BJP and the Shiv Sena were on Sunday trying to to make last ditch efforts to salvage their alliance in Maharashtra for the upcoming Assembly polls after the Uddhav Thackeray's final offer of giving 119 seats to the coalition partner was rejected.

Hours after Uddhav Thackeray's tough talk on seat-sharing and that Sena cannot give beyond 119 seats, BJP told its old alliance partner that it was the duty of both the parties to continue the tie-up and sort out issues instead of going through the media, in remarks directed at the Sena chief.

Squabbling over seat-sharing showed no signs of resolution during the day with the BJP saying there was "nothing new" in Shiv Sena's final offer to give it 119 seats and hoped it can be mutually settled. In Mumbai, Shiv Sena made it clear that it won't make any more concession for BJP, offering to cede it only 119 out of the total 288 seats in Maharashtra Assembly for the next month's polls, and said this was "the final attempt" to break the logjam over seat-sharing.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray also reminded Prime Minister Narendra Modi that late Sena supremo Bal Thackeray had backed him in the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots.

"Today I am making a final attempt to ensure that the Mahayuti (grand alliance of opposition parties) stays intact. Sena had initially asked for 160 seats. But now we are ready to part with nine seats. Shiv Sena will fight on 151 seats, leaving 119 seats for BJP. The remaining 18 seats will be given to our allies," he said.
Suggesting a way out to end the standoff, BJP leaders of opposition in Maharashtra Assembly and Legislative Council Eknath Khadse and Vinod Tawde said here the party wants Sena to re-negotiate on such seats that they never won in the last 25 years, so that they are not given to the NCP-Congress alliance on a platter in the upcoming polls. .

"There is nothing new in the latest Shiv Sena offer as BJP has been contesting 119 seats ever since the alliance came into being. We want the alliance to continue. It is the duty of both Shiv Sena and BJP to maintain the alliance.

"We have 25 year-old ties and seat-sharing issue can be sorted out mutually through face to face talks and not through media (TV)," Tawde told reporters in a hurriedly convened press conference.

Khadse said, "Shiv Sena has been losing on 35 seats while we have been losing on 19, if these were to be re allocated then we would all benefit instead of these seats going automatically to Congress-NCP alliance."

"Many such seats had been lost by narrow margin in the previous elections. That was the thought and mindset behind the proposal for the 135 seats," he said. However, the BJP leaders also said they were ready to accept 130 seats --five seats down from its earlier demand.

Playbill and other sites, including EW, pointed out that on the official website for the Stephen Sondheim adaptation, Cinderella’s Stepmother was listed as Lady Tremaine, Cinderella’s Prince was Prince Charming, and Rapunzel’s Prince was Flynn Rider. The generic names of the musical were altered so as to match the Disney-specific versions of those characters. Lady Tremaine and Prince Charming are the names of characters Disney’s 1950 Cinderella, while Flynn Rider is the love interest in 2010’s Tangled. In fact, that was not the case, and, according to Disney, all of the characters will retain their names from the original Broadway musical.

The Into the Woods movie has already faced some backlash over potentially sanitizing changes to the plot of the musical based on statements made by Sondheim himself, though both Sondheim and director Rob Marshall have sought to placate fans. “I’m actually really impressed Disney’s doing this film, because it’s very brave,” Marshall told EW. “I don’t feel we’ve watered it down in any way, shape, or form. We’ve just made it a film. But I never thought in terms of ‘the Disney’ of it all, ever. None of us did.”

Delhi University Recruitment 2014 – Sr Technical Asst Posts: Delhi University has issued notification for the recruitment of Senior Technical Assistant vacancies on contractual basis. Eligible candidates may send the applications on or before 26-09-2014. Other details like educational qualification, selection process, how to apply are given below…

Delhi University Vacancy Details:
Total No.of Posts: 01
Name of the Post: Senior Technical Assistant

Educational Qualification: Candidates should possess Post Graduation in the relevant subject with two years experience.

Selection Process: Candidates will be selected based on interview.
How to Apply: Eligible candidates may send the applications on plain paper with self attested copies of certificates, mark sheets, testimonials etc to the Head, Department of Operational Research on or before 26-09-2014.

Last Date for Submission of Application: 26-09-2014

For more details like age limit, educational qualification,selection process, how to apply and other information click on the link given below…

Click here for Recruitment Advt

Delhi University Recruitment 2014 – Apply Online for Non-Teaching Posts: Sri Venkateswara College, Delhi University has issued notification for the recruitment of Non-Teaching vacancies. Eligible candidates may apply online with in 21 days from the date of this advt. Other details like age limit, educational qualification, selection process, how to apply are given below…

Delhi University Vacancy Details:
Total No.of Posts: 07
Name of the Posts:
1. Senior Assistant: 01 post
2. Assistant: 01 post
3. Junior Assistant: 04 posts
4. Library Assistant: 01 post

Age Limit: Candidates age should be below 30 years for post 1,2 & 4, below 27 years for post 3 as on last date of submission of applications.
Educational Qualification: Candidates should possess Graduation with 50% marks for post1, Graduation from a recognized university for post 2, Senior Secondary School certificate (+2) or its equivalent qualification from a recognized board/ university with at least 50% marks for post 3, Passed Sr. Secondary or equivalent examination conducted by state board of education/ university/ govt. recognized institutions for post 4.

Selection Process: Candidates will be selected based on interview.

How to Apply: Eligible candidates may apply online with in 21 days from the date of advt.

Important Dates:
Date of this Advt: 03-09-2014
Last Date to Apply Online: within 21 days.

For more details like age limit, educational qualification, selection process, how to apply and other information click on the link given below…

Click here for Recruitment Advt

Click here to Apply Online

Goa University Department of Marine Sciences Department of Marine Sciences is looking for prospective candidates for filling up the position of research fellows at Department under different projects funded by INCOIS of Min of Earth Sciences (MOEs), Space Physics Lab of Indian Space Research Organization ( ISRO) and Naval Research (NRB) under the guidance of Prof . Harilal B. Menon. The positions are purely temporary and on a project mode initially for a period of one year. Candidates fulfilling the presc ribed conditions may apply on or before 29 th September 2014.

