Keep the love alive!

Love works in bizarre ways. Least expected can do wonders, while the tried and tested tricks can end up in dud! Here come some handy tips to tickle the love button...

Reach into his pocket for the keys
Well, more than just the keys. The lesson is: Never underestimate the power of an unexpected touch. Just by stimulating your partner’s nerve endings when they’re not prepared for it, you create a positive physical connection that leaves your lover wanting more.

Keep him out of the loop
Remember, the less you tell him, the more interested he’ll become in you. So to hook him in, when you’re chatting, give him the conclusion of the conversation first. For instance, “I got the job,” and then stop and wait. You’ve gotten his attention, now let them draw out the details.

Make small changes for big results
The trick to activate desire is to depart from your everyday look. Maybe take a break from your trousers routine and move around in an evening gown.

Compliment your lover the right way
There’s a trick to buttering up your lover right. Make the compliment obscure and exclusive and it will sound more genuine. He may dismiss your flattery with a wave of the hand, but deep down, he’ll be loving every second of it.

Give your lover a sensory flashback
Think about when you first fell for your partner. What reminds you both of that time. Figure it out and you’ve found the secret to conjuring up that new-love rush. Your lover will experience something that they associate with falling in love with you; those intense, sensual memories will trigger a positive physical reaction and generate instant longing.

Check out competition
Love works in bizarre ways. If you want to renew your partner’s passion for you, slyly capture the eye of someone attractive. It adds a bit of jealousy and a lot of attention.

To stoke your lover’s interest, trail someone with your gaze or flash a flirty smile at one of his friends when you know you’re being watched. And it never hurts to make an extra bit of effort with your looks when you know you’ll be in a situation where others will admire you. Just the possibility of others eyeing you all night will definitely make them appreciate that they’re lucky to have you.

Reliance refinery test runs by Sept - source

Reliance Industries plans to test-run its huge new refinery by September, a little later than expected, and has started filling its tanks with extra Saudi crude oil, a top company official told Reuters.

Oil traders are counting down the days to the commissioning of the 580,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) plant, which will soak up excess heavy Middle East crude supplies and export high-quality gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to markets around the world.

Industry sources said in April that Reliance had initially hoped to begin test runs in July, still months ahead of its official December target, but even a September start would show remarkable speed for a $6 billion project that will make its Jamnagar site the world’s biggest refining complex.

"Trial runs will begin in August-September as we started filling tankages this month only," the official, who did not want to be named, said on Wednesday.

He said the additional Saudi crude would feed the new plant, run by subsidiary Reliance Petroleum adjacent to an existing 660,000 bpd plant on the west Indian coast.

"We will continue to buy extra barrels from Saudi Arabia in August as the new refinery start-up is ready. We started filling in the tank and started filling the lines and storages," he said.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, pledged to boost production to 9.7 million bpd this month, the highest in more than 30 years and an increase of 550,000 bpd versus May.

Reliance Industries has said it had signed up to take 30 percent of any incremental Saudi supply, but most Asian refiners turned down offers of extra barrels in June and July amid weaker demand in Japan and loss-making margins in China.

Last week, Reliance Petroleum said the new unit was 94 percent complete and pre-commissioning activities were proceeding at a hectic pace, reiterating that the refinery was on course to be completed ahead of its initial target of December.

The refinery, in which Chevron Corp holds a 5 percent stake, will have the ability to process cheap, low-grade crude into gasoline and diesel that meet strict Western standards.

Like its existing refinery, which turned India from being Asia’s largest diesel importer to a net exporter nine years ago, the new plant is expected to make waves in the oil market.

"It will change the market structure for sure, both on the crude and products side," said an Asian trader.

Reliance has been more active on the Middle East crude market in the past two months, buying at least one cargo of heavy sour Qatari Al Shaheen crude for August loading, and some lighter Abu Dhabi Murban crude, which traders said may feed to the new plant.

Mind set: Heart of forgiveness

There is a lot of darkness , disharmony and suffering in our world today, a lot of injustice, and violence. And what we must realise is that we are the reason behind all this. Indeed , the state of much of our outer world is created by the fact that many of us live very split and disconbobulated inner lives; many of us are stuck in very unhealthy conflicts, fixated in great sadness, despair and anger, all of which is continually seeping out of us and contaminating our society. I therefore believe that if we wish to move forward and create a better world, we need a lot of healing of our past.

And here, a very integral part of this process of letting go of the past, lies in our ability to forgive. Indeed, we must never underestimate just how many conflicts and how much suffering still persists, because so many of us are so rigid and unyielding and not only have very little idea about how to forgive but also wholly fail to recognise the importance of it.

Evidence of the importance of forgiveness lies in the fact that all spiritual traditions give it a central place. One of the main reasons why it is not easy to is because deep wounding can bind us in a perverse way to the source of our pain, resulting in our remaining very fixated in and therefore attached to, our suffering. And essentially , what forgiveness asks of us, is that we learn to let go. Let us imagine that something terrible will have happened to us, say, that we will have been betrayed, abused or tortured in some way, or that those we love are stolen from us. What we will tend to feel is great outrage, the sense that something very precious and sacred to us and that gives our lives meaning, will have been stolen from us. And here the outrage, together with all the suffering accompanying it, can become the new meaning to fill our void! Forgetting that we turn into what we hate, the sense of having been wronged can create in us the illusion of our own purity.

In our minds, we become all good, and those whom we feel will have hurt or betrayed us, all bad. Thus we may feel justified in giving vent to our destructive tendencies we are now allowed, in return, to rape , pillage, torture, abuse and try to destroy those we perceive as our destroyers . To forgive them would deny us this luxury! Such scenarios can be further exacerbated by the fact that many of us can carry deep wounds that seem unconnected with anything that would appear to have happened to us personally. Many report carrying deep cellular memories of ancestral, racial or religious violence relating to incidents they have no personal knowledge of. And many of these old enmities are surfacing powerfully at this moment because we are living at a very special time i believe a new culture of love is currently wanting to emerge and is doing its very best to break through into our awareness.

Put another way, we are all living at a time of great spiritual awakening, where much spiritual light is now emerging on our planet. And one of the effects of spiritual light is to expose or illumine for us, the dark and cobwebby areas that obscure it, not only inside each of us personally, but also within humanity collectively and within our world globally. So, given these many challenges, how then, do we forgive? Here, the first thing to bear in mind is that situations requiring forgiveness always involve conflict and that conflict can never be solved at the level that it exists at. It can only be solved at a higher level of consciousness, at a level where oppositions begin to converge as opposed to fight.

To forgive, then, whether it be ourselves, another person, another race or a nation, or whatever, what is essential is that we be in a place of being able to raise our awareness to a level higher than that in which the original perceived wounding occurred. So long as we still remain caught in our old dramas, no resolution is possible. The bigger our egos, the harder it is to forgive and the less we will be motivated to want to do so! I maintain, then, that in order to forgive, we have to be able to open our hearts, for it is essentially only with our hearts that we can experience our true self worth. I believe that the more open our hearts are, the more we are able to access the kind of wisdom that enables us to understand what lies behind why certain painful things will have taken place.

It is only inside our hearts that we discover the wherewithal to let bygones be bygones, the humility to give up our self righteousness, the compassion and the generosity of spirit to love those who have hurt us, together with the spiritual intelligence to understand how forgiveness brings freedom. When our hearts begin to open, we only want justice and truth; everyone increasingly becomes our brother and sister and less and less is there the space to have enemies , for we are no longer interested in exacting revenge.

The more open our hearts are, therefore, the stronger we are and therefore, the greater are our possibilities for forgiveness. Indeed, inside our inner hearts exists a veritable alchemical laboratory whose fire not only allows us to transmute and burn up our grief, but also empowers us recognize the deeper purpose behind why certain things happen as they do, even if those things are painful and terrible. I believe all these perspectives are necessary if genuine forgiveness is to take place. One might say at this stage: “It is all very well saying all this. but how can our hearts open in such circumstances?” Surely, the effect of our wounding is to keep them crushed and closed. Surely, to experience courage and strength and self esteem in such instances, is not possible! While I agree that this can sometimes be the case, it is not always so with everyone.

We remember that in the act of forgiving those who may have hurt us, we not only help re-humanise them, but we also do the same for ourselves. To forgive, then, is an important part of our own transformational process. It is also a significant form of service. And one powerful way of helping activate this space is to make a daily practice of seeking to behave in a loving and generous-spirited way towards everyone we encounter. I have met people who were so practiced at this, that one could say of them that their very presence radiated the spirit of forgiveness. However, please remember that the cultivation of such presence cannot and does not, happen overnight and we must be patient and learn to live gradually into our forgiveness. While we will begin our journey calling out to it, searching for it, we may end it by the spirit of forgiveness drawing us ever closer into its own heart.

Tax returns: Some don't need to panic

If you have deposited all your tax, or your due taxes have been deducted by your employer or you are not claiming a major amount as refund, you need not rush to the income tax office. In fact, if you have no losses to be carried forward too, you need not worry about meeting the July 31 deadline.

You have the option to file your returns by March 31, 2009, without any penalty. Many aren’t aware of this. Software engineer Sidharth Masaldaan’s company had already deducted his taxes, but he didn’t know he could file his returns by March 31, 2009.

"It was only a day before I filed my returns that I saw a blog posting that talks about this. I feel our companies should create more awareness about filing returns," says Masaldaan. "They just distribute our Form 16 and sometimes, hold a session with a financial consultant. But one can’t always make the time."

However, if the return is filed by July 31, 2008, then the assessee can revise the return by March 31, 2010. "Such revision is not possible if you file after July 31," says Sanjay Dhariwal, director of tax firm DNS Consulting.

Divya Chatterjee (26), a media professional, had to cough up nearly Rs 40,000 besides the normal tax deduction from her salary.

"I joined a new company mid year and the new company did not take into account my income for the first six months. Companies should realise that when employees join them in the middle of the year, they have to show income from other sources in the Form 16," says Chatterjee.

Prenatal mobile exposure dangerous

Children whose mothers used cellphones frequently during pregnancy and who are themselves cellphone users are more likely to have behavior problems, new research shows.

The finding “certainly shouldn’t be over interpreted, but nevertheless points in a direction where further research is needed,” Leeka Kheifets of the UCLA School of Public Health, who helped conduct the study, said.

Kheifets and her team looked at a group of 13,159 children whose mothers had been recruited to participate in the Danish National Birth Cohort study. When the kids reached age 7, mothers were asked to complete a questionnaire about their children’s behavior and health, as well as the mother’s own mobile use in pregnancy and the child’s use of mobiles.

After the researchers adjusted for factors that could influence the results, such as a mother’s psychiatric problems and socioeconomic factors, children with both prenatal and postnatal cell phone exposure were 80% more likely to have abnormal or borderline scores on tests evaluating emotional problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity, or problems with peers.

Risks were higher for children exposed prenatally only, compared with those exposed only postnatally, but were lower than for children exposed at both time points.

Kheifets and her colleagues note that a foetus’s exposure to radiofrequency fields by a mother’s cellphone use is likely very small. However, they add, research has shown that children using cell phones are exposed to more radiofrequency energy than adults, because their ears and brains are smaller.

India fund firms face post-boom profit crunch

India’s fund management industry, in boom mode for the better part of the decade, is facing a major slump in profitability as investment flows shrink, competition mounts and operating costs stay stubbornly high.The downturn, triggered by a near one-third plunge in Indian stocks this year, will be particularly painful for smaller firms which have already been suffering losses and global fund houses who recently paid top dollar to enter what was viewed as a high growth market.

"There probably are firms thinking this was a bloody big mistake. We thought this was going to make us money. We had no idea this was going to be a drain on our resources’," said Shiv Taneja, managing director with Cerulli Associates in Singapore.

Some foreign fund houses have longtime roots in India. Prudential Plc’s ICICI Prudential Asset Management venture with ICICI Bank is second in size only Reliance Capital Ltd’s fund arm. Franklin Resources Inc, which set up its India office in 1996, is the country’s No. 6 fund house.

But more recent arrivals include Pioneer Global, the fund arm of Italy’s bank UniCredit, insurer American International Group Inc, U.S. investment bank JPMorgan and South Korea’s Mirae Asset.

Mesmerised by a five-year bull run in which stocks rose 500 percent, Indian investors poured into equity funds. The industry grew more than four-fold over the period to manage 5.5 trillion Indian rupees ($129.8 billion) by the end of 2007.

Assets have shrunk about 5 percent since then. But fund executives said the underlying situation is much worse than that suggests because of the drop in assets invested in stocks.

Equity funds, which typically carry fees of about 1 percent, are the industry’s most profitable products. Many bond and cash funds, by comparison, charge from 5 to 25 basis points.

Industry data showed equity assets have shrunk by nearly a third on back of the stock market decline.

More ominously for future growth, equity fund inflows fell to their lowest in June since August, 2006 and new stock funds have collected just 18.3 billion rupees so far in fiscal 2009, compared to 63.35 billion rupees in the year-earlier period.

RENTS AND SALARIES UP

Naveen Tahilyani, a partner with consultancy McKinsey & Company, estimated the profitability of large and medium-sized players in India was about 23 basis points (bps) of assets under management last year.

Factoring in the shift to lower-margin products, he said profitability for the industry could drop to below 15 bps this year. This means a firm managing $100 million in assets would earn a profit of just $150,000 on that money.

By comparison, the industry’s operating profit as a percentage of average assets was 12 bps in the UK and 18 bps in the United States, McKinsey said in a report early this year.

"It is going to be tough, for sure ... if people have spent a lot of money in building their business and they were looking for a payback this year, they are not going to get it," said Sanjay Prakash, who recently stepped down as CEO of HSBC’s India fund unit to take another role with the bank.

India’s fund industry has also found operating margins squeezed by spiralling real estate and staff costs.

"You’re essentially talking about an emerging market with first world prices, in some cases even more than first world prices," said Cerulli’s Taneja.

Nearly all of India’s 34 fund houses operate out of Mumbai, which is one of the five most expensive office markets in the world, according to consultancy firm CB Richard Ellis Group Inc.

And salary costs have remained high as firms compete to hire and retain the fast growing industry’s limited talent pool. Industry sources said paycheques for some star managers have topped $1 million, moving toward levels seen in London and Tokyo.

The bear market has only moderated the pace of pay increases.

"Earlier, anybody would have expected that if you are jumping from one (fund manager) to the another you have to double your salary. At least now there must be a modicum of sanity," said Sanjay Santhanam, a director with Canara Robeco Asset Management.

Salaries look unlikely to fall because the number of fund houses is still on the rise, with some 20 firms said to be looking to break into the industry.

MASSIVE POTENTAL LURES

A market rebound could turn the situation around. But a resumption in the bull run seems far from certain given the hawkish stance of India’s central bank, which recently hiked interest rates to curb high inflation, and ongoing worries about the global economic slowdown and credit crunch.

Still, with one in every six human beings on earth, a 32-percent-plus savings rate and economic growth of more than 8 percent, India’s long-term prospects present a powerful lure. Many global fund houses view the near-certainty of short-term losses as the price of admission to tap that massive potential.

Cerulli forecast in May that assets of Indian mutual funds will more than double to $302 billion) by 2012, powered by strong economic growth and better distribution.

But Cerulli’s Taneja said fund houses must be prepared for the prospect that profits could be some time off.

"If you don’t have the stomach for the long fight, then markets like India are not the ones you should be looking at

POLL - Annual inflation seen at 12.03 pct on July 19

Annual inflation rate is expected to have risen to 12 percent in mid July, driven by higher costs of commodities and strong demand in the economy, a Reuters poll of 12 economists showed.

The wholesale price index is forecast to have risen 12.03 percent in the 12 months to July 19, which would be the highest since annual numbers in the current series became available in April 1995. It rose an annual 11.89 percent a week earlier.

The data is due after 5.30 p.m. on Thursday.

It would be the 23rd consecutive week that the inflation rate has been above 5.5 percent, the Reserve Bank of India’s original target for inflation at end of the fiscal year ending in March 2009.

At a policy review on Tuesday where it raised its key lending rate by 50 basis points to 9 percent and also increased banks’ reserve requirements, the RBI said it was now aiming to bring inflation down to 7 percent by end March.

The double strike against inflation jolted financial markets, and analysts said the RBI was clearly prepared to sacrifice some growth for tamer prices with more tightening expected.

The wholesale price index is more closely watched than the consumer price index (CPI) because it includes more products and is also published weekly. The CPI is released monthly.

Russians reach 'bottom of the abyss'

A Russian mini-submarine on Tuesday reached the bottom of Lake Baikal in Siberia, setting a world record for the deepest dive in a lake, the crew told organisers from the vessel. “Mir-1 is at 1,680 metres”, a crew member could be heard saying in a radio link-up with a special barge near Olkhon Island that had lowered the Mir-1 and Mir-2 submarines into the waters of the world’s deepest lake.

Lake Baikal was previously believed to be a maximum of 1,637 metres deep and scientists say they could find new life-forms in its unexplored depths. “This is a world record for a submarine diving in fresh water,” an expedition organiser was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

The scientific expedition was organised by Artur Chilingarov, a pro-Kremlin member of parliament and an Arctic explorer who led the submarine team that planted a Russian flag at the bottom of the North Pole last August.

Scientists plan to collect samples at different depths and hope to document the effects of global warming on the pristine lake, as well as to draw the attention of the government to the need for greater environmental protection. “We want to study and observe Baikal, preserve it,” Chilingarov said on Monday ahead of the dive as he inspected the mini-submarines in the small fishing port of Turka on the mountainous eastern shore of the lake.

The expedition also has a political dimension. Chilingarov said he had “full support” from Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and a flag for the ruling United Russia party could be seen flying proudly from the expedition’s barge.
Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, although not the largest in terms of surface area.

Environmental groups warn that increased pollution is threatening the lake, which has more than 800 unique wildlife species.

The lake contains around a fifth of the world’s freshwater reserves.

On Sunday and on Monday morning, what locals affectionately call “the sea” actually looked more like a raging ocean, such were the high winds. Intense water pressure means that previous expeditions have never gone below a quarter of its presumed depth. Chilingarov’s deputy Anatoly Sagalevich said the lake has “perhaps not been properly studied” given past measurements had to rely on pure mathematics alone.

“We will drop at a rate of 30 metres per minute,” Sagalevich had said before the dive. “Practically vertical. It will take in total between one hour and an hour and a quarter to complete the mission.

“The most important aspect will be visual observation,” he said, highlighting three special windows located at the front of the craft and a series of video and stills cameras attached to the pods. They may not match the find of the crew in the fictional movie ’The Abyss’,but Sagalevich expects the mission to uncover previously unidentified species.

When he says ''no to sex"

Most women blame themselves when their partner loses interest in sex. They feel that that their man doesn’t fancy them anymore. But the real culprit is someone, or something else altogether...

The number of times he says ‘no’ only leads you to think that he’s found someone else. But that is often not the case. Usually, there is something going on ‘upstairs’ that’s freezing activities ‘downstairs’. Your job is to find out what that something is, and work together to sort it out.

If your man denies you sex, it is not uncommon to be left worrying about whether he is having an affair or wants to end the relationship. The truth is that although you may experience these feelings and thoughts, it’s unlikely that his loss of desire, or ability to maintain an erection, is caused by a loss of interest in you, your looks or your relationship.

Most men suffer from other sexual problems when they are stressed out, tired or under pressure to perform in some way. In fact, the problem is more likely to originate from a demanding boss or a heavy workload, than from you...

Tiredness and overindulgence

If your partner has been working hard and trying to meet deadlines, the tiredness and worry can cause problems in focusing on lovemaking. Other causes of temporary erection loss can be overindulgence in alcohol, or a heavy meal. When this happens, stimulation during love play will not cause or sustain the act. At this stage, it is crucial to comfort him and avoid making accusations about his loss of interest in you, or imply an affair. This will only increase the pressure on him and make things worse. Sometimes, just resting for sometime will solve the problem.

Discussing feelings

It is also important to explain your feelings about what has happened and to ask for his help in coping with the emotions you may be experiencing. Explain that you are worried – it may be connected to your relationship and how he feels about you, and encourage him to open up about what’s going on with him too. Start by saying something like ‘I know this probably sounds silly but... ’ continuing with your own concerns about his loss of desire. Encourage him to do the same with you, as he is just as likely to be as concerned as you are, if not more so. In this way, you can act as a team and solve the problem together , rather than both avoiding the issue through fear of probably losing each othe

Oil prices could fall to $80: OPEC

OPEC should not consider cutting production after oil’s steep two-week decline as markets are now balanced, OPEC President Chakib Khelil said on Tuesday, adding that prices could yet fall another $50 a barrel. Khelil, who is also Algeria’s oil minister, said oil prices could fall to $70 to $80 in the long-term, if the US dollar continued to strengthen and geopolitical anxieties eased.

"The price today is abnormal at $123 a barrel," said Khelil, speaking to reporters on a visit to Jakarta to meet Indonesia’s energy minister.

He did not elaborate, but OPEC ministers have said repeatedly that they believe the surge in oil prices is not being driven by a shortage of supply.

Asked if OPEC members should cut supply if oil prices continue to decline, he said: "No, I don’t think so, why should they cut production? They always want to make sure there is good supply and demand and to satisfy the demand."

US oil prices have fallen by $22 from a record high above $147 a barrel earlier this month amid growing concerns that high prices and slowing economic growth are causing a decline in demand, but prices are still up 30 per cent on the year. "We are not worried about any price, because we don’t decide the price. We just meet the demand," he said.

Khelil said he did not see any signs of demand destruction from high prices.

"I think there is a good supply, there is a balance in the market."

Asked if there was an option to cut production at OPEC’s September meeting, he said: "It is up to the conference in light of the market at that time. The market changes so much."

Khelil said later on Tuesday after giving a lecture to energy officials that recent price moves did not reflect supply issues.

"And I think it is obvious to you that in the last week for example, you could not expect the price to come down by $25 because of a lack of supply or oversupply in one day," he said.

Khelil also said that biofuel mandates in Europe and the United States had aided the run-up in prices.

"I strongly believe bioethanol, because it’s very expensive, it had an effect on the price per barrel of products," he said.

Indonesia is Asia-Pacific’s only OPEC member but it has seen oil production slump since the 1990s and said in May that it planned to quit the cartel because it was unhappy with high oil prices after becoming a net importer.

Energy Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said that Indonesia had not yet officially submitted documents to withdraw from OPEC, but said the country’s interests were no longer in line with the cartel.

"President (Yudhoyono) has explained that we are a net oil importer. That means there is a difference in objectives from OPEC as producer countries," said Yusgiantoro.

India developing $10 laptop

After displaying its prowess in developing the world’s cheapest car, India is on track to roll out the world’s cheapest laptop computer that could cost as low as $10, a top official said. Minister of State for Human Resource Development D Purandeswari said research was being conducted to develop the laptop, especially for use by students, which will cost all of $10.

"Research in this direction is being already carried out at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras," she told the e-India annual summit on information and communication technologies.

The laptop, when produced, will prove to be a breakthrough device that could solve the problems of low computer literacy and e-learning not only in India, but also the world over, she added.

Earlier this year, India’s Tata Group had unveiled the “Nano” that was touted as the world’s cheapest car costing all of $2,500 and the announcement had grabbed global headlines.

The cheapest laptop available today is at least 10 times costlier. The “Xo” sold by the Massachusetts-based non-government organization ’One Laptop Per Child Foundation’ sells for $188.

The foundation, started by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) alumnus Nicholas Negroponte, aims to supply the low cost machines to the governments of developing countries for them to source it to school children.

But the Indian government rejected the offer in 2006, calling it an experimental model.

"India must not allow itself to be used for experimentation with children in this area," the human resource ministry had stated then.

However the project was taken up by the Reliance Anil Dhirubahi Group to be implemented as a pilot in Maharashtra’s Khairat village.

Under this initiative, Reliance Communications will provide Net connectivity, backbone, logistics, and support to the OLPC initiative. “The initiative aims at covering over 25,000 towns, and 6,00,000 villages in the country by 2008."

Do men prefer working wives?

With the dimension of family economics going through a sea change, a majority of men today prefer a working wife. Apart from contributing financially to a marriage, working women can relate to their husband in a better way as they also have to go through similar grilling at their workplace. A recent survey also claims that majority of men have no issues in sharing the title of breadwinner with their better half.

Amit Bajpai, sales and marketing manager says, “Especially in metros, where the standard of living is so high, a man would like to have a helping hand. Moreover, a working wife would understand the work pressure you are facing; you can talk to her about your work related problems. I think the working population has become more smart and sharp with the passage of time, as they have to deal with unique situations everyday.”

Model Manpreet Brar also thinks that metrosexual men prefer a working partner. “Generally, the mindset of a working woman is completely different from a house wife and she shares a better understanding with her man. Double income is another advantage. Obviously, with more earnings, you can have a better quality of life. In a situation where a guy decides to set up his own business or plans to study further post marriage, having an earning partner is a great help as she can take over the role of the primary earner in the family,” Manpreet added.

Changing economic realities have changed the attitude of masses. Men are no longer bothered with the fact that their partner has a heftier pay packet than their own.

Television actor Manish Goel says, “I really respect those women who are primary earners in their families and their husbands should be proud of them. Family is a vehicle with two wheels, one on both sides and its great if a couple can strike a balance. My wife is working for past 15 years. In our industry, we have hectic schedules and strange timings. As Poonam and I are in the same profession she understands the situation completely and does not crib about it. And the best part is that you get expensive gifts. Poonam always gives me something pricey on my birthday, which she knows I am planning to buy from long!”

New age couples do not think that the spouse who makes more money has more say in family, financial and other matters. Today men are not seeking somebody to dominate; they need a partner who can help them in making better decisions.

Anjali Sharama, a public relation executive says, “Right from our day to day expenses to long term investments my husband discusses everything with me as we have same priorities and understands the situation completely. He acknowledges my opinion and I really appreciate it. Marriage is certainly not about exercising the power; it’s about taking the right decision that is beneficial for the family. It is always better to seek advice from your partner because your spouse is the only one who can give you an unbiased suggestion.”

