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'Om' away your stress: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?

2012-02-16T19:56:00.000+05:30

'Om' away your stress: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?

'Om' away your stress

’Om’ away your stressBy: Payal Gidwani Tiwari

Gomukhasana

Ardha Shalabhasana

Padmasana

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Being static, yoga postures are less demanding and require less oxygen. This causes minimal strain during exercise and keeps your muscles relaxed. Here are a few postures that you can practise to keep your stress levels under control.

Vajrasana
Sit with your legs extended, hands by the side of your body and palms resting on the floor. Bend your right leg at the knee and place your foot under the right buttock keeping your soles tucked in. Do the same with your left leg. Rest your hands on your thighs, keeping your back straight. Hold for some time, come back to the starting position.

Illustrations by Mamta

Stress can cause long-term sickness: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?

2012-02-16T19:54:00.000+05:30

Stress can cause long-term sickness: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?How cool is your profession? A new study has found that stress at workplace has become the number one cause of long-term absence from work.

The study, carried out in almost 600 organisations in the UK, also found a link between job security and mental health issues, with employers planning redundancies "significantly" more likely to report problems among their staff.

Stress has even eclipsed stroke, heart attack, cancer and back problems, the research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and health firm Simplyhealth found and dubbed the condition the 21st century equivalent of the "Black Death".

Stress-related absence has increased more in the public sector, and restructuring and organisational changes were the main causes, the report said, highlighting the impact of cuts in jobs, pay and pensions, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Dr Jill Miller, a CIPD adviser, said: "The survey this year shows that stress is for the first time the number one cause of long-term sickness absence, highlighting the heightened pressure many people feel under in the workplace as a result of the prolonged economic downturn.

"Stress is a particular challenge in the public sector, where the sheer amount of major change and restructuring would appear to be the root cause.

"To a large degree, managing stress is about effective leadership and people management, particularly during periods of major change and uncertainty.

"Line managers need to focus on regaining the trust of their employees and openly communicating throughout the change process to avoid unnecessary stress and potential absences.

"They also need to be able to spot the early signs of people being under excessive pressure or having difficulty coping at work and to provide appropriate support."

Gill Phipps, of Simplyhealth, said: "Stress can often have a negative effect on the workplace, which can result in loss of productivity and disengaged employees.

"It's therefore encouraging that almost half of employers have a well-being strategy in place, with 73 per cent offering counselling services and a further 69 per cent providing an employee assistance programme.

"These benefits allow employees access to information and advice on workplace issues as well as emotional, psychological and personal issues, and can be a huge help during difficult times.

"Employers need to ensure that benefits such as these are communicated effectively to staff in order for employees to get the most from them."

Absence levels were lowest in manufacturing firms at fewer than six days per worker per year, the research found.

5 stress free diet rules: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?

2012-02-16T19:43:00.000+05:30

5 stress free diet rules: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?

5 stress free diet rules

5 stress free diet rulesBy: Sumaya Dalmia

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While 'tis the time to celebrate, it also pays to watch out for those party-poopers: alcohol that depletes your energy levels, simple carbs that turn lycra into a foe, and late nights that make even turning in your duvet-lined bed, a chore. But with a few smart choices, you can party hard, yet stay fabulously fit.

Choose right
Eat small, frequent meals during the day, and a light snack like a vegetable broth just before you step out. The soup will provide a punch of vitamins to line your stomach before you start drinking.

Also, this way you won't be starving by the time you get to the party, and your bloodsugar levels remain stable. Once you're in, think smart. Make the right alcohol choices-so out with high-sugar mixers. Drink a glass of water for every drink you imbibe. Stick to vodka, wine, and champagne-no beer, please. While most alcohol falls within the calorific values of 55-100 calories for a 25ml glass, a pint of beer costs you a good 182 calories.

Mindfulness is the best antidote to stress: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?

2012-02-16T19:41:00.000+05:30

Mindfulness is the best antidote to stress: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?The best antidote to stress is mindfulness, existing in the here and now, not in the past or future, suggest meditation gurus. Researchers have now drawn a framework of four key components to help explain these positive effects.

Mindfulness, an essential part of Indian yoga traditions, has entered the mainstream as people try to find ways to combat stress and improve their quality of life. It is suggested the meditation can have benefits for health and performance, including improved immune function, reduced blood pressure, and enhanced cognitive function.

But how is it that a single practice can have such wide-ranging effects on well-being? The study draws on the existing scientific literature to build a framework on explanation, reports the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, citing a Harvard University statement.

Study author Britta Holzel, of Justus Liebig University and Harvard Medical School, suggests the goal is to "unveil the conceptual and mechanistic complexity of mindfulness, providing the 'big picture' by arranging many findings like the pieces of a mosaic".

Holzel and co-authors point out that what we think of as mindfulness is not actually a single skill, but rather a multi-faceted mental practice that encompasses several mechanisms.

They specifically identify four key components of mindfulness that may account for its effects: attention regulation, body awareness, emotion regulation, and sense of self.

Together, these components help us attend to and deal with the mental and physiological effects of stress in ways that are non-judgmental.

Although these components are theoretically distinct, they are closely intertwined. Improvement in attention regulation, for example, may directly facilitate our awareness of our physiological state. Body awareness, in turn, helps us to recognize the emotions we are experiencing.

Effective mindfulness meditation requires training and practice and it has distinct measurable effects on our subjective experiences, our behaviour, and our brain function.

New smartphone could help you cope with blues: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?

2012-02-16T19:37:00.000+05:30

New smartphone could help you cope with blues: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?A new smart phone senses your depression and nudges you to go out with friends, a study reveals.

It's the future of therapy at a new Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine centre where scientists are inventing web-based, mobile and virtual technologies to treat depression and other mood disorders.

The phone and similar projects bypass traditional weekly therapy sessions for novel approaches that provide immediate support and access to a much larger population, a university statement said.

"We're inventing new ways of technology that can help people with mental health problems," said psychologist David Mohr and professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern's Feinberg School. "The potential to reduce or even prevent depression is enormous," said Mohr.

"These new approaches could offer fundamentally new treatment options to people who are unable to access traditional services or who are uncomfortable with standard psychotherapy," said Mohr.

"They also can be offered at significantly lower costs, which makes them more viable in an era of limited resources," added Mohr.

The goal is for the Feinberg centre to become a national resource, offering a library of intervention technologies that will be available to other researchers.

Also in the works are a virtual human therapist which will work with teens to prevent depression; a medicine bottle that reminds you to take antidepressant medication and tells your doctor if the dosage needs adjusting; and a web-based social network to help cancer survivors relieve sadness and stress.

Are your kids overprotected?: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?

2012-02-16T19:07:00.000+05:30

Are your kids overprotected?: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?

Are your kids overprotected?

Megan Othersen Go rman & Saswati Sarkar

If you're a parent and get bad news from the doctor, your first question may be, "Am I going to live?" But the second is probably, "What do I tell my kids?" For most parents, the honest answer is, "Not a thing". A dire diagnosis takes your breath and your words away. It"s a natural reaction that"s understandable and even wise. But silence shouldn"t be your final answer - it won"t protect your children.

The fact remains that children in most families are overprotected. "Parents not only try their best to avoid talking to their kids about their ailments, they almost never discuss things when the children are around," says family therapist Reena Nath. This, however, does not help the kids as they can sense when something is wrong. "If you try to protect them by saying nothing, they may fear If you"re a parent and get bad news from the doctor, your first question may be, "Am I going to live?" But the second is probably, "What do I tell my kids?"

