Wednesday, 31 May 2017

HEALTH 04:45

Mesothelioma, Research and clinical trials

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a cancer that most commonly starts in the layers of tissue that cover each lung (the pleura). More rarely it starts in the layer of tissue in the abdomen that surrounds the digestive system organs (the peritoneum).

Symptoms

Find out about the symptoms of mesothelioma and when to see your doctor.

Types

The type of mesothelioma means the type of cell the cancer started in. Knowing this helps your doctor to decide which treatment you need.

Stages

Read about the stages of mesothelioma and your treatment options.

Risks and causes

Find out what causes mesothelioma and who is more likely to get it.

Survival

Find out about survival for mesothelioma.

Getting diagnosed

Find out what to expect when you see a GP, when you might see a specialist, and which tests you might have.

Treatment

The treatment you might have depends on the stage and type of your mesothelioma. See which treatments are used and how you have them

Living with mesothelioma

A lot of practical and emotional support is available to you. Get advice on living with mesothelioma and find further resources and support.

Research and clinical trials

Read about the latest research into mesothelioma and find out about taking part in clinical trials.

Researchers in Germany have developed a novel blood test for mesothelioma cancer that could lead to earlier detection of the disease and a better prognosis for patients.

The test involves calretinin, a blood-based protein that is overexpressed when mesothelioma tumors cells are present.

The advancement stems from a study using a new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting the biomarker more effectively.

In the past, mesothelioma has been difficult to diagnose. It’s mostly accomplished with a combination of invasive tissue biopsies and detailed imaging tests after symptoms become obvious.

A reliable blood test would make the process much easier, allowing those at high risk for the disease to be monitored regularly, likely leading to disease discovery in its infancy when it is more manageable.

“It might be quite the advantage when it comes to treatment,” biochemist Dr. Georg Johnen, the lead researcher in the German study, told Asbestos.com. “This might allow you to see elevated marker levels well before you have symptoms.”

Making Long-Term Survival Possible

Occupational exposure to asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer with a long latency period (20-50 years). The majority of cases are not diagnosed until after the disease has spread, limiting treatment options.

Getting an accurate diagnosis today often takes many months and a variety of tests. Long-term survival is rare. Less than 25 percent of patients are eligible for a curative approach to aggressive surgery. Most patients receive only palliative chemotherapy.

The typical prognosis is just 6-18 months.

The Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance at the Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum conducted the study in cooperation with the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases at the University of Western Australia in Perth.

A presentation of the research was made earlier this year at the annual Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation meeting in Maryland. BMC Cancer medical journal published the results in May, confirming a previous study by the same team of researchers.

Unknown 0

Tech 04:33

Microsoft aims to make artificial intelligence mainstream

Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled new tools intended to democratise artificial intelligence by enabling machine smarts to be built into software from smartphone games to factory floors.

The US technology titan opened its annual Build Conference by highlighting programmes with artificial intelligence that could tap into services in the internet “cloud” and even take advantage of computing power in nearby machines.

“We are infusing AI into every product and service we offer,” said Microsoft Executive Vice President of Artificial Intelligence and Research Harry Shum. “We've been creating the building blocks for the current wave of AI breakthroughs for more than two decades.”

Microsoft research has gone deep into areas such as machine learning, speech recognition, and enabling machines to recognise what they “see.” “Now, we're in the unique position of being able to use those decades of research breakthroughs,” Shum said.

Microsoft rivals including Amazon, Apple, Google and IBM have all been aggressively pursing the promise and potential of artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence is getting a foothold in people's homes, with personal assistants answering questions and controlling connected devices such as appliances or light bulbs. Digital assistants already boast features such as reminding people of appointments entered into calendars and chiming in with advice to set out early if traffic is challenging.

Steering away from '1984'

Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella, who opened the Seattle conference, also highlighted the need to build trust in technology, saying new applications must avoid the dystopian futures feared by some.

Nadella's presentation included images from George Orwell's “1984” and Aldous Huxley's “Brave New World” to underscore the issue of responsibility of those creating new technologies.