Details of INCOIS sponsored project : 

Title: Optical characterization of Case II waters and retrieval of colour components from an optical sensor”

1 . Fellowship: SRF (1 post) – Rs: 18000 + 20% HR A for NET qualified candidates and Rs: 16000+20% HRA for those who are not NET qualified.

Qualifications.

Master’s degree in Marine Sciences with specialization in Physical Oceanography/ Marine Biology/Marine Chemistry/ Master’s degr ee in Physical Oceanography/ Hydrochemistry/Marine Biology/ Master’s degree in Physics/Atmospheric science/Meteorology /Master’s degree in Geoinformatics /Environment Science . M - T ech in Geoinformatics. B - Tech/BE in amy brancj. Consistent excellent Academic rec ord from SSC onwards. CSIR - NET candidates will be given preference. Knowledge of programming in FROTRAN/C language. Two years of research experience in field trip related to coastal water optics. Experience in processing water samples for deriving opticall y active substances and operating in - water radiometer and to generate radiance and irradiance values.

Details of ISRO sponsored project :
 a. Establishing a n etwork station at Goa University for atmospheric boundary layer measurements under the noble project of ISRO – GBP

. b. Aerosol radiative forcing over India under ISRO - GBP

 a. Fellowship : JRF - Rs: 16000+ 20% HRA (one post ) .

 b. Fellowship : JRF – Rs. 12000 + 15% HRA (one Post)

Qualifications:

 Master s degree in Marine Sciences with specialization in P hysical Oceanography/ Master s d egree in Physical Oceanography/ Master’s degree in Physics/Atmospheric science/Meteorology /Mathematics/Master’s degree in Geoinformatics /Environment sciences . BTech/BE degree in any branch. Consistent excellent academic recor d from SSC onwards. CSIR - NET candidates will be given preference. Knowledge of programming in FROTRAN/C language

The honour to carry India's flag in the opening ceremony of 17th Asian Games couldn't have come at a better time for hockey team skipper Sardar Singh, who feels it will not only spur him but the entire squad to break their 16-year gold jinx in the continental event.

Sardar was on Thursday named as the flag bearer of Indian contingent for Friday's opening ceremony in Incheon, and the star midfielder said he is already getting goose bumps.

"It is definitely a big moment for me. It is a big honour to lead the nation in the opening ceremony of a mutltisport event like the Asian Games. Tomorrow will definitely be one of the best moments of my career. I am already getting goose bumps," Sardar told PTI from the South Korean city.

"It is a big honour to lead the nation in the opening ceremony of a mutltisport event like the Asian Games, said Sardar. (Getty Images)

Asked if the responsibility would bring added pressure on him, Sardar said: "I don't think there will be any added pressure because it is a off-field activity. But it will definitely motivate me and the my teammates to give our best on the field.

"Our mission is to win the gold here and that is what we aspire from this event. We are determined to come back with gold," he said.
India last won a gold in the mega-event in the Bangkok Games in 1998.

Placed in Pool B alongside arch-foe Pakistan, the Indian men's team will open their campaign against Sri Lanka on Pool B match on September 21.

Sardar said the team are well prepared for the task at hand and raring to take the turf on Sunday.

"Our preparation is going on very well. We defeated Japan in a practice game today," he said.

"We have worked on the mistakes which we committed in the Commonwealth Games and have devised strategies to counter those areas."

Sardar said having arrived in Incheon much earlier, they have managed to get a feel of the conditions.

"We came here well in advance and it worked in our favour because we have become familiar with the weather and turf here," the skipper said.

Sardar had words of praise for the new format which is going to be introduced in hockey in the Asian Games.

Shahid Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor were spotted promoting their movie ‘Haider‘ at the launch of Club Samsung. While Shraddha Kapoor chose to wear an orange dress, Shahid Kapoor wore a black attire; black shirt and jeans and a long chain. Shraddha looked hot and Shahid looked cool.

Shraddha Kapoor interacted with the media and said: “It is really cool that this app, this product that has come, is at the palm of your hands and you can stream whatever you like. Club Samsung makes life convenient, so that is awesome.”
Famous singer duo Sajid- Wajid were also seen performing an act with comedian Cyrus Broacha.

Haider releasing alongside ‘Bang Bang‘ on October 2, both are predicted to be a good film.

Haider, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and co-written by Bharadwaj and Basharat Peer, is a modern-day adaptation of William Shakespeare‘s Hamlet, set in Kashmir. The film stars Shahid Kapoor as Haider, Tabu as his mother and Shraddha Kapoor as Arshia, a journalist by profession and Haider’s love-interest.

I've been on the receiving end of these statements because I've chosen not to bear children.

My reasons to remain childfree are plentiful (and nobody's business). Yet I'm constantly asked to justify my choice.

Here's a sampling:

1. Economics: Children are expensive. As of August 2013, the average cost for a middle class family to raise one child for 18 years is $304,480. Giving birth can cost between $3,296 and $37,227. Sending a child to college costs between $8,893 to $22,203 per year, per child. I'll go make myself a stiff drink; those numbers make me dizzy.

2. Logistics: In spite of social and cultural advancements, women are still default caregivers, especially in a child's formative years. Raising a kid before s/he begins school is more than a full-time job. It's 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no time off for good behavior. I'm not fit to be around adult human beings when sleep-deprived, let alone a child dependent on me for Every. Little. Thing.

3. Environmental: There are an estimated 153 million orphans on Earth. Why add another mouth to an overpopulated planet for an ego-driven biological imperative I don't feel? If anything, I'll adopt.
4. Physical: My body has been through enough physical trauma in its 35 years of being knocked about this world. Post-traumatic stress disorder from surviving a gun crime has wreaked havoc on my nervous system. I also grew up abroad and wasn't exposed to the additives and preservatives rife in American food. Adding just one child to my family means no more organic and clean eating because we can't afford it. Well, we also can't afford cancer.

5. Emotional: Every day I struggle to manage PTSD. Having the freedom to be sleepless when the pain tsunami hits has been a godsend. Being able to sleep for 12 hours uninterrupted if need be has been a savior. I work from home and set my own hours, an ideal situation. Add a child and what happens when depression hits and I can't get out of bed? Or I cry for an entire week? Or during bouts of rage in which I lose complete control?

6. Social: Last time I checked, this world is messed up. There is a school shooting almost every week in this country. Also, there's this gnarly thing called "rape culture" and it permeates every aspect of our society. Many of the children of today will likely be its victims or perpetrators in the not-so-distant future. I'll go ahead and make myself another drink, that is one Big Bad.