At the same time, we can’t forget that this lifestyle has increased the pressure on women. They really have to work in double shifts to strike a balance between work and home. Though it does affect one’s married life but there is always a way out.

Ajay Raina, lawyer says, “I got married last year and after a few months of our marriage, my wife started working. I think our relationship has enhanced since then. As both of us stay in office for eight-ten hours in a day, we value the time that we get to spend with each other. I don’t mind stepping into her shoes and cooking or cleaning sometimes. Moreover, I always try to make weekends very special for her.”

It is not only about spending time, it’s about spending quality time together. A relationship doesn’t depend on seeing each other but on the understanding, love and the bond you share.

Actor Rahul Dev discloses, “I spend half of my day with my make up man but I don’t have that zing with him. I have to travel a lot because of my work; still we try to keep that spark alive. I do several things at a time just to take out time for my family. If I am working till ten in night, I call up my wife and tell her that I will have dinner with her.”

Smoking raises spouse's stroke risk

Nonsmokers married to smokers have a greatly increased chance of having strokes, according to a US study published on Tuesday showing yet another hazard from secondhand smoke.Being married to a smoker raised the stroke risk by 42% in people who have never smoked compared to those married to someone who never smoked, the researchers said.

This jumped to 72% for former smokers married to a current smoker, according to the study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Former smokers who were married to smokers had a stroke risk similar to people who themselves were smokers.
“Quitting smoking helps your own health and also the health of the people living with you,” Maria Glymour of Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and Columbia University in New York, who led the study, said in a telephonic interview. The study involved 16,225 people aged 50 and up who had never had a stroke. They were followed for an average of nine years.

Glymour said there is accumulating evidence about the number of health problems linked to secondhand smoke.

Previous research had suggested that secondhand smoke increases the risk of stroke, but Glymour said stroke risk has been studied more extensively in smokers than in people exposed to secondhand smoke.

People who breathe in secondhand smoke also have a higher risk of lung cancer, nasal sinus cancer, respiratory tract infections and heart disease, among other conditions.

A 2006 US surgeon general’s report said secondhand smoke contains hundreds of chemicals known to be toxic or cancer-causing. These include formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic, ammonia and hydrogen cyanide.

For this study, smoking involved cigarettes and not pipes or cigars. It looked at health consequences for the spouses of smokers, but not at the long-term stroke risk in children of smokers due to secondhand smoke. “We know that there are a lot of undesirable health consequences for kids, especially asthma and breathing problems that are exacerbated by secondhand smoke,” Glymour said.

The advice by Glymour was echoed by the Stroke Association, which said that passive smokers were nearly twice as likely to have a stroke compared with those not living in a smoky environment.

Joe Korner, from the association, said: “Smoking is a significant risk factor for stroke with a quarter of all strokes being linked to smoking and it can also contribute to high blood pressure which is the single biggest risk factor for stroke.”

“We urge people to consider the effects that smoking has on their health and others around them and do all they can to reduce their risk of stroke.”

'Sun-eating dragon' returns to China

Earth, the Sun and the Moon will align in a celestial ballet on Friday, rewarding China, where the first record of an eclipse was made more than 4,000 years ago, with a dazzling show.

Longingly awaited, the first total solar eclipse since March 2006 kicks off at 0923 GMT, when the lunar shadow touches down on the fringes of Nunavut province in northern Canada.

The dark, narrow disc, known as the umbra, then races across the roof of the world before alighting in northern Siberia, where it will skip across central Russia and central Asia and head into Mongolia and northwestern China.

It then curves to the southeast before expiring near the city of Xian at 1120 GMT, after a trek of some 10,200 kilometres.

Most of Asia, northern Europe and northern Canada will see a partial eclipse, weather permitting, according to Nasa’s veteran eclipse expert, Fred Espenak.

“More than a billion people will be in the shadow of the Moon on August 1st,” says the US publication Sky & Telescope, which is backing a trip aboard a Russian icebreaker by US amateur astronomers, who will view the eclipse from the Arctic Ocean.

Eclipses of the Sun — the bringer of light, and thus life — have long held a tenacious grip on the human mind. To the ancient Chinese, the eclipse was a sun-eating dragon which had to be chased away with clashing cymbals and pans. For Vikings, two chasing wolves, Skoll and Hati, were to blame. In Hindu mythology, a spiteful demon called Rahu takes a bite out of the sun from time to time.

The first known record of an eclipse was made in the reign of Zhong Kang, the fourth emperor of China’s Xia dynasty.

Because we know that several solar eclipses took place around that time, astronomers are uncertain of the exact date when this event took place — it could be 2128 or 2134 BC.

But even then, the brief text shows that the eclipse was clearly mind-blasting. “In the fifth year of Zhong Kang, in the autumn, in the ninth month, on the first day of the month, there was an eclipse of the Sun, when he ordered the Prince of Yin to lead the imperial forces to punish Hsi and Ho,” says the record.

Hsi and Ho, according to legend, are two astrologers of the imperial court who were beheaded because they had failed to warn the boss that the sun would be blotted out.

Is the pull-back rally over?

Constraining economic factors and fall of equities from all-time highs of 21,200 to recent lows of 12,514 leaves us in no doubt that we are in the midst of a bear market. The recent rally in the market is being seen as a typical bull-run in the bear market. In just five days, the Sensex has rallied 2,366 points after which profit booking set in.

So is the short-term rally over? Economictimes.com spoke to marketmen to find out.

Chief Technical Analyst, Sandeep Waghle of Angel Stock Broking:

“Today’s (July 29) correction was event based which got discounted. It can’t be said that the rally is over. Buying can still emerge at these levels, the trend is still bullish. Top has been formed for some time at 15,200. The bottom of 12,500, which was formed some two weeks backs, will not be violated. We may see buying at 13,200-13,300 levels.”

Manas Jaiswal, Senior Technical analyst, Emkay Global Financial Services

“Nifty has already corrected 50 per cent of its recent rally from 3,790 to 4,539. If it remains below 50 per cent retracement level of 4,164, it can touch the recent low of 3,790. At a higher level, if it trades above 4,220 then the uptrend will continue and it can again come in the range of 4,350-4,400. Wednesday would be a critical day as it will decide the market trend.”

Arun Mewawalla, AVP-Alternative Research, ULJK Securities

“The recent short-term rally is over, as it was based on short-covering. We expect the market to be in consolidation phase between 4,000 and 4,500. Until July series expiry settlement, we could see volatility in the range of 4,100-4,250.”

Ram Chandran Iyer, head of institutional sales, at Kantilal Chhaganlal Securities

“The entire pull-back rally from 12,600 to 15,100 was event based, as traders covered shorts on expectations of UPA winning the vote of confidence in parliament. Soon after the survival of the government, selling emerged at 15,000 levels. Despite the fact that crude is around $123-125 per barrel, inflation is at an acceptable two-digit mark and earnings of most companies were not bad. However, investor confidence is missing. Unless foreign funds cease selling and there is renewed buying interest from domestic institutions, every rally will be sold off. Liquidity will be the main driving force for the market. We expect the market to consolidate near term. 12,600 will be a good buying opportunity to enter quality stocks with a two-three year perspective.”

Get ready to pay more for bank loans

Commercial, home, personal and car loans are sure to cost more with the Reserve Bank, under pressure to fight high inflation, announcing stringent steps including raising mandatory cash reserves of banks to suck up over Rs 8,000 crore.

Aimed at bringing down inflation from the present around 12 per cent to 7 per cent by March 2009, the central bank increased the Cash Reserve Ratio for the fourth time and raised short term lending rate to banks third time this fiscal.

In the quarterly monetary policy review, RBI increased CRR by 0.25 per cent to 9 per cent and short term lending rate to banks or repo rate by 0.50 per cent to 9 per cent.

Lowering the growth projections for the economy to 8 per cent from the earlier 8-8.5 per cent, it targeted to bring down the rate of price rise to 7 per cent by March, making a clear case for prioritising inflation management over the GDP. Earlier, RBI had set a goal of limiting inflation to 5-5.5 per cent.

The new policy, which is sure to disappoint the industry that urged the RBI not to take steps that would make cost of credit higher, said that "the liquidity management will continue to receive priority in policy objectives."

Banking sources said that the RBI with its tight policy, being pursued since April this year, would have sucked up about Rs 50,000 crore of liquidity and there appears no let up in its hawkish stand during the rest of the year as it has forecast that hardening global crude prices would continue to exert pressure on the economy.

Besides the pressures from global commodity markets, the economy may also have to bear the burden of higher subsidies, loan waivers and increased salaries of government employees once the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations are implemented.

RBI ups lending rate, cash ratio aggressively

The Reserve Bank of India raised its key lending rate by half a percentage point on Tuesday to its highest in seven years and combined it with a reserve hike in an unexpectedly aggressive bid to quash double-digit inflation.

The RBI raised the short-term repo rate as expected, but the size of the move, which brought the benchmark to 9.0 percent, surprised markets.

Most economists polled by Reuters had forecast a smaller step after last month’s two increases totalling 75 basis points.

The RBI also raised the cash reserve ratio, the amount of funds banks must keep on deposit with it, by 25 basis points to 9.0 percent to absorb surplus cash in the banking system. The increase will take effect on Aug. 30.

"Bringing down inflation from the current high levels and stabilising inflation expectations assumes the highest priority in the stance of monetary policy," the central bank said in its quarterly review.

Analysts, most of whom had expected the reserve ratio to stay unchanged, saw the double-punch as a sign the central bank was ready to accept slower growth as a price for dragging inflation down from its heady levels.

GROWTH ON BACKBURNER

"These are big strides taken to cool down the economy by reducing demand pressures," said Indranil Pan, chief economist at Kotak Mahindra Bank.

"Given the recent spate of tightening, the central bank has more or less aligned itself to the curve and it clearly highlights the central bank has moved to an inflation fighting mode and growth is now on the backburner."

India’s inflation, as measured by wholesale prices, stood at almost 12 percent in mid-July and has more than doubled since late February, reaching its highest level since 1995.

It accelerated into double digits after a sharp increase in government-set retail fuel prices in June, prompting the central bank to resume interest rate increases after a pause of more than a year.

Indian federal bonds yields rose sharply and the rupee strengthened after the news of the interest rate and reserve ratio rise.

The risk of slowing growth is rising up the agenda of the world’s central banks, diverting policy makers away from a battle to prevent food and fuel costs from spilling into wages and other prices. Expectations of rate rises this year have faded across much of the industrialised world including the United States and Japan.

In China, which like India raised subsidised fuel prices last month, financial markets scaled back expectations for the pace of yuan appreciation and interest rate increases after the ruling Communist Party and the central bank flagged a policy shift.

But India’s central bank has been criticised in the past for not acting quickly enough to counter mounting price pressures.

Analysts said Tuesday’s move would buy it some time to assess the results of its recent steps. They were divided, however, on whether and when the central bank would tighten policy again.

The central bank left the reverse repo rate at which it absorbs excess cash from banks and the bank rate, used by banks to price long-term loans, steady. Both remain at 6.0 percent.

Keep your heart young. Exercise!

Here’s yet another reason why you should exercise: It makes your heart stay young, says a new research on adults. The study conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, showed that older people who did endurance exercise training for about a year ended up with metabolically much younger hearts.

Women benefit more

The researchers also showed that by one metabolic measure, women benefited more than men from the training. “Past research has suggested that exercise can reverse some effects of aging, and we wanted to see what effect it would have specifically on the heart,” said first author Pablo F Soto, MD, instructor in medicine in the Cardiovascular Division. The participants in the study were men and women who were not obese but who had been living an inactive lifestyle. They were put on an eleven-month program of endurance exercise under the guidance of a trainer.

The secret’s exercise

To reach the conclusions, the research team measured heart metabolism in sedentary older people both at rest and during administration of dobutamine, a drug that makes the heart race as if a person were exercising vigorously.

For the first three months, the participants were required to exercise to about 65 per cent of their maximum capacity. After that, the program was stepped up so they reached about 75 per cent of maximum. At the start, they found that in response to the increased energy demands produced by dobutamine, the hearts of the study subjects didn’t increase their uptake of energy in the form of glucose (blood sugar).

But after endurance exercise training – which involved walking, running or cycling exercises three to five days a week for about an hour per session – the participants’ hearts doubled their glucose uptake during high-energy demand, just as younger hearts do.

Young at heart!

Soto explains that if heart muscle doesn’t take in glucose in response to increased energy needs, it goes into an energy-deprived state, which may raise the risk of heart attack. But if it can increase glucose uptake, the heart is better protected against ischemia (low oxygen) and heart attack.

Based on heart glucose metabolism, both the men and women in the study had the same rejuvenating benefit from their exercise programs. But the heart uses both glucose and fatty acids for energy. And when the researchers looked at fatty acid metabolism, they found a striking difference in the results of exercise training between women and men.

In the men, the heart’s fatty acid metabolism dropped in response to increased energy demand, but it went up in women. The study has been published in the American Journal of Physiology.

Family time linked to teens' sex life

Parents who don’t want their teens to engage in risky sexual behavior should make family time a priority, a new study suggests. Adolescents who took part in family activities more often had sex less frequently, less unprotected sex, and fewer sex partners, Dr. Rebekah Levine Coley of Boston College and her colleagues found.

Most research on parenting and teen sexual behavior has simply looked at whether or not a teen has had sex, not the degree of sexual risk he or she takes, Coley noted in an interview with Reuters Health . But given that two out of three U.S. teens have sex before they turn 19, more specific information would provide a better understanding of the risks involved, Coley and her team point out in the Journal of Adolescent Health .

To investigate, as well as to better define whether parental qualities influence a child’s sexual behavior rather than vice versa, Coley and her team used increasingly stringent statistical techniques to analyze the results of a survey of 4,950 U.S. teens, 1,058 of whom were siblings. The adolescents were 12 to 16 years old when the study began, and completed the survey every year for 3 years.

By comparing parenting quality and sexual behavior for siblings raised in the same household, Coley noted, it is possible to tease out potential cause-and-effect relationships.

The more times a week that an adolescent reported having dinner with their family, "doing something religious" as a family, or having fun with their family, the less likely he or she was to engage in risky sexual behavior, the researchers found.

However, having a parent who used "negative and psychologically controlling" behavior increased the likelihood that a teen would be having risky sex. This includes "criticizing the ideas of the adolescents, controlling and directing what they think and how they feel," Coley explained.

"Negative and psychologically controlling parenting behaviors may inhibit adolescents’ development of self-efficacy and identity, interfere with mature and responsible decision making skills, and affect the development of healthy relationships, in turn leading to an elevated likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors," the researchers suggest.

On the other hand, they add, family activities are "centrally important supports for children, providing opportunities for emotional warmth, communication, and transmission of values and beliefs."

The findings make it clear, Coley said, that "what parents do with their adolescents really matters."

Thank God it's Friday?

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ - is a saying we are all familiar with. And if you can instantly relate to Jack you know you have been working too hard and need to take a break.

A break? Are you kidding? Ask those working in a 24x7 setup – which is practically everywhere – and all you’ll get in response is a look of disbelief. Alarmingly, the fastest rising economy in the world doesn’t have time to sit back and relax. Unrealistic targets, enhanced matrices and tempting incentives coupled with never-ending quest for perfection is pushing us into working round-the-clock – with no time for leisure.

Agrees Soumi Dutta, senior manager for media operations: “The duration of a weekend has declined from two complete days to just one or maybe half a day now, which usually starts as late as Saturday night and doesn’t even continue till Sunday evening because your phone keeps ringing due to some or the other office urgency.”

Snehal Sharma, production assistant with a private firm, adds, “A holiday (people may define it variably) is a break from the regularities; so in that conventional sense, there is nothing like a weekend or ’leave’. Though thanks to the MNC’s & BPO’s, a large chunk of junta work for five days a week but that doesn’t actually mean there is a weekend, or rather work’end’.”

Further adding, he says, “Before the TGIF feeling can sink in, there is a fleeting sensation of the arriving Monday blues. The work, the environment and the week, which in most of the cases is an ordeal, is too prominent in the minds of people to let go for these two days.”

Occasional official urgencies are accepted and understood by all. However, the problem occurs when working beyond regular hours becomes an everyday affair. With time, stress starts taking a toll on your health, productivity falls, and your grey cells run the risk of being short-circuited! In such situations, you seriously can’t underestimate the importance of weekends. In the west especially, no wonder weekends are considered sacrosanct.

Manika Datta, principal consultant with a private firm, who stayed and studied in Australia, shares, “The way of living and working in Australia is very systemised and organised; therefore, people do spend quality time with family and friends. The weekend mood starts from Friday afternoon and even the shops shut earlier than usual on that day. People there are living happy and contended lives without the luxury of having housemaids, cooks, cleaners, drivers etc.”

Udita Dhanda, presently residing in Dubai, agrees “Weekends here are meant to be Fridays and Saturdays and as soon as the weekend arrives, people switch off their mobiles, Blackberry’s, laptops and do not work unless absolutely necessary.”

Relates Garima Misra, senior associate in a PR consultancy: “Despite today’s youth being quite clear about their working hours, they end up stretching everyday and even on weekends. Regardless of how much we love (or hate) our work or how much the 24x7 work culture has sink into us Indians, everyone does need some ‘me time’.”

Talking of work efficiency, experts believe that a human body needs the right amount of sleep, proper meal intake and the right kind of mind rejuvenation. Dr. Sanjay Chugh explains, “Just like machines, human beings have a certain capacity. If we try and push ourselves beyond this, we might be able to continue working but soon there will be problems such as stress, anxiety, skin problems, reduced energy levels, lowered stamina, reduced sex drive, smoking, alcohol dependence...the list is endless. Hence, it is imperative that we give the right kind of rest and maintenance to our system and strike a balance between work and personal life.”

Says Priya Talwar, currently pursuing MBA in UK: “Its not that people abroad are achieving the impossible. They work hard from Monday through Friday, Monday and Tuesday being the days with maximum work, but work timings in most sectors are fixed and then one can relax and rejuvenate over the weekend.”

Manika adds, “There is definitely no laidback attitude when it comes to work - no procrastination at work. Everybody takes pleasure and recreational activities as seriously as they take their work. There is a clear demarcation vis-a-vis time, for both things.”

Just like there is a time for everything in life, there is a time for leisure and recreation. Recreational activities provide that much-needed balance and positive energy to our lives without which we would burn out in no time.

Ratan Tata to play an active role after retirement

Ratan Tata may continue to hold a non-executive post on the board of the Tata group following his official retirement in 2012.

Answering shareholders at the 63rd annual general meeting of Tata Motors, Mr Tata said he will continue to play an active role to guide the group’s operations. Mr Tata is now chairman of Tata Motors and has been closely associated with Tata Motors, be it the Indica project or the ultra low cost car, the Nano. He is also keen to get the two iconic brands, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), back on track.

Mr Tata refused to comment on an issue raised by some shareholders that his counterparts in other major groups, such as BK Birla of the Aditya Birla group and Keshub Mahindra of the Mahindra group, continue to hold the top posts even in their 80’s. “I don’t have to be on the board to be active,” said Mr Tata at the AGM.

Until 2005, non-executive directors of the group retired at the age of 70. Under the revised guidelines, the retirement age for executive and whole-time directors is 65, while the retirement age for non-executive directors is 75. This revision in the age has helped some of the directors in the group like JJ Irani, RK Krishna Kumar and NA Soonawala to stay on and give direction and value to the Tata group companies.

The succession issues have also been to put to rest till 2012 unless Mr Tata decides to retire at an earlier date, sources said. Mr Tata, who is now 71-year-old, is in the process of finding a successor and is open to looking for candidates outside the Tata group too. “I am committed to finding a successor before I retire,” Mr Tata said.

Mr Tata has been chairman of group holding company Tata Sons since 1991. He is also the chairman of other major Tata companies including Tata Steel, TCS, Tata Power, Tata Tea, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels, Tata Teleservices and Tata AutoComp.

During his tenure, the group’s revenues have grown over nine-fold to annualised group revenues of over $55 billion. Mr Tata joined the Tata group in December 1962. In 1981, he was named chairman of Tata Industries where he was responsible for transforming it into a group strategy think-tank.

Obese workers not lazy

Obese workers are not lazier, emotionally unstable and harder to get along with than their thinner colleagues, says a new study that demolishes some of the stereotypes about such people.Overweight and obese adults were not found to be significantly less conscientious, less agreeable, less extraverted or less emotionally stable.

Mark Roehling, associate professor in Michigan State University, and two of his colleagues based the study on the relationship between body weight and personality traits of 3,500 adults.

"Previous research has demonstrated that many employers hold negative stereotypes about obese workers, and those beliefs contribute to discrimination against overweight workers at virtually. . . from hiring to promotion to firing," Roehling said.

"This study goes a step further by examining whether there is empirical support for these commonly held negative stereotypes. Are they based on fact or fiction? Our results suggest that the answer is fiction."

The findings are based on two separate but convergent national studies. Roehling, who’s also a lawyer, said the practical implication of the research is that employers should take steps to prevent managers from using weight as a predicator of personality traits when it comes to hiring, promoting or firing.

"Employers concerned about the fair and effective management of their work force," Roehling said, "should be proactive in preventing negative stereotypes about overweight workers from influencing employment decisions.

Can't find a job? Groom your looks!

Forget polishing resume to find a suitable job, for your looks are more than enough to do the trick, suggests a new study, which has found that a majority of jobseekers are not hired because of their "bad dress sense" and "poor appearance".

Experts have called for style makeovers to get the long-term unemployed into work.

The Scottish Centre for Employment Research believes that image problems are a very real barrier to interview success.

Their conclusions are based on a survey of 500 high-street retailers in which they found that the vast majority had not hired staff because of the way they looked.

They also found that more than four-fifths of employers had an appearance policy, with set standards on personal hygiene, tidiness and dress.

The majority of firms also frowned upon visible tattoos, piercings and excessive make-up and jewellery. "Our findings show that you could have the right qualifications and yet fail to be employed because you don’’t look ’’right’’,” the Scotsman quoted Professor Chris Warhurst of Strathclyde University, eth study’s lead researcher, as saying.

"Retail jobs are being targeted by Government as appropriate work for the long-term unemployed so it is essential that this group are not excluded from the labour market because they lack the appropriate presentation skills."

"Many potential employees might ask why they can’’t have streaks in their hair, a tattoo or a body piercing, things which are a personal expression. But many employers won’’t accept that and the likelihood is they won’’t be able to express themselves in that way in the workplace,” he added.

The research showed that for most employers the appearance of potential employers was considered more important than their knowledge of the products they sold.

Soon, vaccine against bio weapons

Experts at the Society for General Microbiology have made a significant advance towards making a vaccine against an organism that may be used to produce biological weapons.

Writing about their achievement in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, the researchers have revealed that they have made a rapid progress in understanding how the pathogen Francisella tularensis causes disease.

"Only very few bacteria are needed to cause serious disease," said Prof Petra Oyston from Dstl, Porton Down.

"Because of this and the fact that tularemia can be contracted by inhalation, Francisella tularensis has been designated a potential biological weapon. Since the events of September 2001 and the subsequent anthrax attacks on the USA, concern about the potential misuse of dangerous pathogens including F. tularensis has increased. As a result, more funding has been made available for research on these organisms and has accelerated progress on developing medical countermeasures," the researchers added.

Tularemia circulates in rodents and animals like rabbits and hares, and outbreaks in humans often happen at the same time as outbreaks in these animals.

The disease is probably transmitted by insects like mosquitoes, ticks, and deer flies.

People can also become infected by contact with contaminated food or water and by breathing in particles containing the bacteria.

Farmers, hunters, walkers and forest workers are most at risk of contracting tularemia.

The researchers say that research into F. tularensis’s pathogenesis attains significance in view of the fact that various nations have developed it as a biological weapon, and also because some are said to have produced antibiotic-resistant strains.

"Progress is being made. Since the genome of F. tularensis was sequenced, researchers have taken great strides in understanding the molecular basis for its pathogenesis. This is essential information for developing a vaccine and getting it licensed," said Prof. Oyston.

The researchers, however, concede that they are still unsure about the function of most F. tularensis genes.

"Recently genes needed by F. tularensis for growth and survival have been identified. These could be targets for novel antimicrobial development or could be used in the production of a vaccine," said Prof. Oyston.

"Although we are getting closer to addressing key issues such as the need for an effective vaccine, it appears we are still some way from understanding the pathogenesis of F. tularensis. More research is needed in this area," Prof. Oyston added.

'Indian food market set to double by 2025'

The Indian food market is set to more than double by 2025 on the back of growing economy and changing lifestyles of people, says a US report.Citing a study by McKinsey&Co, a report by the US Department of Agriculture says: "The market size for the food consumption category in India is expected to grow from $155 billion in 2005 to $344 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate of 4.1%."

The market holds enormous potential for snackfood. The urban India consumes commercial savoury snacks 10 times more than its rural counterpart, with people in the western parts topping the chart of snack lovers followed by the northern region, the report said. Around 1,000 snack items and 300 types of savouries are sold in India.

Potato chips and potato-based products are the largest product category with over 85% share of the salty snack market, it pointed out. Pepsi and Haldiram’s are some of the major players in the organised potato chips market.

India’s snacks market is estimated to be worth $3 billion, with the organised segment accounting for half the market share and growing at a rate of 15-20% a year. The unorganised snack food market is worth $1.56 billion and is growing at 7-8%, the report said.
"Consumers are willing to pay a premium for both value-added private and branded products, creating immense opportunities for manufacturers and retailers, it said, adding "there is a widespread recognition in India that consumers are likely to replace light meals with snacks".

Anil may join 'One Laptop Per Child' project

Is Anil Ambani planning to tie up with the legendary Nicholas Negroponte, founder of ’One Laptop Per Child’ (OLPC), to make laptop ownership a reality for millions of underprivileged children in India for meeting their education needs?

Negroponte, along with OLPC India head Satish Jha, are likely to meet the ADAG chairman next week to discuss how OLPC can work together with the Indian corporate giant on extending the coverage of OLPC’s work to more states within this country.

