too much hair oil. 

Sturdivant-Drew suggested working a dime-sized amount through strands of dry hair and a nickel-sized amount for “really, really dry” hair. Merinsky recommended using a blob the size of a quarter and rubbing it between your palms before distributing it evenly through your strands.

“Start in the back where your hair is thicker and use whatever is left for the front,” Merinsky said.

Remember, you can always add more if you feel your hair needs it.

What are the best oils for hair? 

We asked Merinsky, Eliot and Sturdivant-Drew to share some of their favorite hair oils. Check them out below:

BEIJING — China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Friday sought to downplay the scathing statement issued by the powerful organ of the world body naming Jaish-e-Muhammad in the Pulwama terror attack, saying the mention of the Pakistan-based outfit was only in “general terms” and “does not represent a judgement”.

Forty Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed in a suicide attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on 14 February, sparking outrage in the country.

The powerful UN Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday strongly condemned the “heinous and cowardly” terror attack.

“The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir, which left 40 Indian paramilitary forces dead and dozens wounded on 14 February, 2019, for which Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility,” it said in a statement.

Asked about the statement highlighting the role of JeM claiming the responsibility of the Pulwama attack, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that Beijing was closely following the developments related to the terror incident. 

“Yesterday, the UN Security Council issued a press statement that mentioned that a particular organisation but only in general terms. It does not represent a judgment on the attack,” Geng said.

His remarks were seen as an attempt by China, without whose endorsement the UNSC statement could not have been released, aimed at placating its close ally Pakistan and play down the indictment of the JeM.

China has been repeatedly blocking India and several other countries’ efforts to bring about a global ban on JeM chief Masood Azhar in the UN’s anti-terror 1267 committee.

While China’s endorsement of the UNSC statement was reflection of wariness on the part of Beijing to repeatedly defend JeM in the UN body, which casts a shadow on its relations with India, observers say it is to be seen what stand Beijing would take when France moves its resolution seeking to list Azhar as a global terrorist in the UN.

France, also member of the permanent five of the UNSC, has officially announced that it would move a resolution soon in the 1267 committee seeking Azhar’s listing.

Since 2016, China has consistently blocked moves first by India and later by the US, the UK and France to designate Azhar as a global terrorist by putting repeated technical holds.

In his response on Friday Geng said that “China also noted that the Pakistani government showed readiness to cooperate with India on the investigation and that it is also ready to resolve differences with India through dialogue”.

“China hopes all parties will work to find the truth about this attack. We hope Pakistan and India will engage in dialogue to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability,” he said.

The UN statement also underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these “reprehensible acts of terrorism” accountable and bring them to justice”.

The UN condemnation came a day after Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Maleeha Lodhi met top UN leaders including with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to brief them about the escalating tensions in the region in the wake of the Pulwama attack.

Growing up, my sister liked to eat the salt that gathers at the bottom of bags of pretzels. She still craves salty foods, and so does her 3-year-old son. On the other hand, I’ve had a lifelong sweet tooth, like our dad.

My family’s sweet and salty food cravings raise a curious question: Could genetics play a role in our flavor preferences? A growing body of research suggests a possible link.

Nanette Steinle, a University of Maryland School of Medicine associate professor of medicine and endocrinology and the diabetes section chief at the Maryland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, has studied the relationship of genetics with taste preferences and food choices.

“There are specific receptors that regulate salt taste versus sugar taste,” she said. “There aren’t large, robust studies looking at this question, but for those that are available, we do suspect that there could be a genetic component for preferences for salt, bitter, sweet.”

Steinle co-authored Genetics of Eating Behavior: Established and Emerging Concepts, a 2011 study that examined the role of genetics and the five taste profiles: sweet, bitter, salty, sour and umami. It identified some genes that can influence preferences for sweet and umami and others linked to bitter taste receptors. There are also proteins that regulate salt and water absorption in the body and are connected to salt preferences, she said.

Many researchers believe that along with taste receptors, many factors affected by genetics — including body mass index, metabolism, the brain’s reward center and the hormones involved in feeling hunger and satiety — influence food cravings. Health and nutrition experts caution, however, that genetically influenced preferences shouldn’t be viewed as excuses for poor eating habits.

The genetic markers linked to sweet and salty preferences

Scientists at 23andMe, a direct-to-consumer genetic testing company, have identified 43 genetic markers for which individuals show variants that could indicate a preference for sweet or salty foods, said Janie Shelton, a senior scientist with the company’s data collection unit. 23andMe offers a test for people to see how their genetics can be associated with preferences for sweet, salty and other types of foods.

“The genetics that were found to be linked to sweet preference over salt preference were actually linked to the genes associated with metabolism and body mass index,” Shelton said. The way people prefer certain foods and how they metabolize what they eat can be linked to weight and a tendency to be obese.

By comparison, other food preferences, like for particular ice cream flavors, are linked to the genes in the olfactory pathway, or sense of smell. Eating behaviors and personality traits, like a tendency to feel hangry, are linked to genes associated with mental health conditions and personality and well-being characteristics, she said.

“If you prefer sweet, you might have a tendency toward more high-caloric-density foods,” Shelton said. “That’s in evolutionary traits where, historically, that would have been something that helped us survive. With regard to salt, there’s a whole different metabolic pathway that has to do with how your kidneys process salt and how different mineral products are metabolized in your body. But the tendency for sweet over salty was definitely more closely linked to genes related to metabolism and body mass rather than anything that we saw linked to salt and metabolism.”

Several genes are associated with whether someone prefers salt over sugar or vice versa, and they have to do with how people metabolize food and the tendency to be overweight. One is the “famous FTO gene,” often called the “obesity gene,” Shelton said. 23andMe research has also uncovered that people with certain genotypes have a higher likelihood of preferring salty or sugary foods.

People with one variant of the FGF21 gene, associated with food regulation, were 20 percent more likely than those with another variant to seek out sugary substances, according to a separate study by the University of Copenhagen published in Cell Metabolism.

According to 23andMe genetic data, 24 percent of women probably prefer sweet foods over salty, compared with 2.6 percent of men. Geography was another variable, with people in Oregon more likely to consume sweets compared with the rest of the country, based on their genes, and people in Maine and Hawaii more likely to consume salty foods.

Genetically, however, sweet and salty preferences are “not a black and white association,” Shelton said.

“We’re saying that people with these genetic variants might lean more closely to preferring salt,” she said. “It doesn’t mean that they would never eat a piece of cake, so it tends to be a nuanced thing. The number of changes in the genome that would put you on one side of the line or the other is pretty small. We bend people into categories based on these 43 different variants, so you could be in the middle where 45 percent of people with your genetics prefer sweets and 55 percent prefer salty. If you landed where it’s more like 10 percent versus 90 percent, it might be much more strongly predicted by your genetics.”

Are sugar and salt cravings linked?

How the body processes and responds to sugar and salt can affect cravings, and James DiNicolantonio — a cardiovascular research scientist at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, and an associate editor of the British Medical Journal’s Open Heart — said there’s a likely connection between salt and sugar cravings.

Not getting enough salt can hyperactivate the brain’s reward center, increasing cravings for salt and sugar, and some people may be genetically predisposed to feel a greater reward from sugar or salt, said DiNicolantonio, the author of The Salt Fix.

The body needs salt, since it’s composed of the essential minerals sodium and chloride and the body can’t produce it, he said. But as for sugar, “our body can utilize fats and protein to create glucose,” so there’s no need to get it directly from outside sources. Refined sugar can offer a stronger reward, and it can be more addictive, increasing cravings.

Healthy kidneys regulate the salt level in the bloodstream. Still, DiNicolantonio urged people to pay attention to their salt cravings because it could signal a salt deficiency.

“For the majority of people, a salt craving is very similar to your thirst signal for water,” he said. “The whole reason why people recommend a low-salt diet is because, in some people, it lowers blood pressure a little bit, but not consuming enough water or consuming a low-water diet can also lower blood pressure. Sometimes your thirst for water can cross over or people who are deficient in salt, like athletes, will overconsume water, and some will overhydrate and develop low sodium levels in the blood.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, however, that the majority of Americans “eat more sodium than they should — an average of more than 3,400 mg each day.” For most adults, the recommended sodium intake is less than 2,300 mg per day, equal to about a teaspoon of salt, and fewer than 10 percent of a person’s daily calories should come from added sugars, according to U.S. government dietary guidelines. The American Heart Association recommends a low-sodium diet, ideally limited to less than 1,500 mg per day.