From Angelina Jolie's maternal instincts to Madonna's desperate attempt to recapture her youth, PopEater Canada brings you the sartorial successes and big messes from the red carpets of Hollywood.
This week: 'Jersey Shore' producers open up about the "herpes nest" they've created with the show's ever "mixing" actors, 50 Cent explains his shocking weight loss and vanishing tattoos, clean-shaven Ashton Kutcher talks testosterone envy, Lady Gaga takes her wardrobe and hereditary disease seriously on 'Larry King' and Amy Winehouse's family claims she's moved on to a normal guy while she lets her boob hang out.

 A Mexican state legislature has asked the country's federal government to fine singer Miley Cyrus after one of her dancers spanked Cyrus's backside with a Mexican flag as she "twerked" during an independence day performance.

Cyrus, 21, who has grabbed headlines for her admitted drug use, sexually suggestive dancing and wearing as little as a pair of boots in a music video, was performing in Monterrey in the northern state of Nuevo Leon.
Local lawmaker Francisco Trevino said that the Nuevo Leon state legislature had approved a warrant for the Interior Ministry to enforce the law on use of the flag.

She or her team could be fined up to the equivalent of around $1,200 or be detained for 36 hours, Trevino said.

Mexican authorities are often sensitive toward signs of disrespect for national symbols. In 2008, singer Paulina Rubio was fined for posing without clothes but wrapped in the country's flag. (Reporting by Gabriela Lopez; Writing by Christine Murray; Editing by Ken Wills)

Do you like sex and marijuana? Well then this job is for you.

Last week, The Denver Post's marijuana news site The Cannabist posted what may be the best job description -- and job -- ever.

"Sex columnist, with weed focus (apply by Oct. 1)," the headline for the job listing reads.

And of course the punning for such a position has already begun on Twitter:

The Cannabist launched just days before Colorado's legal recreational marijuana dispensaries first opened their doors to sell weed to adults on Jan. 1, 2014. It has since covered all things marijuana -- from business to politics to strain reviews -- and will now, apparently, cover sex.
So, what exactly will a "sex columnist, with a weed focus" write about? Here's what's required for the job:

    Our new freelance columnist will write about sex, relationships, intimacy, gender issues and more as it all relates to a world where marijuana is becoming legal -- and oftentimes present in the bedroom. Our columnist will write about his or her own history, address trends, review related products and answer reader questions. This is a paid freelance position, and our ideal candidate will truly put him or herself out there.

So dust off your resumes, vaporizers and sex toys, but no hiding behind your keyboard and pseudonym -- this job requires the right candidate to "write about sex and marijuana publicly under your given name."

Micromax and BSNL announced a strategic partnership to drive data growth in the country. Under this partnership, Micromax and BSNL will extend unique reverse bundling handset offers of free data usage of up to 2GB per quarter.

Under the partnership agreement, six Micromax devices will be bundled with the BSNL offers. Four mobile handests- X070, X088, A37 and A37B along with P410i tablet and MMX377G data card.
The offer package includes 2GB data per quarter for 12 months, Free voice calls (on net) – 500 minutes per quarter for 12 months, Activation of freebies – customer to get plan voucher of Rs. 153. Validity of freebies – 12 months from the date of activation.

“BSNL’s association with Micromax, one of the largest indigenous Mobile handset and data card manufacturers in the country, will create immense opportunities for customers by offering them high speed 3G data. BSNL has already provided 3G coverage in more than 2300 cities and towns of India and is committed to provide 3G coverage to additional towns. BSNL is providing best affordable 3G data services with free roaming facility,” said  A. N. Rai, CMD, BSNL.

 The title song of Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif's film Bang Bang has just been released and if fans were expecting a Dhoom: 2-esque number, chances are they will be left with mixed feelings.

While the lack of loud beats and high energy that pulsed through Dhoom Machaale is somewhat surprising, there's enough of Hrithik's dance moves and Katrina's curvy beauty to keep fans happy.

The song starts with the stunning Hrithik and Katrina in a bedroom. But things don't proceed as one might expect - instead of moving along the romantic lines, like the passionate embraces of Meherbaan , the song quickly moves onto a dance floor reminiscent of the disco-themed '70s and '80s.
The song starts slow but picks up tempo in the manner of an RnB track from the Eighties. Strobelights, mirrors and disco balls crowd the scene. Katrina and Hrithik take to the floor with their back up dancers and, unsurprisingly, outdo them in the dance department.

The song also features a section where the lead pair are seen dancing on a floor full of water which clearly reminds us of the scenes from Hollywood's Step Up franchise.

In the last sequence, Hrithik tries his hand, and leg, at some of the iconic moves of his dance idol Michael Jackson and he makes them his own with an ease that only comes to him. Tiger Shroff should be taking notes. (Also read: Tiger's MJ tribute review)

Overall, the song is not one which will be strewn across dance reality shows with kids imitating Hrithik ala Dhoom Machaale, but one will grow on you over time with its catchy beats and easy lyrics. This is for sure - we'll be listening to it on the radio and dancing to it on the floor for the next few months.

Do you like sex and marijuana? Well then this job is for you.

Last week, The Denver Post's marijuana news site The Cannabist posted what may be the best job description -- and job -- ever.

"Sex columnist, with weed focus (apply by Oct. 1)," the headline for the job listing reads.

And of course the punning for such a position has already begun on Twitter:
The Cannabist launched just days before Colorado's legal recreational marijuana dispensaries first opened their doors to sell weed to adults on Jan. 1, 2014. It has since covered all things marijuana -- from business to politics to strain reviews -- and will now, apparently, cover sex.

So, what exactly will a "sex columnist, with a weed focus" write about? Here's what's required for the job:

    Our new freelance columnist will write about sex, relationships, intimacy, gender issues and more as it all relates to a world where marijuana is becoming legal -- and oftentimes present in the bedroom. Our columnist will write about his or her own history, address trends, review related products and answer reader questions. This is a paid freelance position, and our ideal candidate will truly put him or herself out there.

So dust off your resumes, vaporizers and sex toys, but no hiding behind your keyboard and pseudonym -- this job requires the right candidate to "write about sex and marijuana publicly under your given name."