“What Orwell prophesied in '1984,' where technology was being used to monitor, control, dictate, or what Huxley imagined we may do just by distracting ourselves without any meaning or purpose,” Nadella said.

“Neither of these futures is something that we want... The future of computing is going to be defined by the choices that you as developers make and the impact of those choices on the world.”

Microsoft's aim on Wednesday was on businesses and software developers, whether they be students building a fun app or professional technology teams.

“Microsoft is trying to use AI for businesses to solve business problems and app developers to make applications better,” said Moor Insights and Strategy principal analyst Patrick Moorhead.

“Which is different from Amazon, Facebook, and Google whose primary business model is to mine personal information using AI to sell you things or put ads in front of you.”

Microsoft is taking a unique approach by letting developers customise gesture commands, voice recognition and more instead of making them conform to settings in “off-the-shelf” AI, according to the analyst.

Microsoft executives used demonstrations to provide a glimpse into a near future in which artificial intelligence hosted online works with internet linked devices such as construction site cameras to alert workers of dangers, available tools, or unauthorised activities.

Devices like smart surveillance cameras, smartphones, or factory floor machines were referred to as “edge computing,” with the coordination of cloud power and intelligent edge devices improving productivity and safety on the ground.

Windows numbers rise

Nadella also told developers that some 500 million devices now run on Microsoft's latest Windows 10 operating system, creating a huge audience for their software creations.

Microsoft's online Office 365 service has some 100 million commercial users monthly, while Cortana digital assistant is used by 140 people monthly, according to the Redmond, Washington-based technology firm.

“The future is a smart cloud,” Nadella said, forecasting a future in which mobile devices take back seats to digital assistants hosted in the cloud that follow people from device to device.

“It is a pretty amazing world you can create using intelligent cloud and intelligent edge.”

Unknown 0

Tuesday, 14 February 2017

World 04:43

US-India defence pact to impact Pakistan, China

WASHINGTON: The United States and India on Monday signed a defence agreement that will have a direct impact on both Pakistan and China.

The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement allows the two allies to use each other’s military facilities for checking China’s growing influence in Asia and in the fight against terrorists.

Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar — in the US on a four-day visit, his second in eight months — will also carry forward talks on acquiring jet engine technology and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). He met US Defence Secretary Ash Carter on Monday.

The text for the logistics cooperation agreement was finalised during a visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington in June.

The US and India are also finalising two foundational agreements — the Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-spatial Cooperation (BECA).

The logistics agreement provides for each country to use the other for supplies, spare parts, services and refuelling. Effectively, US armed forces can operate out of Indian bases, and India can use US bases across the globe.

“China and Pakistan beware — this week, India and US sign major war pact,” warned the Forbes magazine in an article.

The US media noted that the agreement was a key part of the Obama administration’s strategy to contain China, which has been spreading its influence across Asia.

The media reported that the US Navy planned to deploy 60 per cent of its surface ships in the Indo-Pacific in the near future.

The media reports pointed out that unlike Afghanistan and Iraq, where the US had to build everything from scratch, India already had the military facilities the United States could use when needed.

The Indian media, however, warned that such agreements could irk Russia, a long-time Indian ally. But Indian media reports also noted that Prime Minister Modi did not appear much concerned about Russia’s possible reaction to his closeness to the US. The Modi administration had committed itself to building a new alliance with the US and its allies, such as Japan and Australia, the reports added.

The US media noted that India remained on hostile terms with China and this hostility had moved from border disputes to economic and strategic competition for influence.

They noted that the US would like to use the LEMOA to counter China’s growing military might — particularly airbases — in the South China Sea. But the agreement would allow India and the US also to use each other’s facilities against their common enemy, religious terrorism.

The reports noted that a recent bombing by the militant Islamic State group in Bangladesh rang alarm bells in Washington where defence experts were already worried about its efforts to increase its influence in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“Having LEMOA makes it much simpler for American naval and air forces to fight there. The US does not have actual bases in India. But, it has the next best thing — a simple way to use India’s bases,” Forbes noted.