Genetics don’t excuse poor eating habits

With food cravings, it’s hard to distinguish the influences of genetics and environment from the eating habits that people develop over their lifetime, said Sonya Angelone, a San Francisco Bay Area–based spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

However, she agrees that there is a genetic cause for cravings. Like 23andMe’s Shelton, she said the FTO gene plays a key role, since it affects levels of the hormones ghrelin, which makes people feel hungry, and leptin, which makes people feel full. Other important genes that influence appetite can interfere with how satisfied we are with food intake and can cause cravings, she said.

“There’s a lot that goes into it,” Angelone said. “What actually is a craving versus hunger versus just a bad habit is a little harder to define. It has to do with the reward center in your brain and what gets triggered when you eat. So it’s pretty complex.”

Craving certain tastes, like sweet or salty, at certain times can be a habit, she said. “Like after dinner, I want something sweet, or I want my cup of coffee, and then people just assume that it’s a psychological need, but it’s not, really. They’ve just conditioned themselves to crave dessert after dinner.”

Eating behaviors are complex. Along with genetics and environment, lack of sleep, nutrient deficiency, poor diet, low blood sugar, dehydration and stress can also contribute to cravings, Angelone said. Because there’s rarely a single factor contributing to cravings, people need to learn what brings on cravings, how to manage them and adjust their environment. But it’s OK to give in to sweet and salty cravings from time to time.

“This idea of perfect eating, I don’t even know what that is,” she said. “Does that mean you can’t ever have sugar or salty things? Sure you can. But what I tell people is use the word “manage.” Manage your cravings.”

Genetics may predispose someone to crave sugar or salt, but lifestyle changes help manage cravings and not reinforce unhealthy eating habits, Steinle said.

“You can blame your genes for liking it, but we have the ability to say, ‘Is this a healthy behavior?’ and modify it,” she said. “We’re intelligent, not just machines. If you love potato chips, you can alter your eating behavior if you so choose.”

NEW DELHI — Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will not appear before the Parliamentary panel on IT on 25 February, and instead the company is sending its Head of Public Policy Colin Crowell.

The Parliamentary panel on Information Technology had summoned Twitter head Jack Dorsey to appear before it on 25 February, and had refused to meet “junior officials” of the microblogging site during its meeting on 11 February.

The meeting had been called against the backdrop of growing concerns about safeguarding citizens’ data privacy and the possibility of social media platforms being used to interfere in the upcoming elections.

“We thank the Parliamentary Committee for its invitation to hear Twitter’s views on ‘Safeguarding citizen rights on social/online news media platforms’. These are issues for all Internet services globally.

“Colin Crowell, Global Vice President of Public Policy for Twitter, will meet with the Committee on Monday,” a Twitter spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement on Friday.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the government has been warning social media platforms of strong action if any attempt was made to influence the country’s electoral process through undesirable means.

Sources said on 11 February, the committee had refused to meet junior officials from Twitter’s India office who were present at the meeting venue.

The panel passed an unanimous resolution that the microblogging site’s CEO should make himself available to show the company’s seriousness in safeguarding rights of Indian citizens online, they added.

As per the resolution, the panel would hear only the Twitter CEO or senior member of its global team “who has decision making authority regarding Twitter’s operations in India,” one of the sources had said.

Even as it faces heat over allegations of political bias in the country, Twitter has maintained that it is committed to remain unbiased and that its product as well as policies are never based on political ideology.

The government has been taking a strong view of misuse of social media platforms and is also proposing to amend IT rules to curb fake news and increase accountability of such apps.

Over the last few weeks, Facebook, Twitter and Google have promised to infuse more transparency into political advertisements on their platform, and announced a slew of measures as part of their election integrity efforts.

On Thursday, Twitter said it has formed an internal, cross-functional group to lead “electoral integrity work” in India that will proactively support partner escalations, and identify potential threats from malicious actors.

The US-based company had also stated that its teams are working closely with political parties across the spectrum to train them on using Twitter to best engage with their constituents.

Suddenly one day when I was searching for a Marxist book in the huge cellar racks of the Osmania University library, I came across a book by Isaiah Berlin or a book on Isaiah Berlin. The spelling of his first name was exactly like that of mine except that there was a ‘s’ instead of a ‘l’ (Isaiah—Ilaiah). For a minute I misread the name as Ilaiah Berlin, immediately realizing my mistake. I just picked it up and looked at the spelling of the name quite carefully. His second name was also familiar to me as I read a lot about the city of Berlin. I read a lot about the fall of Berlin at the end of the Second World War and the building of a Berlin Wall after the war. In fact, I knew more about Berlin than about Delhi or Hyderabad. I tried to read the introduction to Isaiah Berlin’s book quite carefully. It said that Isaiah Berlin was one of the greatest living philosophers and historians of the world. He was not from Germany but was from the UK (born into a Jewish family of Latvia that moved first to Russia when he was a child and then to the UK; thus ‘Berlin’ was a made up name as many Jews have had to do in the West). I looked at the racks again to find out whether there were any other books that he wrote. And to my surprise, he was a globally renowned living thinker. His ‘Two Concepts of Liberty’ (1958) made him the most outstanding authority on liberty after John Stuart Mill. Born in 1909, he died in 1997, influencing the whole world with his philosophical and historical writings.

I looked at the name once again. I felt as if I were Isaiah, not Ilaiah. That day, in my notebook, I wrote my name in full in the form that his name figured: Ilaiah Kancha, not just Ilaiah K. It sounded new. I thought the name Ilaiah Kancha sounded like the name of a world famous historian, philosopher, thinker with whom no Indian thinker would match Isaiah Berlin in contemporary times. I jumped up and down amidst the book racks—a worthless name like mine is very much like that of a world famous historian and philosopher . . . Waa-re-waa!

Excerpted with permission from Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd’s From a Shepherd Boy to an Intellectual. 

Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd is retired Director, Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad.

Dilip Pannalal retired as a pedicurist from a salon 14 years ago. It was the end of his professional life as a pedicurist, but also a new beginning. From an upscale parlour in South Mumbai he moved base to a footpath outside the Veeramata Jijabai Bhosle Udyan Zoo in Mumbai’s Byculla East. Armed with a toolbox, a stool and a vibrant sign that read ‘Corn Specialist’ in bold, Pannalal began his new career. Ever since then, the 55-year-old has treated thousands of people, who have come to him with their foot ailments, right there on the footpath.

Pannalal isn’t the only one in this peculiar profession. A handful of corn specialists like him have made the pavement outside the zoo their clinic. Corn specialists—who are unique to Mumbai like its dabbawalas, ear cleaners and mattress fluffers—provide pedicures, foot massages and treat sprains apart from removing corns. Their professional identity is an important part of their culture. Most of them belong to the Gihara community, a notified tribe that is spread across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. They are largely involved in occupations like ropemaking, making turbans and that of curing foot ailments.

“I was eight years old when I first came to the city with my father. I always wanted to be a painter, but also wanted to protect the legacy of my community,” said Pannalal, who learned the skill of corn removal from his father. The Gihara community is one of the few migrant communities that continues to follow their traditional practice in its rawest form. People of the Gihara community began migrating to Mumbai in the 19th century from villages around Indore and Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.

“Earlier, our forefathers used to provide foot massages and cure corn ailments in villages where this was a common problem. But that hardly fetched any money. Thus they started migrating to larger cities like Mumbai in search of other work,” said Mukesh Ratan Utkar, a 54-year-old corn specialist, who previously worked at the Lakme Salon in Churchgate.

Utkar said that while some of those who migrated were employed at the Mazgaon Dock, they continued to provide pedicures for the British to make extra money. “As their practice gained popularity, they started sitting outside Rani Baugh, formerly, Queen Victoria’s garden that attracted a lot of tourists — restarting their practice of treating corns with their age-old knowledge and traditional skills,” he added.

The traditional skills, passed on for generations, are apparently what gives them the edge over surgeons. “We remove the bacteria from the root, unlike doctors who just operate on the surface,” said Pannalal.