While the specifics of the likely arrangement are unclear at this stage, OLPC is banking on ADAG’s interests in the communications (through Reliance Communications) and IT (through Tech Reliance) segments to work out a partnership that draws on the strengths of both parties. Informal discussions have already been held between OLPC and ADAG in the past.

Currently, OLPC - whose mission is to make its ’XO laptop’ (a children’s machine) widely available to disadvantaged kids in underdeveloped countries - runs a pilot project at Khairat village in Maharashtra where 500 children in the 6-12 age bracket have been provided laptops for individual learning.

"We hope to be in most, if not all, Indian states in the course of time," Jha told TOI on Sunday.

OLPC, incidentally, has plans to create an organisational structure in India to support its initiatives. OLPC officials Matt Keller and Manusheel Gupta recently even met Bengal IT minister Debesh Das to examine ways in which OLPC could roll out its programs in the state.

"We recognise that school education is a state subject and those who need most help are part of that system. We will be glad if the government plans to use XO in its school systems. India’s corporate sector can also make a huge difference to bridge this divide and we will appeal to them as well. We have made some progress on each front. However, given the sheer scale of what needs to be done, we have a long way to go," Jha said.

OLPC was founded by Negroponte with a core of Media Lab veterans, but quickly expanded to include a wide range of exceptionally talented and dedicated people from academia, industry, the arts, business, and the open-source community.

Seduce your girl with humour

When it comes to seducing a woman, nothing, as it turns out, works better than a man with a self-depreciating sense of humour. What’s more is that this finding is based on a two-year scientific research which found that men who can poke fun at themselves are most the ones that are sexual magnets for women.

As a part of the study lead author Gil Greengross, of the University of New Mexico in the US and her colleagues asked female students to listen to tape recordings of men talking about themselves.

The women were then asked to score the men on sexual attractiveness.

Greengross revealed that when it comes to the type of humour that works best at getting a woman into bed, the self-deprecating kind comes in at the top of the pack.

"Many studies show that a sense of humour is sexually attractive to women but we’ve found that self-deprecating humour is the most attractive of all," the Telegraph quoted Greengross, as saying.

"People who used this humour were considered to be far more desirable as mates."

He added a note of caution however, saying that it can also draw attention to a man’s real faults, thus turning women off.

"It is a risky form of humour because it can draw attention to one’s real faults, thereby diminishing the self-deprecator’s status in the eyes of others," he said.

"Think about the secondary school child whom nobody liked, who makes fun of his shortcomings.

"His peers mocked him and he was considered more pathetic than he was previously. This is high-risk seduction. It is not for everyone."

The study, ’Dissing Oneself: The Sexual Attractiveness of Self-Deprecating Humour,’ will be published in Journal of Evolutionary Psycholog

Frozen whiskey to beat the heat!

Summers will certainly be cooler for Scotch lovers this year, as a leading brand has now come up with a cool scotch solution to beat the heat for boozy Brits — frozen whiskey.

Served straight from the freezer, the Snow Grouse will be launched by the Famous Grouse.

The frozen spirit will soon be available in duty-free shops around the world for a six-month trial period. And if it turns out to be a hit with parched travellers, it would be seen on shelves in UK supermarkets next year.

The makers of this icy dram have described it as "gloopy and sweet" with a delicate, slightly vanilla taste, and they hope that it will certainly entice many more people to discover Scotch.

Anil Ambani becomes richer by Rs 27,000 cr after SP-UPA realignment

The new political combination at the Centre seems to be favouring Anil Ambani group companies more than that of his elder brother Mukesh, if one goes by the stock price movements of the two group companies.

Since July 7, when it became clear that Amar Singh, who is considered to be close to Anil Ambani, and his Samajwadi Party (SP) would support the government, the market capitalisation of Anil’s holdings in six companies increased by 24% to Rs 1,41,415 crore. That means, he became richer by almost Rs 27,000 crore.

During the same period, however, the market capitalisation of Mukesh Ambani’s holdings in the three companies increased by 7% to Rs 2,25,758 crore, making him richer by only Rs 14,000 crore.

From July 4 to July 24, the benchmark sensex increased by 9.8% as the stock market was betting on the government’s survival, without support of the Left parties. Since July 17, the bull run was much sharper as there was clearer indication of government sailing through trust vote in Parliament with new coalition, mainly with SP. During this time, share prices of ADAG (Anil Dhrirubhai Ambani Group) companies rose much higher than the rise in Sensex

Earlier, when the market was in a bearish mode, ADAG suffered one of the worst drubbing. From January 10 to July 4, while sensex fell 35%, market capitalisation of the ADAG companies declined by 57%. Market value of Anil’s holdings in the listed companies came down to Rs 1,14,120 crore from Rs 2,64,053 crore. He suffered a loss of almost Rs 1,50,000 crore during this period.

During the same time, market value of Mukesh’s holdings in the group’s listed companies declined by only 29% to Rs 2,11,417 crore from Rs 2,96,723 crore. This means, his market value declined by only Rs 85,000 crore

A senior fund manager said earlier investors apprehended that Anil’s companies will suffer because of his close affiliation with Amar Singh, who was rubbing shoulders with both Uttar Pradesh and the central government. As Anil has large business interest in UP, it was felt that his business interest might suffer. So ADAG stock prices were getting hammered with this negative sentiment. But, after the formation of new combination in the Centre, investors changed their perception and ADAG stocks boomed.

At the same time, Amar Singh’s demand to slap windfall tax on refineries, which are benefited because of the rise in crude prices, was being seen as a move to penalize RIL. Singh’s another demand to make RIL refineries, which are in export promotion zone, to sell their products in the domestic market, also affected Mukesh Ambani companies adversely.

A senior fund manager argued that the present political development does not affect the fate of large companies like RIL and RCOM. He said as Mukesh group companies did not fall much when the market was falling, it did not also gain much when the trend was reversed. As ADAG companies fell sharply in the market downturn, it also gained when market moved up. So, it was just a market movement, he added.

It's raining money in Bollywood!

One-film-old Imran Khan — hero of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na — comes with a price tag of Rs 7 crore for his next film, according to the latest Bollywood trade buzz. Jaane Tu..., which has collected Rs 30 crore approximately in just one week, has taken the nation by storm and catapulted its hero to super-stardom .

Shahid Kapoor, after the super-success of Vivaah and Jab We Met, which he has followed up with the “safe’ ’ Kismet Konnection , is now a bankable star with a Rs-8-crore tag.

Even one-film-old Ranbir Kapoor — who started with a not-too-successful Saawariya — now comes with a price tag of Rs 6 crore and is currently riding a wave, having bagged films with Prakash Jha, Raj Kumar Santoshi, Mani Ratnam , Yashraj Films and Karan Johar.

Big money is back in Bollywood, with stars — and even those who are only starting off on the long journey that may or may not end in stardom — jacking up their rates.

“Money is the new obsession that has taken over Bollywood,’’ says director Mahesh Bhatt. “It wasn’t as if our predecessors were not materialistic but they did not drool over money the way the current generation does every time you mention the word,’’ he adds.

So, at a time when one-film successes (and failures) are charging eight-digit figures , it is only natural that the established are going to charge a bomb. The latest rumour to take Bollywood by storm has it that Akshay Kumar has been signed by Studio 18 for a figure that is more than Rs 50 crore (this figure includes a 30 per cent share in profits and a stake in the film’s intellectual property rights) and Aneez Bazmee has been paid Rs 15 crore.

This follows the excitement generated by the Akshay-Anees Bazmee combination in Singh Is Kingg, the worldwide rights of which have been picked up by Studio 18 for Rs 62 crore.

Singh Is Kingg producer Vipul Shah says: “Akshay Kumar is generating mass hysteria right now and even his television show, Khatron Ke Khiladi, has got a huge start. But I wouldn’t like to comment on the price issue because some really crazy price talk has been doing the rounds.’’

Trade insiders say Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan, despite the debacle of Tashan, have been picked up at a price of Rs 27 crore by Ashtavinayak Films (though Aashtavinayak spokesperson Parag Desai has refused to confirm the amount). The industry is abuzz with talk that Saif and Kareena, who are marketing themselves as a package, have already been paid the signing amount of Rs 7.5 crore and will give dates to the Ashtavinayak project in the summer of 2009.

The Bhatt camp’s stars — Mallika Sherawat, Emran Hashmi and Shiney Ahuja — are also riding on the good times. Sherawat is asking for Rs 1.5 crore because her Ugly Aur Pagli — made on a modest budget of Rs 5 crore — has been sold to Percept Picture Company for Rs 6 crore. “PPC will make a killing with this film,’’ says a Bollywood insider.

“It has reportedly paid Rs 6 crore to Pritish Nandy Communications. And, even before the film has released, it is being offered Rs 5 crore for the film’s satellite rights. PPC is expected to push the satellite price to Rs 9 crore. So they’ve already made a profit even before the film hits theatres this August,’’ the industry experts adds.

Emraan Hashmi, post-Jannat , has reportedly been paid Rs 5.5 crore by Percept Picture Company; Shiney Ahuja is demanding Rs 7 crore post-Gangster and Bhool Bhuliya (in which he plays second fiddle to Akshay Kumar); and Bobby Deol will not even read a script unless he is paid a signing amount of Rs 2 crore (his price, according to industry grapevine, is Rs 5 crore a film).

N-deal spin-off - 100,000 new jobs, more research opportunities

One of the spin offs of the India-US civil nuclear deal coming through will be the creation of 100,000 new jobs for the 30-odd reactors that India hopes to set up to meet its nuclear power deadline of 20,000 MW by 2020, experts say.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi highlighted the fillip the deal is expected to give to employment generation and the energy sector. Interacting with students of Ravindra Bharati in Hyderabad on Saturday, Gandhi said: "The nuclear deal means millions and millions of jobs, and lights in the houses of the poor in this country."

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Power Jairam Ramesh, visiting the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)’s Kalpakkam campus in Tamil Nadu, said: "Nearly 10,000 MW of nuclear power would be generated from indigenous reactors, 8,000 MW from light water reactors and 2,000 MW from Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR)."

Thousands of engineers, technicians and scientists would be needed to run these establishments, he underlined.

"India’s 17 nuclear reactors have the capacity to generate 4,120 MW, but in 2007 they could produce only 1,800 MW due to lack of fuel," Ramesh said.

By 2020, India is likely to import six light water reactors while six nuclear plants are under construction to beef up generation capacity, said Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd Technical Director S.A. Bhardwaj.

The total expansion is valued at nearly $300 billion.

"India’s Department of Atomic Energy employs about 70,000 experts today," M.R. Srinivasan, former chairperson of the Atomic Energy Commission, told the media at a function in Kalpakkam.

The new nuclear power plants on the cards are expected to create at least a 100,000 new jobs in India, experts say.

Not just in India, the nuclear deal is expected to give a fillip to the industry in the US also.

In 2007, Ron Somers, president of the US-India Business Council, supporting the Indo-US Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, said: "The deal would create 27,000 high-quality jobs a year for the next 10 years in the US nuclear industry."

To strengthen research at universities, the DAE is providing grants for projects through the Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences. The DAE Graduate Fellowship Scheme for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has been in place since 2002 to promote collaborative research through postgraduate students.

IIT-Kanpur offers a course in nuclear engineering and technology, now IIT-Madras has also decided to offer a similar course from the 2009 academic session. The country’s premier institute for nuclear studies and research - The Homi Bhabha National Institute - will provide the necessary guides and teaching staff.

India has two hubs for advanced studies in nuclear technology - Mumbai and Kalpakkam. The Mumbai-based Bhabha Institute unifies 10 institutions, four premier centres and six autonomous institutes, each with a research-driven framework.

Bhabha Institute also includes DAE’s top research institute, The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre where old horses of the ’80s, the Cirus and Dhruva reactors, are still kept going. DAE’s other research institute is the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), which was set up in 1971.

"The IGCAR has an open door policy for any student keen on science," says institute director Baldev Raj.

"The IGCAR has tried to strike a balance between networking with institutions with expertise and collaborating with academia for harvesting fresh thoughts," he added.

According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, 30 countries worldwide are operating 439 reactors for electricity generation and 34 new nuclear plants were under construction in 14 countries.

Tendulkar to make Bollywood debut

Sachin Tendulkar will make his Bollywood debut with a cameo role in a film about the miracles of the elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesh.Tendulkar, widely regarded as one of the world’s best batsmen, will play himself in "Vighnaharta Shri Siddhivinayak," a film about the god, who is sometimes referred to as Siddhivinayak.

"He will play a small role, as himself, either in a song sequence or in an actual scene," said Rajiv Sanghvi, whose company is handling the film’s production.

Tendulkar’s office confirmed the cricketer would be shooting for the film after he returns from Sri Lanka where India is touring at the moment.

Tendulkar, a devotee of Ganesh, had offered to be a part of the project and will not be charging for the role, Sanghvi said.

The film is being produced by the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust, which looks after a famous temple dedicated to Ganesh in Mumbai.

"Sachin has been a regular at the temple for many years now and he never gives up an opportunity to show his devotion," said Subhash Mayekar, chairman of the trust.

"Vighnaharta Shri Siddhivinayak" is due to begin shooting next month, and will also feature a voice-over by Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan.

Secret love

Does the idea of having a secret lover cause a rush of adrenaline in your system? Here are things you need to keep in mind if you’re heading for a clandestine relationship. Secret relationships can seem fun and exciting in the beginning. More than just the joy of being with someone, it is the thrill of keeping something hidden from your close ones.

There are many reasons why you may choose to keep a relationship under wraps. It could be that your lover is not good-looking or of a different religion or it could be a workplace romance. Whatever the case, the fact is you have chosen to be with him/her. Such relationships generally start as a physical attachment but they can sometimes turn into something more.

Most people feel more open and relaxed in a secret relationship as they don’t have to worry about external influences. However, maintaining a secret life can be hard work. You have to avoid getting caught together, for if you do, the magic of the relationship could disappear. The other possibility is that the longer you spend with your partner, the more likely you are to fall for him/her.

However, if you do feel that a clandestine relationship is what you want, here are a few things you need to bear in mind:

You can’t share your thoughts
Those involved with secret lovers realise that while their friends can explicitly discuss their romantic life, they themselves cannot do the same. In such a situation you have to be careful about what you say and to whom. Very often you may also be forced to lie about your activities to family members so that they do not discover your secret. Being in such a bond could cause you additional frustration and stress.

Love barriers
Research shows that those in secret romantic bonds have lower levels of relationship satisfaction. While they can be enjoyable in the beginning, such relationships can become problematic later. You cannot tell anyone about your secret lover and have to be careful not to be seen together in public places. In such situations, you or your lover may get annoyed as neither of you can get possessive of each other.

Long term possibility
Most of us get carried away in the rush of the moment but sometimes we have to consider the long term effects of being in such a relationship. If you really like your partner, you have to accept that it may turn into something serious. Therefore, you have to be prepared to break the news to your family and friends. Try and be ready to make a decision as to whether he/she is someone you want to spend more time with or if it is just a passing phase. You will not be able to consult your friends about the decision so it’s really up to you to make the choice.

Be realistic
There are a large number of people who prefer to keep their love affairs under wraps. For many it is about escaping from society and questions from peers and family. However, having a secret lover is not as easy and as perfect as a ’Romeo and Juliet’ love story. You need to be practical about such relationships as you can end up hurting someone’s feelings. Talk to your partner from time to time about your relationship and make sure that your lover is clear about where you both stand and to avoid any disparity.

Right time for investors to accumulate green stocks

The oilfield of the future is not 200 feet deep below the surface. It is 96 million miles above the ground .This is not an understatement. High oil prices in the 1970s ended the era of crude oil as a source of electric power and kick-started the wind energy industry in Europe and elsewhere.

Will the current regime of triple-digit crude oil prices begin the era of renewable energy? Conventional sources of energy, including oil and coal, not only have to bear the brunt of higher costs, they are also under attack by the green brigade. These hydrocarbon fuels are blamed for global warming and climate change. And with climate change taking centre-stage in energy concerns across the globe, policymakers and investors are waking up to the potential of green energy — be it with wind, small-hydel, solar, bio-mass or ethanol.

Renewable energy sources like geothermal, solar and wind constitute approximately 2.2% of global energy generation. Internationally, a lot of investment is taking place in green fuels which are renewable and non-polluting. The momentum is the strongest in Europe and the fever is just catching up in India.

Barring wind energy and ethanol, there are few commercially operational projects in this space. This makes it difficult for equipment suppliers to establish scale and thus, bring down costs to competitive levels. With technological development being critical in the industry, these companies need huge funding in the initial years. Consequently, while many companies have forayed into the renewable space, only a handful of them have made it their main business.

We feel that this is a suitable time for investors to start accumulating right stocks in this space. Given the size of the global energy market, the sky is the limit for companies which get it right. We, at ETIG, bring you a bouquet of companies in the green-energy segment. Take your pick.

Wind power

As pointed out earlier, wind power is the largest and most popular among renewal sources right now. Initiated by government subsidies, the growth in wind energy in India has primarily been driven by technological advancement and higher scale of operations.

And as technology improves, wind energy is becoming costcompetitive vis-à-vis conventional sources. In the 1980s, a typical wind turbine generator (WTG) could produce one-tenth of a megawatt ( mw) of electricity; now 5-mw capacity WTGs are commonplace. The industry now plans to move offshore, where wind speed is higher and more consistent.

Offshore WTGs can produce up to 20 mw, which will radically change the scale and economics of wind energy. The best way to gain from growth in wind energy is to invest in equipment suppliers. In India, Suzlon Energyis the only major listed company in this space. It has grown beyond the domestic market to emerge as the world’s fifth largest wind turbine supplier with over 10.5% of global market share.

It is now aggressively investing in technology and manufacturing capacity to emerge as one of the top three global WTG suppliers. Its revenues have been rising steadily. But the company’s margins have come under pressure in the past six quarters due to a product recall involving one of its bigger customers in the US. In terms of valuations, Suzlon compares well with other equipment manufacturers like Bhel, which supplies equipment for coal-fired power plants. Considering its future growth potential and ambitious growth plans, investors can accumulate the stock.

Small hydel

Hydro power is one of the oldest sources of renewable energy. But it has lost out to thermal power due to the cost, complexity and time involved in executing large projects. These require construction of huge dams and reservoirs, damaging environment and displacing people.

This has created global interest in small projects, which are simpler to construct and do not damage ecology. Small rivers, rivulets and artificially-created storage dams or other small water bodies can be tapped to generate up to 20 mw power, which can be used locally.

Jyoti: This is a engineering company which manufactures small hydro-power (SHP) sets. It is the single source for hydro turbines and auxiliary equipment. This division contributes 20-25% to the company’s total revenues of over Rs 200 crore. Jyoti is in the growth stage and has achieved a turnaround from being a lossmaking company till FY05. With increasing government focus on renewable energy, Jyoti’s business in the domestic and global markets is picking up. It expects to be a Rs 500-crore company in three years and is optimistic of growth in the SHP segment.

A New Dawn...

Solar power

According to various studies, the earth receives more solar energy in just one hour than the world consumes in one year. Unfortunately, today, solar energy contributes only 0.1% of the world’s total energy needs. The key challenge in harnessing solar energy is the efficiency of technology and equipment.

The technology in the sector is still evolving and nearly half a dozen technologies are vying for supremacy. Among the emerging technologies, thin film solar panels and concentrators are best positioned to be commercialised. While solar energy costs are declining, the costs of other sources of energy, including generation and distribution costs, are rising. This indicates grid parity can be reached earlier than estimated.

In the long term, companies are differentiated on the scale or manufacturing efficiencies, access to technology and level of integration along the photo voltaic (PV) value chain. Two promising companies in this sector are Moser Baer and Webel SL Energy. Moser Baer: This is India’s largest and world’s second largest optical storage media manufacturer. The company has now ventured into the less capital-intensive and high-margin business of solar photo voltaic cells (PVC).

With a strategy to offer multiple PV technologies, the company is aiming at bringing down PV electricity costs to match conventional energy price points. In the long run, it plans to set up the world’s largest thin film solar fabrication unit in the country. Its PV business earned revenues of $43 million in FY08, contributing nearly 10% to the total revenues of the company.

It is expanding its crystalline silicon capacity from 40 mw to 80 mw. The company’s thin film project facility is nearing completion and is on track to raise its capacity to 180 mw by FY09. Webel SL Energy: This is a leading manufacturer of solar PVC and modules in India.

It is one of the fastest growing manufacturers of solar PVC in Asia (outside Japan). The company has an installed capacity of 10 mw and intends to grow to 40 mw by FY10. Rising silicon prices are pushing up its raw material costs, affecting margins. To combat this, Webel is investing in technology and forward integration into raw material production.

Biomass

Renewable energy can be extracted from biowaste arising from trees, crops and garbage. This energy is released either by burning biomass in a controlled environment or converting it to other usable forms of energy like methane gas, ethanol or bio-diesel.

The bagasse obtained as a by-product by the sugar companies is used to generate power, which is either consumed internally or sold commercially. Most sugar mills now use molasses, another byproduct, to produce ethanol, which is an alternative transport fuel.

In India, leading sugar companies like Bajaj Hindustan, Balrampur Chini and Bannari Amman are actively into co-generation of power and manufacture of ethanol. India’s largest sugar company, Bajaj Hindusthan,earns 15% of its revenues from nonsugar businesses like ethanol and power generation. It intends to earn 35-40% of its revenues from value-added and non-cyclical business.

It expects exportable surplus from its co-generation units to cross 100 mw in the sugar season, which will start in November ’08. It generated around 80 mw a year ago. For Balrampur Chini, power co-generation contributes more than 15% to the company’s total revenues and is a major driver of profit growth. In view of the recent capacity expansions, the total saleable co-generation capacity stands at 126 mw.

Besides the co-generation of power, sugar company Bannari Ammanhas also ventured into wind power generation while de-risking its business model. Power generation contributes more than 20% to its total revenues. Equipment suppliers like Praj Industries, Triveni Engineering and Thermax are yet another set of companies associated with bio-mass energy. They are leading suppliers of equipment to companies in this sector.

Praj Industriesis one of the largest suppliers of processes and systems to companies manufacturing ethanol, biodiesel and distillery industry. The ethanol business contributes 85% of the order book of the Rs 700-crore company. Praj is involved in R&D to make breakthrough cellulosic technology for ethanol. Triveni Engineeringmanufactures steam turbines, high speed gears and water & wastewater treatment equipment. It earns 40% of its revenues from its non-seasonal high-margin yielding business of steam turbines and co-generation of power.

Thermaxis a leading manufacturer of engineering equipment like boilers and heaters, absorption cooling, power and cogeneration systems and water and wastewater solutions among others. Around 80% of its revenue comes from its energy business. So,take your pick... join the ‘Go Green’ movement and save the planet.

Sex at 70!

Men and women in their early seventies are having sex more often and enjoying it more than their counterparts three and four decades ago, according to a Swedish study. Septuagenarian women in particular expressed satisfaction with their amorous activities, suggesting they may have benefited more from the loosening of sexual mores.

Despite an array of literature on the sexual habits and attitudes of younger adults, very little is known about what happens between the sheets for healthy men and women aged 70 and above.

Previous research has tended to focus on what goes wrong, sexually speaking, which has created the impression that the sex life of older people is dismal or non-existent. This is not true, according to Nils Beckman, a doctoral candidate at the University of Gothenburg.

"Our study shows that most elderly people consider sexual activity and associated feelings a natural part of later life," he said. Compared to the same age group in 1971, nearly twice as many married female septegenarians reported having sexual intercourse in 2001 and a sharply higher percentage said they "always or usually" experienced orgasms.

And while more than 10 per cent of women interviewed 40 years ago had never had sex at all, by century’s end that percentage had dropped to 0.4 per cent. For men, too, sex at 70 on the cusp of the 21st century seemed to bring more pleasure than for older men of a previous generation.

But the news was not totally good. More men in 2001 also complained of low or no satisfaction, perhaps reflecting a cultural shift in openness in talking about sex. And while the number of men reporting erectile dysfunction dropped, a higher number of men said they had ejaculation problems. The rate of premature ejaculation did not change.

Beckman and colleagues studied attitudes towards sex in later life based on interviews with Swedish 70-year-olds at four different points in time: 1972, 1977, 1993 and 2001.

The study is published in the British Medical Journal. "The implication is that a generation’s sexual change - perhaps linked to the sexual revolution of 1965-75 is evident in this latest cohort of 70-year-olds," Peggy Kleinplatz, a professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada, wrote in a commentary in the journal.

Cook to seduce your lady love!

It is often said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but now, it seems tables have turned, for a new trend has hit male society called Gastrosexual – which implies that increasing numbers of men are taking up cooking in a bid to seduce their ladies.

The boom has been fuelled by the popularity of superstar chefs Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, who have helped make cooking a macho pursuit.

Chef John Meredith, who runs James St Cooking School, in Brisbane’’s Fortitude Valley, said half of the people booking his classes were men.

"It’s very much about men wanting to attract the ladies by serving up a special dinner," News.com.au quoted him, as saying.

"They range from the 18-year-old student trying to be a cut-above, to the 59-year-old man who is newly divorced and maybe on the lookout for love again.

"Guys tend to come to the classes in small groups, which makes it less daunting for them, but often they have no need to worry because they turn out to be better cooks than the girls,” he added.

According to UK research, men having the ability to cook is now a key factor in attracting women, along with salary, status, personality and appearance.

The increase in the number of women working full time has also contributed to the rise of the Gastrosexual male.

AustraliaScan social analyst David Chalke said men had been forced to learn how to feed themselves because they were marrying at a later age.

Why not work four days a week?

Converting a five-day work week into a four-day work would certainly result in higher job satisfaction and lower levels of work-family conflict, thus leading to higher productivity, suggests a new study.

Researchers Rex Facer and Lori Wadsworth of BYU’s Romney Institute of Public Management analysed the potential benefits of Utah government’s 4-day work week transition and found that the employees were satisfied with their jobs, and enhanced productivity.

They found that even though four day work week employees work the same number of hours per week as their traditional work-week counterparts, they reported being more satisfied with their jobs, compensation, and benefits, and were less likely to look for employment elsewhere in the next year.