The magazine described the LEMOA as “the key way-station on agreements still to come of military technology sharing of tremendous importance for India”.

The future agreements, like the CISMOA and BECA, would help India “stand up to the emerging superpower of China”, the report added.

But experts warned that India’s ability to build jet engines or acquire UAV technology from the US would further weaken Pakistan’s conventional defence capability as well.

Examine: Pakistan concerned over growing Indo-US ties: Sartaj Aziz

The United States already recognises India as a Major Defence Partner, helped it join the Missile Technology Control Regime and is willing to provide licences for top US defence technology.

The Forbes article noted that arms India acquired from the US would help it “in many friction points”, such as in the fight against terrorist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed.

It pointed out that the group was considered an enemy both by the US and India and its chief Masood Azhar was on India’s hit list.

Earlier this year, India tried to persuade the United Nations to declare Mr Azhar a global terrorist but China blocked the move.

“So while the South China Sea may seem far off from India, China is breathing down India’s neck, up close and personal,” Forbes commented.

Unknown 0

Tuesday, 31 January 2017

World 07:26

Facebook takes aim at fake news with new 'trending' formula

Facebook is updating its "trending" feature that highlights hot topics on its social networking site, part of its effort to root out the kind of fake news stories that critics contend helped Donald Trump become president.

With the changes announced Wednesday, Facebook's trending list will consist of topics being covered by several publishers. Before, it focused on subjects drawing the biggest crowds of people sharing or commenting on posts.

The switch is intended to make Facebook a more credible source of information by steering hordes of its 1.8 billion users toward topics that "reflect real world events being covered by multiple outlets," Will Cathcart, the company's vice president of product management, said in a blog post.

Facebook also will stop customising trending lists to cater to each user's personal interests. Instead, everyone located in the same region will see the same trending lists, which currently appear in the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia and India.

That change could widen the scope of information Facebook's users see, instead of just topics that reinforce what they may have already heard or read elsewhere. The broader perspective might reduce the chances of Facebook's users living in a "filter bubble" — only engaging with people and ideas with which they agree.

Facebook introduced its trending list in 2014 in response to the popularity of a similar feature on Twitter, the short-messaging service that competes for people's attention and advertising revenue.

Questions about Facebook's influence on what people are reading intensified last summer after a technology blog relying on an anonymous source reported that human editors routinely suppressed conservative viewpoints on the site.

Facebook fired the small group of journalists overseeing its trending items and replaced them with an algorithm that was supposed to be a more neutral judge about what to put on the list.

But the automated approach began to pick out posts that were getting the most attention, even if the information in them was bogus. Some of the fake news stories targeted Democratic presidential nominee Hill

ary Clinton, prompting critics to believe the falsehoods help Donald Trump overcome a large deficit in public opinion polls.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg initially brushed off that notion as "crazy ," but in December the company announced a slew of new measures to curb the spread of fake news.

To discourage the creation of fake news in the first place, Facebook also is banishing perpetual publishers of false information from its lucrative ad network.

Google, which operates an even larger digital ad network, has taken a similar stand against publishers of fake news. In a report released Wednesday, Google said it had exiled about 200 publishers from its AdSense network for various misrepresentations as part of a review conducted during the six weeks of last year.

Unknown 0

World 07:14

I am a Pakistani-American and Trump's rise threatens me

This article was originally published on October 10, 2016

When Donald Trump first made the statement about banning Muslims from entering the United States, I did not take it as an abstract concern.

I did not think he didn’t mean it or that he wouldn’t want to pursue it as a policy if he became President.

Instead, I thought about my Muslim parents who brought my brother and me to the United States from Pakistan in December of 2000, when I was eight years old.

I thought about immigrant parents making sacrifices for their children in a new country, faced with all sorts of new challenges.

And I also thought about what we had contributed to this country during our time here.