As the world waits for confirmation of George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin's highly-anticipated nuptials — which are set to happen later this month — one of the A-lister's exes tied the knot on Sunday, Sept. 14 in Sardinia, Italy. Elisabetta Canalis married her orthopedic surgeon fiance Brian Perri.

The Italian actress, 36, was photographed entering the Sassari Cathedral dressed in a white lace gown and holding a bouquet of white flowers.

Later in the evening, Canalis tweeted in Italian, "#Italia I still do not understand but I'm realizing how much I will miss all this #Amici #Famiglia."
The brunette stunner, who is a Sassari native, also tweeted, praising her town Alghero, writing in Italian, "Thanks for making this dream possible. Thanks to all the people for the affection you have shown me!"

Canalis dated George Clooney for almost 18 months before splitting in June 2011. After they split the Monuments Men actor dated professional wrestler and TV personality Stacy Keibler for two years until they split in July 2013. Keibler also moved on, marrying entrepreneur Jared Pobre, and the couple welcomed their daughter Ava Grace in August.

Jessica Simpson is still relishing her moment as a bridesmaid in her sister Ashlee's wedding to Evan Ross over Labor Day weekend.

The elder Simpson sister took to Instagram on Sunday to share a tender photo of herself with daughter Maxwell at the ceremony, captioned, "Bridesmaid and flower girl for @ashleesimpsonofficial and @eross88. I am madly I love with this moment!" The darling mother-daughter duo held hands in matching white dresses on the special day:
The mother of two also took the time to wish her husband Eric Johnson a happy 35th birthday on Monday, sharing a photo of herself with the former NFL player on her Instagram account:

Simpson and Johnson tied the knot on July 5 in a magical "Great Expectations"-themed ceremony held at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California.

The superstar singer shared some snapshots from her family vacation in Italy for her 33rd birthday on Beyonce.com. In one snapshot, she poses lovingly with Jay Z on a yacht. In others, Blue Ivy can be seen playing in the sand.
Beyonce donned a printed bikini and gold foil tattoos while in the picturesque European locale. In one photo, she wears a crown on her head decorated with bees reading "Queen Bey."

America’s rapidly-expanding war against ISIS won’t involve large numbers of U.S. troops on the ground, President Obama is promising. And it’s clear that airstrikes alone won’t beat back the extremist group. Which means that if the President wants to have any hope of meeting his far-reaching goal of destroying ISIS, he’s going to have to rely on private military contractors.

At least, that’s what the contractors are hoping.

At the height of the Iraq war, these firms hired hundreds of thousands of people: guns-for-hire, IT geeks, logistics specialists, interrogators, and short order cooks to ladle out the slop at the military cafeteria. Over time, some of those contractors became the symbol for everything that was wrong with the Iraq war: hugely expensive, ineffective, and indifferent to Iraqi life. Contractors were at the middle of the war’s biggest scandals, from Abu Ghraib to Nissour Square. And it was the abductions and murder of Blackwater contractors that sparked one of Iraq's biggest battles.

None of the five current and former contractors who spoke with The Daily Beast expected a replay of last decade’s Iraq war. But they all said a major opportunity was coming—both for them, and for Obama, who could use the private armies as a way to conceal just how many people will be fighting in this new conflict.
“Iraq this time around is not going to be as big as it was before,” said Roger Carstens, a former special operations officer who has served as a contracted military adviser in Somalia and Afghanistan. “That said, this new war will present an opportunity for the companies that have a resident train and advising capability to contribute to this new effort.”

President Obama has asked Congress to authorize $500 million to train a new Syrian opposition out of Saudi Arabia. That money would be part of a $5 billion fund Obama requested this spring from Congress to help train and equip U.S. allies to fight terrorists.

One U.S. military contractor working in Iraq who asked not to be named said, “I can tell you the contractor-expat community is abuzz thinking this will lead to more work. We expect a much larger footprint than he is showing right now.”

Those expectations were whet earlier this summer, as ISIS was gaining ground in northern Iraq and the first U.S. special operations teams were arriving in Iraq, when the Pentagon asked military contractors to participate in two important surveys.

Ain't no drama like T. Swift drama cause the T. Swift drama don't stop.

As cover star of Rolling Stone's September issue, Taylor Swift told the magazine that "Bad Blood," a track off her upcoming album "1989," is aimed at a fellow pop star. Since then, the Internet has run wild with speculation: who in the depths of Hollywood could be, as she put it, "straight-up enemies" with T. Swift?

Though everyone from Miley Cyrus to Carrie Underwood is considered a possible frenemy, the World Wide Web seems to focus its investigation on one prime suspect: Katy Perry.

Why? Some have taken the easy route and pointed out that, helllloooooo, they have an ex-boyfriend in common:
"And it wasn't even about a guy!" she told Rolling Stone. "It had to do with business. She basically tried to sabotage an entire arena tour. She tried to hire a bunch of people out from under me."

Hmmm. Others have pointed out that, according to an article in the Examiner from December 2013, three of Swift's backup dancers left mid-tour to join Katy Perry's troupe.

"I was with Taylor for the first six months,'' backup dancer John Brownlie told the Examiner. "It was a great experience and she's a great person to work with, but then Katy contacted us.''

Brownlie, who had previously toured with Perry on her California Dreams world tour, told the Examiner, "Obviously we were with Katy for two and a half years. She's like family to us, so we were, like, 'absolutely.'"

"Ray Donovan" star and "Scarface" actor Steven Bauer, 57, stepped out for lunch with his 18-year-old girlfriend, Lyda Loudon, on Wednesday, Sept. 10, in Studio City, California. The two were photographed leaving the organic eatery SunCafe.

Us Weekly confirmed Bauer and Loudon's romance in July after they attended the "Magic in the Moonlight" premiere together.

At the time, Loudon's mother, Gina Gentry Loudon, wrote a candid blog post about her daughter's relationship with Bauer for WorldNetDaily. She described how their family dealt with the relationship and admitted she wondered "why Mr. Bauer did not walk the moment he realized where all of this was going."
"My daughter’s choice has challenged me," wrote Gentry Loudon, an author and Fox News contributor. "In perspective, this was a choice regarding love. She did not choose to break the law, harm an innocent or betray our country. Several friends asked us to consider whether love really is a choice. Others beseeched us to embrace that she found a special love with a special, gentle man. These were defining questions."