With the four-day work schedule, employees were less likely to report that they come home too tired, that work takes away from personal interest, and that work takes time they would like to spend with family Other studies have linked work-home conflict with low job performance and lessened productivity.

“There are going to be very real benefits for employees, specifically decreased gas cost, decreased commute time (both because they only have to commute four days, but also because they’ll be commuting during off-peak times, so the commute could potentially be shorter each day), and hopefully, improved work-life balance,” said Wadsworth.

Facer and Wadsworth found that more than 60 percent of four-day work week employees reported higher productivity as a result of the 4/10 schedule.

Additionally, more than 60 percent of employees reported agreement that citizen access has improved as a result of the four day work week.

“Policies may need to be adapted to meet local needs,” said Facer.

“Each city has to adapt to balance the very positive feelings the employees have about alternative schedules with the needs of the members of the community,” he added.

One rupee salary due costs company Rs 970,000

The Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) in Jharkhand has finally agreed to pay a total compensation of Rs.970,000 to 24 of its employees because it had paid them Re.1 less as salary for as long as 30 years, an official said on Monday.

The affected employees had taken the company to court, fighting a legal battle all these years. However, five of them died during the course of the case and the remaining 19 have retired from HEC.

According to an HEC official, the company had promoted around 500 employees from grade E to grades C and D in 1978 and their salary was increased to Rs.8 per month. The management however, gave Rs.7 per month while implementing the new scale.

The 24 employees moved the labour court, which took up the matter in 1990 and passed a judgement in their favour in 1997. The HEC management then moved the high court in appeal, which upheld the labour court’s verdict.

HEC appealed again to a two-judge bench of the high court. In February this year, the bench rejected the company’s plea.

HEC then invited the employees’ union for negotiations. The union had calculated Rs.1.1 million as dues for 30 years. The company and the union last week finally agreed on a compromise amount of Rs.970,000, the official told reporters Monday.

"After negotiating with the union, we have agreed to pay Rs.970,000 against the demanded Rs.1.1 million to the employees," he said.

"The different amounts the employees will get vary between Rs.9,191 and Rs.60,573, according to the period of work and promotion," the official added.

He said a cheque would be sent to the employees through post and in case of those who have died, their relatives would receive the compensation

RBI: inflation reflects oil prices, demand

The Reserve bank of India (RBI) said on Monday a rise in inflation to nearly 12 percent in mid-July reflected some increase in fuel and raw material prices as well as strong demand.But an increase in state-set petroleum product prices had not kept pace with the rapid rise in global crude prices.

It also said supply side pressures on global food prices did not appear to be abating.

The RBI holds its quarterly review on Tuesday and a Reuters poll of 11 economists showed seven of them expected it to raise its key lending rate, the repo rate, by 25-50 basis points from 8.5 percent.

In its first quarter review of macro and monetary developments, the central bank said the Indian basket of crude rose by 122 percent in rupee terms between February 2007 and June 2008.

The mineral oils index rose just 27 percent in the same period, although freely priced items in the mineral oil group rose 15-104 percent.

"This suggests that pass-through in case of administered petroleum products is still incomplete," it said.

Annual inflation was 11.89 in mid-July and has more than doubled since late February to its highest since the index was made available in 1995 after the government raised state-set fuel prices in June.

The RBI raised the lending rate by 75 basis points in June in two unscheduled moves to clamp down on inflation.

It also raised the cash reserve ratio, the proportion of deposits that banks have to keep with it, by 50 basis points to 8.75 percent to absorb inflation-stoking surplus cash.

The central bank said the finances of the federal government could be pressured by higher government salaries, a cut in petroleum product duties, higher oil and fertiliser subsidies and compensating banks for waiving debts of small farmers.

The cabinet has yet to approve an increase in salaries of government employees but the move is widely expected ahead of parliamentary elections due by May 2009.

The report said a survey of professional forecasters by the RBI in June predicted the economy would expand 7.9 percent in 2008/09, lower than the previous prediction of 8.1 percent.

Asia’s third largest economy has grown at 9 percent or more over the past three years. The central bank expects it to expand 8.0-8.5 percent in the current fiscal year ending in March, which is higher than forecasts by many private sector economists.

Energy drinks fuel aggression in teens

Energy drinks are promoting substance abuse and risk-taking behaviour among college students, according to a new study. Two studies led by RIA Research Scientist Kathleen E Miller, PhD investigated the link between energy drinks and public health concerns like substance abuse and risky behaviour.

"The principal target demographic for energy drinks is young adults aged 18-25, but they’re nearly as common among younger teens," she said." This is a concern because energy drinks typically contain three times the caffeine of a soft drink, and in some cases, up to 10 times as much.

"They also include ingredients with potential interactions such as taurine and other amino acids, massive doses of vitamins, and plant and herbal extracts," she added. In the study involving 795 Western New York male and female undergraduate students, the researchers found that frequent energy drink consumers were approximately three times as likely than less-frequent energy drink consumers or non-consumers to have smoked cigarettes, abused prescription drugs and been in a serious physical fight.

They reported drinking alcohol, having alcohol-related problems and using marijuana about twice as often as non-consumers. They were also more likely to engage in other forms of risk-taking, including unsafe sex, not using a seatbelt, participating in an extreme sport and doing something dangerous.

Among the participants, 39 per cent reported consuming at least one energy drink in the previous month. There was significantly higher consumption by men (46 per cent) than by women (31 per cent).

"Energy drink consumption is correlated with substance use, unsafe sexual activity and several other forms of risk-taking," said Miller. "For parents and college officials, frequent energy drink consumption may be a red flag or warning sign for identifying a young person at higher risk for health-compromising behaviour.

"It is widely, but incorrectly, believed that the caffeine in energy drinks counteracts the effects of alcohol, so students will have the energy to party all night without getting as drunk. "While the combination may reduce perceptions of intoxication, it does not reduce alcohol-induced impairments of reaction time or judgment," she added.

In the second study, Miller looked at energy drink consumption and "toxic jock identity." "For many people, being an athlete is an important part of who they are. Some go a step farther, though, and come to see themselves as "jocks." For them, sport is wrapped up in a larger identity that also emphasizes hyper-masculinity and a willingness to take excessive risks," she said.

Unlike an athlete identity, a jock identity can be considered "toxic," according to Miller, because it’s associated with a wide range of risky or problem behaviours, including problem drinking, sexual risk-taking, interpersonal violence, academic misconduct, delinquency and even suicide attempts.

The study found that undergraduates who consumed energy drinks more often were also more likely to develop a jock identity and to engage in risk-taking behaviours. The first set of results is published online in the Journal of Adolescent Health , while the second appears in the March/April issue of the Journal of American College Health.

RBI faces a tough balancing act

Amid a very tight liquidity scenario and inflation stabilising, bankers feel that RBI may not tinker with the interest rates on Tuesday, while reviewing the monetary and credit policy. However, some economists feel to ensure that inflation does not rise further, RBI may decide to hike key rates.

In fact, RBI is in a dilemma. While steps are needed to contain inflationary pressure, those are not expected to hit economic growth adversely.

According to CMD of a public sector bank, banks are borrowing somewhere between Rs 40,000 crore and Rs 50,000 crore from RBI every day at a rate of 8.5%. He said if the central bank increases the cash reserve ratio (CRR) - the proportion of savings that a bank needs to keep with RBI - even by 0.25%, it will suck out over Rs 8,000 crore from the system, This will further increase the banks’ dependence on RBI for short-term funds to meet their daily liabilities.

RBI has already increased CRR 13 times since December 2006 to reach 8.75% as on July 19, 2008. Since April 1, RBI has increased CRR by 1.25 percentage point leading to an evacuation of over Rs 47,500 crore from the system.

Any further increase in CRR will affect credit availability to the industry. Meanwhile, the government has also expressed its concern over the availability of credit to the industry, which is essential to maintain the economic growth and create employment.

Despite banks increasing deposit rates, the mobilization has increased by only 3.5% as against 4.1% in April-June 2008 compared to the same period last year. This has also affected ability of banks to give credit to the industry.

Demand for credit has grown substantially due to borrowings by oil companies. But, one banker said as lending rates have gone up in the last couple of months, borrowings for productive sectors have almost dried up. The growth in retail credit (home, auto and personal loans) is even worse.

A senior ICICI Bank official said retail credit growth of the bank in 2008-09 will be in the range of 5% only.

Bankers also feel if RBI increases the repo rate, at which it lends short term funds to bank against government securities, the interest rate will further increase. Banks will have no option but to pass on the rate to borrowers. This will further slow down the growth.

However, DK Joshi, chief economist at Crisil, feels that RBI will increase both CRR and repo rate. He said RBI had earlier indicated that it will take harsh measures to contain inflation even if it affects the economic growth.

With inflation around 12%, the Reserve Bank has no choice but to take steps to kill any further pricing pressure. In the current financial year so far, money supply stands at 20.5% as against RBI’s projection of 17%.

Therefore, Joshi said, before inflation shoots up further, as it once happened in May and June, RBI would like to play safe and will increase CRR to tighten the money supply further.

Boost your energy level

“Energy, like the Biblical grain of mustard seed will remove mountains,” so said Hosea Ballou.

The most severe limiting factors when you are working toward a better life is your level of energy. You can reduce the number of times you feel too tired to accomplish your goals.

Here’s how you can:

Try to schedule playful breaks into your workday: listen to a favourite song, plan a fun weekend or evening; browse through your favourite catalog; fantasise about your next vacation; play with a puzzle or toy; call your best friend; do something that you enjoy or love to do.

Eating a light lunch dominated by protein to ensure afternoon vigour helps to boost your energy level.

Drink plenty of water — at least eight glasses a day.

Fill your diet with plenty of grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. They are a good source of nutrients and energy.

Laugh a lot. Hearty belly laughs stimulate the release of chemicals in the brain that increase well-being.

Exercise briskly at least three times a week, for twenty minutes each session.

Find a healthy pick-me-up that provides needed sugar to your system mid-afternoon when most people’s blood sugar drops.

Make sure you do enough deep breathing during the day to keep sufficient oxygen in your blood. Three or four times during the day, take eight deep breaths and hold each one for a long time. Continue the deep breathing if you notice a difference in your energy level.

If you get tired in the late afternoon, take a refreshing catnap. It will relax your mind and body.

Try to get the right amount of sleep — you know you’re on track when you can awake simultaneously with the ringing of your alarm clock.

Indian economy to overtake UK in 10 yrs

Economic forecasts predict that India will overtake the UK and become the world’s fifth largest economy within the next 10 years, the third largest behind China and the US by 2025 and the second largest economy after China by 2050.

The number of Indian companies in the West Midlands in UK has doubled since 2006. This year saw the biggest deal of all-Tata’s acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover, which made it the largest foreign investor in the region, employing over 13,000 staff. In a bid to forge more ties, an action plan has been put in place to seal new business and academic ties between the West Midlands and India.

Two-way trade between the UK and India is today worth $ 8.7 billion per year.

Who has the slimmest waist?

Now here’s a skinny quiz for you. Do you want to know who has the slimmest waist? Meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians, or vegans? Well, well! According to a new study, vegans do. Vegans are vegetarians who not only forego eating meat, fish, or fowl but also all foods derived from animals.

However, the reason vegans tend to be slimmer may lie in what they do eat – fibre. Lots of it. And that’s a habit you can easily duplicate. Fibre makes you feel full longer, and it seems to inhibit fat absorption. Broccoli pizza on whole-wheat crust, anyone?

Although fibre seems to help limit fat deposits, a meat-laden diet does just the opposite – it actually can cause an increase in body fat, especially in the belly, one of the worst places for it to accumulate in terms of both your health and your self-image. In one cross-sectional study, meat-eaters had the highest body mass indexes (BMIs), the height-weight ratio that’s the gold standard for separating healthy weights from weights that are too high or too low. Fish-eaters and vegetarians had lower BMIs than people who regularly ate meat, and vegans tended to have the lowest indexes of all.

One possible explanation is that high-protein diets may change the hormonal makeup of the body, altering body chemistry in a way that increases fat around the abdomen. Whatever the reason, the point is clear – you have yet another reason to up your intake of fibre-rich fruits, veggies, and whole grains – a smaller waist.

Evaluate returns while investing

Loading is a charge which an asset management company (AMC) of a mutual fund may collect on entry or exit from a fund. A load is levied to cover the up-front cost incurred by the AMC to sell the fund. It also covers one-time processing costs. A load is the fee paid upfront to a AMC, and brokerage , to invest the funds by the mutual fund.

There are expenses to be paid to convert cash one invests in stocks or bonds. In addition to that, a fund needs to pay commission to the broker who brought the business. The load is charged normally as entry load and exit load. Entry load is charged at the time of entry or investment, exit load is charged at the time of sale. Most of the fund companies waive the exit load after a certain period of holding.

One should review fees, including those of no-load funds, before investing. Even small differences in fees can translate into a large difference in returns over time.

An entry load is an additional cost that an investor pays at the point of entry. Assume that your proposed investment is Rs 20,000. Also assume that the current NAV of the fund is Rs 12 and that the entry load is Rs 0.50. Then, you will receive 10,000 divided by 12.50, that is 1,600 units.

An exit load is levy that an investor pays at the point of exit. This is levied to dissuade investors from exiting the fund. Assume that the current NAV of the fund is Rs 15 and that the exit load is Rs 0.50. Now, if you sell 1,600 units, you stand to receive 1,600 multiplied by 14.5, that is, Rs 23,200.

Funds usually charge an entry load ranging between one and two per cent. There are some funds which don’t charge any fee for initial investments. Usually, index funds, bond funds and liquid funds provide this benefit. These funds do not charge any entry or exit loads. A no-load fund may charge fees that are not sales loads, such as purchase fees, redemption fees, exchange fees, and account fees. Noload funds will also have operating expenses.

A mutual fund provides details of how much you should expect to pay each year in loads and operating expenses. For example, assume you invested Rs 10,000 in a mutual fund a year ago. You paid a two per cent front-end load and the fund’s operating expense ratio was 1.5 per cent. The value of the fund’s portfolio increases 10 per cent in the first year that you own the units. Since the fund took Rs 200 upfront in transaction fees, your net initial investment was Rs 9,800. A year later, your initial investment is actually worth Rs 10,780, for a one year rate of return of 7.8 per cent. Next, deduct the 1.5 per cent in operating expenses using the midpoint value of your units during the year - Rs 9,800 plus Rs 10,780 divided by 2, or Rs 10,290. Multiply that amount by 1.5 per cent to get Rs 154. If you subtract Rs 154 in operating fees from the value of your fund units, your after-fee return is Rs 10,626, for a one year rate of return of 6.26 per cent. So, the returns are 6.26 per cent instead of 10 per cent. As this example shows, loads and fees of a mutual fund can take a substantial chunk from their investment returns.

Mutual funds are required to show their fees and loads. The investor should compare the load charges - both entry and exit - before deciding to invest in a mutual fund. The NAV should not be the sole criterion . The entry and exit loads can have a substantial impact on the returns to the investor.

Top food myths revealed

Think ’light’ coloured olive oil is lighter in calorie content or eating carbs can give love handles? Well, in that case, you need a reality check, for all these notions are mere myths, say two Sydney based dieticians. Susie Burrell and Karen Fischer, nutritionist and author of The Healthy Skin Diet , have come up with a list of the top 10 food myths that people have been following blindly for years.

According to Burrell and Fischer, the top 10 food myths are:

Oysters are an aphrodisiac
Oysters don’t have a secret chemical agent that boosts your sex drive. Though they do have zinc, which is beneficial for men, won’t do any good to the sex life.

"Zinc is linked to the sexual hormone but does not have an effect on libido. However, some people say oysters are an aphrodisiac because they look like parts of the female anatomy," Watoday.com.au quoted Burrell, as saying.

Long-life milk is full of chemicals
Milk does not need preservatives to sit on a cupboard shelf for months, for it’s preservation secret lies in the application of high-temperature technologies.

Fischer said: "Milk is heated to 135 degrees then quickly cooled. That makes ’bad’ bacteria perish, but all the minerals are retained. So long life milk is great as a stand by if you run out of fresh milk."

Light olive oil is "light" on calories
The "light" refers to the colour, not the fat content.

It is not safe to refreeze meat after it has thawed
It is actually safe to thaw and refreeze meat, but on needs to be very careful dong that. The meat must be thawed in a fridge at five degrees or less. At this temperature, most bacteria responsible for food poisoning cannot grow and those that can, do so very slowly and are killed by subsequent cooking.

Carbohydrates cause you to gain weight
Carbohydrates do not cause weight gain unless they contribute to excess calorie intake. The same holds true for protein and fat. Burrell said it’s all in the selection.

"The trouble with carbs is they can be easy to overeat. If they are highly processed, like white flour and pasta, it is
turned into sugar quickly and means you don’t stay full for long. So you need to choose the right sort," she said.

Fresh veggies are better than frozen
A large number of frozen veggies are just as nutritious, or in some cases even more nutritious, than fresh ones. Frozen vegetables are usually processed within hours of picking, which prevents the loss of many nutrients during the freezing process, therefore they keep their high vitamin and mineral content.

The healthier option at a restaurant is a vegetarian dish
This depends on the dish, but some vegetarian meals are high in fat, especially if they’re fried or are made with cheese or pastry.

Burrell said: "The problem with vegetarian meals is that cream-based sauce or butter is used to make them tasty. If you choose a pasta or risotto it has to be very plain tomato sauce to be the low-fat option."

It’s best not to eat after 7pm
It’s not the time but the type of food that you eat that counts. Eating more calories than you burn will make you gain weight. But late snacking can push your calorie intake over the edge.

Fischer said: "Eating just before you go to bed can hamper sleep patterns in that it messes with your insulin. I’d suggest you don’t eat for two to three hours before bed."

Fat-free equals calorie-free
Binging on fat-free foods may ward off the guilt-factor linked with gaining weight, but a lot of fat-free foods have the same amount or even more calories than regular versions.

Shop at midnight!

Wanna know what our shopaholics do at the midnight hour, when all of us are tucked in bed? Well, dahlins, they venture out shopping! A store had its midnight sale on Thursday (yes, this event officially began at 11.30 pm) and despite the odd hour and the heavy showers, a bunch of people did come! Sanjay Vakharia of the store was a pleased man indeed, as he spoke about how the masses flock to sales, but a midnight sale is a signature style statement.

While Siddharth Kannan took to the jeans section with interest, Shonal Rawat took a special liking for some tops. Her boyfriend Deepak Bajaj meanwhile caught up with Rajev Paul. Karan Wahi was the next to come by; he brought two of his friends Sonal and Hemani along to help him pick up a pair of denims. Talk about friends for all seasons and for all reasons! ‘Shop till you drop’ took an altogether new meaning at this midnight affair!

Security fears worry Pakistani Hindus

The Hindu community in Pakistan has expressed concerns at the increase in incidents targeting the life and properties, including places of worship, of the Hindus in the Islamic nation.

The Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC), a representative body of the minority community in the country, expressed concerns over Hindus being target of rising number of robberies in Sindh province.

The Council demanded that the federal Government in Islamabad take immediate measures to prevent such incidents and protect the minority community in the country.

Large number of Hindus took part in a protest in Karachi against the recent robbery in Jacobabad where armed men entered a Hindu temple and robbed some 350 Hindu women of cash and jewelry worth millions of rupees.

Former Sindh lawmaker Dr Ramesh Lal accused the the police and other law enforcement agencies of having failed to provide security to the citizens, particularly the minorities.

"The dacoits have robbed valuables worth approximately Rs 70 million and after the recent incident in Jacobabad, members of the minority communities, especially women, are even afraid to go their religious places," PHC Secretary General Hari Motwani was quoted as saying by the Daily Times newspaper.

"Therefore, we demand that the Government immediately arrest the dacoits and ensure safety measures for minorities, said Motwani, adding that the incident took place in broad daylight and yet the police were unable to prevent it.

"The robberies, coupled with the kidnappings of Hindus in the northern districts of Sindh, have created panic and insecurity amongst the minorities," PHC President Raja Assermal Manglani said, adding that the government needed to ease their fears.

Mukesh Ambani, Deshmukh in Indian Mujahideen's e-mail

The e-mail of Indian Mujahideen, which has claimed responsibility for the terror strikes in Ahmedabad, has warned of dire consequences to some politicians and business heads prompting authorities to increase their security.

In its 14-page email, the militant outfit, believed to be a shadow amalgam of the banned SIMI and Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT), warned Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh and his deputy R R Patil of dire consequences over the alleged targeting of minority communities in that state.

"We wonder at your memory. Have you forgotten the evening of July 11, 2006 so quickly and so easily?" the e-mail warned.

Reliance Industries Limited head Mukesh Ambani also figured in the e-mail in which he was asked to ‘think-twice’ before "usurping and building a citadel on a land in Mumbai that belongs to the Waqf board.

"...lest it turns into horrifying memories for you which you will never ever forget."

There was a warning for the UP Bar Council too for their repeated stand of not taking up cases of Muslims.

For the high-profile VIPs and VVIPs on Central security list, preventive measures have already been placed and for those on state list, authorities concerned have been asked to take up necessary steps, sources in the Union Home Ministry said.

A ray of hope for infertile couples

Infertile couples have yet another reason to smile for researchers have identified a gene that plays a crucial role in regulating and blocking ovulation, opening up the avenues for developing new medications that may help them in producing children.

A team of Canadian and European researchers have identified a gene called Lrh1 with the potential to both regulate and block ovulation.

"Our findings demonstrate that the Lrh1 gene is essential in regulating ovulation," said Bruce D. Murphy, director the Animal Research Centre at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and an adjunct professor of and obstetrics and gynaecology at the Faculty of Medicine of the Universite de Montreal.

"Until this point, the role of Lrh1 in female fertility was unclear, but we have found the gene regulates multiple mechanisms of ovulation and may affect fertilization. This is an important development, since 15 percent of couples are infertile.

"The widespread role of this gene in the ovary indicates that it may be targeted to stimulate ovulation and, eventually, conception," he added.

Since Lrh1 gene also plays a critical role in blocking ovulation, the discovery has opened up the possibility of developing new contraceptives for effective birth control. During the study, the research team developed a new type of genetically modified mouse whose Lrh1 gene was selectively blocked in the ovary. They found that deletion of the Lrh1 gene effectively stopped ovulation.

“This discovery means we can envision new contraceptives that selectively stop ovulation,” said Murphy. If created, these new contraceptives would be more effective and produce less side-effects than current steroid-based forms of birth control," he added.

The new study is published in the latest issue of the journal Genes & Development.

Bill Gates wants India to quit smoking

Taking on cigarette giants that are aggressively targeting developing countries, billionaires Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg have jointly pledged USD 500 million for a massive anti-smoking campaign with special focus on India and China.

A world without tobacco "is a world in which people live longer and have happier lives," Bloomberg, New York Mayor who has a fortune of USD 16 billion, said at a joint press conference with the Microsoft founder Gates.

Gates and Bloomberg said the money would go to anti-smoking groups working with governments to curb the consumption of tobacco and related products, including World Health Organisation (WHO) and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

The global tobacco market is expected to rise to USD 464 billion by 2012 and the campaign against "global tobacco epidemic" comes at a time when number of smokers in the US is decreasing and American multinationals are looking for markets for cigarettes abroad especially in the developing nations.

Bill and Malinda Foundation will donate USD 125 million to the campaign while Bloomberg will contribute USD 250 million, apart from the USD 125 million he pledged earlier.

The two most populous countries, India and China, need special attention, said Gates. He is worth USD 58 billion and stepped down as full time executive of Microsoft in June.

But China is more difficult as the government owns cigarette manufacturing companies and draws revenue from them, Bloomberg, a former smoker, added.

"We do not want the modern-day heroes to be cigarette smoking," Bloomberg said.

Opportune time to invest in power stocks over 1-3 years

Amid the new found euphoria, power stocks have emerged as the best bet to invest in, according to market analysts who foresee great potential for the sector.

With the political uncertainty over the 123 agreement now behind, analysts feel that the Indo-US nuclear deal will give a major fillip to this sector. This was evident from the jump in all power stocks on Tuesday ahead of the trust vote.

The biggest plus for the sector is the support of the government, which has allocated around Rs 5,00,000 crore for power in its 11th Five Year Plan.

The country’s total installed capacity is currently 1,44,565 MW. The capacity addition envisaged in the 12th Five Year Plan is 82,000 MW, comprising 30,000 MW of hydro, 40,000 MW thermal and 11,000-13,000 MW nuclear.

“No government can ignore power, as it’s the backbone of industrial production. This sector alone constitutes 3.5 per cent of GDP production, as against 2.5 per cent by agriculture sector,” said Dillip Davada, an independent research analyst.

In the last five years, all power sector companies have recorded a CAGR of 24 per cent on an average and Davada expects this figure to reach 30-35 per cent in a year’s time.

A good number of power companies are expected to raise Rs 1,50,000 crore from the market for their expansion projects by the end of 2009. National Thermal Power Corporation, shares of which closed at Rs 190.25 on Wednesday, plans an investment of Rs 29,000 crore while Reliance Infrastructure (earlier Reliance Energy) and Reliance Power are planning a total capital expenditure of Rs 60,000 crore. Tata Power will invest Rs 12,000 crore in greenfield projects.

“As of now, power sector is the safest bet to park your money in stock markets. Banking on the huge energy requirements of the country, power companies will continue with their greenfield projects,” said P K Agarwal, head of equity research, Bonanza Portfolio.

Rs.1016.70), Tata Power (LTP: 1124.40), Reliance Power (Rs 171.10), Power Grid Corporation of India (Rs 102.40), Power Finance Corporation (Rs 135.25) are value buys for investors.

Increasingly, natural gas is now replacing crude oil as an energy resource. Recently, NTPC tied up with Petronet LNG for its gas based power plant.

“If this trend continues, it will play a key role in boosting the power sector,” added Agarwal, who feels that the steel and cement companies having captive power plants of 200-300 MW will sooner or later emerge power scrips as well.

However, the depleting stock of coal in India might pose a threat to thermal power generation companies, which constitute 53.3 per cent of total power produced.