I thought about my Pakistani relatives who, after September 11, 2001, found it much more difficult to visit us and perhaps now would never be able to.

I thought about the trips we took to our family home in Lahore every few years and whether those trips could make us liabilities or contribute to us being seen as suspicious.

I also went back to my childhood when in the wake of September 11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it became much harder to be Pakistani and Muslim in America.

The more I felt that America was my home, the more reminders there were that my family and I would be perpetually foreign, suspect and untrustworthy.

What does Donald Trump’s rise mean to me as a Pakistani immigrant in the United States?

Donald Trump’s rise did not occur in a vacuum. He did not come up with his own bigoted rhetoric out of nowhere. Rather, he exploited fears and anxieties that already existed — the fears and anxieties of a country recovering from an economic crisis and in an age of international terrorism.

By repeating beliefs about Muslims being untrustworthy or unwilling to follow the laws of the United States, he provided a convenient scapegoat for the problems the country is facing.

His rhetoric has had tangible effects.

According to the New York Times, “Hate crimes against American Muslims have soared to their highest levels...an increase apparently fuelled by terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad and by divisive language on the campaign trail.”

Moreover, “hate crimes against American Muslims were up 78 per cent over the course of 2015.”

This is startling data.

It should be unacceptable that some people in the United States are choosing to scapegoat an entire religious group and enact violence on them.

But given the success of the Trump campaign so far, hate crimes seem to be becoming more and more common.

Donald Trump’s rise has made American Muslims feel less safe, and his rhetoric and policy proposals on other immigration-related issues would affect Pakistani immigrants as well.

In a statement on immigration on his website, Trump laid out his plan to limit the number of immigrants who can come to the United States and to subject potential immigrants to ideology-based tests to ensure that they can assimilate.

Specifically, Trump’s plan includes keeping “immigration levels, measured by population share, within historical norms” and to “select immigrants based on their likelihood of success in US society.”

He has also discussed asking applicants “for their views about honour killings, about respect for women and gays and minorities, attitudes on "radical Islam", and many other topics as part of the vetting procedure”.

While this seems like an innocuous enough test, Trump is seeking to target Muslim immigrants or immigrants from Muslim-majority countries — one that plausibly includes Pakistan — by including language on asking about honour killings, people’s attitudes on ‘radical Islam,’ and 'Shariah law.'

A less bigoted, more humanising view on immigration to the United States would take into account that most of the people seeking to immigrate likely do not intend to flout US laws, to enact violence or terrorism, or to spread bigotry.

For example, the Wall Street Journal has reported that, “numerous studies going back more than a century have shown that immigrants — regardless of nationality or legal status — are less likely than the native population to commit violent crimes or to be incarcerated.”

Specifically, a study from the Immigration Policy Center states that “for every ethnic group without exception, incarceration rates among young men are lowest for immigrants.”

It is ironic that Donald Trump has proposed an ideological test that would ensure that immigrants to the United States would not spread bigotry or hatred, when his own supporters often do not subscribe to the values of diversity and tolerance.

A recent Daily Show clip brought this irony to the forefront when it showed people at a Trump rally being asked questions that would be similar to the questions on the proposed ideology test and providing answers that do not exhibit the standard of tolerance and respect for the US Constitution that Donald Trump would require from immigrants.

I am not just concerned about Trump's proposed immigration restrictions on Muslims, but also about his immigration policies that would affect other groups as well.

The Pew Research Center has suggested that Trump’s proposed immigration policies “would reduce legal immigration through 2065 by tens of millions”. Pew’s director of Hispanic research put the number of people who would not be able to immigrate to the United States to “at least 30 million.”

I am also concerned about other facets of the Trump campaign.

I am concerned about the way Trump has alienated Mexican Americans and Latino Americans throughout his campaign.

As a woman, I am concerned about the continuous lack of respect that he has shown to women and the misogyny he has perpetrated.