Bauer was previously married to Melanie Griffith. They have a 28-year-old son, Alexander Bauer.

Senior Congress leader Ambika Soni has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "communicator who has changed the agenda" to avoid delivering on the promises he made in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. (100 Days of Modi Government: His Top 10 Quotes)

"Mr Modi is a communicator; he plays with words, that's one of his strong points. You saw that from the ramparts of the Red Fort, he changed the agenda. He didn't talk of high prices becoming higher. He talked about girls and boys and how parents should talk strongly to their sons but he didn't talk about the number of cases, where a girl's dignity has been violated, which has gone up," said Ms Soni. (Rate the Government's Performance)

Like other leaders of her party, Ms Soni too accused the Modi-led government of following UPA's policies. But the former Information and Broadcasting minister on the UPA government admitted that the Congress could not match the BJP-led NDA's campaign strategy.
"We were not as successful in communicating our achievements as we should have. We realised that during our Lok Sabha campaign. We realise that today much more when we see them using our schemes, changing their names and making different types of allocation and counting it as their own achievement. Our Vice President certainly travels a lot and if you were to count his flying hours, he would out beat anybody," said Ms Soni.

When asked why the party's top leaders, like vice president Rahul Gandhi, didn't communicate more effectively, Ms Soni came to Mr Gandhi's defense.

"We have a different way of communicating. It is not necessary that one has to speak only in Parliament. They (Congress leaders) speak in rallies and when they travel to different parts of the country," she said.

A new video surfacing on Tuesday purported to show the beheading of another American journalist, Steven Sotloff, by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

Sotloff, who freelanced for Time and Foreign Policy was last seen in August 2013, and has featured in the earlier video of the execution of James Foley.

“We have seen a video that purports to be the murder of US citizen Steven Sotloff by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).  The intelligence community is working as quickly as possible to determine its authenticity,” said White House spokesperson Bernadette Meehan in a statement.

“If genuine, we are appalled by the brutal murder of an innocent American journalist and we express our deepest condolences to his family and friends,” she added.

Looking into the camera, Sotloff said in the video, “I’m sure you know exactly who I am by now and why I am appearing.” He was dressed in the same orange jump suit worn by Foley and inmates of US prisons.
“Obama, your foreign policy of intervention in Iraq was supposed to be for preservation of American lives and interests, so why is it that I am paying the price of your interference with my life?”

The ISIS terrorist standing by side then says that as long as the United States continues “to strike our people, our knife will continue to strike the necks of your people”.

Foley’s executioner had made a similar threat, but airstrikes against ISIL positions in Iraq have continued, now expanding beyond in and around Mosul Dam to also cover Amirli and Erbil.

The central command said Monday it had carried out 123 airstrikes across Iraq since the start of the air-campaign on August 8.

Sotloff’s mother, Shirley Sotloff, had appealed for mercy for her son in a video message last week. “I am sending this message to you, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi al-Quraishi al-Hussaini, the caliph of the Islamic State. I am Shirley Sotloff. My son Steven is in your hands. You, the caliph, can grant amnesty. I ask you please to release my child. I ask you to use your authority to spare his life.”

“As a mother, I ask your justice to be merciful and not punish my son for matters he has no control over.

 I ask you to use your authority to spare his life and to follow the example set by the Prophet Muhammad, who protected People of the Book. I want what every mother wants, to live to see her children’s children, I plead with you to grant me this.”

Amber Rose is proud of her husband Wiz Khalifa and she's not afraid to show it. The model and mother of one posted a video to Instagram August 29, in honor or her husband's album "Blacc Hollywood" hitting no. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart -- a first for the rapper, Billboard notes.
Rose captioned the sexy video "In honor of my Hubby's #1 Album #blacchollywood #AssDrop," referencing the track in background.

Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj, take note:

When Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy tied the knot on Sunday, at least one famous relative was not on hand for the nuptials.

Mark Wahlberg tweeted his congratulations and posted an Instagram video for the new couple the day before. The actor's rep said his daughter Ella's 11th birthday was scheduled to take place in Los Angeles over the weekend. (The McCarthy/Wahlberg wedding was at Hotel Baker in St. Charles, Illinois, minutes from McCarthy's childhood home.)
TMZ has another story, though. The site reports that Mark Wahlberg and his wife are not especially close with Donnie and are not particularly fond of his new bride. TMZ also wrote that another Walhberg brother, Bobby, wouldn't be an in attendance either, nor would Donnie's mother, because she's afraid of flying. Brother Paul, on the other hand, was expected to attend.

HuffPost Entertainment contacted a representative for Mark Wahlberg for comment on the TMZ report; this post will be updated if and when they respond.
Donnie didn't seem too distraught by his brother's absence, returning his well wishes on Twitter.

Surgeons are helping a teenager save his neck by shortening it.

Fu Wengui, 15, of Beijing, is preparing to go under the knife because he's reportedly caused immense pain by the three extra vertebrae in his neck.

The teen has 10 vertebrae in his neck while the average person has seven, according to Quirky China, which released photos of him at the hospital. The vertebrae compress his nerves, making it difficult for him to walk.

giraffe boy
"When he was six he was diagnosed with congenital scoliosis and abnormal chest frame," Wengui's father, Fu Genyou, told agency.

Congenital scoliosis is a spinal deformity caused by abnormally formed vertebrae, and usually occurs in early development, according to the Scoliosis Research Society. Wengui's surgery will reduce the size of his neck and hopefully enhance movement and reduce pain.

A Beijing-based charity will sponsor his surgery at Chaoyang Hospital, which is working on a treatment plan, according to Quirky News' press release.

"I just hope I can have a normal neck," Wengui said.

When Katzen Hobbes was a toddler, she had dreams where she saw herself covered in tiger stripes.

When she was 18, she started making that dream a reality.

Now, at the age of 40, 90 percent of her body is covered in stripes.

"I still need a little bit of work under the right armpit and right ear, but I'm pretty close to completion," Hobbes told The Huffington Post. "But I might add something more."

Hobbes considers her body like a sculpture.

Unlike many people who start with one small tattoo and add others on without a firm goal in mind, she always wanted just tiger stripes.