For most parents, the honest answer is, "Not a thing". A dire diagnosis takes your breath and your words away. It's a natural reaction that's understandable and even wise. But silence shouldn't be your final answer - it won't protect your children. something even worse is brewing," says Dr Vineet Gupta, hematologist, oncologist and bone marrow transplant specialist at Bangalore's Health Care Global.

"From a very young age, children are attuned to their parents' moods. They sense your worry even if you don't actually voice it," says Paula Rauch, MD, founder of Parenting at a Challenging Time, a counselling service at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston that helps moms and dads discuss illness with their children.

Oncologists reveal that the average age of the child of a breast cancer patient is around 10. Though this seems to be too tender an age to be exposed to such a shocking truth, experts say that kids deserve to know about the illness of their parents. "These days, people are able to live longer with chronic diseases, and they're having children later in life. So everyone needs to know how to talk to kids about illness," says Rauch.

Here's what to say - and what to avoid - to help your child feel safer during a scary time.

You: Have a health test coming up, and the results may not be good.

DO: Keep your kids in the loop. You might say: "You've probably noticed that I"ve been coughing. The doc wants me to get some tests. As soon as I find out what's what, Dad and I will let you know."

DON'T: Allow your children to find out about your worries by overhearing you. "The worst way to hear about something is to overhear it," says Rauch. You won"t be able to give your children any context and they're likely to assume that something that can"t be spoken about directly must be very scary.

You: Receive a frightening diagnosis.

DO: Start by sharing the simple stuff. Tell your children the exact name of your condition and the tests you're going through then let them guide the talk. "But talk to them in an age-appropriate manner.

You don't need to alert your kids for the worst, but you should prepare them for the tough times ahead," suggests Nath. Agrees Gupta, "Give them an idea of what may happen." One way of doing it is to say: "Sometimes I will feel ill or tired and sometimes I will feel fine."

DO: Look for fears behind the questions. "Often, children are frightened at the thought of being left on their own," says Dan Gottlieb, PhD, a Philadelphiabased family therapist. Assure them they will still be loved and cared for.

Tell them who will look after them, if necessary. There is another apprehension that troubles most children: "Will Mommy die?" "So always focus on the treatments while talking to them. Tell them that medical science has advanced a lot and you hope that treatments will make you better. This will make them feel a lot more secure," says Geeta Advani, founder member of Helping Hand, an NGO that supports cancer patients in Mumbai.

DON'T: Say "You shouldn"t worry." "You may be trying to protect your children," says Gottlieb, "but don't worry" tells them not to feel what they're feeling." Get a dialogue going by asking for questions. You don't have to answer right away if you"re not ready for a discussion, say you need to think about it or consult someone before letting them know more"then do just that.

You: Want to talk about it; your child doesn't.

DO: Seek situations in which the pressure's off. If your kids tend to open up when you're driving them to the mall, make that a priority. When your child does ask a question, don't grasp it immediately. If you're doing the dishes, continue to scrub instead of facing him. Emotions can feel more manageable when the speaker and listener aren't looking at each other, experts say.

DON'T: Clam up entirely. If your child doesn't want to engage in a back-and-forth, give news bulletins: "Dad may go to Mumbai to see another doctor, and I didn"t want you to overhear us talking about it."

You: Feel overwhelmed by your own fears.

DON'T: Miss the opportunity to let your kids lead you. "Many adults tell me what a huge role their children play in helping them cope with their illness," says Rauch. It's often hard for adults in the midst of dire situations to grasp that they can do something to make things a little better take a walk, play a game, watch a movie. Kids understand that. Let them remind you.

You: Broke down when you were telling your child about your condition, and now you're worried she's terrified.

DO: Put your tears into context. "Some people cry about lots of things," says Rauch. "If this describes you, just remind your children that when you get upset, you cry." If you never cry, give kids a new perspective. You might confide: "There are days when I feel really down about this, but crying actually makes me feel better." "It"s a chance to show your kids that no one"s happy all the time" especially when hard stuff is going on," Rauch says. "And also people can cry and not break," she adds.

DON'T: Hold yourself to an impossible standard. "If you had to have knee replacement surgery, you wouldn"t expect yourself to say, all smiles, "Guess what - I'm going to have my knee replaced!" says Rauch. It isn't authentic either. Kids want words that match emotions. Moreover, it is all right to get upset or cry. "Seeing you cry allows your children to cry too, and crying together can feel very supportive as you are sharing your feelings," explains Gupta.

Mix vegetable curry: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?

2012-02-16T19:05:00.000+05:30

Mix vegetable curry: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?Mix vegetable curry

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Recipe overview

Cuisine: Indian
Meal Type:Veg/Lunch/Dinner
Preparation Time: 30 min - 1 hr
Meal: For 2 - 4
Calorie Type: 0
Calories: 172.8

Ingredients

1. 1 large carrot, cut lengthwise		4. 1tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
2. 1 cup green peas		5. 5cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped
3. 1 cup corn		6. 5 garlic cloves, chopped
4. 1 small broccoli, broken into small florets		7. Fresh dhania (coriander leaves), a handful
5. 1 red bell pepper, chopped in squares		8. 2 green chillies, chopped
6. 3tbsp oil		9. 1 onion, chopped
7. 1/4 tsp salt		10. Fresh pudina (mint leaves), a few
For Green masala paste:		11. 2tbsp vegetable oil
1. 5cm stick dalchini (cinnamon)		12. 1tbsp lemon juice
2. 9 sabut kali mirch (black peppercorns)		13. 1/4 tsp salt
3. 4 laung (cloves)

1. To make the masala: dry roast jeera dalchini, sabut kali mirch and laung until they begin to give off an aroma. Take
care not to burn. Cool and blend to a fine powder.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients for the green masala and blend to get a coarse, light-green paste. Keep aside.

3. Boil 2 cups of water and add the peas, carrot and corn (if uncooked) and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add the broccoli, red pepper and boil for another 5 minutes. Once cooked, drain and set aside.

5. Heat oil in a kadhai on medium heat. Then add the green masala and salt. Fry, stirring constantly.

6. After about 3 minutes, add all the boiled vegetables and fry for another 3 minutes. Stir well.

7. Boil one cup of water in a pan and pour over the vegetables; simmer for 1 minute.
8. Serve hot with rice.

Each serving: 172.8 Calories, 4.1gm protein, 16.4gm carbohydrates, 11gm total fat (0gm saturated), 4.7gm fibre, 0 cholesterol, 193.5mg sodium

Eating curry to cure tennis elbow : Wonder Woman - Who are you today?

2012-02-16T19:03:00.000+05:30

Eating curry to cure tennis elbow : Wonder Woman - Who are you today?It seems that your grandmother was right-eating curry could cure your tennis elbow by reducing inflammation, says a new study.

Researchers have found that a key ingredient found in Indian curries curcumin blocks tendon inflammation in the joints, a finding which may pave the way for a remedy for a painful condition.

They have shown that curcumin, which gives the spice turmeric its trademark bright yellow colouring, can be used to suppress biological mechanisms that spark inflammation in tendon diseases, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

For their study, the researchers at the University of Nottingham in London and Ludwig Maximilians University in Germany have described laboratory experiments that show the ingredient can switch off inflammatory cell cycle involved.

Dr Ali Mobasheri, who co-led the research, said: "Our research is not suggesting that curry, turmeric or curcumin are cures for inflammatory conditions such as tendinitis and arthritis.