The corn specialists also make their own herbal medicines from recipes passed on by their ancestors. The ‘doodhi medicine’ made from the asthma plant is used to clean the area that is operated, the ‘neem medicine’ is used to kill the bacteria and the ‘red flower medicine’ made from a flower called Markapurum, is applied after the surgery to ensure that the wound doesn’t get infected. The customer is also given some of the red flower medicine to take home. There’s also the special black liquid solution, ingredients of which are ‘top-secret’, known only to the members of the community.

“We also weld steel to make the tools ourselves,” said Shekhar Motidas, Pannalal’s nephew who began his roadside corn removing services four years ago. The equipment include a blade-like tool to chisel out the skin around the corn and a thick tweezer to pluck out the corn. A long, thin rod is used to apply the medicinal back liquid that burns the part of the skin where the corn existed, so that it doesn’t form again. “We make sure to dip the tools in hot water every night,” said Shekhar.

The corn specialists have loyal customers from all walks of life. They charge Rs 150 for corn removal and Rs 500 for a pedicure. “I always choose to come here. It is quick, cheap and most importantly, effective,” said Mohammad Moin, a tailor from Bandra. His feelings resonate with 24-year-old Kamlesh who works at a shop in Dadar. “I was a bit nervous about getting my corn removed at a roadside stall rather than in a clinic, but I’ve heard a lot about their credibility. They have the know-how to operate on it without conducting a surgery. I wasn’t disappointed at all,” he said. Locals in and around Byculla East are well acquainted the corn specialists, who also often have adventurous foreigners as customers. They do not use local anaesthesia, but say it only feels like a pinch.

The corn specialists work everyday from 10 am to 7 pm and Sunday is their busiest day. “We hardly take a day off. During monsoons, we put up tents. We need to earn every day to feed our families,” said Moti Pareshram, another corn specialist at Byculla East who, like most of them, makes Rs 800 a day. This affords them a very basic lifestyle. With hardly any family left in the villages, they live in chawls in and around Byculla. Most of them start by working at parlours to have a pool of savings so that they can later shift to their traditional, yet uncertain profession of roadside corn removal.

However, unlike other hawkers, these corn specialists said they have never been asked to move. “The Morarji Desai government even conducted a survey to get us licences, so did the current government. But we are yet to receive them in paper,” said Pannalal. He said he has found the perfect place for his operations. “Dilip is the one of the oldest here. But there’s not much competition amongst us. We all charge the same money, have our own set of customers, and belong to the same community,” said Utkar.

Since this professional knowledge is only passed on within the community, the knowledge pool of has shrunk. Today only seven specialists remain in Byculla East and a few in Andheri. Some can even be found in Ahmedabad, Pune, Delhi and Indore. But according to Pannalal, the practice thrives the most in Mumbai.

Advocate and city historian Rajan Jaykar recalls how a man named Dujaram would come to cut the nails of his father and treat his corns back in the 1960′s. Though he never inquired about his community then, Jaykar, said, “Several migrant communities have been coming to Bombay and most eventually move on to conventional jobs as their traditional occupations are no longer feasible. But the way these corn removers have managed to do so, in such a competitive city, based solely on the word of mouth is truly phenomenal. Perhaps, it isn’t just their corn removal skills, but also their knowledge of medicines that has sustained them.”

But this may not be the situation for much longer as the younger generation is choosing more stable and lucrative career options. Both of Pannalal and Utkar’s children work in parlours and have been equipped with the necessary skills of corn removal. “I would like my son to carry on the legacy, but it is up to him. My daughter also works in a parlour, but women in our community are generally not allowed to do corn removal,” Pannalal said.

Pannalal’s son Nitin, however, thinks that the practice is here to stay, at least in the near future. “I know a lot of us in the community, who, like, me want to carry on the work that our forefathers have been doing for so long. But then some of us are also studying to secure more conventional jobs,” he said.

The future may be uncertain. But, as of now, the tiny, yet efficient, roadside corn specialist community continues to cure people of their foot ailments. Embracing their cultural and professional identity with pride, they continue working in the maximum city in order to keep their intangible heritage alive. As Pannalal said, “Our past is a treasure trove of various traditions and knowledge systems. We are just striving to keep this one alive.”

The rise of online streaming sites has redefined entertainment options available to many Indians. Significantly, this means that in a country like ours, it is now much easier to watch great movies being made in several regional languages. Like Kerala, which is producing some excellent movies, the Tamil film industry is also sprinting ahead in making a variety of films, many of them balancing entertainment and politics smartly.  If you missed these movies when they were in theatres, here’s your chance to catch up, thanks to Netflix, Hotstar and Amazon Prime Video:

1. Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru (2017): Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru is based on Operation Bawaria undertaken by the Tamil Nadu police through the 1990s and 2000s. Actor Karthi gives up his usual smirks and punchy dialogues to star as an upright police officer in this action thriller. The film stands apart in its depiction of police officials, who in Tamil films are often shown as either villains or jokers. H Vinoth’s screenplay initially alternates between the main plotline and a needless romantic track, but it soon settles into a groove, making you root for the cops working to bring down a gang of dacoits.

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime

2. Pariyerum Perumal (2018): Since Pa. Ranjith has started making films, Tamil cinema has witnessed a rebirth of Dalit narratives. Pariyerum Perumal, produced by Ranjith and directed by Mari Selvaraj, puts a Dalit man at the center of the story, along with a group of people belonging to an intermediate caste. The practice of untouchability and caste-based discrimination is dealt with in a manner not seen before in Tamil films. Perumal’s (Kathir) fight against those taunting him for belonging to a marginalised caste registers as a call for revolution.

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime

3. Vada Chennai (2018): How will fishermen make a living if you remove them from the shores? It’s a question you chew on while watching Vetrimaaran’s Vada Chennai. The film stars his favourite actor and frequent collaborator Dhanush. The two have worked together on some of the most exciting Tamil films of this decade (Aadukalam, Kaakka Muttai, Visaaranai). This gangster drama, the first of a trilogy, charts Anbu’s (Dhanush) rise from a young carrom board player to a thug who forms a gang to save his neighbourhood from getting erased.

Where to Watch: Hotstar 

4. Sila Samayangalil(2018): Priyadarshan’s Sila Samayangalil is a melancholic piece of cinema set in a hospital. As a group of people wait for their HIV test results, the film narrates their tales of love and longing even as the characters look at each other with a glint of suspicion. As Prakash Raj’s character, a middle-aged man, quietly gazes at others in the room, you see how the filmmaker has centred his story on the stigma that’s associated with the disease.  

Where to Watch: Netflix

5. Metro (2016): Metro is a crime thriller that unfolds bit by bit. Set in Chennai, the film revolves around chain snatching in the city. While the film can’t equal the best thrillers made in Tamil cinema, it has enough action to make your jaw drop. Writer-director Ananda Krishnan throws in the story of a family to establish a sentimental cord.

Where to Watch: Netflix 

6. Aruvi (2017): Like Sila Samayangalil, Aruvi delves into the stigma associated with HIV. Filmmaker Arun Prabu Purushothaman uses non-linear storytelling to show how Aruvi (Aditi Balan) is shunned by her family after accidentally getting infected with the disease. At the time of its release in 2017, the film had quickly became one of the most talked of dramas in 2017. Aditi’s towering performance earned her several accolades.

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime

7. Chekka Chivantha Vaanam (2018): Mani Ratnam’s return to the action genre is a treat for the visual and aural senses. He brings together Arvind Swami, Vijay Sethupathi, Jyothika, Aditi Rao Hydari, Aishwarya Rajesh, Prakash Raj, Arun Vijay, and Silambarasan with AR Rahman’s music and Santosh Sivan’s cinematography to hold your hand and walk you through the betrayals that are unleashed by a band of brothers in this action thriller. This Mani Ratnam film is an easy watch as it does not delve into bigger themes or reference mythology.

Where to Watch: Hotstar 

8. Merku Thodarchi Malai (2018): Set in the Western Ghats where workers carry spices on their backs from the top of the hills to the foothills, Merku Thodarchi Malai is a study on landless labourers of South India. The only well-known names in the film credits are Vijay Sethupathi and Ilaiyaraaja who serve as the producer and the composer respectively, but that shouldn’t be a problem in a movie as powerful as this. Cinematographer Theni Eswar shot most of the film using natural light, allowing us to see the vivid browns and the greens of the hills in its pristine state.