I am concerned as a student of international law about his and frankly, his lack of the appropriate temperament for diplomacy and for negotiating peaceful solutions to global problems.

foreign policy positions

I am concerned that in an era of increasing police violence against African Americans, a presidential candidate who has already shown so much bigotry will not be able to institute change and prove that Black lives do indeed matter.

Donald Trump’s campaign worries me as a Pakistani Muslim immigrant, but it also worries me as an American.

Ultimately, it is up to Americans like my family and me to make up the difference and prove that we are capable of being better than a man who has displayed so much bigotry and who has alienated so many of us.

Unknown 0

Sports 07:08

Afridi backs Sarfaraz for ODI captaincy

Pakistan's former ODI captain, Shahid Afridi, on Monday said that Pakistan needs a 'fighting captain' like Sarfraz Ahmed.

He was talking to media at Karachi University's Mass Communication department.

"If the board wants him [Sarfaraz] to lead the team in all three formats, it will be beneficial for Pakistan cricket," he added.

"Sarfraz has the ability to lead the team and I will support him," he said.

While replying to a question about his return to the Pakistan team if he performs well in the Pakistan Super League, Afridi said he wants to focus on international T20 leagues for now.

Afridi also said that Giles Clarke's visit to the country is a good step for Pakistan cricket and the credit for orchestrating the visit goes to PCB and Shehryar Khan.

"The visit will give a positive message about security in Pakistan, [that the] law and order situation [is] now better in Pakistan," he said.

The former captain also said that the PSL can only benefit Pakistan's cricket scene if it is hosted within the country.

"The plan for the PSL final in Lahore is a positive step, but other matches of the tournament should also be held in in Karachi, Multan Faisalabad, Peshawar and other large cities in the country," he said.

Unknown 0

News 07:03

PAKISTAN'S STEPCHILDREN

LOST HOPE

It has been 30 years since a young Afghan woman draped in a pomegranate red shawl stared back at the world from a glossy National Geographic cover.

Recently, as she languished in a Peshawar prison days before her unceremonious deportation, another photo emerged — this one starkly different. It was a hazy photograph before her court hearing in Peshawar. The sparkle of those beautiful eyes was gone and her jaundiced skin betrayed fatigue and pain — hallmarks of her years spent as an outsider in Pakistan.

Her crime: An illegal attempt to obtain an ID card that would allow her to be a citizen of Pakistan, the country that has been her home longer than Afghanistan.

Sharbat Gula was one of the nearly 2 million of Afghans still living in Pakistan, after escaping a homeland obliterated by violence. “Afghanistan is only my birthplace, but Pakistan was my homeland,” she said in one interview. Yet, Pakistan never accepted Gula as her own.

And so, dressed in a distinct cobalt blue burka, she left for Torkham border — for home — on Nov 8; her eyes hidden behind a lattice veil that made her indistinguishable from the thousands of Afghans being ‘repatriated’ from Pakistan.

Much like the life of this woman, arrests, forced payment of bribes, violence, harassment and intimidation are everyday features in the life of Afghans living in Pakistan.

Back in Afghanistan too things have changed over the years. Abdur Jabbar, another Afghan-origin man who until recently lived in Pakistan, is back living in Jalalabad. Aged 70, he had to leave Pakistan after spending 40 years in the country. Many like him came back to Afghanistan only to find that their houses were either destroyed by war or were occupied by someone else. Abdul is also concerned for his children. “They used to make a good living selling vegetables and fruits in Peshawar, but they are yet to find anything here,” he says.

Each day in the life of these Afghans is a struggle. These are their stories.

‘When I told the doctor that my son is dying, he advised me to go seek treatment for him in Pakistan’

By Nasir Khan

Pakistan’s image is more tainted than celebrated in most countries. Yet to Afghans, Pakistan is a place with an enviable healthcare system. Owing to the poor quality of healthcare in Afghanistan, Afghan patients often look towards India and Pakistan when in need of medical assistance.

Until recent clashes at the Torkham border, “Half of the patients [at our hospital] were Afghan,” Tariq Khan, director administration of the Rehman Medical Institute “But now we attend up to 400 patients, only 100 of whom are Afghans,” he said.