Said Alex Mathew, head of technical research at Geojit Financials, “the stock of coal in India is limited. Sooner or later, nuclear power will take over from thermal power, the former having the cheapest tariff per unit.”

Companies like NTPC and others are shortly planning to set up nuclear power plant, according to Mathew.

He does not find anything worrisome in it, as power companies are now bidding for coal mines in Australia and South Africa, joining hands with miners abroad.

Geojit’s research reveals that some power stocks that have outperformed the markets so far are quoting at higher price to earnings multiple than the benchmark Sensex. These are Tata Power (PE ratio of 14.9), Reliance Infra (PE: 20.16) and NTPC (PE: 20.03).

In a bearish market, it is an opportune time to invest in power stocks with a time horizon of 1-3 years, concluded Geojit’s Mathew.

Today, the BSE Power Index was down 0.47 per cent to 2,694.49 in comparison to the benchmark Sensex which was down 0.90 per cent to 14,807.24 after touching a high of 15,130.09.

The gainers comprised Reliance Power (up 5.15% at Rs 179.80), GMR Infrastructure (3.48%), Suzlon Energy (2.04%), Reliance Infrastructure (1.89%), Crompton Greaves (1%), ABB (0.91%), and Torrent Power (0.48%).

Soy-based foods may lower sperm count: study

Eating a half serving a day of soy-based foods could be enough to significantly lower a man’s sperm count, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.The study is the largest in humans to look at the relationship between semen quality and a plant form of the female sex hormone estrogen known as phytoestrogen, which is plentiful in soy-rich foods.

"What we found was men that consume the highest amounts of soy foods in this study had a lower sperm concentration compared to those who did not consume soy foods," said Dr. Jorge Chavarro of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, whose study appears in the journal Human Reproduction.

"It was a relatively large difference," Chavarro said in a telephone interview.

Chavarro said studies in animals have linked high consumption of plant-derived estrogens known as isoflavones with infertility, but so far there has been little evidence of their effect in humans.

"We wanted to know if it would affect sperm production and could serve as a marker for the effects on the reproductive system," Chavarro said.

STRIKING DIFFERENCE

Chavarro’s team analyzed the intake of 15 soy-based foods in 99 men who went to a fertility clinic between 2000 and 2006.

They were asked how much and how often in the prior three months they had eaten soy-rich foods including: tofu, tempeh, tofu or soy sausages, bacon, burgers and mince, soy milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream, and other soy products such drinks, powders and energy bars.

Because different foods have different levels of isoflavones in them, the researchers set a standard for serving sizes of particular foods. Then they divided the men into groups according to soy consumption levels. Men in the highest group on average ate half a serving per day.

"In terms of their isoflavone content that is comparable to having one cup of soy milk or one serving of tofu, tempeh or soy burgers every other day," Chavarro said.

The difference was striking. Men in the highest intake category had 41 million sperm per milliliter less than men who ate no soy foods. A normal sperm count ranges from 80 million and 120 million per milliliter, and a sperm count of 20 million per milliliter or below is considered low.

"It suggests soy foods could have some deleterious effect on the reproductive system and especially on sperm production," Chavarro said.

The researchers found the association between soy foods and lower sperm count was stronger in overweight men, which might suggest hormones are playing a role.

"Men who are overweight or obese tend to have higher levels of androgen-produced estrogen. They are converting a male hormone into a female hormone in their fat. The more body fat you have, the more estrogen you produce in your fat," Chavarro said.

Chavarro said the study was not sufficient to suggest that soy intake would have health implications such as inducing infertility. Much bigger studies would be needed to answer that question, he said.

Lonely without love? Try virtual dating!

If you are in a long distance relationship and have been missing your partner, don’t fret. With communication getting easier day-by-day, the Internet is turning out to be a blessing for people involved in long distance relationships, shows a new survey.

According to the study, social networking websites have led to a boom in long-distance relationships. Some 14 per cent of people quizzed said they were dating a partner who lived miles away.

More than three-quarters of them said it was now far easier to enjoy a long-distance relationship – thanks to networking sites, videophone calls and text messaging. And 10 per cent of the 2,000 adults polled admitted dating people they met through dating or social websites.

One in four had begun a relationship over the net at some point. But telephone remains the most common way to stay in touch during a long-distance relationship. It was followed by text and email, the report found.

Love knows no boundaries...

...and the internet has certainly made this old adage come true. The World Wide Web has become the new meeting place for singles, who see social networking websites not just as the best place to keep in touch with friends but also to find their ‘special someone’.

Neha who works with a multinational company in Delhi says, “I really liked a guy when I was in school but I could never muster the courage to reveal my feelings. After eight years, I came across his profile on a social networking website and contacted him. It was only 3 months ago that I told him that I love him and now we are dating each other. It’s strange but had I not come across his profile on the internet I might never have been able to find him again.”

I-T returns made simpler through e-filing

As July 31 — the last date for filing income-tax returns for individuals, Hindu Undivided Families and other non-corporate assessees — draws closer, taxpayers have started preparing themselves for the yearly ritual of poring over their documents and making hurried calls to their chartered accountants. Though e-filing of returns is not compulsory for individual taxpayers, it has picked up in a big way because of the convenience it offers.

All you need to do is to log on to the official website http://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in or www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in, and register with your PAN, which will act as your user ID. Next, you need to identify the return form (in excel format) applicable to you and download the same. A salaried assessee with no other income (except interest from bank deposits) has to fill the form ITR 1. If he/she has also earned income by way of rent, selling a house property or stocks and so on, ITR 2 will be applicable.

The Form-16 issued by your employer will serve as a helpful guide to filling the return forms. You need to go to Tools > Macro > Security and set the security level to medium and enable the macros. Once you are done with filling the form, you need to validate all the information by clicking on the Validate key and proceed to generate an XML file, which will have to be uploaded on to the site by hitting the Submit Return key. If you have obtained a digital signature (DS) certificate, you need to upload it along with the XML file.

Once the website displays the acknowledgement details, your task can be considered complete. You can preserve a print-out of the acknowledgement slip for your records. However, in case you have submitted the return without a DS, the ITR-V form will be generated, which will have to be filled and submitted to your local income-tax office within 15 days of e-filing your return. In case you are unable to so, your return is rendered invalid. ITR-V has to be signed and submitted in duplicate.

The I-T department will retain a copy and hand over the other duly stamped copy to you. This copy will serve as a proof that you have submitted ITR-V within stipulated time. While you are not required to attach any documents like the Form-16 or TDS certificates along with ITR-V, it is advisable to attach photocopies of the same to enable the taxman assess your return easily.

A digital signature (DS) is required to validate the electronic documents. A DS can be obtained for a fee from any of the seven Certification Agencies (Cas), including TCS, National Informatics Centre and MTNL, which are authorised by the government to issue digital signatures. An individual assessee is required to obtain Class II/Class III digital signature certificates, which are issued after the submission of relevant identity and address proofs.

Usually, these are certificates issued with a validity period of 1-2 years, and need to be renewed thereafter. The process of obtaining a DS can take up to 1-2 weeks. The fees charged for issuing a DS depend on the vendor and the validity period. The cost of obtaining a Class II DS could range from Rs 300 to Rs 2,000.

While e-filing has certainly made the taxpayer’s life simpler, certain hiccups such as slow downloading and uploading do crop up at times. One of the drawbacks of this system is that it does not guide you with helpful tips and information, points out Pune-based chartered account Vaibhav Sankhla. Besides, the portal’s functioning gets disrupted even if minor typographic errors such as extra spacing between the words or usage of an incorrect date format occur, says PricewaterhouseCoopers executive director Sandip Mukherjee.

People who do not have the time or patience to file their returns directly through the official website can opt for the services offered by e-filing specific portals like Taxsmile and Taxspanner, who promise to simplify the procedure further for a fee (starting from Rs 250 a year).

They arrange for a DS as well. Taking this route could make your task easier. “These portals provide useful inputs and tools that can guide the users properly,” says Mr Sankhla. You can also courier your ITR-V to their offices, which will in turn, submit the form at the local I-T offices, marking the culmination of the return-filing process. However, if you happen to miss the bus this time, you have an option of filing a belated return till March 31, 2010.

But if the return is filed after March 31, 2009, you may have to shell out penal charges of up to Rs 5,000 if your papers are picked up for assessment by the taxman. Moreover, if any tax remains unpaid, the tax payer will also be liable to pay a penal interest of 1 per cent per month on the amount of unpaid tax from the date immediately following the due date, i.e. July 31, 2008, till the day the tax amount is finally paid.

Brokers rush in where FIIs fear to trade

Did brokers see the slide (from January) coming? The answer could be yes, if the Bombay Stock Exchange’s statistics on proprietary investments are any indications. The over Rs 19,000-crore worth of proprietary book investments over the past seven months highlight the fact that many brokers are still flush with funds.

One explanation could be that these brokers had booked profits while the market was on an uptrend till January. That money is now being steadily ploughed into the beaten down shares.

While investors, FIIs and domestic institutions sold mercilessly during March and April, the prop books of brokers show net purchases on all months since January. Brokers bought shares worth Rs 2,092 crore, Rs 3,448 crore and Rs 3080 crore in March, April and June, respectively. According to sources, July is expected to log record investments with about Rs 3,377-crore worth of broker money already invested in the market.

“Towards end-January, margin funding had dried up for most brokers. Brokers with surplus cash would have invested in market or scrounged for arbitrage opportunities,” said India Infoline vice-president (strategy) Harshad Apte.

Brokers’ proprietary positions, where they invest their own money in the stock market, have been on the rise, with the numbers very high in the futures and options market. The increase in brokers’ own investments in the markets is conventionally seen to conflict with the positions they take on behalf of their clients, market experts opine.

According to data from the NSE, in the futures and options segment the average daily proprietary position of nearly 80% of the brokers was above 20% for June. The proprietary position of brokers holding 100% in the segment has shot up from 60 brokers in January to 64 in April and 72 in June. A 100% proprietary holding indicates that their (broker’s) entire investments for the month were for themselves rather than their clients.

“About 25-30% of the 600-strong active brokers (those who trade on a day-to-day basis) only trade in their proprietary accounts. Most of them do not have clients worth mentioning,” said Fortune Financial Services managing director Nimish Shah. According to Mr Shah, several brokers anticipated the market to correct considerably in January. However, none of them would have ever expected the market to enter a bearish phase, he added.

A section of the market attributes the rise in proprietary positions to brokers doing arbitrage between the cash and derivatives market. This is evident from increased proprietary investments in the derivatives market over the last few months, brokers opine.

“Brokers are largely resorting to arbitrage transactions where the risk of loss is minimal. Such trades cannot be called naked investments or even positional calls. Many of them could just be hedging their positions in the cash market,” said Edelweiss Capital managing director Rasesh Shah.

“Most brokers would not have that kind of money (referring to Rs 19,370 crore) with them to invest in market. They have to maintain capital adequacy; no broker would like to place his capital in positional risk by investing in such markets. As a matter of fact, about 50-60% of brokers’ capital lies with the exchanges,” Mr Shah added. He also attributed the rise in proprietary investments to several brokers (about 50% of all brokers) only doing only proprietary trading.

A gun that can regulate bullet speed

A US company is developing a gun that can fire bullets with variable speed and can be set to kill, wound or just cause a bruise.

Lund and Company Invention, a Chicago-based toy design studio, which makes toy rockets that are powered by burning hydrogen, is receiving funding from the US army to adapt the same technology for firing bullets as the army is interested in weapons that can be switched between lethal and non-lethal modes.

The new weapon, called the Variable Velocity Weapon System, lets the soldier use the same rifle for crowd control and combat, by altering the muzzle velocity. It could be loaded with "rubber bullets" to deliver blunt impact, full-speed lethal rounds or projectiles somewhere between the two.

The gun works by mixing a liquid or gaseous fuel with air in a combustion chamber behind the bullet. This determines the explosive capability of the propellant and consequently the velocity of the bullet, as it leaves the gun.

Onion prices to add flare to inflation fire

Onion prices, muted through the agri commodities rally in the first half of 2008, have doubled in July and is set to flare in the second half on an expected drop in output, traders and officials said.Wholesale average price in the country’s largest onion trading hub in Lasalgaon, Maharashtra, was 880 rupees per 100 kg on Tuesday, from 431 rupees on June 30.

Onion, a major ingredient in Indian food, and a politically sensitive commodity, is typically cultivated thrice a year -- in monsoon, winter and summer.

"Lower rainfall has delayed cultivation and it will also cut acreage in the current kharif (summer-sown) crop," Satish Bhonde, additional director, National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF), told Reuters.

The kharif output in 2008/09 may fall by 41 percent to 1 million tonnes from 1.7 million tonnes a year ago, Bhonde said.

Onion output in the year to March 2008 was likely to rise 11.9 percent to a record 7.45 million tonnes, according to NHRDF estimates, which kept a lid on prices till now.

The kharif crop arrivals usually start from mid-August but cultivation has delayed by nearly two months due to scanty rains, Bhonde added.

Rise in onion prices usually gives opposition parties an opportunity to put the ruling front on the mat and gather votes in India.

In 1998, the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party suffered heavy losses in a key state poll, widely blamed on high onion prices. Onion prices, a staple for most Indians, brought inflation undisguised to the poorest homes.

India’s annual inflation rose to a 13 year high of 11.91 percent in early July, helped by higher food prices. Onion might now contribute, more dangerously.

"Prices are unlikely to cool in next few months. In crisis, people cut consumption of water, electricity. Now they should do the same with onion," Bhonde said.

"Farmers are slowly releasing stored crop and arrivals have dwindled. Wholesale price may rise to 1,700 rupees in next two months," said Vilas Bhujbal, a Pune-based trader.

Rajasthan in the west, and Haryana and Punjab in north India may see a rise in acreage under the bulb in current season, but major producers- western Maharashtra and Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in the south - may see a sharp drop in acreage, Bhonde said.

India is the second biggest producer of onion in the world and major exporter in south Asia.

"Lower rains have been diverting farmers towards other crops, which requires less water," said D. Y. Bholkar, a trader from Nashik, a major producing region in Maharashtra.

In 2007 the government had restricted exports to rein in prices, but revoked it when prices slumped in early 2008.

Do you fight fair?

So you have regular fights with your lover? It’s normal! However, how you handle your fight will ultimately determine how your relationship develops in the long term. Many people fight dirty and ruin everything. Here’s a quiz that will give you an insight into how you and your partner deal with conflicts and disagreements together.

How to do it: Think of how you and your partner handle disagreements and write the number that you think is representative of how often this occurs. Give yourself a score as follows: 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Very Often

Now add up your score...

How to interpret your score:
10 to 20 points: Seems like you are in a “perfect 10”, but check for a pulse in your relationship. Maybe you are able to talk about the difficult and important things Very well, but if you’re not talking, you don’t have much of a relationship. It really does take a little spice to keep any relationship alive. Cherish what you have and remember to keep right on talking and solving those problems before they get in the way of your growth.

21-34 points: This is dangerous territory. If your score is at the high end, you may be heading into long term trouble. Change the course of your fights by seeking to understand your partner rather than just defending your position. Understanding is powerful even when you don’t agree. 35-50 points: Ongoing fights where nobody wins? Change before someone gets hurt any more. Maybe you’re fighting because it’s the only thing you know how to do or maybe it’s the only time you get any attention. Even at that, you probably still feel lonely and trapped. It’s time to get help from a counsellor, therapist or other professional, or get out.

Ask yourself

We fight

We call names

Things get out of control when we argue (One of us gets nasty or abusive)

There are bad feelings for a long time afterward

Past issues from your current relationship come up during disagreements

There’s frustration even before we deal with problems

We forget what we’re fighting about but continue to fight

One of us must win

We blame each other

Neither of us listens to the other

Women may soon give birth at 100

Scientists predict that advances in test-tube fertilisation procedures may soon make it possible for women to give birth even at the age of 100.

A research team, led by Davor Solter of the Institute of Medical Biology in Singapore, believes that there will be an end to infertility in a span of 30 years, with every woman being able to conceive. Using sophisticated techniques not yet available, sperm and eggs will be created from skin cells and combined to make embryos.

The claims were made by leading scientists asked to predict advances in reproduction by 2038. "It means every person regardless of age will be able to have children. Newborn children could have children and 100-year-olds could have children. It could easily happen in the next 30 years,” the Mirror quoted Solter, as saying.

The researchers say that future techniques would allow scientists to create thousands of embryos to experiment on. Solter said, "I have no idea what kind of moral value or rights we’d give to those embryos. It could be terrible to start, and then become a fact of life. Maybe 30 years from now we’ll read someone made 20,000 embryos and studied their development and we’ll decide it’s OK."

The risks of a late pregnancy

These days majority of the women tend to work to lead a comfortable life. Amidst coping with a career and personal life, there are an increasing number of women who prefer to wait to get pregnant.

But they are unaware of the biological complications that they may have to face for this ignorance. Women have a peak reproductive potential while they are in their twenties and it declines drastically after the age of 38. What causes the decline in egg quality is often due to a decrease in the energy supplied by the mitochondria. This means that eggs which were healthy at a younger age can not support fertilization and growth once they grow older.

Why should you plan early?
There is a decline in the production of eggs as one gets older Uterine IVF is less. More fibroid endometriosis. By 40 years, average women in India experience menopause. This is a specific milestone in every woman, when, she abruptly ceases to produce reproductive eggs. Most women have hyper tension and diabetes by 35 years. There could be other hormonal complications which may hinder pregnancy

What are the adverse affects of a late pregnancy?
Increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities in the child like Down’s Syndrome. More possibility of still birth. Increased risk of maternal mortality. Risk of miscarriage is high.

What to do?
One should ‘plan’ a pregnancy . Attend pre-pregnancy counselling which helps in removing a lot of your doubts. Go for regular general health check-ups. Plan pregnancy before 30 years of age, to prevent complications

Increased risk of miscarriage:
20 – 35 years 15%
35 – 40 years 18 – 20%
40 and above 25%

Daily power

If we know our everyday foods, their quantum, and frequency of consumption they become medicines, and tilt the internal balance of the body in favour of the synthesis of protective substances and in essence put away the risk of degenerative diseases.

What are these ‘protective substances’?

Protective and destructive regulators produced in the body are essentially hormone-like substances which are technically called prostaglandins.Those prostaglandins, which are protective, are anti-inflammatory and anti thrombotic; where as the harmful ones are inflammatory and proaggregratory.

What difference does it make to our body?

If your body is producing more inflammatory substances, it is exposing the inner linings of your blood vessels to undesired changes, including oxidising your bad cholesterol. Additionally it also may elevate your blood pressure, increase the viscosity of your blood and make you more prone to clot formation.Thus, despite maintaining the correct weight, if you do not pay attention to the quality of your daily food intake, you are at a higher risk to diseases including heart disease, diabetes, cancers, and bone changes, due to the increased production of these harmful substances.
What are these everyday ‘super’ foods?

Get good quality fats in your diet as it is the right balance of fatty acids like Omega 3 and MUFA in your diet which favour the synthesis of protective prostaglandins.
Super foods —

Nuts, fatty fishes, soya, pulses emphasise good quality carbohydrates, which include carbohydrates loaded with dietary fibre and having a low glycemic response.This again not only ensures a stable supply of energy and stabilises blood sugars but also provides a base for the desirable microbial flora in the gastrointestinal tract to flourish, there by adding on to an improved internal milieu.
Super foods —

Whole wheat, bajra , oats, ragi , sprouts, banana , guava have a high intake of a variety of vegetables. All seasonal leafy vegetables, and other vegetables especially cruciferous, coloured vegetables, beans, etc are the right choices. Make salads an inherent part of your meals
Super foods —

Cabbage, spinach, cauliflower and cauliflower greens, pumpkin, beans, capsicum, tomatoes, onions, garlic, corriander

Are you saving enough money?

Women may not earn as much as men or fly up the corporate ladder as quickly, but they get the last laugh since they live longer. As it turns out, American women probably aren’t saving enough to bankroll those extra years in style. They invest more conservatively, start saving later and are more likely to be in and out of the work force, according to a study released by Hewitt Associates, a human resources consulting firm.

Suddenly, retirement isn’t looking so rosy. Women live an average of 22 years after retirement versus 19 years for men and medical costs are rising, so women will need to save 2 per cent more than men every year over 30 years to maintain their standard of living after retirement, the study found.

The importance of saving didn’t dawn on Jerre Laughlin until she was in her 40s and started working in human resources. "I was looking at pensions all day and was seeing what happens to employees who don’t save. That’s when reality set in," said Jerre, now 63. She’s been playing catch-up since and doesn’t plan to retire until she’s 67.

Jerre isn’t the only one who’s learning her lesson the hard way. The Hewitt study found women today still do worse by every measure. They start saving later (by two to four years), invest less (7.3 per cent versus 8.1 per cent) and are in and out of the work force more often for family reasons.

The study looked at the projected retirement levels of nearly 2 million current workers of varying ages at 72 large US companies and used actual employee balances. "Women tend to be a little more risk averse, more fearful of losing money," said Alison Borland, an author of the study. Women’s saving habits haven’t improved significantly over the past several years, either, Borland said.

The study also found that a quarter of women didn’t contribute enough to take advantage of the company match, which is typically 50 cents for every dollar up to 6 per cent of pay. On average, women earned $57,000 versus $84,000 for men. Yet women will have longer retirements than men by an average of three years. Socking away more now can improve the quality of those extra years.

If a woman who earns $57,000 a year boosts her contribution from 2 per cent to 4 per cent, an extra $95 a month, she can save an extra $81,000 by the time she retires, according to the study. That doesn’t include her employer’s matching contribution. Delaying retirement can have a big impact too; every additional year is more time earning and less time sapping savings.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is cashing out plans when switching jobs; that wipes out 30 per cent or more of the account’s value in taxes and penalties.

Not surprisingly, the study states 90 per cent of women were unsure about managing their finances. However, it also found that more companies are offering investment guidance.

Overall, four out of five men and women aren’t saving enough to keep up the same lifestyle after they stop working. Because of inflation and rising medical costs, Hewitt estimates workers will need to replace 126 per cent of their salary after retirement to maintain their lifestyle. Both men and women are on track to replace an average of just 67 per cent of that amount.

But with a longer retirement stretching before them, women may want to think about closing the savings gap fast.

Friends and lovers!

When two people are in a relationship, they need to share a certain level of compatibility that extends beyond the bedroom. Besides getting along as lovers, they need to be friends, in order to share each other’s joy and sorrow and be on the same wavelength, mentally and emotionally. Friends, who are close to each other, tend to have that kind of emotional and mental connection, which is why the friendship is shared in the first place. Imagine if you could find that kind of compatibility in a lover as well!

The good news is that this is possible, if you already have a friend from the opposite sex who you are very close to. All you have to do now is turn the friend into a lover, which is very easy. Read on for easy steps on how to turn a friend into a lover:

Remind them of what they like
If you have a friend from the opposite sex, and they have hinted that they like certain physical or emotional characteristics that you possess, learn to highlight those features. If they like your eyes or your smile, the next time you meet him or her, smile a little more often or do your make up so that your eyes are accentuated. If they like emotional habits of yours, like the way you understand their problems and come up with instant solutions, remind them of how well you gel with each other.

Just don’t go over board and try to do this with subtlety. Remember, that when you were friends, how you looked or felt did not really matter because he or she would love you none the less. But alas, when it comes to love, you need to present yourself in a way that will make him or her notice.

Change the talk
In order to make the transition from friend to lover, you need to make changes in the way you relate to him or her. When people are friends they tend to talk about everything under the sun, from common interests or each others’ love interests, they spill the beans and how! If you want this person to relate to you on a more intimate level, you need to start talking to him or her on a more intimate level as well.

You could try verbal flirting and making innuendos that you are interested in more than just a friendship. If you want him or her to change their perception of you, it is necessary that you start talking to him or her as a potential love interest and not like you would speak to one of your boyfriends or girlfriends.

Cars to run on fuel from waste

Vehicles will soon run on fuel made from household waste as a chemical company in Britain has found a way to make bioethanol from rubbish.

INEOS, world’s third largest chemical company, said it had patented a method of producing fuel from municipal solid waste, agricultural waste and organic commercial waste and it planned to sell the bioethanol fuel in industrial quantities by 2010. The bioethanol that INEOS produces will have to be combined with a fossil fuel as very few cars in Britain run solely on bioethanol.

Peter Williams, the chief executive of INEOS Bio, told the Times : "This should mean that, unlike with other biofuels, we won’t have to make the choice between food and fuel." Williams said the company planned to produce commercial amounts of bioethanol fuel for cars from waste within two years.

INEOS claims that it can produce about 400 litres of ethanol from one tonne of dry waste. The new process works by heating the waste to produce gases, then feeding the gases to bacteria, which produce ethanol that can be purified into a fuel. The development of fuel from waste could be a relief for motorists who have watched pump prices soar.

According to the report, INEOS is talking to authorities in the United States, Canada and Europe about selling the fuel when it is made on an industrial scale. The company began research into the biochemical process about 20 years ago in Arkansas. A pilot plant was built and researchers have been working with a variety of waste materials since 2003.

Singh is King: UPA govt wins confidence vote

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government won a vote of confidence in parliament on Tuesday, ensuring the immediate survival of the ruling coalition and a civilian nuclear deal with the United States.

Earlier the opposition demanded the resignation of the prime minister anyway after three of its lawmakers said they had been bribed to abstain. The government won 275 votes against 256 for the opposition, the parliamentary speaker Somnath Chatterjee announced.

The session was angry and chaotic. The debate was briefly adjourned when opposition lawmakers interrupted the debate to wave wads of cash they said were offered as bribes by the government to abstain.

The vote pitted the Congress-led coalition that negotiated the civilian nuclear deal against its former communist allies and opposition parties led by the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). With the vote very close, several MPs who are ill were flown or wheeled in from hospital, and others, in jail for crimes such as murder and extortion, were granted temporary release.