 Where to Watch: Netflix

9. Adhe Kangal (2017): Kalaiyarasan, who’s become the go-to everyman to star in Tamil thrillers, plays a blind chef in Adhe Kangal. The movie, however, doesn’t use his character’s disability to seek sympathy. Actress Sshivada, the true star of this romantic thriller, plays his romantic interest Deepa whose actual motives are revealed much later. Adhe Kangal was remade in other languages, but didn’t hit the sweet spot the original did.

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime 

10. Aaranya Kaandam(2011): Thiagarajan Kumararaja’s directorial debut Aaranya Kaandam used dark humour to tell the story of a gang of criminals. Jackie Shroff plays an ageing don who double-crosses his associate in this noir film. At the time of its release, Aaranya Kaandam ran into trouble with the Censor Board for its explicit language and content. The movie didn’t fare too well at the box office but has been picked up fans over the years. Last year, makers of the film released a supercut of its censored scenes. As Thiagarajan’s second film Super Deluxe readies for release, it’s a good time to revisit his debut.

Where to Watch: Hotstar

The creator of an Amy Winehouse concert tour via hologram has suddenly put the event on hold because of “sensitivities.”

Base Hologram, the company developing the tour, said on Twitter that it had encountered “some unique challenges and sensitivities” on the path to “remembering Amy Winehouse and her legacy in the most celebratory and respectful way possible.” It did not detail the hurdles it’s facing. And no alternative date was provided.

The tour featuring a hologram Winehouse based on a body double with a live backup band had been scheduled to launch later this year. Base CEO Brian Becker told Billboard that the production was to be a “cross between a Broadway show and a concert spectacle which requires creative engineering.” He added: “That type of creativity does not necessarily follow a schedule.”

But the holdup may also be linked to controversy. While Winehouse’s father, Mitch Winehouse, was excited about the effort, some fans found it macabre and exploitive to resurrect the singer who struggled with substance abuse and died at the age of 27 — and now has no control over how her image is used.

“Amy wasn’t treated like a human being when she was alive and this is treating her even more like a show pony,“ Maria Dobrinescu, owner of the Instagram Winehouse fan account @theamyjadewinehouse, told GQ. “It’s heartbreaking.”

Winehouse’s ex-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, is also opposed to the idea, which will lack the “human element” of the soulful singer, he said.

Winehouse last performed in Belgrade, Serbia, in June 2011. She was found dead at her home north of London just over a month later.

A portion of the proceeds of the hologram tour were to benefit the late singer’s Amy Winehouse Foundation, which addresses substance abuse in young people.

Base has already taken its hologram of Roy Orbison on tour in Britain and the  U.S. and will launch a tour in April of the late opera singer Maria Callas.

WASHINGTON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - A senior U.S. Justice Department official on Friday shot down expectations that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office will deliver a highly anticipated report next week on its investigation into possible Russian interference in U.S. elections.

“Any reports that the Special Counsel’s report will be delivered to the DOJ during the week of Feb. 28 are incorrect,” the official said.

CNN reported on Wednesday that the Justice Department may announce as early as next week that Mueller had given Attorney General William Barr his report. Barr would review the findings and submit his own summary to Congress, CNN reported.

“It’s not surprising that they would not issue a report while the president is in Vietnam engaged in high-stakes international diplomacy,” said a person close to the administration, referring to President Donald Trump’s meeting with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.

The Mueller probe has ensnared many of Trump’s political confidants. Still, Trump has repeatedly said there was no collusion between his 2016 campaign and Russia and called the investigation a witch hunt. Russia has denied election meddling.

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert and Sarah N. Lynch in Washington; Additional reporting by Karen Freifeld in New York Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and James Dalgleish)

MUMBAI (Reuters) - An Indian parliamentary panel has summoned representatives of Facebook Inc, its messaging services WhatsApp and photo-sharing app Instagram to appear before it early next month and discuss how to safeguard citizens’ rights on social media.

Social media in the world’s largest democracy have become a hotbed for circulation of fake political news and tech firms face intense scrutiny ahead of a general election due before May, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek a second term.

In a circular late on Thursday, the parliamentary committee on information technology, chaired by Anurag Thakur, a lawmaker from Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, said it would hear the views of officials from Facebook and its units on March 6. The committee earlier summoned the Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to India for the same reasons.

The subject would be “safeguarding citizens’ rights on social or online news media platforms,” it added. 

It was not immediately clear whether the panel had asked Indian or global executives of the three firms to appear. Facebook declined to comment, while WhatsApp and Instagram did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The panel has previously summoned social network Twitter Inc’s Chief Executive Jack Dorsey to appear on Monday to discuss the same topic.

“These are issues for all Internet services globally,” Twitter said on Friday, adding that Colin Crowell, its global vice president of public policy, is to meet the panel on Monday.

Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter have overhauled policies to boost transparency ahead of the general election and rein in misinformation. Alphabet Inc’s Google this week launched a program to train journalists in areas such as online verification and fact checking before the polls.

As TVs got slimmer and slimmer, the first casualty was the built-in speaker. It’s plain physics, really. You need actual physical space inside the TV casing to fit in a larger speaker and you need to give it enough room to move to push out that sweet bass everyone loves. So, if you’re shopping around for a new TV (or find the existing TV’s audio to be anemic), you should consider some additional audio gear, and a soundbar is usually the simplest way to amp up your audio experience. While quality soundbars are usually priced upwards of Rs. 20,000, Xiaomi has entered the fray with an offering that’s priced to disrupt the market, just like it did with smartphones and then televisions.

Enter the Mi Soundbar, an audio companion to your new TV, that offers a host of connectivity options and good performance at Rs 4,999. Sounds like a steal? Let’s find out.

Mi Soundbar Pros

Design: It’s not something you say often about a soundbar, more so one at this price point, but the Mi Soundbar is quite the looker. It sports the minimalistic Mi Look that we’ve seen in other Xiaomi ecosystem products – a sturdy, matte white plastic casing with a grey fabric mesh in front which sits pretty on three rubber feet (or wall mounted) in most decors. It’s very Google Home-ish in overall aesthetic. The soundbar is only available in white though, which may look out of place next to a black TV, or an all-black peripheral setup.

Setup: It took longer to unbox the Mi Soundbar than to set it up over S/PDIF with the Xiaomi Mi TV 4X Pro — it’s really that simple. All you have to do is connect the TV via one of many options — Bluetooth 4.2, S/PDIF, Optical, Line-in, and 3.5mm aux-in, though optical or coaxial connections offer the best quality — and you’re all set. On some older TVs, you may have to head to the settings and specifically switch sound output to the soundbar, but most newer TVs auto-detect and switch on their own.

Connecting over Bluetooth works well (and overcomes one of the biggest downsides of the Mi Soundbar, see below) but obviously leads to a perceptible drop in quality. The soundbar only remembers one paired Bluetooth device at a time so you’ll need to keep that in mind if you intend to regularly switch between your TV and your phone with this soundbar. No HDMI ARC connectivity either, but that’s not surprising at this price point.

Performance: Under its stylish yet unassuming grey mesh lie eight drivers - two 20mm dome speakers for higher frequencies sounds with two 2.5-inch woofers supported by four passive radiators for a lower end of the spectrum. Thanks to how wide the soundbar is, there is a semblance of stereo separation and a sense of a real soundstage when you’re listening to well-recorded stereo audio. In terms of audio quality, the Mi Soundbar really punches above its weight — the tweeters push out clean high notes and the woofers and passive radiators take care of a pleasing, warm rumble on the low end.

The setup works well for mid-sized rooms (around roughly 200 square feet), and there’s enough volume to shake the room even at around 60-70 percent volume. Possibly the only place it lacks sonically is in the slightly subdued mids, especially when you’re listening to dialogues and the background score starts overpowering the vocals. This can be a little annoying when watching TV or a movie, but it’s not a deal-breaker, especially if your TV has an equaliser function.

If you’re buying this solely to listen to music, look away and pick up a dedicated speaker instead. That aside, the soundbar pumps out clean, distortion-free audio and will benefit your movie and TV show experience immensely if you’re coming straight from a TV-speaker setup. The Mi Soundbar in no way sounds like a “budget” 5K soundbar.