"However, we believe that it could offer scientists an important new lead in the treatment of these painful conditions through nutrition."

In the laboratory, researchers used a culture model of human tendon inflammation to study the anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin on tendon cells. The results showed that introducing curcumin in the culture system inhibits NFkB and prevents it from switching on and promoting more inflammation.

"Further research into curcumin, and chemically modified versions of it, should be the subject of future investigations and complementary therapies aimed at reducing the use of non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the only drugs currently available for the treatment of tendinitis and various forms of arthritis," he said.

Make your child a tennis champ: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?

2012-02-16T19:01:00.000+05:30

Make your child a tennis champ: Wonder Woman - Who are you today?A popular Olympic sport, tennis finds plenty of favour with youngsters. Here's how you may get your child to check out the game.

Expose your youngster to all kinds of sports when he is around 5 or 6 years old and let him choose. You may steer him towards tennis by talking of the greats, India's Olympic hopes, getting him memorabilia and DVDs on the famous games, but don't push him. Even if he does choose tennis, it is important that he plays other sports as well, at least initially. Says Nandan Bal, who has been coaching the Indian Davis Cup Team for the last 20 years, 'Tennis is an individual game since one plays alone for a major part of one's life. It is important that your child plays sports such as basketball to help him develop his social skills, by playing as a team.'

As a sport, tennis makes you physically and mentally stronger . It also makes you a good decision maker as you are mostly on your own,' says Nandan. Adds 21-year old-Nitya Uppal who has played tennis for the AlTA (All India Tennis Association) as a child: 'After a tennis match gets over, both the players always shake hands. In this emotional moment, the winner is usually a smiling face who says a hearty "Hard luck!" while the loser mutters a sombre "Well played." We were taught never to show a fist to the opponent, no matter how much he cheated. This taught me how to deal with sore losers and how not to be one, even in life.' Nandan points out other pluses: 'If your child does take uptennis, he would have seen half the country by the time he is 14-15 years old; the social interaction will give him an advantage over his peer group.

What happens if your child begins to lose interest after passionately playing the sport for 3-4 years? Nandan advises, 'Too much of any sport can mar interest. Ideally, even if a child is playing tennis professionally, he does not require more than three hours of practice every day and that too, at a relatively older age (10-12 years.) Before that, he needs to enjoy the game thoroughly and if he doesn't do that, then let him be.'

Nitya, who gave up playing tennis due to an overdose, advises that you get your child to play the sport for the love of it, with enthusiasm, to enjoy it. Aim to get him to pick it up slowly, in stages. 'At the end of the day, your child needs to benefit from the sport, rather than aim to become the next Mahesh Bhupathi!' she declares.

More in Ireland for Indians than Guinness, Jameson : Travel News - India Today

2012-02-16T16:19:00.000+05:30

More in Ireland for Indians than Guinness, Jameson : Travel News - India Today

Four play from Manali to Leh : Food & Stay News - India Today

2012-02-16T16:18:00.000+05:30

Four play from Manali to Leh : Food & Stay News - India Today

Foreign skiers crowd Manali slopes : Travel News - India Today

2012-02-16T16:17:00.000+05:30

Foreign skiers crowd Manali slopes : Travel News - India Today

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Skilled India empowered India : Aspire News - India Today

2012-02-16T16:15:00.000+05:30

Skilled India empowered India : Aspire News - India Today

Netaji's Soldier : Kaushik Deka - India Today Blogs

2012-02-16T16:05:00.000+05:30

Netaji's Soldier : Kaushik Deka - India Today Blogs

ROCKY TERRAIN

Netaji's Soldier

Two days back, I received an email from Lt Colonel MA Siddiqui who fondly reminisce the life and works of his late uncle Captain Jabir Siddiqui, a doctor who was an associate of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and served with the INA. On the 115th birth anniversary of Netaji, I thought publishing the email in my blog would be a tribute to the great freedom fighter.

“Today, as the nation celebrates Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary, I cannot help recalling my uncle Captain Jabir Siddiqui, a cousin of my father. Born when the First World War started, he joined the British Army as a doctor when the Second World War started. He was taken prisoner by the Japanese in the very first year of his service in the British Army and spent four and a half years as a prisoner in the jungles of Burma. It was always fascinating to listen to his experience as a prisoner of war (POW). As he was a doctor, he was asked to look after a 400-bed hospital with meager facilities. They used to make their own medicines to fight malaria or dysentery which were very common among the prisoners. There, he came under the influence of Netaji and joined the Indian National Army (INA).

As the World War II came to an end, Siddiqui was now taken prisoner by the British Army this time and put in a dungeon in Rangoon, where he spent the next six months with other INA soldiers. They were treated very badly by the British. Boiled rice and salt was the only food provided to them. As the Congress party mounted pressure on the British, the soldiers gradually started getting better treatment. They were taken out of the dungeon and given better food. They were brought to Delhi and we heard of the famous Red Fort trial of INA personnel. He was freed along with others but his ordeal was not over. He spent six months in Pune, where he was grilled by the Army intelligence till his name was removed from 'grey' category. He was then reinstated and served for two years in the Army. When Independence came in 1947 the Uttar Pradesh Government, with which he had a lien, requested for his release as there was a shortage of doctors in the state. The Army gave him two options: a permanent commission or return to civil life. He opted for the second one and joiner Uttar Pradesh Medical service.

When Saudi Arabia was yet to discover the petro dollar, it used to be a poor country. Doctors were sent on deputation to Saudi Arabia during Haj Pilgrimage to look after the pilgrims. Dr Siddiqui was sent from India. During his stay there, Dr Siddiqui would never charge consultation fee from the sick which he was entitled to. Some pilgrims, who were sick but were short of money, would hide their ailment and not seek medical help. My uncle would personally go from tent to tent to find such patients and offer them free treatment. Impressed with his work, the Indian Embassy there requested the Indian Government to post him as a permanent staff of the embassy. Dr Siddiqui thus spent 10 years in Saudi Arabia. He was accredited as vice counsel and often officiated as the ambassador when the permanent incumbent was away.

Once, when he was in Allahabad on leave, the then prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had come on a visit. The local MP then asked my uncle to join him for a meeting with Nehruji. Though reluctant, he agreed when told that it was Nehruji who had been enquiring about the doctor. That was his first meeting with Nehruji. The prime minister told him how he had to answer to questions in Parliament about my uncle’s extended stay in Saudi Arabia. Nehruji had told that though the normal tenure for deputation was three years, my uncle’s case was exceptional and in such cases rules did not apply. Nehruji had requested him to stay more, but my uncle wanted to come back as his father had not been keeping well.

Dr Siddiqui retired as a civil surgeon in mid 1970s and settled down in Allahabad. In 1994, Dr Siddiqui had a stroke and was taken to the local Government hospital in Allahabad. He was put on oxygen but the cylinder was found to be empty. A new cylinder was ordered from the stores. Sadly, this too was empty and thus Dr Siddiqui, who saved so many lives all his life, breathed his last without getting proper medical help.”

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January 23, 2012	Posted by Kaushik Deka

About the blog: Rocky Terrain

An insider's view on the socio-political developments of India's North-east.