The win means the four-year-old, left-of-centre government will, for the moment, stay in power. It will try and move ahead with a civilian nuclear deal, seen as one of the few legacies of the prime minister. The deal would draw India closer to the West and allow the Asian giant access to foreign civilian nuclear fuel and technology, despite not signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty and conducting nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998.

t could unlock $40 billion in investment over the next 15 years, according to an Indian business lobby group, as India seeks new energy sources to tap its booming, trillion-dollar economy. But it is unclear whether the prime minister will be able to stay in power until elections scheduled by May, 2009, especially if the bribery scandal spirals and involves top government officials.

Investors had hoped the victory would give the government time to battle rising inflation, which has hit the pockets of millions of poor voters, as well as passing some economic reforms in sectors like insurance and pensions.

Investors had expected a narrow win for the government, and said the victory could boost markets. The main share index has risen by more than 12 percent in the last four sessions. The confidence vote was sparked by the withdrawal of the government’s communist allies to protest the nuclear deal, which they say will make India’s security and energy policies dependent on the United States.

Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, in a speech frequently interrupted by shouting from the opposition benches, defended the government’s record and said nuclear power was vital if the country was to emulate the economic success of China.

"This government under Dr Manmohan Singh’s leadership is charting out a new path which will end India’s nuclear isolation, which will pave the way for India becoming an economic superpower," he said. Despite the parliamentary victory, it is still unclear whether there is enough time for the deal to be passed by US.

Congress under the Bush administration. The agreement needs clearance from the governors of the UN atomic watchdog and a 45-nation group that controls sensitive nuclear trade. The government helped secure a parliamentary majority with the support of the regional Samajwadi Party (SP), which replaced the communists as its parliamentary support.

The SP will now effectively hold the balance of power in India and the party is expected to give the government more room than the communists to pass economic reforms.

Mkts upbeat, Sensex regains 14K level

Extending the gains for the fourth day in a row on Tuesday, the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex closed higher by over 250 points to regain the key 14,000 level after nearly a month.

Marketmen said the trading sentiment turned stronger at mid-way after Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s comments in Parliament that the economy grew at an estimated 9.1 per cent in 2007-08.

The 30-share BSE barometer, which had gained 1275 points in the past three sessions, today added another 254.16 points at 14,104.20.

The Sensex touched the day’s high of 14,206.13 and dipped to a low of 13,798.18 points.

The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty jumped by 80.60 points at 4,240.10, after rising to a high of 4,262.45 and a low of 4,137.95 points during the day.

Chidambaram participating in the debate on confidence vote in Parliament highlighted the record production figures of wheat, rice, pulses, oil seeds and coarse cereals and termed the 2007-08 as a watershed year for agriculture.

Cash-on-table a first in Lok Sabha history

The debate on the trust vote took a dramatic turn on Tuesday when Ashok Argal, MP from Morena, Faggan Singh Kulaste, MP from Mandla, and Mahavir Bhagora, MP from Salumber in Rajasthan waved wads of notes bringing proceedings to a halt. ( Watch )

BJP’s deputy leader V K Malhotra began to address the chair, then occupied by deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal, but was immediately drowned out by the shouts of his party MPs who rushed into the well.

For more than a few moments, no one seemed to know what was happening. The sound was deafening as Argal, Kulaste and Bhagora kept gesticulating, their words completely drowned out. Gesturing to the media gallery, some BJP MPs held up three fingers, some others shouted "crore, crore." What was it? Three crore for one MP, or one crore for three? The confusion was compounded by the milling crowd, with Congress MPs also rushing to the well to take a closer look at the wads.

"Whose is it?" they shouted. "Take it back," they added. BJP MPs seemed to say that cash came from the Congress. Up front were Pravin Rashtrapal and Lal Singh.

The cash-on-table was a first for Lok Sabha. In the current House, MPs have been disqualified for accepting bribes for favours, but a reverse sting was clearly a novelty. Usually at the receiving end, MPs have been more likely to be caught with their hands in the cookie jar. But as about 100-odd MPs pulled and pushed, Argal dipped into his bag and produced more bundles of Rs 1,000 notes, waving them around for good measure.

The word spread like lightning. Mediapersons who had stepped out for a cup of tea outside the Lok Sabha gallery came running in. Within minutes, media stand was so full that the watch and ward staff had to swarn journalists away from the thin bannister that overhangs the Speaker’s chair and a part of the House. Everyone wanted to take a look at the money.

A couple of BJP MPs chucked a band which held one of the bundles of notes. It was eagerly caught and was immediately subjected to close scrutiny. Meanwhile, the packed visitors, Rajya Sabha and Speaker’s galleries were devouring the action. DMK’s Kanimozhi strained forward, as did industrialist and Rajya Sabha MP Rahul Bajaj. A couple of chief ministers, suspected to be directing "poaching" operations, were also hanging around at the back of the Speaker’s gallery.

The sudden appearance of Argal and Co. took the Congress’s front bench by surprise. Initially, there was incomprehension which then gave way to an understanding of what was being alleged. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi sat quite still expect for rapidly blinking her eyes. In the next bench, which he shares with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee stared grimly at the scene before him.

There was little that could be done except to adjourn the House. The meeting of leaders that followed saw a decision being taken to cut short the debate and proceed with the PM’s reply and the vote. In the meantime, the channel that had recorded the sting deposited the tapes with the Speaker’s office.The Speaker will take a view himself or perhaps refer the matter to the privileges panel.

Argal, MP from Morena, had been pumping himself for the moment ever since he stepped into the House with cash in his bag. His neighbour, BJP MP from Rajgarh Laxman Singh, knew what was afoot and as the minutes began to tick by, he urged Argal on by urgently whispering to him.

As soon as Argal reached the well, he was joined by Faggan Singh Kulaste, MP from Mandla, and Mahavir Bhagora, MP from Salumber in Rajasthan.

On Tuesday morning, Argal and Kulaste reached Amar Singh’s residence at 27, Lodhi Estate. BJP sources alleged Amar Singh told the BJP MPs that the UPA already had the necessary number of MPs to win the vote. So, he was not in a position to give them too much money. Still, he was prepared to give them Rs 3 crore each for abstaining from voting.

To seal the deal by building greater confidence in the BJP MPs, the BJP MPs claim Amar Singh got them to speak to someone on phone who he said was Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary, Ahmad Patel. The MPs claim they played along and agreed to the deal. But they pointed out that with television crew deployed 24x7 outside Amar Singh’s residence, it was not possible to carry out wads of notes. Amar Singh is claimed to have offered to have the money delivered.

Soon, Sanjeev Saxena, Amar Singh’s personal aide, went to Argal’s residence with a bag. This visit too is said to be have been recorded on camera, which also captured Saxena taking out wads of currency notes. The BJP MPs claim Saxena gave them Rs 1 crore as "token money" and told them that the remaining Rs 8 crore would be delivered after they had abstained in the trust vote.

In the footage which is now with the Speaker, Saxena is is also shown as giving the phone to Argal to speak with somebody whom the BJP MP later identified as Amar Singh.

The three BJP MPs surprised everyone when they displayed bundles of currency notes in Parliament and accused Samajwadi Party MP, Reoti Raman Singh, and SP general secretary, Amar Singh, of striking a deal with them to abstain from voting.

Here’s what the MPs described the events: Kulaste: "We (Kulaste, Argal and Bhagora) were contacted on Monday night and told that a deal would be struck in Le Meridian hotel. But that couldn’t happen. Later, Reoti Raman Singh came to meet us at the house, 4, Ferozeshah Road, occupied by Ashok Argal, and said, ’Come with me to Amar Singh’s house where the deal would be finalized’.

"On Tuesday morning, we discussed the deal with Ahmed Patel. Thereafter, at 8am, we went with Reoti Raman Singh to Amar Singh’s house where he offered us Rs 3 crore — Rs 1 crore each as advance — there. But, we refused to take the money and said it should be delivered at 4, Ferozeshah Road.

"After some time, a person came to the residence with two bags full of cash and put it on the table. I asked him to open the bags to show us whether the cash was real or fake. Then he took out Rs 1 crore in cash."

Argal: "On Monday night, SP MP Revati Raman Singh came to my house (4, Ferozeshah Road) and offered me the money and asked me to go to Amar Singh’s house to finalize the deal for abstaining from voting. When he asked us where the money could be sent? I said 4, Ferozeshah Road."

'Chocolate as good as sex for women'

Is there anything that can provide a woman the ecstasy of sex, alleviate her mood or even make her melt her in your arms? Believe it or not, there is. And it’s called chocolate. Half of the women in a recent international study revealed that chocolate gives them pleasure similar to sex.

The research also said that close to 80% women consider chocolate to be an aphrodisiac. In fact, women love chocolate so much that they would stoop to even feigning pregnancy for it. Indian women have also admitted that they can even beg, borrow or steal to indulge in their “cardinal sin”. This known-though-never-studied fact comes from a poll by Axe Research Lab on 3,571 women across 13 countries.

Chocolate is scientifically known as ‘theobroma’ - which means food for gods. The study shows that women of any country and any origin would hide chocolates to avoid sharing it with others. In fact, Indian women are only second to Brazilians in hiding their chocolates. While a shocking 84.9% of 225 respondents from Brazil thought it fine not to share their “pieces of sin” with others by hiding it, 75.9% of the 220 Indians surveyed, thought along the same lines.

In fact, Indian women seem more desperate to get a piece of chocolate or to save their chocolates from others. A high 22.7% of Indian respondents said they would not think twice before stealing chocolate from a friend. This is the highest percentage across all the countries surveyed. Only Brazilians and Mexicans come somewhat close.

Indians also scored high using a fake excuse to get chocolate. Some admitted to even stooping to fake their birthday for it.

Interestingly, some said they would prefer licking their pieces of chocolate to avoid having to share it with others. About 31.4% of Indians agreed to fake birthdays, and an even higher 46.8% said they’d be happy to lick their bits to prevent others from taking a bite.

Among all the surveyed women, 78% women consider chocolate to be an aphrodisiac in comparison to celery, oysters among others. It also puts you in a good mood, felt 81% of women in India. In fact, most Indian women said chocolate was a treat they rewarded themselves with.

Men just tuned to lust: Study

Men are tuned to lust, irrespective of whether they found the women next to them attractive or not, a study has suggested.
Men have for long been seen as judging women on looks alone, but a study has now shown that the increase in male sex hormone level was not influenced by the perceived attractiveness of the women.

Human testosterone triggers an automatic reaction which has evolved in man when faced with a woman, to look for mating opportunities, and it does not matter if the woman is not attractive, the research reveals.

The research, published in the journal Hormones and Behaviour , suggested that the levels of their testosterone surged to the same extent whether they were talking to an attractive woman or someone they may not fancy at all.

The research involving 63 male students aged 21 to 25 found that their testosterone levels increased by an average of around 8% after just 5 minutes exposure to a stranger from the opposite sex and in some cases to women they not find particularly attractive.

"We found a testosterone increase after only five minutes of exposure to a woman. Our results suggest that the increase in testosterone levels that we found, may be an automatic male response that activates receptors in organs and the nervous system to prepare the human body for mate attraction," said Leander van der Meij, who led the study at the University of Groningen in Holland.

He said with the increase in testosterone levels males tend to display more dominant behaviour.

"They talk more with their hands, there is more eye contact, their posture is more upright, and they are more likely to tell stories designed to impress the woman. We know that women can be attracted by these kinds of things. All this, we believe, may be fuelled by the rise in testosterone that we have found," said der Meij.

Aggressive males showed greater rise in testosterone levels, an idea supported by research that men who exhibit more dominant-like behaviour tend to make more frequent successful contact with females.

Have Ambedkar's fears come true?

Moments of crisis always bring the best out of a nation, army or a person. When a nation faces crisis, citizens close ranks obliterating the caste, creed and religious divide. When an army faces war, soldiers close ranks and fight till the last. However, when a government plunges into crisis with its survival at stake, politicians show their true colours.

Crisis has befallen the UPA government, which will face the survival test on July 22. Till then, we all are spectators to a unashamed display of lust and bargaining in the political circus.

At the drop of a hint about need of support, it brings forth in MPs an inborn trait of keeping suitors guessing. Their expertise in demanding their pound of flesh — both politically and financially — has been finetuned since the JMM bribery scam tainted the 1993 trust vote victory by the Congress government led by P V Narasimha Rao.

What role were the MPs expected to play in independent India? Dr B R Ambedkar, in his speech marking the closing of the Constituent Assembly in November 1949, had expressed apprehensions about misconduct of politicians and the grave danger that would pose to a young democracy. He wanted the political parties, endeavouring to lead India towards a robust democracy, to first sow the seeds of intra-party democracy to shake off the lurking danger of dictatorship within the party.

He had said ’bhakti’ or hero worship, as prevalent in Indian politics, was unparalleled in any other country. "Bhakti in religion may be a road to salvation of the soul. But in politics, bhakti or hero worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship," he had warned.

Neither Congress, BJP, BSP, SP nor the regional parties and to a certain extent the Left have escaped the influence of the ‘bhakti’ concept of politics.

Is this the reason for today’s state of affairs where the stocks of politicians in the political market are high, but very low in the hearts and minds of the people?

Ambedkar no doubt championed the cause of ’dalits’ but never forgot to mention the equal weightage that the economically downtrodden deserved. He wanted politicians to strive for removal of social and economic inequalities and had warned that failure to do so would imperil democracy.

"How long shall we continue to deny equality in our social and economic life? If we continue to deny it for long, we will do so only by putting political democracy in peril," he had warned. The path towards the exalted platform of social equality has been muddied by the rush to corner votes by first dividing it on caste lines. Social affirmative action has been reduced to a mere ritual of fattening the list of castes, which alone would get reservation in jobs and admissions to central educational institutions.

There appears no one who is ready to seriously stand up for the impoverished lot, despite the Supreme Court dropping hints about it in its recent judgment okaying 27% OBC reservation in admissions to central educational institutions. Why has politics, which common men increasingly perceive as devoid of ethics, come to such a sorry state. The concluding part of Ambedkar’s speech provides an insight.

"Independence is no doubt a matter of joy. But let us not forget that this independence has thrown on us greater responsibilities. By independence, we have lost the excuse of blaming the British for anything going wrong. If hereafter things go wrong, we will have nobody to blame except ourselves. There is a greater danger of things going wrong. Times are fast changing," he had said.

Despite the strides by India, things have actually gone wrong, especially in politics. Instead of accepting the blame, the politicians or those at the helm of affairs have always found the ’foreign hand’, ’communal forces’, ’pseudo-secular forces’, ’Manuvadi forces’ or ’imperialist forces’ handy to point fingers at.

Beggar in India is a millionaire in Bangladesh

For Mohammed Jakir, an illegal immigrant from Bangladesh, begging may have begun as a compulsion but through his ingenuity he turned it into a career option. The 42-year-old amputee, who begged in Indian cities for more than two decades, is today known to be a rich man in Bangladesh.

Indian intelligence sleuths, who nabbed Jakir after learning about his all-too-frequent visits to Bangladesh, claim that his wealth in that country could be around Rs 75 lakh!

Jakir crossed over to India illegally in 1986 at the Benapura Indo-Bangladesh border. Without hands to work with, he realised begging was his only option and he did so for years on streets near Gateway of India, Mumbai. The money he made not only supported his family in Mumbai but also helped him save.

"I earned a lot in Mumbai. Indians have sympathy for the handicapped. One man even donated Rs 1,100 to me," revealed Jakir during interrogation by the cops in Ajmer, who arrested him on Saturday night. It’s learnt that Jakir, son of Mohammed Ali, is from Mohammedpura district, Bangladesh.

"My earning was so good that I could marry Naseema, a teenage girl, and buy a house at Murtinagar and raise a family with her," he says. They had five children, four of them girls.

Naseema eventually left for Delhi with her kids. "Somehow, the hearts of people changed; their sympathy faded. Two years ago, I left Mumbai and arrived at Ajmer for ’Urs’. It proved to be the right decision.

Govt faces tight confidence vote

India’s parliament begins debate on a vote of confidence in the Congress-led government on Monday after its communist allies ended their crucial support in protest at a civilian nuclear deal with the United States.

The vote, due on Tuesday, is so close that several MPs who are ill may be flown or wheeled in from hospital, and others have been granted temporary release from jail.

If Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government falls, there will be early elections, possibly by year-end. This would almost certainly lead to the cancellation of the nuclear deal and halt all economic reforms, from insurance and banking to pensions.

The vote essentially pits the Congress Party-led government against the communists and a coalition led by the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

A host of smaller regional and caste-based parties hold the balance. It is unclear which way they will vote and a spate of horse trading in recent days even included the re-naming of an airport to honour the father of one wavering MP.

A government defeat would be a boost for the BJP, which has won a string of state elections this year amid rising inflation and criticism that millions of poor Indians were not benefiting from the booming economy.

The prime minister will kick off the confidence motion with an opening statement, followed by a parliamentary debate and a final electronic vote, expected on Tuesday evening.

While numbers are in flux, some analysts say the government is about 10 votes short of a 272 majority in the 543-member house.

"Nobody is sure, it’s too difficult to predict," said Sudha Pai, professor of politics at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. "It’s perhaps the tightest parliamentary vote we have seen."

In 1999, a BJP-led government lost a confidence vote by a margin of just one.

SHADY DEALS

Weak party discipline, under-the-table deals and accidents like MPs falling ill make the result almost impossible to predict.

"The problem is that money changes hands, dirty deals are struck and MPs do a volte-face nonchalantly," said political commentator Amulya Ganguli. "It’s hard to predict when the race is so tight."

A week ago the government was confident of securing a majority with the support of the regional Samajwadi Party (SP), which replaced the communists as its parliamentary support after the left walked out, saying the nuclear pact was bad for India.

Since then there have been signs of a rebellion in the ranks of the SP, including the defection to an opposition group of senior party member Shahid Siddiqui.

Two small political groups -- the JD(S) and RLD with six MPs in all -- also decided to vote against the government.

Other MPs have vacillated over voting for a government already battling rising inflation, which is hitting millions of poor voters, ahead of general elections due by next May.

Analysts say the government is hoping for some abstentions in the opposition camp, and the government says it is confident of winning the vote. "We have the numbers. Our flock is together," said Congress spokesman Veerappa Moily.

Is this a good time to invest?

The mood is sombre. Dark clouds have gathered on the horizon. The future looks bleak. No, this is not a new novel, just your typical market analyst commentary. The experts are concurring these days that the scenario is one of gloom and doom. In fact, there is wide choice of options to worry about, so pick the one you want to start with - inflation , fiscal deficit, oil prices, elections, industrial growth, corporate earnings, and many more.

All the homilies - buy when the market dips, buy good companies, buy value, buy growth - have disappeared from analyst verbiage . Warren Buffett is forgotten . Is this ’gloom and doom’ scenario for real?

The recent performances of all portfolios seem to reinforce this outlook. Stock prices have been battered in recent weeks, reflecting this new perception of reality. Some of the largest companies have been battered by the recent fall

Even mutual funds have not been spared, with most funds falling faster than the indices. Analysts have been revising Sensex targets to 12,500 or even as low as 10,500. What’s an investor to do? Run for cover, or brave the tide? Buying in this market would be a brave decision indeed. Or perhaps it would be foolish ?

Let us try to make sense of the current worries. Are they as overwhelming as feared, or will they just be footnotes on the pages of history within a year or two?

Most of the current worries are short-term in nature. Worries about a global slowdown have already started to weigh on commodity prices. And as infrastructure bottlenecks are resolved and additional supplies flow into the market, commodity prices look set to head downwards . Most commodity stocks have already corrected sharply from their respective peaks.

Countries dependent on commodities have also seen a sharp drop in their markets over the last two months, due to worries about global growth rates. Brazil’s Bovespa is down 20 percent and Australia’s All Ordinaries down 15 percent in just two months. Any cooling off of commodity prices will put India back on the growth track. This time around, this is likely to be one of the few markets offering growth opportunities as credit-induced growth seizes up in most other economies. The domestic growth potential and attractive valuations should put India back on the buy list over the next few months.

But isn’t that a long time? The analysts are predicting the worst, and it could happen immediately, they say. What should you do?

Investors should forget about analysts’ commentary, projections and targets. Their accuracy leaves much to be desired. Don’t forget, these were the same people foretelling index targets of 20,000 to 25,000 just six months ago. There are worries galore, of course. But they only explain why the Sensex is at 13,000, and not at 23,000. They tell us very little about where the markets will be next year.

So what advice should investors follow?

Don’t try to outguess the market. It has always been futile to try and guess market movements. And it’s impossible to pick the bottom or the top. Then, how does one invest? Or, (a common question nowadays), should one invest at all? Equity remains the best asset for long-term capital growth. Despite current worries , returns from the stock market will be linked to longterm growth in corporate profits, which will in turn depend on the growth and prospects of the economy.

If you believe that it will do well over the long term, then the corporate sector will follow suit and so will the stock prices. Though indices have fallen by 40 percent from the peak, the long-term prospects of the economy and the corporate sector are unlikely to have deteriorated to that extent. The demographic profile and infrastructure investment that analysts were raving about just six months ago are still in place. This decline thus gives long-term investors an excellent entry point.

Perhaps, like many investors, you are asking: should I buy now? If so, how much?

Do not decide on the quantum of investments based on current market sentiments. Draw up an asset allocation that is appropriate for your age and risk profile. Decide your equity investments based on your asset allocation model, not on levels of the Sensex or targets bandied about by your friends or analysts. That’s the smart way to invest. It will help you filter out the ’noise’ on TV, and focus your investments on your longterm goals.

Bookies offer Rs 50 cr to MPs, Sena worried

Despite brave talk by the Shiv Sena leadership that all its 12 MPs will vote against the UPA government on July 22, there’s considerable nervousness within the party.It’s learnt that at least three of its MPs have been approached not only by the Congress and NCP, but also by bookies.

It appears that the bookies led by Hitesh Samrat and Ajay Maheshwari — they consider UPA government as the odds-on favourite to survive the trust vote — have developed huge stakes in the continuance of the UPA government and are going all out to try and fix the outcome of the trust vote.

"The going rate for an MP has shot up to a mind-boggling Rs 50 crore with 50% being the down payment," said a senior Maharashtra intelligence official on Sunday. More attention is being paid to those MPs who have lost their constituencies in the delimitation exercise. "The reasoning is that since these MPs have no constituency to fight from, they’ll be more vulnerable to allurements," a Sena leader admitted.

After last night’s meeting at Shiv Sena boss Balasaheb Thackeray’s residence, Matoshri, leader of Sena’s parliamentary group Anant Gite insisted that the party was intact and that all the 12 MPs would vote against the UPA. But now the party is taking extra precautions on "vulnerable" MPs. Even if one MP cross votes or abstains, it will be a huge loss of face for Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray. That’s why his detractors outside the party are working overtime to woo Sena MPs.

It’s learnt that two leading bookies are camping in an upscale New Delhi hotel and contacting their potential targets. The Congress and NCP recognize that they stand to lose heavily if the UPA government falls and early elections are held.

"Anti-incumbency is so strong in Maharashtra that it will be cakewalk for the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance if elections are held now," a senior Congress minister admitted.

"The consequences of a defeat on July 22 go beyond Lok Sabha elections. They will impact the assembly polls next," he added.

Meanwhile, political parties are hiring private detectives to keep a tab on their MPs. K Krishnan, chairman of Venus Detectives, told TOI: "We’ve been hired by some parties to keep a watch on their MPs and major players. We are not interested in politics and are only executing a professional job of shadowing those whose names have been given to us by politicians."

Zimbabwe to introduce 100 bln dollar bank note

Zimbabwe’s central bank will introduce new higher-value 100 billion Zimbabwe dollar notes on Monday as part of a desperate fight against spiralling hyperinflation, the bank said.

Zimbabweans are suffering chronic shortages of meat, maize, fuel and other basic commodities due to the collapse of the once prosperous economy, which critics blame on President Robert Mugabe’s policies, including his violent seizure of white-owned farms.

Central bank Governor Gideon Gono announced on Wednesday that inflation had surpassed 2.2 million percent, though some economists put it much higher.

In a notice in the official Herald newspaper on Saturday, Gono said the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe would introduce 100 billion dollar special agro-cheques (notes), to help consumers who currently need to carry large wads of cash even for simple transactions.

"This new $100 billion special agro-cheque will go into circulation on Monday," the notice said.

The central bank has been printing higher denomination banknotes to keep pace with soaring prices. The most valuable bank note currently in circulation is worth Z$50 billion.

Gono said he was also considering raising the amount of cash people could withdraw daily from their bank accounts. The central bank has imposed a withdrawal limit of Z$100 billion, but this is only enough for two trips on an urban commuter bus or two loaves of bread -- if one can find it.

The Zimbabwe dollar, which had been officially pegged at 30,000 to the U.S. dollar before exchange rules were relaxed recently, now trades at about 800 million to the greenback.

Besides struggling with shortages of basic goods and services, Zimbabweans also spend long hours in bank queues trying to withdraw their money.

The central bank says the limits on cash withdrawals are designed to curtail a thriving black market in foreign exchange and basic commodities.

The worsening economy could add to pressure on the ruling ZANU-PF party to make concessions to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, which has refused to recognise Mugabe’s overwhelming victory in a June 27 presidential run-off election.

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai won the first round vote on March 29 but failed to get the absolute majority needed to avoid a second ballot. Tsvangirai pulled out of that poll, citing violence by pro-Mugabe militia.

Two weeks ago a German firm, Giesecke and Devrient, stopped deliveries of banknote paper to Zimbabwe following pressure from the German government amid international criticism of Mugabe’s widely condemned re-election. Gono said Zimbabwe had made alternative arrangements.

Market to remain shaky

Even as the Congress-led UPA government faces a trust vote on Tuesday, the two-day rally in the stock market appears to suggest that investors are confident about the government’s survival.

But the sharp gains in the past couple of sessions have come amid cautious optimism, which was evident many times in the past too, when ruling parties were in trouble.

A look at the Sensex’s behaviour ahead of a no-confidence motion in Parliament that different governments faced since 1990 shows that the market did not witness any clear trend (sustained downward or upward movement), as investors mostly preferred to remain on the sidelines till political problems were resolved.