Mi Soundbar Cons

No Remote Control: The Mi Soundbar ships without a remote control, which isn’t such an issue if you’re connecting over Bluetooth or aux and the source device remote controls the volume. It’s only when you rig this up over S/PDIF to an Android TV such as the new Mi TV 4X Pro that you really feel the absence of the remote. You’ll have to walk over to your soundbar to adjust volume or change inputs (via physical controls) from S/PDIF to Bluetooth or aux.

One can’t help but feel a small bump up in price to accommodate a remote would have worked in Xiaomi’s favor. Or even a companion app that worked over IR control (a feature many Xiaomi phones still come with, even if the other brands don’t) to toggle inputs, adjust volume or equalizer settings at the very least — you’re pretty much stuck with having to like how Xiaomi has tuned this soundbar.

Mi Soundbar Alternatives

Want a remote? Or as dedicated sub-woofer for some added thump? Here are some alternatives to the Mi Soundbar:

Philips HTL1031 2.1 Soundbar: Featuring a 30W RMS output – 20W for the soundbar and an additional 10 for the subwoofer - the HTL1031 also comes with integrated FM Radio player and supports USB storage for MP3 playback. Ordinarily retails at Rs. 10,000 but can be had from Amazon for Rs. 4,290.

F&D T180X 2.0 TV Soundbar: Another good budget option, the T180X has a 3-inch full range driver and a smaller 1-inch tweeter per channel and offers a remote for bass/volume control and input selection. Look around on Amazon and you can find it for half off its original 9,990 price.

Portronics Sound Slick II: Nearly a meter long, this soundbar pushes out 40 Watts RMS and supports multiple inputs like AUX, USB and Bluetooth 4.2. It comes with a small infrared remote that lets you control power, volume and change tracks when playing audio from a USB drive. Offers decent bass and loud volume, and significantly undercuts a lot of the competition on price (Rs. 3,289 on Amazon).

Quick Specs:

• Speaker Units: Two 20mm Dome Tweeters + two 2.5 inch Woofer Drivers + four 70x55mm Passive Radiators
• Output power: 28 Watts RMS
• Size and Weight: 830 x 72 x 87 mm, 1.925kg
• Audio inputs: 3.5 mm stereo AUX input, fiber optic input, coaxial input, red and white audio input, S/PDIF, Bluetooth 4.2 supports A2DP music playback
• Frequency response range: 50 Hz - 25000 Hz ( -10 dB)
• Price: Rs. 4,999

Himanjali Sankar’s new book for young adults, The Lies We Tell, begins with a newspaper report about the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. And just as you’re wondering why, it segues right into a WhatsApp conversation between two friends, Uma and Rishi, before settling, mostly, into a first-person narrative by the protagonist Irfan Ahmed, a 17-year-old who loves football, his girlfriend Uma and is figuring out what to do after this Class XII board exams. This would sound relatable to many teens across India, give and take a few details. But Sankar thrusts us into the dark, gloomy atmosphere of Irfan’s home, where we immediately understand that something is amiss.

Irfan thinks the world of his older sister, his Appi, who plays a huge role in his life. But perfect Sanya’s sheen had been tarnished when her parents make a scene when they find her with her boyfriend in her room. Unlike his outspoken Appi, Irfan defers to his parents in almost everything, even opting out of band practice because they want him to focus on his studies. But no one really communicates in the house, apart from talking about his future or his studies. Sankar conveys a strong sense of a fractured family, which is trying its best to get through each day, rather than living.

Uma and Rishi, Irfan’s best friends since childhood, are a huge part of his life. The frequent WhatsApp conversations between them, which the writer uses to reveal their thoughts and feelings, work for Uma but aren’t enough to build Rishi’s character and his motivations for his actions.

With three friends, it’s always interesting to see how the dynamic between them plays out. Uma is beautiful, carefree and has no qualms in talking back to her parents, something that Irfan never has the courage to do. Rishi comes from a troubled family, with an abusive father and a scared mother with a fondness for Irfan. As Irfan and Uma get closer, Rishi becomes the odd one out and slowly grows resentful.

As the story progresses, things go downhill for Irfan, especially when he senses that Uma is distancing herself from him, eventually breaking up with him. The reasons for the break-up and the subsequent decision to date Rishi, are never very clear, considering the effect this has on Irfan. Especially since, even after dumping Irfan, Uma seems to care about him, as is evident in the messages between her and Rishi. Irfan begins to withdraw into himself, deletes Whatsapp from his phone and continues to email his Appi about how heartbroken he is.

There are times when one sees a glimpse of Irfan’s anger at his former friends and how they have conveniently excluded him from their lives. The desire to get away from it all is strong, as he applies for college admissions in the US even though his performance in school takes a hit. Then one day, a photo of Uma’s is circulated among their classmates and she’s convinced that this is Irfan’s way of taking revenge. After all, only the two of them had access to the photo. Irfan denies having sent it, thinking that maybe this is Uma’s way of drawing attention to herself. While the issue with the photo peters out eventually, we realise that Irfan’s conversations with his Appi are getting increasingly worrisome, until it reaches a point of self-harm.

Across the world, young adult fiction has evolved tremendously. There are few topics that are taboo now, be it sexuality, abuse or suicide. Authors of young adult fiction are tackling all the hard subjects and publishers are also actively seeking them out, because access to such books is one way in which teenagers can unravel the confusion inherent in their lives. Reading about less-than-perfect protagonists who don’t have it all figured out can be of great help to a young person who may be troubled for various reasons.

In India, Sankar’s earlier novel, Talking of Muskaan (Duckbill) is a sensitive exploration of homosexuality, while Paro Anand’s No Guns at my Son’s Funeral (India Ink) deals with militancy in Kashmir. Ranjit Lal is another author who doesn’t shy away from writing about grim realities, be it female infanticide (Faces in the Water) or sexual abuse by a parent (Smitten). The Lies We Tell falls into a similar category— the subject of mental illness has not been explored enough, at least in young adult fiction.

Sankar peeks inside young Irfan’s head with ease, even as his mind seems to be getting increasingly fragmented. His parents do try to get him help. As Irfan says, “Between all of them, they have the glue, cellotape, scissors and the various Irfan pieces. It’s just a matter of efficiently sticking it all back together.”

Sankar had written in an article for HuffPost Indialast month that the book had emerged from the nebulous and fragile balance that is the human mind.

“The young adult mind is by definition a zone of mental stress, which is why it surprised me to find that no books in India for young people address mental illness. Paradoxically, while everyone knows of teen angst at a theoretical level it is something we resist accommodating in our personal lives,” she wrote.

The Lies We Tell is important on many levels and provides a crucial understanding of the many pressures young adults face in their everyday lives, facets of which we (as parents, educators) might be completely unaware of. It offers a real look at the changing dynamics in relationships and how it affects not just the people involved, but also those around them. It acknowledges that some people may not deal with grief in the expected way, and there is probably no right way to deal with it at all. The most we can do is to show up and be there for them.

After an endlessly bruising awards season, the Oscars are here, at long last. 

Sunday night’s extravaganza could be a wild ride, if the last few months are any indication. Facing plummeting ratings for its ABC broadcast, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars, has haphazardly introduced and then retracted a series of widely maligned changes to the show.

If that train wreck wasn’t enough, several of this year’s Oscar contenders have been at the center of controversy, leaving the awards race far from settled, even at this late stage. While some have praised “Green Book” as a feel-good dramedy, its tone-deaf commentary on race and alleged biographical oversteps have irked others ― including the family of protagonist Don Shirley, which has slammed “Green Book” as “a symphony of lies.” Box-office hit “Bohemian Rhapsody” has faced criticism for its lack of nuance in handling Queen frontman Freddie Mercury’s sexual and ethnic identity, not to mention its employment of alleged sexual abuser Bryan Singer, who was fired mid-filming of the movie.

So who will win the Best Picture Oscar on Sunday? Should you even tune in to find out? HuffPost’s Leigh Blickley and Marina Fang discuss this year’s rocky awards season and why they’ll still be watching the weekend’s big show — albeit nervously. 