About Kaushik Deka

Kaushik Deka hails from Tihu, a small town in Assam which was once considered a hub of ULFA and several other terrorist outfits. In the 22 years he spent in his motherland, he has had several close encounters with terrorism of various forms. Though he believes that the anti-State violent movements are a result of decades-long apathy by the Centre towards the region, insurgency in the North-east has now become an industry with many stakeholders. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Deka has co-authored a book The Secret Killings of Assam.

Indian fashion in a great moment: Spanish designer : Style File News - India Today

2012-02-16T16:02:00.000+05:30

Indian fashion in a great moment: Spanish designer : Style File News - India Today

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On Valentine's day, a museum for broken hearts : What's Hot News - India Today

2012-02-16T15:58:00.000+05:30

On Valentine's day, a museum for broken hearts : What's Hot News - India Today

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Chewing tobacco can make your genes go for toss, says study : North News - India Today

2012-02-16T15:56:00.000+05:30

Chewing tobacco can make your genes go for toss, says study : North News - India Today

Golden roses hit China on Valentine`s Day

2012-02-16T15:42:00.000+05:30

Golden roses hit China on Valentine`s Day

Beijing: Golden coloured roses, specially imported from South Korea, are selling like hot cakes in a Chinese city on Valentine`s Day.

The roses -- called ‘Golden Princess’ -- are specially coloured by a spray method, the China Daily reported.

The flowers are priced at 10,000 yuan (around $1,600) for a bunch of 52 in Guilin city of Guangxi Zhuang region.

Despite the price, the roses are in demand as customers want to express their hope for a stable relationship, which could be "harder than gold" to their beloved, a customer said.

The average price of roses in China is about 300 yuan ($48) for a bunch.

When a footman got a Valentine`s card from Diana

2012-02-16T15:41:00.000+05:30

When a footman got a Valentine`s card from Diana
London: A footman serving the British royal family 23 years ago - and who had not been lucky in love - got the surprise of his life when he received a Valentine`s Day card from Princess Diana.

Addressed "To George" in a pink envelope, the card had a picture of hearts and a teddy bear, under which a printed message read: "Hey Valentine! Not many men will receive a Valentine`s card from Princess Diana...", and inside it continued: "...and you`re one of them."

The card was sent by the princess in 1989 when she was still married to Prince Charles.

The gesture was to show that while George may have been unlucky in love, the princess still cared about him, the Daily Express reported.

The princess also added in her own hand: "To George, from Diana!"

The surname of the man named George has not been revealed.

The card, which George kept until his death, is now being sold by his family for 8,000 pounds.

PIA flight full, so two get seats in loo instead

2012-02-16T15:39:00.000+05:30

PIA flight full, so two get seats in loo instead

Islamabad: The plane was full but the toilet wasn`t. So, throwing all rules and caution to the wind, a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) captain blithely decided to accommodate two passengers in the toilet of the Lahore-Karachi flight instead.

The incident took place on a flight from Lahore to Karachi due to non-availability of seats, Geo News said on Wednesday, adding tongue in cheek that the national carrier was introducing "its amazing new service for its valued passengers".

The captain of flight PK 303 accommodated two passengers in the aircraft toilet, as all the seats in the plane were occupied.

In December last year, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had rejected a business plan submitted by the management of the country`s floundering national carrier.

Gilani said that being a commercial entity, an organisation like PIA had to work out a strategy to overcome its difficulties, make up for the losses and provide satisfactory service to its passengers.

The proposed restructuring plan includes corporate governance, financial restructuring, operational restructuring and marketing.

The prime minister had issued a stern warning to the PIA in November.

He had said: "Business as usual is unacceptable."

Recipe: Cabbage and Carrot Bhujia

2012-02-16T15:35:00.000+05:30

Recipe: Cabbage and Carrot Bhujia Recipe: Cabbage and Carrot Bhujia
Delight your dear ones in a special way by making Cabbage and Carrot bhujia.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon whole black mustard seeds
1 dried red chilli
1 cabbage, finely sliced
350 grams carrots, coarsely grated
1 green chilli, cut into thin strips and seeds removed
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons chopped, fresh coriander
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Preparation:

Heat oil in a frying pan, saute mustard seeds and dried red chilli for 1 minute. Add cabbage, carrots and green chilli. Reduce heat to low, stir-fry the vegetables for about 30 seconds. Add sugar and coriander, stir fry for another 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add lemon juice. Remove red chilli before serving.

Recipe: Damni Dhokla

2012-02-16T15:33:00.000+05:30

Recipe: Damni Dhokla Recipe: Damni Dhokla
This nutritious recipe is a good snack item. Can be served with tea.

Ingredients
1/4 cup chana dal (split bengal gram)
1/4 cup masoor dal (split red lentil)
1/4 cup urad dal (split black lentils)
1/4 cup yellow moong dal (split yellow gram)
3/4 cup par-boiled rice (ukda chawal)
1 cup sour curds (khatta dahi)
1 tbsp methia keri sambhaar
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 cup grated jaggery (gur)
salt to taste
1 tsp fruit salt
1/2 cup boiled kala chana (brown chick peas)
12-16 small almond leaves or
banana leaves (kele ka patta) (cut into small squares)

Instructions

Combine all the dals and rice together and wash well. Drain and keep aside.
Dry on a kitchen towel and blend in a mixer to a coarse powder. Keep aside.
Add the sour curds and approximately ½ cup of water and mix well to make a thick batter. Cover and keep aside to ferment for 4 to 6 hours.
Add the methia keri sambhaar, chilli powder, jaggery and salt and mix well.
Just before steaming add the fruit salt and add 2 tsp of water over it.
When the bubbles form, mix gently. Keep aside.
Roll each leaf to make a small cone and secure the edges using a tooth pick.
Place a few boiled chanas in each cone and then pour a spoonful of batter into each leaf cone and steam for 10-12 minutes. Serve hot.

Fake Sunny Leone videos flood Kolkata market

2012-02-16T15:25:00.000+05:30

Fake Sunny Leone videos flood Kolkata market

Zeenews Bureau

Kolkata: She landed in India as a porn star from the US and left the country with a mainstream Bollywood film offer. She won the hearts of a number of TV viewers and web surfers, who became instant followers of her since her stint on ‘Bigg Boss 5’.

Sunny Leone might have tried hard to santise her image of an adult film actress but people in Kolkata seem to be obsessed with her raunchy avatar.

According to a leading daily, Sunny has become a huge it in the ‘City of Joy’. She has grown so famous that fake videos of hers have flooded the market and interestingly they too have been selling like hot cakes.

In fact craze for her films have been growing day by day and CD/DVD vendors are trying their best to meet the demand.

Talking to the daily, a vendor said, “Ever since she entered ‘Bigg Boss’, demand for her porn films has gone up manifold. I sell around 20 CDs and DVDs a day on an average. Priced at 70 each, they are `original` Sunny Leone movies.”

“In one, she is a pizza delivery girl and has her encounters during one such delivery. In another, she is a schoolteacher who has all sorts of orgies. Both are very popular,” added the vendor.

“There are many fake Sunny Leone DVDs doing the rounds. You will only get the original in my shop, that`s why the price is a little high – 120,” another vendor said to the daily.

Indian-origin cabbie in Australia says ‘sexual favours for fares common’

2012-02-16T15:23:00.000+05:30

Indian-origin cabbie in Australia says ‘sexual favours for fares common’ Canberra: An Indian-origin taxi driver in Australia, who was acquitted of raping a young woman, has said that he has often been offered sexual favours as payment for fares and the practice is becoming very common in the industry.