The very promise of better medical facilities drew Rabia, a young Afghan woman, to Quetta with a desperate hope to find care for her ailing two-year-old.

Unknown 0

Monday, 30 January 2017

Entertainment 07:58

Sanjay Leela Bhansali attacked by mob and Bollywood is furious

Friday afternoon Indian director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was attacked by an angry mob on the set of his film .

Padmavati

Bhansali was on shoot in Jaipur's Jaigarh Fort when activists of Karni Sena, a Rajput community group, assaulted the director for "presenting wrong facts about (Indian princess) Padmavati" and tarnishing the history of their ancestors. Times of India reported, "one protester pulled Bhansali by the hair and slapped him."

The activists interrupted the shoot and vandalised the set till the police came and took control of the situation.

When news of the incident broke, the Bollywood fraternity couldn't help but tweet in disgust. Many are beyond shocked and horrified by the event.

Unknown 0

HEALTH 07:55

Masarrat Misbah warns against the use of toxic whitening creams

While highlighting the many harmful effects of using skin whitening creams, health and beauty experts at a briefing held on Thursday at the Karachi Press Club called upon the government to take action against the manufacturers of such products, many of which contained potent steroids and high concentration of toxic metals.

They also underlined the need for changing societal mindset of giving preference to fair complexion that often forced young girls and even boys to use such substandard creams.

“This problem has reached alarming levels and taken the form of an epidemic. Now, we are seeing girls belonging to the northern areas, who naturally have a fairer complexion, using such products and ruining their facial skin,” said Masarrat Misbah, a seasoned beautician heading an organisation working for the treatment and rehabilitation of acid-attack survivors.

Sharing her experience, Ms Misbah said that she came to know about these harmful creams some years ago when she saw their side-effects on faces of some girls getting treatment for burn injuries.

“Their skin condition had worsened,” she said, adding that often it’s the pressure of getting married that forced girls to use such poisonous creams.

“This problem has reached alarming levels and taken the form of an epidemic. Now, we are seeing girls belonging to the northern areas, who naturally have a fairer complexion, using such products and ruining their facial skin,” says Masarrat Misbah

According to her, the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), the national body for setting standards to ensure public health safety and implementing them, was approached over the issue but action in the form of regulation was still needed.

Citing some studies, she said that toxic metals like mercury penetrated into the skin and over time its higher accumulation in the body could damage heart and health of the foetus in case the woman applying such creams was pregnant.

The public, she pointed out, must educate itself on these creams before using them.

“The recent international media reports, exposing a number of Pakistan-made substandard skin whitening creams have damaged our country’s reputation. It’s a heinous crime and should be dealt with accordingly,” she observed.

Ibrar Hussain, part of the PSQCA committees as a private member and expert on food technology and cosmetics, said skin whitening creams had been found to be containing high levels of mercury, lead, arsenic, and hydroquinone (substances which are either internationally banned in cosmetics or have a limit if added) in local studies.

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, he said, had never taken notice of this issue and no law existed in the country to ban the sale of harmful cosmetics.

Dr Mahwish Noorani, a specialist at the Sindh Institute of Skin Diseases in Saddar, said that she examined 12 to 15 cases daily involving patients whose skin was ruined following prolonged use of substandard whitening creams.

“They do get desired results but they last for a short period. Gradually, their skin becomes very sensitive, thin and develops pigmentation or acne. In some cases there is facial hair growth,” she said, adding that regular treatment was often ineffective in such patients as their skin had been exposed to potent steroids.

Dr Uzma Tiwana spoke of the emotional trauma girls went through after using such creams and said that it was high time that the issue was raised in the media and action taken.

“Besides, the amount patients spend on treatment later is much higher than what they spend on buying such creams,” she said.

Dr Tahira representing the PSQCA said the authority had recently made standards on skin whitening creams, but awaited approval from the ministries concerned to include the products in the mandatory list for monitoring.