Leigh Blickley: If it seems like we’ve been talking about the 91st Academy Awards for months now, it’s because we have. And I don’t know about you, Marina, but I’m exhausted. Since August, the academy has been drumming up controversy, from announcing an unnecessary “Popular Film” award to pushing four categories to commercial breaks. It’s surely been an interesting time not only for members of the academy but for ABC, which is airing the event. What a mess, right?

Marina Fang: Ugh, such a hot mess. Like I wrote the other day, all of it has felt like a series of embarrassing self-owns on the academy’s part. I totally feel your exhaustion, Leigh — even though I love the Oscars and awards season, by the time the big night rolls around, I’m usually ready to move on and finally start digging into the movies of this calendar year. Between all of the drama surrounding the show and all of the controversies surrounding several of the nominated movies, this awards season, in particular, has felt way too long. 

Leigh: Let’s start off with that “Popular Film” category, which was announced in August and then quickly retracted (thank God). The academy thought it was a good idea to celebrate box-office hits by giving them their own category, Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film, thus undermining all of the Best Picture nominees, which would then have been considered “unpopular films.” This was the moment when it became clear that the academy, due to low ratings for the 90th Oscars telecast, was being pressured by ABC to make its yearly award show more entertaining for, say, Marvel fans.

Marina: Right, and every subsequent change they announced (and then took back) seemed like another cynical ploy to attract more viewers. Not only are these changes insulting to the nominated movies and filmmakers, they also get at a larger, existential problem the academy has struggled with for a while: Who is the show for, and will changing the show bring in new viewers or simply alienate existing viewers? The academy’s leadership seems to think that nominating blockbusters will help bring in more viewers, but I’m not sure that, say, “Black Panther” getting nominated or not is a deal breaker for people in deciding to watch the show.

Ten years ago, the academy expanded the Best Picture field to include more nominees, in direct response to “The Dark Knight” not getting nominated. Yet that did little, if anything, to improve viewership numbers. People often bring up the years “Titanic” and the third “Lord of the Rings” movie swept the Oscars, but those were such different times. A lot of this is beyond the academy’s control — people just don’t watch a lot of live TV anymore, and I sometimes wish the academy could just accept that, broadcast money-making schemes be damned.

Likewise, I feel like the emphasis on finding a host that will appeal to a wide audience isn’t a panacea either. Do you think that viewers are more inclined to watch if the host is someone they like? What do you think this year’s host-less show will look like? 

Leigh: Apparently, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was originally pitched to host the show but had to back out due to his hectic movie star schedule. Who knows if he would have brought in more viewers. All I can say is my brothers, who don’t watch the Oscars ever, love him, so there’s that.

After The Rock’s departure, the academy got his “Jumanji” co-star Kevin Hart to step in and all seemed well, that is until people of the internet unearthed his homophobic tweets and jokes from 2010 and 2011. From there, he was pressured by the academy to apologize, gave a non-apology, quit the hosting gig and went on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” to vie for redemption. After even more backlash from that talk show appearance, he told Michael Strahan on “Good Morning America” he was “done” with all the drama. Now, we have a host-less show. 

The last time that was the case was at the 61st Oscars in 1989, and it was a choice made by producers to go with presenters versus a host. Things got messy, and the 11-minute opening number with Snow White will go down in history. So, on top of the already strenuous lead-up to the show, I’m nervous to see what the academy and ABC have in store for us on Sunday. Will they have presenters do little skits? Will they bring back Hugh Jackman for an epic opening dance sequence? Will Jimmy Kimmel and his band of celebrities crash another movie theater? I say they just call back Billy Crystal and let us live out our ’90s nostalgia. Life was less confusing then. 

Marina: That Hugh Jackman opening number is one of my all-time favorites! I loved that he struck the right tone, mocking some of the nominees without being too mean, like the part where he joked about how most people hadn’t seen “The Reader.” For a moment after the Kevin Hart debacle, I was expecting Billy Crystal to be announced as the last-minute replacement — the last time he hosted was under similar circumstances, when Eddie Murphy dropped out after Brett Ratner resigned as Oscars producer for making homophobic comments. But alas, my prediction did not pan out.

I’m actually not too worried about not having a host. For one thing, it’ll definitely shorten the show’s length, at least a little. There won’t be a long opening monologue (though I imagine the producers are planning some kind of opening number). There won’t be as much host banter or as many audience interactions — as much as I enjoy seeing Meryl Streep devour a slice of pizza or Leo DiCaprio dig into a box of Girl Scout cookies, those bits take up too much time. And as you mentioned, those attempts to bring in ordinary people have been awkward and cringeworthy, like Jimmy Kimmel’s random tour bus group, or Chris Rock’s man-on-the-streetinterviews.

The one benefit to having a host is when things turn into a shitshow (or a pee-show, if Bradley Cooper pulls through), you have someone in charge of cleanup. I think Kimmel did a good job of managing the “Moonlight”/“La La Land” envelope madness. In moments of crisis or uncertainty, the host can attempt to hold the show together and right the ship. Without a host this year, I suspect some of the high-profile presenters will provide segues between awards — and perhaps step up to lead the way if, God forbid, something disastrous occurs.

Maybe I’m going out on a limb here, but I think the drama surrounding the show creates a lot of suspense and intrigue that might draw people in and make people excited to see what’s in store. It dovetails well with how turbulent this year’s awards season has been. Unlike a lot of years, when so many of the winners have been pretty set in stone by the week of the Oscars, I genuinely don’t know what will win Best Picture, which makes it exciting!

Leigh: Yes, it really has been a wild awards season. Although there are a few predictable winners ― Mahershala Ali for Best Supporting Actor, “Shallow” for Original Song ― the rest of the categories are harder to decipher. Best Picture is the interesting race here due to the inclusion of a superhero flick: “Black Panther.” As a special effects-heavy blockbuster, Ryan Coogler’s film is an anomaly compared with its fellow Best Picture nominees, but its worldwide acclaim and social impact have been remarkable. That’s the reason I think it could come out on top of the academy’s preferential voting system. Still, there’s one category that has helped predict the winner of Best Picture over the years: Most of the films that win the coveted prize are also nominated for Film Editing. That leaves “BlacKkKlansman,” Bohemian Rhapsody,” “The Favourite,” “Green Book” and “Vice” with the upper hand. But then there’s “Roma,” which has done well throughout awards season and could steal the crown. (Unfortunately, it’s not looking good for “A Star Is Born.” Sorry, Sean Penn.) 

But some of these nominees have been shrouded in controversy: “Green Book” is seen as either a movie masterpiece or a tone-deaf mess. Speaking of messes, “Vice.” And the sexual abuse allegations against “Bohemian Rhapsody” director Bryan Singer are not helping the movie’s cause. (Yet, Rami Malek is the front-runner for Best Actor for his performance as Freddie Mercury.) I’m curious to see who the academy celebrates in a season full of relentless spectacle. What are your picks? 

Marina: I’m not quite ready to make a bold prediction, but I’m warming to the idea that “Black Panther” could pull it off — its success and significance are undeniable. For a slightly safer prediction, I think “Roma” might eke it out. It recently took home the BAFTA for Best Film, which can sometimes indicate momentum, given how the BAFTAs — essentially the British Oscars — are the last major award show before the Oscars. But there is the question of whether some academy members resistant to Netflix’s dominance don’t see “Roma” as deserving because the movie screened in only a handful of theaters. Yet Alfonso Cuarón is the front-runner for the Directing category, so maybe that won’t be a huge factor.

I think either movie would be a worthy winner and would send a positive political message, which I think a lot of academy members care about, at least to some degree.

I agree that there’s no way “Shallow” loses in Original Song, and Malek’s and Ali’s wins are all but assured. Personally, I’d love to see journeyman character actor and delightful human Richard E. Grant pull off a surprise win for Best Supporting Actor — he is wonderful in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” I also wonder if the last-minute push for Bradley Cooper might work out, if enough voters agree that he was egregiously snubbed in the Directing category and vote for him in Best Actor. As far as other front-runners, while my favorite nominee in Best Actress is Melissa McCarthy, I’m thrilled that after seven nominations, living legend Glenn Close looks like she’ll finally win — and deliver a rousing speech, I’m sure.

Is there anyone you’re looking forward to seeing, or any bold predictions you want to put out there?