"I wanted to be covered in tiger stripes when I was young, but it wasn't until I was 9 and living in Japan that I realized how I could do it," she said. "My mother said, 'Wait until you're 18."
Most of the feline tatting occurred between the ages of 18 and 28. More than 227 different tattoo artists have inked her up, including 23 at one time.

Hobbes isn't as catty as she used to be. For 14 years, she had plastic whisker piercings through her facial skin.

"I had them removed because I started to feel they affected my field of vision," she said. She turned to scarification and had six scars on her face to allude to the whiskers.

katzen hobbes front

Hobbes works as a tattoo artist in Austin and as a sideshow performer for the 999 Eyes Freakshow. She feels both jobs allow her to show people that beauty comes from within.

"Most of us are more than skin deep," she said. "I feel more beautiful this way."

Hobbes will have a chance to demonstrate that in spades because she is one of the people who has been selected to appear in the newest Ripley's Believe It Or Not! book, "Reality Shock!" debuting Sept. 9.

Country star Carrie Underwood and NHL player Mike Fisher chose the Labor Day holiday to announce they are expecting their first child.

Underwood and Fisher posted the announcement on their social media accounts on Monday. Underwood's publicist confirmed the couple will be expecting their first child in the spring.
The 31-year-old Underwood shot to fame after winning "American Idol." She has won six Grammys and sold more than 15 million albums worldwide. She was the first woman to twice win the Academy of Country Music's entertainer of the year award.

She will be co-hosting the upcoming Country Music Association Awards with Brad Paisley this November.

Fisher, a 34-year-old center for the Nashville Predators, is recovering from a ruptured left Achilles tendon and is expected to miss the start of the season.

"I have lots of songs to write about. Lots of things to write about." So says a teenage Katy Perry -- then Katy Hudson -- in a newly unearthed video from 2001 posted to Vimeo by award-winning cinematographer and videographer Jim Standridge.

"I was very fortunate to meet and hangout with this genuine talent in the beginning of her career," Standridge wrote in a note accompanying the video. "The other day I was cleaning out some old footage in my office and found 90 minutes of raw footage I had totally forgot about. [...] I think Katy has grown into an amazing entertainer and woman."
Standridge cut the 90 minutes down to just under 13, and the package showcases Perry's preternatural talent. Then a Christian singer-songwriter, Perry's work has an unmistakable Alanis Morisette vibe, but there are some guitar licks that also sound a little like early Radiohead (specifically from "The Bends"). The video closes, appropriately, with Perry singing "Last Call," one of the tracks from her 2001 album, "Katy Hudson."

HuffPost Entertainment contacted a representative for Perry to see if the singer had any comment or remembrance about the video. This post will be updated if and when they respond. In the meantime, watch Standridge's video below.

The hacker said that he or she leaked photos of Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, and a host of other stars.

A rep for J.Law confirmed that the images, allegedly stolen from her iCloud account, are real.

"This is a flagrant violation of privacy," the spokesperson told HuffPost. "The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence.”

The Los Angeles Police Department told HuffPost that they have "no knowledge" of the hacking "at this time." The FBI said they could not confirm or deny reports of the attack. Apple did not return a request for comment.

The hacker claims to have more NSFW pics as well as videos. The user offered to release more media in exchange for money.
Victoria Justice, who was also targeted in the hack, tweeted that the photos aren't real.

"These so called nudes of me are FAKE people," she said. "Let me nip this in the bud right now. *pun intended*"

A rep for Ariana Grande told BuzzFeed that the photos of her are "completely fake."

Horror movie actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead lashed out at the hacker on Twitter.

"To those of you looking at photos I took with my husband years ago in the privacy of our home, hope you feel great about yourselves," she said. "Knowing those photos were deleted long ago, I can only imagine the creepy effort that went into this. Feeling for everyone who got hacked."

Is Miley Cyrus really over Liam Hemsworth? Sure doesn't sound like it.

In an interview on Australia's "Sunday Night," Cyrus told reporter Chris Bath that she still has a lot of love for her former fiance.

"I love Liam, Liam loves me," Cyrus said, according to Daily Mail.

Following Cyrus' split from "Hunger Games" actor Hemsworth, Cyrus' father, Billy Ray, opened up about how happy his daughter seemed.
"All I know for sure is I heard my daughter say today she's the happiest she's ever been in her life immediately following [the breakup.] That's when I saw Miley being so happy," Billy Ray said in 2013. "Somewhere along the stress and strain of different things I didn't see her smiling as often for a little while and all of a sudden she's like the sun, and when she smiles it's light."

Here's to hoping Cyrus stays so happy ... Hemsworth or no Hemsworth.

In case you needed further proof that Rihanna's life is cooler than yours, here are some awesome vacation photos she shared on Twitter on Aug. 28 that will leave you with zero doubt.

Here she is making history for being the first person to make binoculars look cool:
Then, when that got old, she chilled out with a glass of wine on her yacht because she's fabulous:

Later, Rihanna slipped into a yellow bikini and casually mentioned snorkeling in pirate caves:

Rihanna just wrapped up her Monster Tour with Eminem and is clearly taking some time to relax. We'd be lying if we said we weren't jealous!

A bone scraper and a sausage piper surround Lizzy Caplan, and yet she is nowhere near the set of her show, "Masters of Sex." She is wearing jeans and open-toe sandals. This may have been a mistake, since she is walking into a refrigerator filled with dead pigs on hooks. It's a tight fit into the meat locker of Lindy & Grundys, a posh Los Angeles butcher shop, and one of her human shoulders brushes against a pork shoulder. Caplan lets out a small yelp.

"This is horrifying," she says with a grin. "I don't eat a lot of pig because the outside is the same color as the meat. You need that disconnect you get with beef."

‘Masters of Sex’ Q&A with Star Michael Sheen

Caplan is here for a sausage-making class, and, a little later, she is introduced to the Dickeron, a swordlike knife-sharpening contraption. Her hair, in a Fifties bob for her Emmy-nominated role of sexologist Virginia Johnson, starts, well, bobbing up and down.

"Pretty soon, I'm going to be making my own sausage," says Caplan. She pauses, popping the giant greenish-gray eyes that have dominated multiple TV shows and movies that no one watched. "Once I get my own dick machine."
Caplan picked the sausage-making class for our meeting, and I joke that I felt a tad uncomfortable writing about a female kneading pork. "I'm making it difficult for you because you're going to have to figure out clever ways not to make innuendos about sausages," says Caplan. But wouldn't jokes be OK because she chose the place? Caplan gives me a withering stare. "I guess you could, but I'm expecting more from you."