Prabhjit Singh Gill, 37, said he knew of nearly 60 taxi drivers who had been offered sex and knew of many who took up the offers.

“You drive, you pick up a girl, and they have no money,” news.com au quoted him, as saying.

Gill, who was recently acquitted by a District Court jury in Perth of raping a 25-year-old female passenger, said he had never accepted any sexual favours for payment.

Gill’s friend, Amrit Pal Singh, was found guilty by the jury of raping the woman in the back of his cab in a North Lake carpark, while she was drunk and semi-conscious after a party.

Gill said during court hearing that he had gone to the car park to deliver drinks and had seen the pair having sex but had not had any contact with the woman.

He was cleared of the charges, but he would no longer be able to work as a taxi driver.

Is the girl in ‘Jism 2’ poster Sunny Leone?

2012-02-16T15:17:00.000+05:30

Is the girl in ‘Jism 2’ poster Sunny Leone?

Zeenews Bureau

Mumbai: Ever since the first poster of the forthcoming movie ‘Jism 2’ has been revealed, the country has gone into a frenzy of sorts regarding the identity of the body beneath the wet white sheet. Also, added to it is the fact that porn star Sunny Leone will appear in a lead role in Pooja Bhatt’s directorial venture.

Sunny Leone, however, seems to be pretty enthusiastic in bringing herself back into the limelight. Recently, she has posted a picture on her micro-blogging site, which once again has unleashed all kinds of speculations. Fans have been deriving similarities between the picture posted by Leone and the first poster of ‘Jism 2’, and if the derivations are correct, the lady beneath the veil is Sunny.

The first poster of ‘Jism 2’ had led to an avalanche of questions directed at the Bhatt Camp. However, the identity of the body in the first poster has still been kept under wraps. On being asked about the same, Pooja Bhatt had earlier said, “Let the mystery remain about who that woman is, right now it’s not relevant.”

But with Sunny Leone’s recent picture on Twitter, where she’s clad in nothing but a wet white sheet, it only remains to be seen how much longer the Bhatts are able to retain their secret. A tweet read, “Sunny has killed it for Pooja Bhatt, now the cat is out.”

Is the mystery woman Sunny Leone? Or is it just another picture from the pon star and has nothing to do with her movie? Let us wait for answers!

J.Lo poses nude for new perfume ad

2012-02-16T15:16:00.000+05:30

J.Lo poses nude for new perfume ad London: Men with a healthier skin colour are more attractive to women than those with a masculine face, a new study has claimed.

For the study, researchers used photographs of 34 Caucasian and 41 black African men’s faces in controlled conditions to measure the skin colour of their faces.

It revealed that women found men more attractive if they had a more “golden” colour skin.

Ian Stephen, the study leader from the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, used a new computer technique to measure mathematically how masculine faces are.

“The attractive colour in our face is affected by our health - especially by the amount of colourful antioxidant carotenoid pigments we get from fruit and vegetables in our diet,” the Daily Mail quoted Stephen as saying.

“They are thought to be good for our immune and reproductive systems, making us healthy and increasing fertility.

“The masculinity of the face had no effect on the attractiveness of the face,” he said.

According to Stephen, when humans find a member of the opposite sex attractive their brains are telling them they are an appropriate mate.

In evolutionary terms, people who are recognised as healthy fertile mates will be more successful at having offspring.

Stephen also believes eating your five a day will make you look better than a tan would.

“Most people think the best way to improve skin colour is to get a suntan, but our research shows that eating lots of fruit and vegetables is actually more effective.

“Our study shows that being healthy may be the best way for men to look attractive.

“We know that you can achieve a more healthy looking skin colour by eating more fruit and vegetables, so that would be a good start,” he added.

ANI

Women more attracted to men with healthy ‘golden’ skin

2012-02-16T15:14:00.000+05:30

Women more attracted to men with healthy ‘golden’ skin London: Men with a healthier skin colour are more attractive to women than those with a masculine face, a new study has claimed.

Why Do Women Fake Orgasms?

2012-02-16T15:13:00.000+05:30

Why Do Women Fake Orgasms?

Wouldn’t it be better if you told him the sex was terrible than to fake the orgasm? Read about the 5 most common reasons why women fake orgasms.

Faking an orgasm does nothing more in the long run than bring dissatisfaction to a woman because she starts to feels she is not sexually satisfied. If you lie to your partner, he will never be able to figure out what makes you go weak at the knees. You also don’t give him a chance to try harder and improve himself. Instead, you are encouraging him to go in the opposite direction – you convince him that what he is doing is incredible. Despite this, almost every woman has faked an orgasm or two while some do it all the time. Some women are even better at faking an orgasm than reaching it. Let’s take a look at the reasons why.

Reason why women fake orgasms: Bad sex

Let’s be honest. Not every sexual act is good. When a man really wants his partner to reach an orgasm and he tries as hard as he can but the woman still can’t get into the zone, intercourse can sometimes become boring to her. This often happens when the sex is superficial and the woman sees the act (consciously or subconsciously) as something tedious and she feels no special erotic connection to the man she is doing it with. If she knows that an orgasm is the only way to end this action, she has no other choice but to fake it.

Reason why women fake orgasms: The orgasm isn’t coming

It’s hard to deal with women who have a hard time reaching an orgasm or even never reach it. You have to know them well, listen to their bodies and play the notes that turn them on. Sometimes women are ashamed of this characteristic so they don’t tell their partners about it and they rather fake an orgasm than face hundreds of questions about why they never reach a climax.

Reason why women fake orgasms: Lack of time

Faking an orgasm because there is no time for sex is typical of women who are rational and career-oriented. Many people would also call them realists. When it comes to counting down the last minutes of intercourse, they can’t relax because they can hardly wait for the intercourse to pass, so they can focus on their responsibilities. They view sex as just one more thing on their tight work schedule, instead of seeing it as something they could enjoy and something that would relax them. Because they feel no real, unlimited and free relaxation in such intercourse, they often fake their orgasms. It’s also true that women in such circumstances often don’t care whether they reach an orgasm or not.

Reason why women fake orgasms: The mood isn’t right

Even though there’s an urban myth that men are more horny than women, you shouldn’t be naive and believe it blindly. According to the general statistics, it’s true that men are much hornier than women and that unlike women they are always up for it. But the idea is flawed. Both men and women are not always in the mood, no matter how much their partners try to convince them to have sex. It may happen that the excuse of having a headache will not work and women eventually relent and have sex. In case the woman stays in her previous mood despite the hot action, she might want to make the action during the sheets stop as soon as she can. How? By faking an orgasm.

Reason why women fake orgasms: As a compliment

A man who doesn’t know what he is doing can be very cute. In such case it is much better if the woman tries to instruct her partner and resort to acting only if nothing else works. Many times, the lessons about her erogenous zones, clitoris, vagina and so on turn into something totally different than what she expected and the man can turn into a freshman taking a tough exam or an engineer without spontaneity instead of becoming a great, experienced and well-taught lover. If nothing else, women can fake it as a sign of gratitude for all the trouble the man has gone through because he followed the class diligently and because he worked so hard to make her come.

Anyway, just like the mountain won`t come to Muhammad, the orgasm will also not come on its own accord, unless you do something about it. For a start, it will be enough if you tell your partner what feels good to you. If you find it hard to put it into words, you can also show him how you do it when you’re alone – this will arouse him even more and it will also bring pleasure to you. Don’t fake an orgasm! Have fun in bed with your partner, focus on your feelings and don’t concern yourself with reaching an orgasm. Enjoy the sex itself and if you reach an orgasm, so much the better.