Leigh: I always look forward to a Glenn Close speech, that much I’m sure of. I do wish her new pal Timothée Chalamet was nominated so we could see them goof off together one last time this awards season, but not all wishes can come true. The “Shallow” duet by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper should be a standout, as will Bette Midler’s rendition of “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns.” Unfortunately, Kendrick Lamar and SZA won’t be performing “All the Stars” ― and the song won’t be performed by another act, either. Bummer. Queen and Adam Lambert, however, will reportedly open the show in celebration of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” 

Aside from the performances, I will have my eye out for the Cinematography, Film Editing, Makeup & Hairstyling and Short Film (Live Action) speeches, as those categories were almost scrubbed from the broadcast. It will be great to hear from the winners who are still salty about the prospect of their contributions to Hollywood being cast aside for commercial breaks. These categories are what movie-making is about!

I predict some political digs, of course, and a few epic presenter pairings. Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler, please.

Marina: Ah, yes, long live Glennothée. I hope the musical performances pull out all of the stops since those can be some of the most spectacular parts of the show. I’m totally with you on the craft categories: As a kid, watching the Oscars helped me learn about what editing or production design or sound mixing even was, and how each part is integral to the movie experience. And the speeches in those categories are often among the most compelling because the Oscars are really the only time when craftspeople get recognized on such a big stage.

All of these points are a good case for why the Oscars — despite their flaws and the hand-wringing over the ratings — will endure. Even if you don’t watch them for the movies and the winners, the festivities always produce viral memes and memorable moments, some of which we’ll talk about for years. They’re still the closest thing, aside from maybe the Super Bowl, that feels like a collective cultural event — and that’s why I love them.

Leigh: And, let’s face it, the drama surrounding this year’s show will only make viewers more interested to see how it all pans out. I know I’ll be watching, and I’m interested to see the ratings come Monday. The future of the Oscars, clearly, depends on them.

This has been “Should You Watch It?” a weekly examination of movies and TV worth ― or not worth! ― your time.

TONK, Rajasthan — Sending a message against the harassment of Kashmiris after the Pulwama terror attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it is the duty of every Indian to protect people from the Valley.

India’s fight is against terrorists and not against the Kashmiris, he said here at a rally where he vowed again to settle the score with Pakistan. Have faith in the army and the Modi government, he said.

Modi accused Imran Khan of not living up to the assertion he made after becoming Pakistan’s prime minister, and also indirectly charged the Congress-led government in 2008 of not acting against that country after the Mumbai terror attack.

“It is the job of every Indian in every corner of the country to ensure the safety of people from my Kashmir,” he said, in an apparent reference to reports of harassment and in some cases physical assault of Kashmiris living outside their state. 

The prime minister referred to the mood of veer ras (bravery and heroism) in the country after the Pulwama attack, particularly mentioning social media.

“But our fight is against terrorism, against the enemies of humanity. Our fight is for Kashmir, not against Kashmir, not against the Kashmiris,” he added.

He said the Kashmiris people have been victims of terrorism for years. The youth in the Valley are troubled by terrorism and are ready to fight against the terrorists. “We need to keep them with us.”

He said the Kashmiri people take care of Amarnath pilgrims.

“A year back, there was firing on Amarnath pilgrims and Kashmiri Muslim people had lined up for donating blood and to protect lives,” he said.

“If we want to win the fight, we should not make mistakes. A terrorist is a terrorist and the Kashmiri people are also facing trouble due to terrorism,” he said, accusing the previous governments of not fulfilling their aspirations.

The prime minister reiterated that the security forces have been given complete freedom to retaliate after the car bomb attack that killed 40 CRPF jawans.

“Have faith in our soldiers deployed on the border, in the Modi government and in Maa Bhawani’s blessings,” he said.

“The scores will be settled this time, settled for good (Iss baar hisaab hoga, hisaab poora hoga),” he said. 

In an apparent reference to Pakistan, Modi said peace in the world is not possible if the terror factory continues like this.

“There is consensus in the entire world against terrorism. We are moving ahead with strength to punish the perpetrators of terrorism,” he said.

“Stern action against those who live in India and encourage separatism has been taken and will be taken. This is a changed India, this pain will not be tolerated,” he said.

“We will not sit quiet after suffering this pain. We know how to crush terrorism,” he said.

Modi recalled his conversation with Imran Khan during a congratulatory call after the cricketer-turned-politician became Pakistan’s premier.

The prime minister said he told Imran Khan that there had been enough battles between the two countries, in which Pakistan got nothing while India won each time.

“I told him let us fight against poverty and illiteracy,” Modi said, suggesting that Khan gave his word saying he is a Pathan’s son - but went back on it.

Modi said he feels sad about “a handful of people who live in India and speak the language of Pakistan”.

He said these are the people who go to Pakistan, saying do anything but remove Modi.

“They are those who failed to show courage against the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack,” he said, without naming anyone.

Attacking the Congress, he claimed that it had failed to fulfil its promise of waiving farm loans after coming to power in Rajasthan.

Listing the achievements of his government, the prime minister gave a new slogan, suggesting everything is possible under his government - Modi hai to mumkin hai .

He said that the previous dispensation would only discuss work, but his government completed it.

The prime minister said the one rank, one pension scheme for retired soldiers remained on the back-burner for 40 years, but his government implemented it.

Shedding tears on the deaths of soldiers doesn’t befit those who could not implement the scheme, he added.

NEW DELHI — “Are you Hindu or Muslim? Do you have any Muslim employee? What is your connection with Pakistan?”

These were some of the questions that a group of 15 to 20 unidentified men fired at the manager of a Karachi Bakery outlet in Bengaluru. 

“These people were not educated. I tried to explain to them that we are 100 percent Indian, but they did not want to listen,” the manager, speaking on condition that his name not appear, told HuffPost India over the phone. 

“I tried to explain to them the history of the bakery, how it got its name, the family structure, but they did not want to listen. They only wanted to abuse. They only wanted to talk about religion,” he said.

Karachi Bakery, famous for its fruit biscuits, was founded in 1953 by a man from Sindh, Khanchand Ramnani. In 1947, during the partition of India, Ramani moved to Hyderabad. Now run by his grandchildren, the Karachi Bakery is based in Hyderabad, Telangana and has outlets across the country. 

On Friday evening, the unidentified men forced the Indira Nagar outlet of the Karachi Bakery in Bengaluru to cover the ‘Karachi’ part of its name.

The men harassed them for 30 to 45 minutes and then covered up the board that says Karachi Bakery with a white cloth, the manager said.  “They did not want it to be hidden. They wanted to smash it,” he said. 

The attack on the Karachi Bakery comes ten days after at least forty soldiers were killed in Kashmir by a suicide bomber, a 19-year-old Kashmiri, who was working for the Pakistan-based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammed. India has blamed Pakistan for one of the deadliest attacks against the security forces in Kashmir. Pakistan has denied involvement. 

In the backlash following the attack in Kashmir’s Pulwama district on 14 February, Kashmiri students and traders have been attacked and harassed by right wing activists in different parts of the country. Hundreds have returned to Kashmir. A Pakistani was killed inside a prison, but Jaipur jail authorities says this was after a fight broke out over the television volume. 

The men, the manager said, claimed to know men in the Indian Army. 

In a statement, Karachi Bakery said, “The essence of Karachi Bakery is absolutely Indian by heart and will remain so. We request everybody to refrain from any kind of misconceptions.”

When HuffPost India spoke with the manager on Saturday afternoon, he said the sheet was still covering the board outside the shop, but the employees were in the process of taking it down. 

“We have taken help from the police,” he said. 

The terrifying encounter has left the manager shaken. 

“They asked if we had Muslim employee. They said that if you have a Muslim working for you then you will be at risk. We had to say that we are Hindus,” the manager said. “But what if we did have a Muslim employee? What is wrong with it? We are all Indians.”

He continued, “This is business. How does it matter if one is Hindu or Muslim?”

The men, the manager said, also harassed him because he is from Telangana, not Karnataka.

“I spoke to them in Telugu and some Hindi. Some of them also knew a little bit of Telugu,” he said. “They made fun of me because I was not from Karnataka. They made fun of me because I cannot speak Kannada fluently.”

“I was scared. I’m an Indian. This is a free country to live and work where one chooses,” he said.