It was hard to tell if she was kidding or not. This is a vibe Caplan gives off to the uninitiated. "Part of her shtick is to come across as cold and standoffish at first, but it's not at all what she's like," says Seth Rogen, who has known her since they were teenagers on "Freaks and Geeks" and who recently directed Caplan in the upcoming spy caper "The Interview." "Lizzy's very sweet once you get to know her. She has always played the smart, funny girl who cuts through the bullshit. That's much harder than what I do, playing dumb."

In Pics: America’s Hottest Sex Symbols

In a way, the sausage-making conundrum is an apt metaphor for Caplan's career. (No, really.) At 32, Caplan is best known for playing the anti-manic pixie dream girl (see Zooey Deschanel and Kirsten Dunst) in a bushel of little-seen but hilarious enterprises – get ye online and watch the caterers on Vicodin in "Party Down" or 2012's girls-gone-wilding "Bachelorette" – where she's the snarky girl with a heart made of some metallic concoction that is not gold. It was a great life, but Caplan felt hemmed in as "that girl" and wondered if that was all Hollywood had for her.

And that's where sex came in. Caplan is winding up the second season of Showtime's "Masters of Sex," where she plays the research partner/lab partner/sex partner of Dr. William Masters as they delve into the study of sexual behavior during the 1950s. Eventually, their studies would land them fame, but the first years were harrowing, particularly for Johnson. There's more than a little of Caplan in Johnson, not so much the sex part as wanting to be taken seriously in an industry more than happy to overlook her. The doubts of casting directors became her own doubts.

From the glitz and glamour of Bollywood to the heat and dust of elections. Actors Gul Panag and Kirron Kher are trying to shun their celebrity tag to claim another -- of being “Chandigarh’s daughter”.
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In contrast to her on-screen presence, the glamour quotient is missing in the attire and campaign style of Panag. Dressed in a plain salwar-kameez and the Aam Aadmi Party cap, her poll campaign is high on symbolism.

On Wednesday, she started by an early morning visit to Khatkar Kalan in Nawanshahr district, the birthplace of martyr Bhagat Singh, and later held a road show at Maloya village after a door-to-door campaign in its market area. Though some young volunteers follow the former Miss India wearing AAP caps, her small cavalcade comprises mainly family and friends besides a few AAP workers and women volunteers.

Riding an SUV driven by her cousin, she walks the streets of the village addressing middleaged women as Bhabhiji and elderly ones as Mataji, asking them to sweep out corruption by pressing on the AAP button. To the men, she smiles and appeals with folded hands: “Jinhone is desh ko barbad kiya, unhe dubara is desh ki zimedari mat sompiye (Do not pass the reins of this country to those who destroyed it).
Accompanying her are her poll manager, Simran, a cousin who has flown from Mumbai, and her aunt, who lament there is little money to campaign. Her husband is helping manage the party office. “She called her family and friends after winning the nomination and we are all here leaving our children and jobs,” says Simran.

But Panag claims elections are fought by passion, not funds. “We don’t have resources and PR cells like big parties but our workers are dedicated. All I have is my two feet and I can’t rest till the elections,” she says.

On her vision for Chandigarh, she points to the streets of the village. “Does it look a part of posh Chandigarh? I have a problem with the term inclusive growth. It means no equal opportunity for education, jobs and basic facilities. Chandigarh’s infrastructure is crumbling under the growing population.”
Though she avoids hitting out at her political opponents directly, she takes a dig at Congress candidate Pawan Kumar Bansal by talking of “those who got clean chit despite indulging in corruption” and BJP’s Kirron Kher as a “mother figure who is contesting at an age people retire”.

Other than their Bollywood and Chandigarh connection -they were both born in the city --army background and dimples, there is little in common between the two stars.

Kher, who landed in Chandigarh on Tuesday to black flags shown by a deeply divided BJP unit, started her poll campaign by first meeting the city’s industrialists and traders at a hotel. After presidents of many associations presented her bouquets, she bears the long speeches with a smile and at times humour.

Israeli air strikes have killed four Palestinians in Gaza as European governments sought UN action to end more than six weeks of bloodshed.

Fighting flared anew on Tuesday as Egyptian-brokered truce efforts collapsed, with Israel insistent on its demand for security from rocket fire by Gaza militants, and Hamas defiant over its call for an end to eight years of Israeli blockade.

The death toll since July 8 now stands at least 2087 Palestinians dead, three-quarters of them civilians according to the United Nations, and 67 on the Israeli side, nearly all of them soldiers.

Two men aged 22 and 24 were killed in a strike on Nusseirat refugee camp early on Friday, emergency services said.

Two more were killed in an air raid near neighbouring Deir al-Balah.

The Israeli military said it struck around 20 targets overnight but did not give details.

Israeli media said the government was seeking US diplomatic help to head off the European bid at the UN to end the violence, the deadliest since the 2005 end of the second Palestinian intifada or uprising.

Washington has wielded its veto powers at the UN Security Council repeatedly in the past on behalf of its Israeli ally.

But relations have been strained over the breakdown of US-brokered peace efforts and concerns over the scale of the civilian death toll in Gaza.
The draft presented by Britain, France and Germany came after one submitted by Jordan on behalf of the Arab League had run into US opposition.

The European text urged an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, and a lifting of the Israeli blockade.

It proposed a mechanism to monitor the ceasefire and supervise the movement of goods into Gaza to allay Israeli security concerns.

It also called for Gaza's return to the control of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas, seven years after his loyalists were driven out of the territory by the Islamists of Hams.

The text provides for the lifting of economic and humanitarian restrictions on Gaza to allow for a massive reconstruction effort.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has pledged help to rebuild Gaza, but warned that it would be "for the last time" after three wars in six years.

But as the diplomatic pressure for a ceasefire intensified, Israel showed no sign of ending its deadly campaign to halt rocket fire by Gaza militants.

The security cabinet authorised the call-up of up to 10,000 army reservists in a new troop rotation, Israeli media reported.

Finance Minister Yair Lapid, regarded as one of the less hawkish members of the security cabinet, threatened further deadly attacks on Hamas commanders after three leading militants were killed in a pre-dawn strike on Thursday.

