The Oscars, the film industry's biggest night, is planning a return to form after two years of scaled-back hostless events.
This is despite Covid-19 vaccine requirements for all those in attendance, as well as mandatory PCR tests for performers and presenters, not to mention Sean Penn's calls to boycott the event and his threats to publicly "smelt" his statuettes if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is unable to speak during the live telecast on Sunday.
Producers of the 94th Academy Awards, which will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, are making all the efforts to lift the TV event out of its ratings slump, which has only been compounded by the pandemic.
Scroll through the gallery above to see the final Oscars preparations.
New elements of the Oscars telecast were recently announced, including the handing out of eight awards ahead of the live broadcast, and a campaign with Twitter to encourage fans to vote for their favourite movies, even if they were not nominated.
This year, for the first time in 35 years, there will be three hosts, with Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes sharing the role. It will be the first time hosting for all three women.
When is the Oscars 2022 ceremony?
The 2022 Academy Awards will be broadcast in the US on Sunday, March 27, at 8pm Eastern Standard Time.
How to watch the Oscars in the UAE
In the UAE, the ceremony will begin at 4am on Monday, March 28. OSN is the official broadcaster in the Middle East, and will stream the Oscars on its new OSN+ service, which recently replaced the OSN Streaming app.
A pre-show will begin right after midnight on March 28, followed by the ceremony. The entire show will be repeated at 7am and then at 8pm. Highlights will again be screened at 10.55pm on Tuesday, March 29, at 5.45pm on Wednesday, March 30, and then at 9pm on Saturday, April 2.
How to watch the Oscars in the US
ABC is the home of the Oscars in the US. There are two pre-shows to tune in to before the ceremony begins: On The Red Carpet Live! Countdown to the Oscars, co-hosted by ABC News, and GMA3: What You Need To Know with co-anchors Amy Robach and T J Holmes.
You can also stream the pre-show on ABC News Live and watch the show on abc.com or on the ABC app.
How to watch the Oscars in the UK
For those in the UK, the ceremony will begin at 1am on Monday, March 28, and will be be shown on Sky Cinema. The show can also be streamed on Now Sky Cinema Pass.
Who is nominated for the Oscars 2022?
A number of noteworthy names to watch out for at this year's ceremony include Jane Campion, whose acclaimed drama The Power of the Dog comes off an impressive awards season run. It is also the most nominated film this year, including for Best Director for the New Zealand filmmaker, who is now the only woman in Oscars history to be nominated twice in that category.
Sci-fi epic Dune, which was partly shot in Abu Dhabi, has also had a strong showing at various awards ceremonies over the past few weeks, and goes to the Oscars with 10 nods, including in the Best Picture, Cinematography and Adapted Screenplay categories.
Equally impressive are the accolades won so far by Coda, the groundbreaking drama featuring deaf actors in the lead. The film, which stands for "child of deaf adults", tells the story of a teenager, who is the only hearing member in her family. When she decides to move away to pursue a singing career, it upends the family's dynamic and threatens their fishing business and livelihood.
Another film to watch out for is the Japanese drama Drive My Car, about an actor-director who finds companionship with his female driver. It's nominated in four categories, including Best Picture and Best International Feature.
And then there's Danish animated docudrama Flee, the acclaimed film by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, which has been shortlisted for Best International Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best Animated Feature. Detailing the true story of an Afghan refugee and his journey from Kabul to Copenhagen, the film uses distinct hand-drawn animation to tell a highly personal tale of trauma.
Who will present at the Oscars this year?
Presenters this year are as diverse as they get. Lady Gaga might have missed out on an Oscar nomination for her turn in House of Gucci, but she’ll still be gracing the stage to present an award. Others presenters include Kevin Costner, Chris Rock, Zoe Kravitz, Rosie Perez and Youn Yuh-jung, who won the Best Supporting Actress award last year for Minari.
Academy Award winners Rami Malek and Anthony Hopkins will also be on stage to announce winners, as will Marvel star Simu Liu, along with Uma Thurman, Ruth E Carter, Lily James and John Leguizamo.
Who will perform at the Oscars 2022?
As is tradition at the Oscars that nominees for the year's Best Original Song perform their tracks live. This year, Beyonce and Billie Eilish will take to the stage. Last year, the performances of nominated songs were relegated to a pre-show segment.
Beyonce is set to perform Be Alive from King Richard, which is up for six awards, including Best Actor for Will Smith. Eilish and her brother, Finneas, will perform No Time to Die, from the James Bond film of the same name. The 2021 blockbuster, which was Daniel Craig's last outing as 007, is up for three awards.
Country singer McEntire will take to the stage for Somehow You Do, from the drug addiction drama Four Good Days, the film's only nomination, while Sebastian Yatra will perform Dos Oruguitas from the Disney animated film Encanto, one of three nominations for the global hit including Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score.
Northern Irish singer Van Morrison, who wrote and performed Down to Joy for the film Belfast, will not make it to the show owing to scheduling conflicts with his ongoing tour. Directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh, the feature, which recently won Outstanding British Film at Baftas, is up for seven Oscars, including the coveted Best Picture.
Scroll through the gallery below for photos from the Oscars 2022 nominees luncheon:
The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MWTC info
Tickets to the MWTC range from Dh100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae or by calling 800 86 823 from within the UAE or 971 4 366 2289 from outside the country and all Virgin Megastores. Fans looking to attend all three days of the MWTC can avail of a special 20 percent discount on ticket prices.
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Results:
5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1.400m | Winner: AF Mouthirah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Saab, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Majd Al Gharbia, Saif Al Balushi, Ridha ben Attia
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed Dh 180,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Money To Burn, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh 70,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Kafu, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 2,400m | Winner: Brass Ring, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Company%C2%A0profile
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SPECS
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GRAN%20TURISMO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Neill%20Blomkamp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Harbour%2C%20Orlando%20Bloom%2C%20Archie%20Madekwe%2C%20Darren%20Barnet%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERobert%20Lorenz%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Liam%20Neeson%2C%20Kerry%20Condon%2C%20Jack%20Gleeson%2C%20Ciaran%20Hinds%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
DUNE%3A%20PART%20TWO
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UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
'Manmarziyaan' (Colour Yellow Productions, Phantom Films)
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal
Rating: 3.5/5
Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
About Housecall
Date started: July 2020
Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech
# of staff: 10
Funding to date: Self-funded
Scoreline
Liverpool 3
Mane (7'), Salah (69'), Firmino (90')
Bournemouth 0
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Racecard:
2.30pm: Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoun Emirates Breeders Society Challenge; Conditions (PA); Dh40,000; 1,600m
3pm: Handicap; Dh80,000; 1,800m
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Mile Prep Rated Conditions; Dh110,000; 1,600m
4pm: Handicap; Dh95,000; 1,950m
4.30pm: Maiden; Dh65,000; 1,400m
5pm: Handicap; Dh85,000; 1,200m
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