Intimatemedicine.com

Sherlyn Chopra strips to nude for fans!

2012-02-16T15:08:00.000+05:30

Sherlyn Chopra strips to nude for fans!

Mumbai: Sherlyn Chopra, who garnered fame post her stint of reality TV ‘Bigg Boss 3’, has proved that she is really “bold”. Not that we weren’t aware of her “dare to bare all” attitude but this one comes as a shock.
.

But that did not stop the actress from uploading another nude picture of hers’.

“Thx a ton for all ur wishes!! Here`s one more on public demand !!! I was born this way!!!(sic), Chopra tweeted.

It’s quite apparent that Sherlyn loves wearing her “birthday suit” after all…it comes for free, isn’t it?

First Published: Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 19:44

Now, fulfilling your ‘Mile High’ sex fantasy gets cheaper!

2012-02-16T15:05:00.000+05:30

Now, fulfilling your ‘Mile High’ sex fantasy gets cheaper!
London: A company has offered couples private airplane rides to join the “Mile High Club” for just 425 dollars.

Dave MacDonald, who operates Flamingo Air, has helped thousands of amorous couples join the club in the back of his cramped Piper Cherokee airplane in the skies above Cincinnati, Ohio.

This is the only service in the country offering discreet flights to allow couples to fulfil their fantasy of having sex in an airplane.

A thin curtain is all the separates the customers “getting it on” in the cabin and MacDonald, who is flying the airplane.
“Thank God we wear headsets,” the Daily Mail quoted MacDonald as telling WCPO-TV in Cincinnati.

“What goes on behind the curtain is no concern of ours. It is a matter of professionalism, our customers expect that. If I ever wrote a book it would be great,” he said.

Discretion is one of the selling points Flamingo Air uses as a selling point for its sex flight charters.

As such, MacDonald, who founded the company with his wife, was short on salacious details about past flights.

“I have had a high heel in my ear once, been shot in the back of the head with a champagne cork,” he said.

Many passengers dress for the occasion and it’s common for the ladies to wear coats to board the plane and have nothing on underneath.

Paying to have sex in the back of a small turbo prop plane isn’t the normal image of a couple reaching the “Mile High Club”.

Normally, it involves sexual activity in the cramped bathroom of a commercial airliner.

However, for the couples who would just as soon avoid the risk of being caught or the awkwardness of making love in a lavatory, Flamingo Air offers a cushioned loved seat in a private airplane for 425 dollars an hour.

The flight, as the company advertises, includes a champagne, chocolates and “one very discreet pilot”.

About 90 percent of the people who book the flights are women, hoping to bring a spark or a little adventure back into their relationships. Some are even trying to save their marriages.

The service has attracted a wide array of people. Customers have included a man celebrating his 80th birthday and even a blind date.

“That was real interesting,” MacDonald said.

The flight can be a relationship killer, too.

At least five men have refused to go after their wives booked the trip -- and those marriages ultimately ended in divorce.
One couple even conceived a child aboard the plane.

9 couples get married naked on V-Day at Jamaican beach - Indian Express

2012-02-16T14:25:00.002+05:30

9 couples get married naked on V-Day at Jamaican beach - Indian Express Nine tourist couples tied the knot in the buff at a sun-baked beach in Jamaica on Valentine’s Day.

Getting married nude meant living out a fantasy for Milly Salas, a stay-at-home mom from Bergen County, New Jersey, who had never visited a nudist resort before.

“It was beautiful. It was like a fairy tale,” Fox News quoted 39-year-old Salas as saying shortly after the nude nuptials at Hedonism II, a resort for the pleasure-seeking crowd in Negril, a western tourist town in the largely conservative, tourism-dependent island.

According to Zein Issa-Nakash, a marketing vice president of Superclubs, which owns Hedonism, the promise of a Valentine’s Day wedding and complimentary four-night stay attracted over 100 engaged couples from the US and Canada, but only 10 were chosen as part of a nude wedding contest.

One couple dropped out before the big day, which was filmed by a documentary TV crew.

Kevin Young, of Land O’ Lakes, Florida, said walking around au naturale is what he’s used to since he lives in a nudist community. Getting married without clothes was a no-brainer for Young and his new wife, Shannon Witherspoon. He said that even body paint was too much for him.

“It was easy for us cause we’re used to it. But some of these other people had never been naked before outside their bedroom. I got to give them kudos, cause they really stepped up and did the full monte thing and got naked,” Young said during a phone call from Negril.

... contd.

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China asks US to honour its commitment on Tibet - Indian Express

2012-02-16T14:15:00.001+05:30

China asks US to honour its commitment on Tibet - Indian Express Visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping has asked the US to honour its commitment of 'One-China' policy on Taiwan and oppose the Tibetan independence.

"We hope that the US will truly honour its commitment on recognising Tibet as part of China and opposing Tibet independence and will handle Tibet-related issues in a prudent and proper manner," Xi said in a luncheon co-hosted by the US-China Business Council and the National Committee on US-China Relations.

Xi's remarks came as a large number of Tibetan Americans have been protesting outside the White House and other parts of the city against his visit, demanding freedom from China.

The peaceful demonstration organized by Tibetan youths is in contrast to the view point of the Dalai Lama, who seeks autonomy for Tibet and considers Tibet as part of China.

Whereas these youths argue that they want freedom from China. The White House yesterday confirmed that the issue of Tibet was raised by it when Xi met President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday. In his remarks, Xi hoped that the US will honour its commitment on Taiwan too.

"We hope that the US will adhere to the three Sino-US joint communiques and the One-China Policy, oppose Taiwan independence and support the peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Straits with concrete actions," he said.

"Given the differences in current national conditions and in historical and cultural backgrounds between China and the United States, it is only natural that we have some differences on the issue of human rights," Xi said.

... contd.

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Weight loss 'can be contagious' - Indian Express

2012-02-16T14:13:00.001+05:30

Weight loss 'can be contagious' - Indian Express Believe it or not, weight loss is "contagious". This is the conclusion of a new study which included an Indian-origin researcher.

Dr Rajiv Kumar and colleagues from the Miriam Hospital and Alpert Medical School have found that teammates in a team based weight loss competition significantly influenced each other's weight loss, the 'Obesity' journal reported.

In fact, the researchers found that the team members not only achieved similar weight loss outcomes, but participants who said their teammates played a large role in their weight loss actually lost the most weight.

"We know that obesity can be socially contagious, but now we know that social networks play a significant role in weight loss as well particularly team-based weight loss competitions," said team leader Tricia Leahey.

"In our study, weight loss clearly clustered within teams, which suggests that teammates influenced each other, perhaps by providing accountability, setting expectations of weight loss, and providing encouragement and support," she

said in a release issued by the Miriam Hospital.

The findings are based on the results of the 2009 Shape Up Rhode Island campaign, a 12-week statewide online weight loss competition designed by Dr Kumar.

In the study, participants joined with a team and could compete against other teams in three divisions: weight loss, physical activity and pedometer steps.

The weight loss competition included 3,330 overweight or obese individuals, representing 987 teams averaging between five and 11 members each. The majority of these individuals enrolled in all three divisions.

Weight loss outcomes were clearly determined by which team an individual was on. Participants who lost clinically significant amounts of weight (at least 5 per cent of their initial body weight) tended to be on the same teams, and being on a team with more teammates in the weight loss division was also associated with a greater weight loss.