 When German chancellor Angela Merkel visits Kiev today, she could be forgiven for imagining she hears an ominous rumbling in the distance. Her talks with Ukraine’s leaders will begin a crucial week of negotiations aimed at ending the country’s bloody crisis, but it will now start not only with guns booming in the east, but a huge convoy of Russian military trucks rolling through disputed territory.

By sending his aid convoy into Ukraine yesterday without its permission or the co-operation of the Red Cross, Russian president Vladimir Putin sent a message of defiance to Kiev and its western allies.

He showed he is determined to regain the initiative in Ukraine, despite recent setbacks suffered by Moscow-backed rebels who want eastern regions to join Russia, and the impact of his country’s growing economic and diplomatic isolation.
The convoy of almost 300 trucks – many of which are almost empty – adds another unpredictable element to a volatile conflict that has killed more than 2,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. The first trucks arrived last night in Luhansk, a city that has been without power, running water and telephone connections for almost a fortnight, and an island of rebel resistance to the rapid recent advance of Ukrainian troops.

The separatist strongholds of Luhansk and Donetsk are now almost surrounded by government forces, raising hopes among Ukrainian military men that the insurgency could be crushed before tomorrow’s Independence Day celebrations.

Kiev believes the aid convoy is Moscow’s way of slowing or halting the crackdown on the rebels, and could be used to provide a pretext for a full Russian invasion if it came under attack, either real or staged.

It is not clear how long the trucks will stay in Ukraine, or even where they will attempt to go, with Russia potentially seeking to send them from Luhansk to Donetsk, through areas of fierce fighting. The convoy is Putin’s wildcard, and the fact he has played it now suggests Ukraine’s crisis is at a vital juncture.

Russia sent dozens of aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Friday without Kiev's approval, saying its patience had worn out with the Ukrainian government's stalling tactics. Ukraine called the move a "direct invasion."

The unilateral move sharply raised the stakes in eastern Ukraine, for any attack on the convoy could draw the Russian military directly into the conflict between the Ukrainian government in Kiev and separatist rebels in the east. Ukraine has long accused Russia of supporting and arming the rebels, a charge Russia denies.

The white-tarped semis said to be carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags are intended to help civilians in the city of Luhansk, where government forces are besieging pro-Russian separatists. The city only 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Russian border has seen weeks of heavy shelling that has cut off power, water and phone lines and has left food supplies scarce.

In the past few days, Ukraine says its troops have recaptured significant parts of Luhansk, the second-largest rebel-held city, and suspicions are running high that Moscow's humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kiev's military momentum. Fierce fighting has been reported this week both around Luhansk and the largest rebel-held city, Donetsk, with dozens of casualties.

Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in the past 24 hours, the government reported at noon Friday.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which had planned to escort the Russian aid convoy to assuage fears that it would be used as a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so Friday.

Ukrainian security service chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko on Friday called the arrival of the convoy a "direct invasion."

"This is a direct invasion done under the cover of the Red Cross for the first time ever," Nalyvaichenko told reporters in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. "These are military men who have been trained to carry cargo, trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery."

He asserted that the half-empty aid trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine.

He promised, however, that Ukraine will not shell the convoy.

AP journalists heard the contents of many aid trucks rattling and sliding around on the country road, confirming that many vehicles were only partially loaded.

Ukraine had authorized the entrance of a few dozen trucks, but the number of Russian vehicles entering the country through a rebel-held border point Friday was clearly way beyond that amount.

Defeat is never a pleasant experience and quite predictably blame games have begun after India's humiliation in the five-Test series against England.

In a swift move a couple of days ago, the BCCI appointed Ravi Shastri as the Team Director for the remainder of the tour and sent the fielding and bowling coaches on leave. This decision has virtually put chief coach Duncan Fletcher on notice. Thereafter, the focus has now shifted to players and all those, who accompanied them during the series.

It has emerged that actress Anushka Sharma giving company to Virat Kohli did not go down too well with the manager of the Indian Test side, Sunil Dev. On returning to his hometown Delhi yesterday, Dev told mid-day that he wasn't too happy with the actress' presence.

"I would have objected to her presence, but was helpless when I realised that permission was granted by BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) secretary Sanjay Patel."
Prez not in loop?

He added: "I doubt whether the secretary even spoke to the interim BCCI president Shivlal Yadav before granting permission.

I am sure he (Yadav) would have turned down the request. Anushka stayed with Virat till the third Test. Foreign players do take their girlfriends on tours, but India's culture is different.

 The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to interpret Leader of Opposition (LoP) provision for the purpose of appointment of Lokpal in which LoP is a selection committee member and asked the Centre to make its stand clear within two weeks, saying the legislation cannot be put in “cold storage”.

Emphasising the importance of the post, a bench headed by Chief Justice R. M. Lodha said Leader of Opposition conveys the voice of a representative different from government in the House.

It said LoP is a very important component (under Lokpal law) and the issue needs objective consideration in view of current political situation where at present there is no Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

The bench also observed that the issue of LoP is relevant not only in Lokpal law but also in other existing and incoming legislations.

It said the issue cannot be prolonged and the act cannot be put in cold storage, while posting case for final disposal for September 9.

Congress, as the second largest party in the Lok Sabha with 44 seats, has been making a strong bid for the LoP post but the ruling BJP has not acceded, saying the opposition party does not have the requisite 10 per cent seats which meant it needed 55 to stake claim.

Taylor Swift got herself into some hot water with the music video for her new single "Shake It Off." The clip features Swift trying and failing to fit in with a number of subcultures, including that of ballerinas and break-dancers, but the scenes causing an uproar are the ones in which Swift crawls between the legs of a line of twerking dancers.

The clip has spurred a negative reaction from commentators including Odd Future's Earl Sweatshirt, who expressed his displeasure by tweeting that the video is "perpetuating black stereotypes to the same demographic of white girls who hide their prejudice by proclaiming their love of the culture."

HuffPost Live's Marc Lamont Hill discussed the controversy on Thursday with a panel that included comedian Amanda Seales, gender studies professor Treva Lindsey and writer Everdeen Mason, who doesn't believe Swift's use of twerking is racist.

Check out part of the conversation in the video above, and catch the full HuffPost Live segment here.

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