Notwithstanding the 1000-point rally in the Sensex in the past couple of sessions, there is uncertainty if the government will be able to survive the trust vote, say brokers. Besides next week’s political developments, the market will also be influenced by many other factors like crude oil prices, inflation and first quarter numbers, they say.

"Friday’s upsurge was mostly because of a fall in oil prices. There is also a feeling that the government will survive and so the nuclear deal will go through," said KR Choksey Shares and Securities chairman Kisan Choksey. If oil prices soften further, it would help ease inflationary pressures, as India is a major importer of crude oil, says Mr Choksey.

n April 1999, the then BJP-led coalition government was in trouble as the AIADMK party withdrew its support to the government. The Sensex ended weak on most trading days during the month. It, however, gained sharply by 216 points on April 16, a day before vote of confidence. The Sensex slipped 246 points after the BJP lost the no-confidence motion by a single vote on April 17.

On April 11, 1997, the then prime minister HD Deve Gowda lost the confidence vote after the Congress withdrew support to the United Front government. The market gained on most trading days during the month, before ending with a gain of 35 points, or 1%, at 3,633.7 on the day of the trust vote.

Among other notable occasions of vote of confidence, Atal Bihari Vajpayee resigned before the confidence motion was put to vote on May 28, 1996. The BJP then could not prove the majority. The market remained week ahead of the vote of confidence. On November 7, 1990, VP Singh lost the vote of confidence after the BJP withdrew its support to the government. The Sensex recorded some gains ahead of the event, before ending 49 points up, or 3.7%, at 1,381 on the day of the vote.

On Friday, the Sensex climbed 524 points, or 4%, to end at 13,635 while Nifty jumped 145 points, or 3.7%, to close at 4,092, on the back of a sharp fall in oil prices. "Crude is weak below $135 and once it breaches $129 levels the price could fall towards $121 levels. If the government survives the market may move up towards 4200 and 4600 in a short span of time" said Alex Mathew, research head of Geojit Financial Services.

Your sex dreams revealed!

Have you ever wondered what that sexy dream you had last night meant? Read on for tips on how to decode the five most common intimate scenarios... Passionate dreams about that long ago flame, that colleague you have a crush on or even a famous celebrity can make you feel dazed and confused. But the most common emotion that one experiences is usually guilt.
Experts say that these dreams should not be taken as literal expressions of lust. In fact it is believed that interpreting and understanding one’s dreams can help unearth one’s fears or desires.

Dreams are often a way to let you know what you need but are not getting during your waking hours. By making the effort to decode them you could achieve a far more satisfying love life. Here are five common scenarios:
The Ex
It can be unnerving, to say the least, to dream about your ex lover. However it does not mean you are not normal. You can relax as it is just your mind taking a mental break. In fact this ex could just symbolise anything that you associate with him/her. For instance if it is someone you had a crush on in college, he/she could symbolise the freedom you had at that point in your life. If you dream of an ex who was sweet and caring, it could be that you crave security while a wild ex could represent spontaneity. So enjoy the flashback as it is perfectly safe unless of course you go too far. If you have recurring obsessive dreams about this one person, you might have a reason to be concerned.

The celebrity crush
To dream of a sexy encounter with a celebrity is not uncommon, especially among women. It could just indicate the desire to have a wish fulfilled. For instance dreaming of a romantic musician could indicate that you are waiting for that kind of person to come into your life or that you desire more romance in your existing relationship. It could also mean that you might want to be a part of the glamorous world your crush represents.

The person you hate
Imagine dreaming about that irritating co-worker who never fails to annoy you at work. This kind of dream can definitely cause a lot of confusion - a passionate dream involving someone you can’t stand normally. But don’t be shocked - it could mean that no matter how horrid this person is, he/she could have certain qualities that you might want to emulate. Similarly dreams about relatives could indicate a desire for stronger family ties.

The opposite sex
Don’t panic if you have a dream about having a sexual encounter with someone of the same sex. It does not mean that you have suddenly switched your sexuality. What it could mean is the desire for more understanding in your relationship. You probably need your partner to be more sensitive and caring towards you.

The stranger
Making love with a mysterious stranger could represent the need for more mystery and spice in your life. This would be particularly relevant if you and your partner have let your sex life lag recently. Dreaming about a threesome too could signal a desire to break out of a boring romantic routine and get the spark right back in to your relationship.

10 years to life for selling fake drugs

A landmark amendment being sought by the Union health ministry in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act will ensure that the fine paid by those found guilty of producing and selling spurious drugs go to the family of the person who died after consuming the drug, and not to the government.

The Drugs and Cosmetics (Amendment) Bill, 2005 — cleared by the Union Cabinet on Thursday — also hopes to introduce sweeping changes in penal provisions against those found guilty of selling life-threatening spurious drugs.

The bill stipulates that those caught producing and selling counterfeit drugs which are likely "to cause death or harm to the body as would amount to serious hurt, solely on account of such a drug being administered" shall be punishable for a term which shall not be less than 10 years but may extend to imprisonment for life.

The guilty will also be liable to pay a fine which shall not be less than Rs 10 lakh or three times the value of the drugs confiscated, whichever is more.

The bill also specifies the relatives who will receive the compensation — spouse of the deceased person or a minor legitimate son or unmarried legitimate daughter or a widowed mother. In case the victim is a minor, the money will go to the parent. At present, the jail term for those involved in manufacturing and marketing spurious drugs stands at five years with a fine of just Rs 10,000, which usually goes into the state’s coffer.

According to officials, the health ministry will present the bill in the monsoon session of Parliament. The bill also incorporates a provision for creating special courts to undertake speedy trial of drug-related offences. It makes all drug-related offences cognisable and non-bailable.

The amended bill says, "The Central or the state government, in consultation with the chief justice of the high court, shall for trials of offences relating to adulterated or spurious drugs designate one or more courts of session as a special court for such cases."

Those selling adulterated, misbranded or spurious cosmetics too are set to face some stick. The Act now makes the offence liable for a minimum of three years’ imprisonment with a fine of not less than Rs 50,000 or three times the value of the cosmetics confiscated, whichever is higher.

Earlier, the fine for selling spurious lipstick and talc stood at just one year’s imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1,000. A health ministry official said, "To combat the menace of spurious drugs, India desperately needed stricter penalties."

According to the health journal Lancet , in developing countries like India, 10-30% of medicines are feared to be counterfeit.

Pakistan to allow more imports from India - minister

Pakistan is expanding its bilateral trade with India by allowing more imports from the neighbouring country, including diesel and fuel oil, a cabinet minister said.Pakistan’s decision to expand its list of imports from India is part of efforts to cut its widening trade deficit and reduce rising transport costs on imports from far-off countries.

"We are gradually liberalising our bilateral trade with India," de facto Commerce Minister Ahmed Mukhtar said while announcing new trade policy on state-run television late on Friday.

Trade has for years been limited between the nuclear-armed old rivals, which have fought three wars since their independence in 1947 and nearly went to war a fourth time in 2002.

The two countries launched a peace process in 2004 in an effort to normalise their relations, including their economic and commercial ties.

Mukhtar said Pakistan was adding diesel, fuel oil and many other items on the list of imports from India.

"It will be cheaper (to import from India) due to differences in transportation cost. This will also help us to address our global trade deficit," he said.

Pakistan’s trade deficit for the fiscal year 2007/08 (July-June) widened by 52.95 percent to $20.74 billion as against $13.56 billion in the same period last year, mainly due to rising global oil prices.

Oil accounted for 28 percent of Pakistan’s total imports of $35.95 billion during the first 11 months of 2007/08.

Other items that can now be imported from India includes CNG buses, academic, scientific and references books, machinery and equipment for mining, quarrying and grinding of minerals and certain raw materials.

"Cheaper raw material sourced from India would make our exports more competitive in international market," Mukhtar said.

Stainless steel and cotton yarn, which is importable from Indian by train, can now also be imported by trucks through their main border crossing of Wagah to further reduce the cost of business, Mukhtar said.

The two countries last year announced an ambitious goal to increase their trade to $10 billion by 2010 from $1.7 billion in 2006/07.

Fuel economy ratings for cars soon

The government is set to launch a system of fuel economy ratings for cars by the year end that will enable you to know exactly what mileage to expect from the new car you wish to buy and how it stacks up with other models in its class.

To begin with, the government will invite carmakers to voluntarily get their models labelled by the designated agency on a scale of one to five stars, much like the system in place for refrigerators and ACs. But by 2011-12, the fuel efficiency norms will be made mandatory for all passenger vehicles — any car that fails will not be allowed on the road after the cut-off date.

Besides helping consumers reach a more informed choice while buying a car, the government estimates that the labelling standards will have helped the country save 5-15 million tonnes of fuel from the passenger vehicle segment by 2030.

To implement the efficiency norms, cars have been divided into eight weight categories. For each class, the government has identified the best and worst performers. It found that within the same weight category, say the small car segment, the fuel efficiency of different models varies by as much as 60-70%.

So while the best model in the small car segment might give a consumer 20 kmpl, another might be giving a mileage as low as 8-10 kmpl. By imposing standards, the government wants the poor performers to meet the efficiency levels set by the best in the industry.

This will ensure two things. The consumer will get better performing new cars each year and auto manufacturers will not be able to claim that they are being forced to go for costly technology — they will just be expected to use the best technology already in use in India.

With the standards being raised for each segment every couple of years, the bar will keep getting higher and the badly performing models — if they don’t improve — will not be allowed to sell from 2011-12.

For the consumer, things will start getting better from the last quarter of 2008 itself. That’s when the government starts mileage labelling of cars. Manufacturers for a fixed fee will be able to ask the government to test the car for mileage and then display the "star rating label".

The model that achieves the best fuel economy for its category, and meets objective standards set by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the power ministry, will be given five stars and the worst performers will be given one star. The label will also display the mileage, as certified by the government, that the particular model gives. It will, more importantly, inform the consumer how that particular model performs in comparison with the best and the worst in its weight category.

At present, studies conducted by BEE show that none of the existing models are doing good enough to get five stars and three-fourths are falling in the three to four star rating level. Data on all the vehicles that manufacturers get tested by the government would also be put up on a website to help consumers compare figures even before they hit the showrooms.

Sources say, to build the programme, BEE and Petroleum Conservation Research Association had to secure fuel efficiency information from public databases as the industry has been constantly showing reluctance to share fuel data even while it discusses other issues with the government.

With aggressive advertising and public outreach, the government intends to push all manufacturers to get their models labelled starting 2008-end.

Bill Clinton taps 4 Indian pharma cos to cut malaria drug price

Former US President has roped in four Indian pharmaceutical firms and two from China to cut the price of anti-malarial drugs by a whopping 30 per cent which is likely to benefit 500 million people worldwide.

The firms have also agreed to lower the price volatility of artemisinin, the key raw material for artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), by 70 per cent, said Clinton, whose charitable foundation helped broker the deal.

The agreements make prices for malaria drugs more affordable and sustainable to help meet growing global demand. The prices will be available to the 69 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean that make up the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI) purchasing consortium.

"Nearly every life lost to malaria could have been saved with access to effective medicines," Clinton said.

Under the agreements negotiated by CHAI, the Mumbai-based Ipca and Cipla will offer a co-blister formulation of artesunate+amodiaquine (AS+AQ)-one of the most widely used ACTs-at or below an average ceiling price of 48 cents per treatment, a reduction of more than 30 per cent from current market rates.

They also will offer artemether-lumafantrine, the other most common ACT, at or below an average ceiling price of 91 cents, the current price available from Novartis.

Among the other manufacturers party to the agreements, the two Mumbai-based firms -- Calyx and Mangalam Drugs are active ingredient suppliers, and Holleypharm (Chongqing in southwest China) and PIDI Standard (Guangzhou in southern China) are suppliers of the raw material, artemisinin.

Romantic recipes

There is nothing more thoughtful than putting a meal on a special date. While putting together an elaborate meal does call for a lot of preparation and planning, it’s a great idea to think of your date’s favourite dishes and then try and incorporate them in the meal.

SEDUCTIVE PEACH CHAMPAGNE

Ingredients:
1/2 bottle of champagne 1/8 bottled water 1/2 can of peach nectar 1/8 can of orange juice concentrate 1 1/2 tablespoons of peach brandy 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.

Instructions:
Make sure all of the ingredients have been chilled.
Mix the peach nectar, peach brandy, lemon juice and concentrated orange juice in a bowl.
Pour in the water and champagne.

COZY COFFEE

Ingredients:
2 envelopes of instant cocoa 2 cups of boiling water 2 ounces coffee liqueur 2 ounces hazelnut liqueur 2 ounces of brandy.

Instructions:
Stir an envelope of cocoa, a cup of boiling water and an ounce of each liqueur and brandy in a mug.
Stir and mix well and do the same with the second mug.

TOMATO CHEESE BREAD

Ingredients:
1/4 loaf of French bread 2 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons of basil 4 slices of Swiss cheese Sliced sweet tomatoes.

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celsius. Stir the olive oil and basil in a bowl. Slice the bread into 4 slices and the place them on an ungreased baking sheet.
Brush them with the oil mix, then top with cheese and a little tomato, then brush them over with a little more oil mix. Bake for 10 minutes.

PASTA FANTASIA

Ingredients:
1 1/2 ounce package of linguini pasta 3/4 cup of butter 2 tablespoons of lemon juice 4 minced cloves of garlic 3 tablespoons of parsley Shrimp.
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 205 degrees Celsius. Boil water in a large pot and then add pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until ready. Place butter in a baking dish and let it melt in the oven. Add the shrimp, garlic and lemon juice to the melted butter and mix.
Bake for five minutes. Add parsley and mix well.
Then bake for another five minutes. Drain the pasta and pour into a bowl. Add shrimp mix into the bowl and combine well with the pasta.

SIZZLING CHILLI CHICKEN

Ingredients:
2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts 11/2 tablespoons of olive oil 1 cup of chopped red or green pepper 1 tablespoon of chilli powder 1/2 cup of chopped onion 1 big tomato chopped in chunks 2 minced jalapenos 7-10 drops of pepper sauce (hot) Salt and pepper (for extra taste).

Instructions:
Rub half of the chilli powder onto the chicken breasts, along with the salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a skillet pan and stir- fry the breasts for a few minutes, until it is no longer pink. Remove the chicken and set aside. Place the pepper and onion in the skillet and stirfry until they get soft. You may then add the jalapenos, the rest of the chilli powder and pepper sauce into the pan and cook for a few minutes.
Return the chicken to the pan and cook for several minutes until it is ready. Make sure it is no longer pink on the inside!

FLATTERING ORANGE FUDGE

Ingredients:
1 pound of melted white chocolate 1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese 21/2 cups of confectioners sugar 11/2 teaspoons of orange extract.

Instructions:
Beat the cream cheese into the melted white chocolate until it is well mixed. Beat in the confectioners sugar until it has blended in well. Stir in the orange extract. Pour the mix into an 8 x 8 dish and refrigerate until it has set and chilled. Then cut into squares.

CHARMING CHOCOLATE-CHERRY MOUSSE

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups of whipping cream 1 can of bing cherries (pitted-16 ounce) 1 1/2 tablespoons of cherry brandy 1/2 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips.

Instructions:
Whip the cream in the bowl until stiff peaks form. Save 1/2 of the cream and refrigerate. Drain the cherries and pour a 1/4 cup of the syrup in a saucepan, along with the cherry brandy. Boil the syrup mixture. Place chocolate chips in a blender.
Pour boiled syrup over the chocolate chips and blend until it is very smooth. Scrape the blended mix into the whipping cream and keep folding it in until it has mixed well. Stir in the cherries. Refrigerate for two-three hours.

Sexy voice means sexy you!

When it comes to determining whether a person is sexy or not, most people rely upon their sight. Now, according to a new study, a person’s voice is more than enough to pass a judgment on their attractiveness.

The study, led by Susan Hughes, an evolutionary psychologist from Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania, suggests that people with voices deemed sexy and attractive tend to have greater body symmetry upon close inspection.

"The sound of a person’’s voice reveals a considerable amount of biological information," LiveScience quoted Hughes, as saying. "It can reflect the mate value of a person,” she added.

The study cautions that an attractive voice does not necessarily indicate that this person has an attractive face.

A symmetric body is genetically sound, scientists say, and in evolutionary terms, in the wild, it can be an important factor when selecting a mate.

However, sometimes changes during prenatal development can slightly skew this balance. For instance, the length ratio between index and ring fingers, known as the digit ratio, is fixed by the first trimester, a time that corresponds with vocal cord and larynx development.

If the hormone surge that affects vocal development also affects finger growth, there should be a connection between an individual’’s voice and digit ratio.

Hughes could not demonstrate a connection between voice attractiveness and digit ratio in her previous work, possibly due to vocal changes that occur during puberty.

So in the new study, about 100 individuals listened to previously recorded voices and independently rated them on nine traits important during mate selection: approachability, dominance, healthiness, honesty, intelligence, likelihood to get dates, maturity, sexiness and warmth.

Study participants generally agreed on what made a voice attractive. But when Hughes used a spectrogram to analyze these voice ratings according to different acoustic properties such as pitch, intensity, jitter and shimmer, she could not find a common feature that made these voices seem attractive.

This indicates our perceptual system may be more advanced than expected, Hughes said.

The study is published in the June 2008 edition of the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior.

India witnessing new dawn of mobile banking

You can find pictures of Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Shah Rukh Khan at Suresh Photo Studio in West Delhi. Business has been unusually brisk at Suresh’s studio since last two months.

And he can cope with the rush, thanks to extra hours that he’s been able to save from the ritual of queuing up at banks to withdraw money. Now, he withdraws money via his mobile phone.

Opposite Suresh Photo Studio, adjacent to a temple, 38-year old Kamla sells roses, marigold and orchid garlands. Back home in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Kamla’s mother now receives Rs 200 every week on her mobile sent by Kamla.

India is witnessing a new dawn of banking with mobile phone. From a rickshaw puller, a florist, a pan shop vendor to a truck driver, cash transactions are going mobile for all and sundry. “Our target is to achieve 10 million mobile subscribers hooked onto mobile banking by end of this fiscal year,” says Bharti Airtel CEO Manoj Kohli.

Four banks, SBI, HDFC, ICICI and Corporation Bank, have partnered with India’s largest operator Bharti Airtel to offer m-banking. RCOM has tied up with ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and IDBI Bank. Bharti Airtel has launched its mobile banking late last month and plans to rope in about 100 major banks in India by end 2008.
Over the coming months, customers will be available to open their bank accounts at authorized Airtel outlets just by submitting a photo ID proof. Subscribers can now deposit, withdraw, transfer, pay bills or remit money through their mobile phones,” Mr Kohli adds.

A pilot phase has already been successful between HDFC and Bharti Airtel in West Delhi. Chemist shops, general stores, residents, NGOs, anybody can register to become an authorized outlet.

ET spent a day with one such outlet, Gupta Medicals doubling as an authorized mobile banking outlet in West Delhi to find out how the system works.

A customer (Kamla) comes to the shop in immediate need of Rs 200. She comes to the outlet and asks for withdrawal from her mobile bank account. Sumit Gupta, the outlet owner SMSes from Kamla’s mobile phone the following code, “*543*123*(the outlet’s mobile number)*200*Kamla’s 10-digit Pin code#”. He sends the SMS to 54321. Instantly, Rs 200 get deposited into the outlet’s account withdrawn from Kamla’s HDFC account.

Mr Gupta hands over Rs 200 to Kamla with which she goes and buys fresh flowers for garlands. The transaction takes less than five minutes.

In order to confirm the transaction, HDFC bank sends an SMS to Kamla’s phone, “Balance in your HDFC account as of 3/7/2008 is INR 900.” Kamla’s account is a no frills account. To graduate to a savings bank account she will have to submit additional documents.

For remitting to India, one can just go to a Western Union (WU) outlet overseas and deposit forex. Instantly, a transaction ID will be generated on the receiver’s mobile which he can show to collect the amount at a WU outlet in India.

While the SMS is free, for a person-to-person transfer, a fee of Rs 20 is charged which is shared amongst Airtel, VISA, Mchek (platform provider) and others in the chain. Airtel CEO Manoj Kohli declined to disclose the revenue share arrangements.

With Mobile Money Transfer (MMT), the user can transfer funds to a mobile number, that is registered with mChek with a valid VISA card or to any 16digit VISA card number in the country. About Rs 20 is charged for a card-to-card transfer.

In it’s draft guidelines last month, the RBI has mandated to implement a minimum four digit mPIN for such transactions. However banks like HDFC have gone ahead and implemented a six digit mPIN.

ICICI’s Sachin Khandelwal terms mobile phone as more secure as in case of loss of a phone, there’s no way a person can use your cash. “In comparison, during loss of a card, there is always a risk of leakage,” he adds.

The SMS receipt can also be treated as a legal document under the new IT Act. Overall, while operators seem gung-ho on the service, it remains to be seen how much popularity mobile banking will find amongst India’s 270 million odd mobile subscribers and whether it will encourage 90% of the population which uses no bank to open a bank account.

Always wear what you look good in’

The modelling industry is witnessing a lot of fresh, beautiful faces of late. They are young, dynamic, confident and well educated. AT caught up with Yashica Keswani, one such ramp scorcher, who was in Vadodara recently to promote a prominent watch brand. “I endorsed this as I believe it’s fashionable, trendy and very much wearable. In short, it reflects my personality, which is very important if you are endorsing a product,” she says.

About her background, she says, “I am well educated. I studied in England and did my BA(Honours) in Hospitality and Business Management. I was modelling part-time and have walked the ramp in the UK and San Fransisco. One thing led to another. I am very happy to have moved back to India. I have a really supportive family and it’s nice to be back with them after long.” She has all the more reasons to be happy as “I have a long connection with Vadodara and my family is here.” Does being well educated give one a solid back-up? “I do have a good back-up. But I am the kind of person who will go for plan B only if plan A is totally exhausted. I give 100% to whatever I do!” she avers.

Given her great looks and the number of models that have taken to acting in recent times, are we going to see her going the same way? “I have just returned to India and need to take stock of things. But if the right project comes along, then I am open to it,” she says. So what’s the secret behind that perfect figure? “I drink lots of water and exercise regularly. I also use sun-screen lotion. Besides, it’s important to stay away from fried food and too much of sweets,” she informs. As a person, she is “very lively and loves to enjoy life. I love to paint and dance and am an ardent scuba diver too. I love adventure!”

So what’s her personal style statement? “I don’t follow any particular kind of fashion. You should always wear what you look good in; otherwise the very purpose of it is defeated.” Well said.

Any message for aspiring models? “All I want to say is that one must be focussed.I believe that if you truly chase your dream, it comes true some day.” She has a very philosophical take on role models: “I don’t idolize people. Each person is unique and has something different to offer. At the end of the day, it’s about discovering the ‘real you’.” Wise words, those!

Laughter really is the best medicine!

Did you know that laughter is the most important part of our life, infact it would not be wrong to say that laughter is life. Laughter is a phenomenal mood enhancer. It is known to have beneficial physical and psychological effects in a person. So much so that it is now being recommended as a therapy, with a session generally comprising pure laughing (without any jokes), combined with stretching and breathing exercises.

Here are some of the benefits of laughter as a therapy :

Relaxes muscles, releases stress
Laughter is considered one of the best muscle relaxants. It causes the blood vessels to expand, sending more blood all through the body. It also reduces the level of stress hormones like epinephrine and cortisol.

Strengthens the Immune System
T cells, which fight infections, become more active when a person laughs. Laughter also increases the immunoglobins A and B. This is significant because immunoglobin A protects the respiratory tract against virus, bacteria and other microorganisms and Immunoglobin B provides antibodies with the strength to attack dysfunctional cells.

Increases Oxygen levels in the body
When a person laughs, he inhales more oxygen, thus leaving the person feeling refreshed.

Is an effective pain killer
Laughter increases the levels of endorphins, which are natural painkillers. Endorphins are considered extremely helpful in reducing pain in arthritis, spondylitis and muscular spasms, and in alleviating migraine and tension headaches.

Improves lung capacity
Laughter is considered helpful for people suffering from bronchitis and Asthma, as it improves lung capacity and increases the oxygen levels in the blood. Patients are, however, advised to consult their doctors before beginning laughter therapy.

Controls blood pressure
Laughter helps control blood pressure by reducing stress related hormones and relaxing the body.

Experiments have proved that there is a drop of 10-20 mm of Hg in blood pressure, after participating in a ten-minute laughter therapy session. Since it is known to increase oxygen supply and improve blood circulation, laughter can control the progress of a heart disease. Laughter also reduces the chances of formation of clots.

Serves as an aerobic exercise
Researchers have found that one minute of hearty laughter is equal to ten minutes on the rowing machine. That is, laughter stimulates the heart and blood circulation like that of any standard aerobic activity. Laughter as an exercise is suited for people with sedentary activities and for those confined to a bed or wheel chair.

Helps in psychological disorders
The benefits of laughter therapy have been observed in patients with depression, anxiety, nervous breakdown, sleeplessness and other psychological disorders.

Is the secret to staying young
Laughter helps in toning up the face muscles and improving facial expressions. When you laugh, you become red (due to the increase in blood supply), which in turn nourishes the facial skin and makes it glow.

World's first bird discovered

A group of scientists, including one of Indian origin, has discovered "world’s first bird" that lived 235 million years ago. In the landmark study, published by the Paleontological Association, experts unveiled an extraordinary prehistoric lizard-like "flying" reptile which lived 235 million years ago.

The scientific community believes that birds descended from reptiles 50 million years later making the kuehneosaurs the world’s first "bird".

The long-extinct species, which inhabited the warm late Triassic period from 235 to 200 million years ago, was first discovered in the UK.

According to experts, the kuehneosaurs, which grew up to 2 feet, used extensions of their ribs to form large gliding surfaces on the sides of their body.

Earlier this year, experts from Bristol University built lifesize models of the two types of kuehneosaurs found in the UK - kuehneosuchus and kuehneosaurus. "Surprisingly, we found that kuehneosuchus was aerodynamically very stable.