The manager asked what kind of people would attack a bakery over its name.

“Life is so busy. Who has the time to do this? These are crazy people,” he said.

SRINAGAR —Tension mounted in Kashmir on Saturday as the government launched a massive crackdown on separatists and detained over 150 people, mainly from the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir, including its chief Abdul Hamid Fayaz, ahead of a hearing in the Supreme Court on Article 35-A of the Constitution.

The development, coupled with other administrative measures, triggered a “war hysteria”, prompting people in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir to stock up on groceries and essentials and buy petrol for their vehicles.

Though police termed the action as routine saying that leaders and potential stone pelters have been picked up in the past, officials privy to the development said this was the first major crackdown on the Jamaat-e-Islami, coming days after the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

The hearing on Article 35A, which provides special rights and privileges to natives of Jammu and Kashmir, is likely to take place in the apex court on Monday.

The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), an umbrella coalition of separatist groups, has called for a shutdown in the valley on Sunday.

“To protest these arbitrary mass arrests, nocturnal raids, insecurity among people due to state repression, killings and censorship and any tampering with Article 35-A, a strike will be observed on 24 Feb 2019 (Sunday),” the JRL said in a statement. 

The authorities imposed restrictions under Section 144 of CrPC, which prohibits assembly of people, in old parts of Srinagar on Sunday, as a precautionary measure.

The Jamaat-e-Islami had in the past been touted to be the parent political party of the Hizbul Mujahdeen, but the organisation maintained that it is a socio-religious group.

Orders issued by some government departments added to the fears of the people. The Government Medical College in Srinagar cancelled winter vacation of its faculty members and directed them to positively report to work on Monday.

The Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, which provides ration to people through its outlets, has directed its staff members in Srinagar to ensure completing sale of food grains in their respective areas by Saturday evening. 

They were also directed to keep ration depots and sale outlets open on Sunday as well.

As many as 100 additional companies of the paramilitary (nearly 10,000 personnel) have been sent to Kashmir Valley in the apprehension of a law and order situation. Officially, no reason was cited for the movement.

According to Union Home Ministry sources, the movement of troops was pre-election induction.

Markets in Lal Chowk, the commercial hub of the valley, and adjoining areas opened more than an hour late as business owners were not sure of the situation in the wake of detention of over 150 separatist and Jamaat cadres during the night on Friday.

The sound of frequent flying of fighter jets till 1.30 am on Saturday added to the worries of the residents due to simmering Indo-Pak tension. 

However, IAF officials described it as a routine exercise.

Long queues were seen outside petrol stations and people were thronging provision shops and buying essential supplies.

The Jamaat issued a statement condemning the detentions and said ”...the move is a well-designed conspiracy to pave way for further uncertainty in the region.” 

The party claimed that during the intervening night of February 22 and 23, police and other agencies launched a mass arrest drive and raided many houses in the valley, wherein dozens of its central and district-level leaders were arrested, including its ameer (chief) Abdul Hamid Fayaz and spokesperson, advocate Zahid Ali.

Besides this, police also detained JKLF chief Yaseen Malik on Friday night, and lodged him in central jail.

Reacting to the crackdown, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti questioned the legality of the action.

“In the past 24 hours, Hurriyat leaders and workers of Jamaat organisation have been arrested. Fail to understand such an arbitrary move which will only precipitate matters in JK,” she tweeted.

“Under what legal grounds are their arrests justified? You can imprison a person but not his ideas,” she said.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said the state administration needs to reduce the sense of panic among the people. 

“People in the valley, especially the cities & towns, are taking everything said or done as a sign that some big trouble is just around the corner. People are hoarding food & fuel. Some government orders are adding to the sense of panic,” he added.

Leader of People’s Conference, an ally of the BJP, Sajad Lone also said such crackdowns in the past have yielded no results. 

“Gov (sic) seems to be on an arrest spree. Just a word of caution. Large scale arrests took place in 1990. Leaders were ferried to Jodhpur and many jails across the country. Things worsened. This is a tried tested and failed model. Please desist from it. It won’t work.Things will worsen,” he tweeted.

CPI(M) MLA Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami said the crackdown on and arrests of separatist leaders without any solid legal grounds do not augur well for the state. 

Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also condemned Malik’s detention and the crackdown.

“Strongly condemn the nocturnal crackdown on Jamaat-e-Islami leadership and cadres and the arrest of Yasin Malik. Such illegal and coercive measures against Kashmiris are futile and will not change realities on ground. Force and intimidation will only worsen the situation,” the Mirwaiz tweeted.

The Oscarsred carpet has been home to so many iconic fashion moments over the years. 

The 1999 award show, held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, was no exception. Two of the most iconic Academy Awards outfits made their debut that year. 

First, there was Gwyneth Paltrow’s baby pink spaghetti-strap gown by designer Ralph Lauren. The dress itself, made of a crisp taffeta, wasn’t extremely extravagant. It featured no beading or embellishments, but thanks to its full skirt, it still delivered on the drama.

When Paltrow accepted the Academy Award for Actress in a Leading Role wearing that dress, it became instantly iconic and continues to be one of the most memorable in Oscars history. 

Then there was Céline Dion’s unique take on a classic. The singer arrived on the red carpet wearing a white suit by John Galliano, but her jacket was on backward. At the time, she definitely landed on some worst-dressed lists, but we just like to think the “My Heart Will Go On” songstress was way ahead of her time. 

“When I wore that, everyone was wearing dresses, not pants,” Dion told People magazine in 2017. “I was the only one with pants in a backward suit from Galliano and if I would do this today it would work. It was avant-garde at the time. And it doesn’t matter, you just have to assume what you wear, you wear, and I did.”

Ahead of this year’s ceremony, which airs on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. Eastern, relive those two iconic style moments and more ― like Ellen DeGeneres’ and Anne Heche’s matching tiny sunglasses, Cate Blanchett’s sheer Galliano gown, and Goldie Hawn’s sparkling blue dress ― below. 

A group of Microsoft workers is demanding the company cancel a contract supplying the U.S. Army with HoloLens headsets that they say would turn real-world battlefields into a video game.

Microsoft’s head-mounted HoloLens displays use augmented reality, which means viewers can see virtual imagery superimposed over the scenery in front of them.

A letter signed by more than 50 Microsoft employees Friday and circulated on an internal messaging board said the technology could help soldiers spot — and kill — adversaries on the battlefield.

They say they “refuse to create technology for warfare and oppression.”

“We did not sign up to develop weapons, and we demand a say in how our work is used,” the letter says. It asks Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Brad Smith to cancel a $480 million contract the Army announced in November.

Microsoft said in a statement Friday that it is committed to working with the military, including the Army under the HoloLens contract.

Microsoft pointed to an October blog post by Smith saying those who defend the U.S. should have “access to the nation’s best technology.” The company added it will continue to address “important ethical and public policy issues relating to (artificial intelligence) and the military.”

Military bidding documents say the new technology — which the Army calls its Integrated Visual Augmentation System — will be used for both training and warfighting. The Army’s stated aim is to bring more situational awareness to troops so that they become more lethal and mobile.

The protesting workers say it means HoloLens, better known for its business and entertainment applications, will be used to help kill.

The protesting workers write that “it will be deployed on the battlefield, and works by turning warfare into a simulated ‘video game,’ further distancing soldiers from the grim stakes of war and the reality of bloodshed.” The Army didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

The letter also asks Microsoft to stop building any weapons technologies and appoint an independent ethics review board to determine acceptable uses of Microsoft technology.

The internal unrest over the Army contract follows a year of activism by tech workers who have become increasingly emboldened to voice their concerns about how their products are applied. A similar employee protest at Google last year contributed to the company dropping out of the military’s Project Maven, which uses artificial intelligence to analyze aerial images from combat zones. Microsoft workers also last year raised public concerns and circulated an open letter protesting the company’s work with U.S. immigration authorities.

Microsoft under Nadella has sought to distinguish itself as an ethically minded corporation that takes care to use its technological advances in ways that benefit society. The employee protest letter Friday acknowledged some of those efforts but said more needs to be done to inform engineers of the intent of the software they’re building.

It also comes as Nadella is expected to unveil a new generation of HoloLens headsets Sunday at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona, Spain.