... contd.

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Now, fulfilling your ‘Mile High’ sex fantasy gets cheaper! - Indian Express

2012-02-16T14:11:00.001+05:30

Now, fulfilling your ‘Mile High’ sex fantasy gets cheaper! - Indian Express

Now, fulfilling your ‘Mile High’ sex fantasy

A company has offered couples private airplane rides to join the “Mile High Club” for just 425 dollars.

Dave MacDonald, who operates Flamingo Air, has helped thousands of amorous couples join the club in the back of his cramped Piper Cherokee airplane in the skies above Cincinnati, Ohio.

This is the only service in the country offering discreet flights to allow couples to fulfil their fantasy of having sex in an airplane.

A thin curtain is all the separates the customers “getting it on” in the cabin and MacDonald, who is flying the airplane.

“Thank God we wear headsets,” the Daily Mail quoted MacDonald as telling WCPO-TV in Cincinnati.

“What goes on behind the curtain is no concern of ours. It is a matter of professionalism, our customers expect that. If I ever wrote a book it would be great,” he said.

Discretion is one of the selling points Flamingo Air uses as a selling point for its sex flight charters.

As such, MacDonald, who founded the company with his wife, was short on salacious details about past flights.

“I have had a high heel in my ear once, been shot in the back of the head with a champagne cork,” he said.

Many passengers dress for the occasion and it’s common for the ladies to wear coats to board the plane and have nothing on underneath.

Paying to have sex in the back of a small turbo prop plane isn’t the normal image of a couple reaching the “Mile High Club”.

... contd.

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Zafar ka Safar - Indian Express

2012-02-16T14:07:00.001+05:30

Zafar ka Safar - Indian Express Ali Zafar’s first visit to India was in 2005, a time when he was promoting his debut album Huqa Paani. While travelling through the country, the Pakistani musician noticed the impact Bollywood has on people. He reminisces, “I remember telling my friend, ‘Idhar Bollywood hi Bollywood hai yaar. Even I want to be a part of it’.” The friend, however, had discouraged Zafar, explaining that the industry is already brimming with talent and that if no other Pakistani actors have succeeded in Bollywood previously, he has little chance. But Zafar had been adamant. “I told my friend that I didn’t know how, but I will make it,” laughs the actor. It is probably this conviction, combined with hard work and the much-needed stroke of luck, that has paid off for him. Now, he considers himself a “permanent” member of Bollywood.

When Zafar started out as a musician in Pakistan in 2003, acting was just a hobby. “I did a few TV shows in my country, including the popular College Jeans. This was only to earn some pocket money so that I could record my music albums,” he states. But the popularity of his albums, made him a familiar face in the subcontinent. And that is how director Abhishek Sharma spotted him. It was in Sharma’s film Tere Bin Laden (TBL) in 2010 that Zafar made his Bollywood debut.

A political satire, TBL was a hit and the industry welcomed the actor into the fold. He followed this up with another box-office success, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan in 2011. But Zafar’s biggest-project-yet is Anu Menon’s London Paris New York where he plays the solo male lead for the first time. Apart from that, the musician-actor has also composed the music for the film and lent his voice to his character. Later in the year, he will be seen in David Dhawan’s remake of Chashme Buddoor, where he will reinterpret the role Faroque Shaikh played in the original.

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Lt Col MS Dhoni clicks for Territorial Army, almost doubles entries - Indian Express

2012-02-16T13:37:00.001+05:30

Lt Col MS Dhoni clicks for Territorial Army, almost doubles entries - Indian ExpressTeam India’s performance in Australia may have dashed fans’ hopes, but skipper MS Dhoni, in his smart avatar in uniform, gave more than what the Territorial Army (TA) had been hoping for.

The city-based TA Group Headquarters revealed that ‘Lt Col MS Dhoni’s photograph in the rank of a lieutenant colonel yielded an overwhelming response to call for entries to the TA, from across the command area.

The TA Group HQ, Southern Command, which held its Preliminary Interview Board (PIB) written test recently received 6,966 applications of which 2,900 finally appeared. Both numbers are almost 1.5 times of what was seen the previous exam. And while the TA Group HQ has been systematically carrying out awareness programmes such as performance of the TA band in the Southern Command area and showing a movie about TA at various locations, credit is being given to mainly Dhoni, besides shooter Abhinav Bindra who have done the job of TA brand ambassadors. Both were given the rank of honorary Lt Colonels in November.

Talking to The Indian Express, Brigadier I P S Gill, Commander, TA Group HQ, Southern Command, said, “Both Dhoni and Bindra are icons and act as brand ambassadors for TA. Besides, we also held a number of events to create awareness about TA. The concept of TA is unique and it is important to reach out to people in as many ways as possible. Any gainfully employed individual in the specified age group, if spared by his employer for at least two months a year, is eligible for the TA.”

... contd.

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Today's Photo Gallery, Picture News Gallery:Indian Express

2012-02-16T13:36:00.000+05:30

Today's Photo Gallery, Picture News Gallery:Indian Express

1/492

Today's Pics

Model walks the ramp in Anupama Dayal show at the WIFW Autumn Winter 2012 collection in New Delhi. (Express photo: Tashi Tobgyal)

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Outspoken Bling - Indian Express

2012-02-16T12:26:00.001+05:30

Outspoken Bling - Indian Express Despite disparities in spending power and taste, buyers of Indian fashion can be easily deconstructed. Especially now that the market is like a young adult having left its juvenile dilemmas behind. Designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil seem to have further simplified this deconstruction. Their show, which kicked off the Autumn-Winter 2012 edition of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week at Pragati Maidan in Delhi on Wednesday, was — to use a tired expression — besotted with cling and bling. Saleable, wearable and marketable garments under the label S&N Drape came down the ramp, brightening up the mildly cold February afternoon but dulling the anticipation for something new, something surprising and something unseen.

Bling was outspoken and bold; it made a good case for itself. Gold, glitter and bronze, sequins and lace, fitted drapes, sensuous cuts, embroidery and cutwork. If you cared for a blazing bolt of colour, there was an unapologetically brash orange. If nude provokes your style, oh, there was enough to keep you engrossed through both autumn and winter. There was something for the socialite, the red carpet diva, the bride-to-be, the model and the memsahib. Everything and more that the Indian market believes is fashion was there in this collection. This was also its limitation. It failed to offer a comment or mentor a new idea for a fashion devotee.

It is easy to see why Shantanu and Nikhil are very successful, why they will always find sponsors and Bollywood show-stoppers when they need them. Arguably, it would be difficult to look uncool in a S&N Drape. It’d also be difficult to look distinctive. There is an aesthetic but without a strong language. The garments are excellently finished but without a remarkably wondrous presence. Dia Mirza and Sameera Reddy may not agree. Both looked cheerful and charming as the designers called them from the front row to walk down the ramp for the final bow. Good fashion, maybe. Not great.

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US, Europe plan to hit Iran - Indian Express

2012-02-16T12:23:00.001+05:30

US, Europe plan to hit Iran - Indian ExpressThe US and Europe are weighing unprecedented punishment against Iran that could cripple the country’s financial lifeline but result in higher oil prices for the US and its allies. Underscoring the potential costs, Iran on Wednesday warned ambassadors of Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Greece and Portugal, in Tehran, that it would cut oil exports.