Unknown 0

Entertainment 07:53

Hollywood awards season kicks off with Golden Globes

LOS ANGELES: Hollywood's biggest stars will turn out on Sunday for the Golden Globes, which is set to kick off the industry's awards season this year with a show that promises suspense and cheeky humor.

While their record in predicting Oscars glory has been hit-and-miss, many see the Globes as a pretty strong indicator of films and actors destined for an Academy Award on February 28.

"It's an uncanny crystal ball," said Tom O'Neil, founder of awards tracker Gold

Derby.com. "The Globes historically has predicted 75 per cent of the Oscars.

"So it's considered your audition for the Oscar."

Returning to host what is described as Hollywood's biggest party of the year will be British comedian Ricky Gervais, who has used previous appearances on the show to dish out politically-incorrect and stinging jokes.

The field is wide open this year as to who will walk away with a Golden Globe, awarded by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association at a gala dinner in Beverly Hills.

"Some years there are movies like 'Titanic' that just seem to have a momentum and everybody seems to like them," said Timothy Gray, awards editor for trade magazine Variety. "But this year there is genuine suspense."

Leading the pack of films vying for top honors is "Spotlight", which tells the story of Boston Globe journalists who uncovered sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

Pundits see the movie as front-runner for best drama ─ but no shoo-in, as it faces competition from "Carol," a lesbian romance starring Cate Blanchett as a housewife who falls for a store clerk played by Rooney Mara.

Other top contending dramas are the epic survival thriller "The Revenant" starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the harrowing kidnap tale "Room" and "Mad Max: Fury Road".

In the race for best actor in a drama, DiCaprio appears well ahead for his strong performance as legendary fur trapper Hugh Glass in "The Revenant". ─ AFP/File

It's DiCaprio's year

The front-runner for best comedy is "The Big Short," based on a book about the financial crisis of 2007-2008.

Also running in that category are the dramedy "Joy", space blockbuster "The Martian", zany caper "Spy" and Amy Schumer's breakout film "Trainwreck".

In the race for best actor in a drama, DiCaprio appears well ahead for his strong performance as legendary fur trapper Hugh Glass in "The Revenant".

Critics are widely predicting the 41-year-old actor will take home his first Oscar for the role.

"There is a feeling that it's his year," said O'Neil. "All 17 GoldDerby experts have him unanimously out front to win."

'The Revenant' Trailer

Also nominated for best actor in a drama are Bryan Cranston who plays a blacklisted 1940s screenwriter in "Trumbo", Eddie Redmayne for the transgender tale "The Danish Girl" and Will Smith for the hard-hitting sports drama "Concussion".

For best actress in a drama the nominees are Blanchett and Mara for "Carol", Brie Larson for "Room", and Alicia Vikander who plays alongside Redmayne in "The Danish Girl".

The Danish Girl Trailer

On the television front, two series nominated for a Golden Globe are creating a buzz ─ "Mr Robot," about a computer programmer and vigilante hacker, and "Narcos", Netflix's take on the infamous Medellin drug cartel.

Gervais has made his apologies in advance for what he will say. ─Reuters/File

Movies aside, all eyes will be on Gervais, who raised eyebrows for his off-color jokes when he hosted the show for three years starting in 2010.

Take a look: Hollywood's 72nd Golden Globe Award winners

The caustic comedian, who takes over from co-hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, comes with a reputation of poking fun at everyone from Mel Gibson to Angelina Jolie, as well as the Hollywood Foreign Press, and this year he is not expected to hold back.

Gervais has made his apologies in advance for what he will say.

"Because I can see the future, I'd like to apologize now for the things I said at next week's Golden Globes," he tweeted on January 1.

But O'Neil said Gervais' edgy humor was more likely than not to go down well with an audience mellowed by flowing champagne.

"He's a brilliant host because he's an anarchist who loves to rock the house," O'Neil said. "This is Hollywood's biggest party of the year and Ricky is perfectly cast as a wild card upon the stage.