The Obama administration wants Iran evicted from SWIFT, an independent financial clearinghouse that is crucial to the country’s overseas oil sales. That would leapfrog the current slow-pressure campaign of sanctions aimed at persuading Iran to drop what the US and its allies contend is a drive toward developing and building nuclear weapons. It also perhaps would buy time for the US to persuade Israel not to launch a pre-emptive military strike on Iran this spring.

But it’s an extreme option in the banking world that would come with its own costs, oil prices could soar, even as many of the world’s economies are frail. In the financial world, the US can’t order SWIFT to kick Iran out. But it has leverage in that it can punish the organisation’s board of directors. Talks are focused now on having Europe make the first move.

‘Iran jeopardising world peace’
Jerusalem: Asking the international community to draw a “red line” against Iran’s support to acts of terrorism, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday accused Tehran of “jeopardising” world peace. “Iran is the biggest exporter of terror in the world. Iran’s terror operations are now exposed for all to see,” Netanyahu said during a Knesset (Israeli parliament) plenum, a day after a botched terror attack in Thailand, which Israel believe was meant to target its ambassador in Bangkok. PTI

Soon, govt will keep track of where every mobile phone user is - Indian Express

2012-02-16T12:21:00.001+05:30

Soon, govt will keep track of where every mobile phone user is - Indian ExpressThe government is looking to track all mobile phone users.

As per amendments made to operators’ licences, beginning May 31, operators would have to provide the Department of Telecommunications real-time details of users’ locations in latitudes and longitudes.

Documents obtained by The Indian Express show that details shall initially be provided for mobile numbers specified by the government. Within three years, service providers will have to provide information on locations of all users.

The information will have some margin of error at first. But by 2013, at least 60 per cent of the calls in urban areas would have to be accurately tracked when made 100 metres away from the nearest cell tower. By 2014, the government will seek to increase the proportion to 75 per cent in cities and 50 per cent in suburban and rural areas.

For calls made 300 metres from the nearest cell tower, accurate coordinates will be required for 95 per cent in cities and 60 per cent in towns and villages at the end of two years.

The changes in licence terms also include making service providers completely responsible for the security of their networks. Licence holders would pay a fine of Rs 50 crore for any breach of security. The government can also start criminal proceedings for a breach.

The planned increase in mobile phone surveillance comes as the DoT sets up a centralised monitoring system (CMS) to tap mobile phones instantly. “In the existing system, secrecy can be easily compromised due to manual intervention while in CMS these functions will be performed on secured electronic links,” Sachin Pilot, MoS, Communications and IT, told Parliament recently.

... contd.

Today's Photo Gallery, Picture News Gallery:Indian Express

2012-02-16T12:18:00.000+05:30

Today's Photo Gallery, Picture News Gallery:Indian Express

Footage shows 3 Iranian bomb suspects walking down a street in Bangkok after the first blast at an explosives-filled house where they were staying. (AP)

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Experts list out what troubles Indian entrepreneurs - Business Today

2012-02-15T20:31:00.000+05:30

Experts list out what troubles Indian entrepreneurs - Business Today

How India can nurture its entrepreneurs

Experts list out what troubles Indian entrepreneurs

Taslima Khan Edition: May 29, 2011

"Given the same resources, an Indian entrepreneur would survive longer than one in California," says Professor Philip Anderson, who teaches entrepreneurship at the international business school, INSEAD.

Thanks to their tenacity and the spirit of jugaad, Indian entrepreneurs shine in the global marketplace. Yet on a global index of 'Ease of Doing Business' recently released by the World Bank, India ranks 133 out of 183 countries. It shows that given a more conducive environment, Indian start-ups could do much better.

Business Today's Taslima Khan asked five experts to discuss the problems Indian entrepreneurs confront and what can be done to reduce them.

WHAT AILS INDIAN ENTREPRENEURS
1.	Mentor the young, says Lakhshmi K Venkatesan
2.	Tap potential of rural entrepreneurs: Anil K Gupta
3.	Grassroots training is important, says Nandini Vaidyanathan
4.	Teach the art of selling and innovation: Mahesh Murthy
5.	Pradeep Gupta on how to take your start-up to next level

India's high networth individuals' number grows 20 per cent - Business Today

2012-02-15T20:11:00.000+05:30

India's high networth individuals' number grows 20 per cent - Business Today

Indian HNI Population on the Rise

India's high networth individuals' number grows 20 per cent

Pritam P Hans Edition: November 2011

The number of high net worth individuals (HNIs or individuals with investable assets of $1 million or more) in India has grown for the second straight year.

India's HNI population grew at 20.8% to 1.53,000 in 2010 compared with 1,26,700 in 2009, according to the 2011 Asia-Pacific Wealth Report by Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management and Capgemini. The cumulative wealth of Indian HNIs grew by 22% in 2009-10 to Rs 28,60,000 crore from a year ago.

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Asia-Pacific's HNI population 2010 has exceeded that of Europe, making it the second largest market after North America. Asia-Pacific's HNI population grew 9.7% to 3.3 million in 2010. Japan remained the largest HNI segment in Asia-Pacific, accounting for 52.5% of the region's HNIs, followed by China (16.1%) and Australia (5.8%).

ceo@gujarat.in - Business Today - Business News

2012-02-15T20:09:00.000+05:30

ceo@gujarat.in - Business Today - Business News

ceo@gujarat.in

Anand Adhikari Edition: Jan 23, 2011

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi

It is towards the end of 2008, and, aviation entrepreneur G.R. Gopinath gets a call from Gandhinagar, Gujarat's capital. D.K. Rao, the state's Principal Secretary handling infrastructure, wants to meet the man who introduced Indians to low-cost air travel to discuss a business idea.

Soon, they meet twice in Mumbai. Rao is under direct instructions from Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is upset that there are no flights between Gujarat's cities and towns. Gopinath flies to Ahmedabad to meet the man who is as famed for running a tight ship by way of administration as he is vilified for polarising the majority Hindus and minority Muslims and Christians like never before under his rule.

Gopinath explains that he has hardly any role in Kingfisher Airlines, which he has merged his airline Air Deccan with. The ex-army pilot offers to operate cargo flights of his new venture, Deccan 360. Modi agrees but does not give up his agenda. He asks Gopinath to get going on both projects and before parting, jocularly warns: "Be quick on your project. We are faster than you."

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Come summer, if all goes according to plan, Deccan Aviation, a Gopinath venture, will begin operating air taxis in the state. Details are under wraps, but in a first-of-its-kind in India, the government will meet any shortfall in ticket revenues. The state has also offered to let Deccan 360 use a new airport outside Ahmedabad as a cargo hub.

In other states, says Gopinath, it is difficult to meet a chief minister as he is surrounded by hundreds of people, most of them seeking redressal of personal grievances. Modi, Gopinath says, avoids such meetings. "That is because, he thinks the system should take care of them," says the Bangalore businessman. "On the other hand, he proactively approaches or readily meets people bringing proposals that can create jobs."

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This single-minded pursuit of business without any middlemen makes Modi's A team arguably the most-loved among all states by Indian - and, increasingly, foreign - businessmen.

The political class and bureaucracy speak the same language, so there is no confusion. Contrast that with the government in Karnataka, which is bumbling from one crisis to another besides battling charges of corruption. Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa "is not able to deliver because his MLAs are torn apart in several camps and the CM finds his hands tied," says Gopinath.

Modi, a fit 60-year-old, is obsessive about his daily routine, say those around him. He wakes up early - typically between 4 and 5 a.m. - and practises yoga. He then logs on to the Internet to check on the news.

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