Jumping from a tree, it could have crossed 9m before landing on the ground," said German palaeobiologist Koen Stein, who led the study.

Loud music effects drinking speed

Customers of bars that play loud music drink more quickly and in fewer gulps, French researchers said on Friday. Their study, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research , found that turning up the music spurred drinkers to down a glass of beer about three minutes more quickly.

To gauge the effect of sound levels on drinking, the team spent three Saturday nights visiting two bars, where they observed 40 men aged between 18 and 25 drinking beer.

"We have shown that environmental music played in a bar is associated with an increase in drinking," Nicolas Gueguen, a behavioural sciences researcher at the University of Southern Brittany in France, who led the study, said in a statement.

With the help from the bars’ owners, the team turned the music up and down and then recorded how much and how fast people drank. The men did not know they were being observed.

Louder music spurred more consumption, with the average number of drinks ordered by patrons rising to 3.4 drinks from 2.6 drinks, Gueguen found. The time taken to drink a beer fell to an average 11.45 minutes from 14.51 minutes.

The researchers acknowledged some limitations to their study, for example that the experiment was on a small scale and could not be applied to every bar.

They said it was not clear why louder music appeared to increase alcohol consumption but said it might make conversation more difficult, forcing people to drink more and talk less.

Is infidelity the end of a relationship?

Infidelity, both emotional and physical, can ruin a relationship or at least to some extent damage it. However, there are people who have dealt with cheating partners and have survived and even restored their broken relationships.

Being involved with a man or woman who cheats on you can never be an easy thing to deal with. What makes matters worse is that very often, everyone around you might think they know what is best for you — but only lead you in the wrong direction.
Therefore, it is important for you to be equipped with the right kind of information about affairs, to be able to remove fact from fiction. Read on to know about the most common myths about affairs and clear any misconceived notion you might have:

There is a type
The myth: Most people think that a person who cheats is a ‘type’ and only those people would indulge in infidelity. Therefore, just because someone has a history of cheating they would probably cheat on every man or woman they are with. The reality: Given the right kind of circumstances anyone could be susceptible to cheating. Yes, while with some people it is a pattern, there are those who end up having an affair on an impulse and before they know it they are cheating on their partner. Therefore, do not live under the illusion that only a certain type of person will cheat. To be on the safe side, you and your partner could admit honestly to each other what circumstances could make you slip and then just avoid those situations.

Boredom leads to affairs
The myth: It is a common myth that most affairs are a result of long-term boredom that one of the two lovers might be feeling. The reality: This is not true at all. Boredom has nothing to do with infidelity. If people feel bored they develop a hobby — not cheat on their partners. If both partners decide that they want to give their union another shot, it’s important to figure out what the real factors are that contributed to the affair and whether there’s any hope for changing them.

Affairs ruin marriages
The myth: If a husband or a wife cheats on their respective partner the marriage is over. The reality: There is no denying that if your partner has an affair, it will taint your relationship and might even end it, but that is not always the case. With time and effort, it’s possible to renew communication, trust and intimacy. Many couples not only survive an affair but after they work things out they feel more intimately connected and have a better marriage. This is because once the affair is in the open, if there is any hope left for the relationship , it is important that the couple actually discuss the affair. It might be painful but at least the two parties involved will be able to discuss the problems and then find solutions.

The betrayed partner knows
The myth: The person who is being cheated on at some level always knows that their partner is straying. The reality: In many cases, the betrayed spouse is totally in the dark. It’s also common after an affair is exposed for the betrayed spouse to feel like he or she is facing a new truth. You never can be sure whether your partner will cheat. Usually, it’s not until the affair is out in the open that the betrayed spouse can go back and understand why their partner was probably staying out late or making too many excuses for not being around too often.

Affairs are a result of love
The myth: Another popular but wrong belief about affairs is that the adulterer finds happiness in the person who he or she is having an affair with and they are in the affair because of mutual love. The reality: No matter how blissful they feel, affair pairings rarely get to ‘happily ever after.’ The reason a man or woman would have an affair is rarely because of love but mostly as a reaction to stress in their current relationship. Yes, in some cases they do end up together, but in most cases the affair ends regardless of what happens to the adulterer’s other relationship. An affair remains just that — and seldom turns into a relationship. In that context, the 17th century French author and moralist, François De La Rochefoucauld’s words ring true: The struggle we undergo to remain faithful to one we love is better than infidelity.

Don’t mourn, celebrate 8% growth: FM

Notwithstanding the acute oil crisis and the resultant inflationary pressures, India will record over eight per cent economic growth and prices will moderate by year-end, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said on Friday.

At the same time, he made it clear that the inflation management would get the top priority and reasonable growth the second.

"I still maintain that we will grow at a eight per cent plus... we are managing in a difficult year but I think by the end of this year we would be able to bring about a moderation in inflation as well as return a reasonable growth," Chidambaram said.

Admitting that it has been the most difficult of the five years as Finance Minister in the UPA government, he said India has been hit by the global financial, food and fuel crises and anybody who thought the country would not be affected by the global turbulence would be ‘naïve’.

"If our economy is growing at eight per cent, we should not wear sackcloth and ashes and mourn. We should celebrate. Eight per cent growth will still make us the silver medallist in the World Olympics," he said.

Very few countries and hardly any large nation except China are growing at eight per cent, he said and pointed out that eight per cent growth will still be higher than the average rate of 5.8 per cent achieved during the six years of NDA rule.

"We would still have to balance between inflation and growth giving inflation control the first priority and reasonable growth the second priority until the world economy returns to a more stable and more normal path."

NEWSMAKER - Line drops between Anil Ambani and MTN

A face-off between India’s two richest men, the Ambani siblings, overshadowed Anil Ambani’s negotiations South Africa’s MTN Group to create a global company before his estranged big brother Mukesh.

Anil’s Reliance Communications and MTN called off on Friday their exclusive talks to create a top-10 global telecom firm, saying legal and regulatory issues meant they were unable to conclude a deal.

The talks were clouded by a claim to a right of first refusal on the Indian mobile carrier’s shares by Mukesh, who runs Reliance Industries, India’s largest firm, and who had started dispute proceedings over the issue.

Anil, listed by Forbes magazine as the world’s sixth-richest man, one place behind Mukesh, has clashed with his brother before over business interests.

Now 49, Anil established the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) in 2005 after a public feud with Mukesh saw the vast business empire founded by father Dhirubhai, a school teacher’s son, split between the siblings in a deal brokered by their mother.

Mukesh took control of oil and petrochemicals giant Reliance Industries, India’s most valuable firm, and has since made forays into retail, while ADAG took on financial services, infrastructure, entertainment and power.

Reliance Communications, valued at about $21 billion, has made several overseas acquisitions.

But last year it lost a bid for control of a smaller Indian rival to Vodafone, and in November it was beaten by France Telecom in bidding for Telkom Kenya.

In January, it took just a minute for investors to fully subscribe to Reliance Power’s $3 billion IPO, India’s biggest, testimony to the strength of the Reliance brand.

SHARP CONTRAST

Anil, who has a business degree from Wharton, joined the Reliance group in 1983 as co-chief executive. He is a deeply religious Hindu who often visits temples before the start of new ventures, sometimes accompanied by his mother.

Married to a former Bollywood actress, Anil is articulate and a sharp dresser, with a penchant for designer labels and hi-tech gadgets. He was elected an independent member for a six-year term in Rajya Sabha, and resigned in March 2006.

A vegetarian who does not drink or smoke, he was named an MTV Youth Icon and has been dubbed "Marathon Man" because he participates in the annual Mumbai run and jogs the streets near his plush home in the mornings wearing his trademark headband.

Once a fixture on the Bollywood party circuit, Anil has kept a low profile since the split, focusing on building his business.

By contrast, Mukesh has appeared in the tabloids more often recently, thanks to a luxury jet he is reported to have bought as a birthday gift for his wife with showers and a bar, and a 27-storey home he is building in south Mumbai for a cool $1 billion, with several levels of parking and a helipad.

A chemical engineer by training, he dropped out of an MBA from Stanford University where he was a classmate of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. He is now a member on its advisory council.

Mukesh, who joined Reliance in 1981, is credited with spearheading the foray of the textile major into petrochemicals, refining and oil and gas exploration and production. He also created Reliance Infocomm, known now as Reliance Communications, the company Anil heads.

Mukesh has a venture with Marks & Spencer for retail, and is awaiting the commissioning of a new 580,000 barrel a day refinery, the world’s biggest, in western Gujarat state.

Bearing a close resemblance to his father, Mukesh in January paid more than $100 million -- the highest sum -- for a cricket franchise in Mumbai that included star batsman Sachin Tendulkar.

Mukesh was spotted in the stands often with his family and friends from the business and entertainment fraternity, cheering the Mumbai Indians team, which finished in the middle of the league.

Where’s the windfall profit for a tax?

A windfall profit tax on oil companies now would be illogical and an unwise economic measure. The rationale for such a tax is suspect and can be challenged in the Courts. Those arguing in favour should look at the experience of other countries that have imposed such a tax , specifically the US, where it did more harm than good to the economy, says Raghuvir Srinivasan.

The nuclear fission in national politics is letting loose generous doses of radiation on a daily basis. One such lethal dose came last week from the Samajwadi Party’s Mr Amar Singh who seems to be a loyal friend indeed for his most important friend in need. In what should rank as one of the most unsubtle episodes of political bargaining ever seen in this country, Mr Singh wants a windfall profit tax imposed on oil companies and a fee to be charged from telecom comp anies using extra spectrum as a quid pro quo for voting with the government in Parliament.

Such talk can be good politics but is it good economics? Do those now propounding a windfall profit tax know what exactly such a tax is and its history?

The answer to both questions is a resounding no. A windfall profit tax on oil companies now would be illogical and an unwise economic measure; those arguing in favour should look at the experience of other countries that have imposed such a tax in the past, specifically the US, where it did more harm than good to their economy.
What is a windfall profit?

According to Wikipedia, the term “windfall profit” was first used in the colonial era. Subjects were prohibited from using lumber that was more than a foot in width except where due to an act of God, such as a storm, trees fell down in their own property. In such a case, they could use the wood or sell it. Needless to say, there were several such instances of acts of God and subjects reaped windfall profits by selling such wood. So, a windfall profit presupposes an act of God. It is profit earned through other than the ordinary course of business. Does this definition fit our oil companies? It appears not.
Unflattering history

The US experimented with a windfall profit tax on oil companies in the 1980s and the experience was anything but worthwhile. President Jimmy Carter imposed such a tax in April 1980 after dismantling price controls on the oil industry. The freeing of controls caused oil prices to rise from $14 to $24 a barrel raising demands from lawmakers for a tax on the windfall earnings of oil companies. Unlike what its name signifies, the windfall profit tax imposed by the Carter administration was actually an excise tax in that it was calculated on the difference between the market price of oil and a base price set by the administration. Higher the market price, higher was the tax burden.

However, the tax failed to serve its purpose and, worse, worked against the interests of the government. It failed to generate the projected revenues, increased the reliance of the US on oil imports and turned tax administration into a nightmare for the Internal Revenue Service.

According to a study by the US Congressional Research Service called The Crude Oil Windfall Profit Tax of the 1980s: Implications for Current Energy Policy by Salvatore Lazzari, a specialist in public finance, released in March 2006, the tax generated just $80 billion in revenue between 1980 and 1988 compared to a projection of $383 billion. The net revenue was even lower at $38 billion as the tax could be set off against income tax liability.

Mr Lazzari’s study estimates that the tax reduced domestic oil production from anywhere between 1.2 and 8 per cent and dependence on imported oil grew from 3 to 13 per cent. The tax was finally repealed by the Reagan administration in 1988 as it failed to generate projected revenues, increased dependence on imported oil and turned into an administrative burden for the Internal Revenue Service.

Where’s the windfall profit?

Now, it is doubtful if those calling for a windfall profit tax in India are aware of the unpleasant experience that the US had with the tax. It is even more doubtful if they have studied the financial statements of the domestic oil companies — Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum. If they did, they would not be demanding such a tax now.

The financial statements reveal how these companies are reeling under the burden of subsidy; they show how these once cash-rich companies are now borrowing heavily to finance their working capital and are heading for losses this fiscal. So, where are the “windfall profits” to be taxed?

The only oil company that stands to gain from the rising global crude oil prices is ONGC. But ONGC is already suffering a windfall profit tax though not by name. Just consider this. The company contributed Rs 22,000 crore as its share of the subsidy burden in 2007-08 (through discounts to the downstream refining companies). This reduced its turnover to Rs 59,848 crore in 2007-08, 27 per cent lower than what it ought to have been.

The impact was bigger on the post-tax earnings. ONGC parted with almost half its profits to fill the subsidy hole. Its post-tax earnings at Rs 16,701 crore were lower by Rs 13,241 crore thanks to the subsidy burden. Why was ONGC asked to bear such a large share of the burden? It was because it stood to gain the most from the rise in global oil prices. If this subsidy-sharing is not a form of windfall profit tax, what is it? Remember, ONGC pays a 33 per cent corporate tax in addition to this subsidy.

The downstream refining and marketing companies such as Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum also share about 10 per cent of the subsidy burden of the government. It is really illogical to think of a windfall profit tax on them when they are already reeling from the subsidy burden and heading for losses.

So, if it is not ONGC and the downstream refining companies, who is the windfall profit tax aimed at then? Reliance Industries and Essar Oil are the only other oil companies in the net apart from Cairn India, which is anyway a marginal player in the present scenario. If at all Cairn were to earn a “windfall profit” it would be when its Rajasthan fields go on stream in 2009 while Essar Oil has yet to stabilise and become a profitable refining company.

That leaves us with Reliance Industries whose profits surged by 62 per cent in 2007-08. But, then again, it is debatable if this can be construed as a “windfall profit”. The company runs an efficient refining operation and has been intelligent in its crude oil sourcing. That its refinery can process heavy and sour crude that is priced at a discount to the premium Brent is also a factor in its better profitability. This is more a case of efficiency driving profits rather than an act of God.

So, what is all this talk of a windfall profit tax then? Such a tax is certainly not going to help bring down pump prices of petrol or diesel. What it will do though is cause immense damage to the already faltering oil companies and lead the government into complex litigation. The rationale for such a tax is completely suspect and can be challenged in the Courts. This is territory not traversed by the government before and could lead to needless complications in an election year.

The government would do well not to embroil itself in more trouble than what it already finds itself in.

Ambani spat highlights India's coalition politics

India’s feuding billionaire Ambani brothers, whose businesses make up about 5 percent of the Asian giant’s economic output, have taken political centrestage and underscored how a new government ally is already generating headlines.

The controversy highlights one problem of coalition politics in India, where political commentators say smaller parties with corporate or social interests can have a disproportionate sway.

After communist parties ended support for the government last week in protest against a nuclear deal with the United States, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh won backing of the regional Samajwadi Party (SP) to avoid losing a confidence vote and facing snap elections.

The party has close links to Anil Ambani, the head of Reliance Communications and one of the world’s richest men, who has been in a long dispute with his even richer and elder brother Mukesh, chairman of Reliance Industries.

The dispute led to the split of the Reliance empire in 2005 into two groups controlled by each of the brothers. Together they represent about a fifth of the Sensex share index and operate in sectors from petrochemicals to mobile networks.

So when Mukesh Ambani met the prime minister on Monday, it sparked headlines across India that he was trying to defend his business interests amid fears his brother now enjoyed greater access to the government thanks to his SP links.

The meeting followed SP General Secretary Amar Singh saying his party would push for a windfall tax on private oil refiners, a move that would directly hurt Mukesh’s plans to have the world’s biggest refinery complex in India.

"Corporate Games in PM’s Office" was the headline of the Mail Today on Tuesday.

"A dangerous precedent has been set with the Prime Minister being asked to personally intervene to mediate between the two Ambani brothers," the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which is hugely influential in parliament, said.

"The two largest political parties are weak and smaller parties can gain influence. The tail can wag the dog," Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, an author on coalition politics in India, said.

Reliance Industries and the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group had no comment on any of the reports. A source at the prime minister’s office said the meeting was business, not politics.

"DISGUSTING"

Shares in Reliance Industries lost nearly 6 percent in two days after the SP officially said it would back the government, with investors nervous about the windfall tax.

The Ambani dispute had already turned more bitter when Anil bid to merge Reliance Communications with South Africa’s MTN Group to create a telecoms giant. Mukesh objected, saying his permission was required for sales of family shares.

Then came the tidal change in politics, with Amar Singh and the SP as kingmaker effectively holding the balance of power.

Amar Singh last week told television Mukesh’s approach to the MTN deal was "disgusting" and called on the prime minister to sort out the conflict.

The politician’s stance has raised eyebrows. Any government move against exports of refined oil products, as Amar Singh wants, would hit Mukesh’s Reliance Petroleum, which is about to start test runs for a new export-oriented refinery.

Reliance Industries, which controls Reliance Petroleum, runs India’s biggest refinery at Jamnagar, adjacent to the new plant, and its refining complex will be the biggest in the world.

"It’s all looking like a bit of a farce now," said Harit Shah, an analyst at Angel Broking.

"It is a bit illogical to think that special benefits that were given years ago can suddenly be abolished or that taxes can suddenly be imposed because someone is demanding it."

"But what’s clear is that having the heads of two of the biggest conglomerates fight is a bad reflection of India as a good investment destination or a good place to do business in."

V.K. Sharma, head of research at Anagram Stock Broking, said the market was used to factoring in politics.

"It gives a very shoddy impression about India," he said. "That means politics still plays a role in doing business here."

13,000 may turn out lucky for gold and Sensex

The mood is sombre. Dark clouds have gathered on the horizon. The future looks bleak. No, this is not a new novel, just your typical market analyst commentary. The experts are concurring these days that the scenario is one of gloom and doom. In fact, there is wide choice of options to worry about, so pick the one you want to start with: inflation, fiscal deficit, oil prices, elections, industrial growth, corporate earnings, restrictive government policies, and many more. All the homilies-buy when the market dips, buy good companies, buy value, buy growth-have disappeared from analyst verbiage. Warren Buffett is forgotten.

Is this "gloom and doom" scenario for real? The recent performances of all portfolios seem to reinforce this outlook. Stock prices have been battered in recent weeks, reflecting this new perception of reality. Some of India’s largest companies have been battered by the recent fall-Reliance and Bharati Airtel are down 25% over the last two months, L&T is down 35%, ICICI Bank is down 40%, and SBI is down by a whopping 45%. Even mutual funds have not been spared, with most funds falling faster than the indices. Analysts have been revising Sensex targets to 12,500 or even as low as 10,500. What’s an investor to do? Run for cover, or brave the tide? Buying in this market would be a brave decision indeed. Or perhaps it would be foolish?

Let us try to make sense of the current worries. Are they as overwhelming as feared, or will they just be footnotes on the pages of history within a year or two? Most of the current worries are short-term in nature. Worries about a global slowdown have already started to weigh on commodity prices. And as infrastructure bottlenecks are resolved and additional supplies flow into the market, commodity prices look set to head downward. Most commodity stocks have already corrected sharply from their respective peaks.

Countries dependent on commodities have also seen a sharp drop in their markets over the last two months, due to worries about global growth rates. Brazil’s Bovespa is down 20% and Australia’s All Ordinaries down 15% in just two months. Any cooling off of commodity prices will put India back on the growth track.

This time around, India is likely to be one of the few markets offering growth opportunities as credit-induced growth seizes up in most other economies. The domestic growth potential and attractive valuations should put India back on the buy list over the next few months. But isn’t that a long time? The analysts are predicting the worst, and it could happen immediately, they say? What should you do?

Investors should forget about analysts’ commentary, projections and targets . Their accuracy leaves much to be desired. Don’t forget, these were the same fellows foretelling index targets of 20,000 to 25,000 just six months ago. There are worries galore, of course. But they only explain why the Sensex is at 13,000, and not at 23,000. They tell us very little about where the markets will be next year.

So what advice should investors follow? Don’t try to outguess the market. It has always been futile to try and guess market movements. And it’s impossible to pick the bottom or the top. Then, how does one invest? Or (a common question nowadays) should one invest at all? Equity remains the best asset for long-term capital growth. Despite current worries, returns from the stock market will be linked to long-term growth in corporate profits, which will in turn depend on the growth and prospects of the Indian economy. If you believe that India will do well over the long term, then the corporate sector will follow suit and so will the stock prices. Though indices have fallen by 40% from the peak, the long-term prospects of the Indian economy and the corporate sector are unlikely to have deteriorated to that extent. The demographic profile and infrastructure investment that analysts were raving about just six months ago are still in place. This decline thus gives long-term investors an excellent entry point.

Perhaps, like many investors, you are asking: should I buy now? If so, how much? Do not decide on the quantum of investments based on current market sentiment. Draw up an asset allocation that is appropriate for your age and risk profile. Decide your equity investments based on your asset allocation model, not on levels of the Sensex or targets bandied about by your friends or analysts. Don’t let optimistic targets based on mantras like "India Shining" tempt you into increasing your allocation to equity. Conversely, don’t let "India Sinking" fears scare you into opting out of your equity investments or allocation. Let your asset allocation decide your equity exposure, and stick with that allocation plan through bull and bear markets.

That’s the smart way to invest. It will help you filter out the "noise" on TV, and focus your investments on your long-term goals.

Chew this to eat less

You could crush that 3 p.m cookie craving just by chewing a little of this: gum. That’s right. A study found that chewing gum can really put the kibosh on your afternoon appetite in a big way.

Countering the Snack Attack
People who chew either sweetened or sugar-free gum after lunch feel full longer, have fewer hunger pangs, have fewer cravings for sweets, and eat fewer afternoon snacks — compared with people who don’t chew gum.

Tickled Tastebuds Signal “Full”
How does chomping gum suppress hunger? It’s simple. When you eat, your taste buds are stimulated by the food. But the cool thing is that exposure to the tastes and smells of food also lessens how good it tastes. That, in turn, is one of the cues that signal your brain that you’re full, so cravings go away. Chewing gum may have this same effect — but without all the calories! So skipping meals increases cravings for the wrong foods.

Mindful Consumption
You can make the gum trick work even better by thinking about how many snacks you’ve eaten. Then, try these other tips for better snack management: Grab a tall drink of water before every snack. So you will eat less.
Get support in your effort to eat smart. Friends will help you to eat the right foods.

The Eggsentials

Being an egg-lover, myself, I’d like to crack the subject...by giving you a few tried and tested tips... Before eating that egg, please check it for freshness (fresh ones sink in cool water) Drinking orange juice while eating an egg increases the body’s absorption of the yolk’s iron. Never wash an egg before storing it.

Having done that, here’s a quick introduction to the triple personality of an egg. An egg is actually three different foods — white, yolk and whole egg and each has its own distinct nutritional profile.

The proteins in the whole egg are considered “complete” with a rating of 100 given by the World Health Organisation, and also considered the most useful available for human beings. The much praised white, you’ll be happy to know is high in protein, low in fat, has virtually no cholesterol and only 13 per cent of the calories in an equal amount of egg yolk. It even has some amount of vitamin B2.

That brings us to the luscious golden eye — the egg yolk. Abused and despised for the huge amounts of cholesterol and fatty acids. But lets be fair and look at it’s goodies too — protein, phosphorous, calcium, iron, Vitamin D, B 1 and B 2. Together, the yolk and egg white make a high protein food.

The down-sides are plenty. Not particularly heart friendly, the egg is much maligned for it’s cholesterol content and rightly too. The yolk’s high cholesterol levels may make yours take off. Cholesterol is crucial for every cell in the body.
Eggs are also notorious for causing symptoms of food allergy, abdominal pain, nausea, vomitting, hives, angiodemia (swollen lips) and eczema. Raw eggs and egg-rich foods such as custards are excellent media for microorganisms, including those that cause food poisoning.

My solution?

First of all raw eggs should always be refrigerated. Egg-rich dishes should always be thoroughly cooked, stored in the refrigerator and served very hot or very cold. A healthy approach would be to include eggs in your eating plan, but use common sense to avoid getting too much cholesterol in your diet. After many a discussion with doctors and experts and nutritionists and my own experiences, here are some suggestions: Eat two egg whites with one egg yolk in your scrambled eggs. Replace half the eggs in recipes with egg substitutes or egg whites. Eat eggs no more than twice a week if you have elevated cholesterol in your blood. Use oils rich in vitamin E, such as safflower, sunflower, or olive oil, to prepare cooked eggs or omelettes.

The antioxidant effects of vitamin E will help reduce the risk for heart disease. Keep total fat intake down by selecting low fat alternatives such as skim milk, lean meats, and low-fat cheese. This is the most important dietary change you can make to bring your cholesterol down.

Dread talking to your kids about sex?

No matter how “cool” parents are with their kids, they dread the idea of discussing ‘sex’. If you too are in the same situation, then here’s something that offers help - parenting programmes at the workplace can significantly improve your ability to talk to kids about sexual health, suggests a new study.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, the research may provide a unique way of promoting healthy adolescent sexual behaviour. Research shows that parents can significantly influence adolescents’ sexual health and risk behaviour through parenting practices and talking about sex. For example, previous studies have found that adolescents whose parents talk to them about sex are more likely to delay intercourse, use contraception and have fewer partners.

But many parents and adolescents feel uncomfortable talking about sex because they are embarrassed or unsure of what to say or how to begin.

Researchers from Children’s Hospital at Boston, Harvard Medical School and the UCLA/RAND Center for Adolescent Health Promotion, report a randomised trial to assess if a parenting programme at the workplace, to help parents become more comfortable and skilled at communicating with adolescents about sexual health, has an effect on parents’ ability to communicate with their children.

569 parents of adolescents aged 11-16 years were randomised to attend the parenting programme. The programme consisted of 8 weekly one hour sessions at 13 workplaces in California. Parents and adolescents were sent follow-up surveys after 1 week, 3 months and 9 months. The authors found that the work-based approach had immediate significant and ongoing effects on parent-adolescent communication.

Parents attending the programme were more likely to discuss new sexual topics, had more conversations about topics they had previously discussed and were more open to communicate about sex. "We’d teach them some skills one week, and they’d come back the next week bubbling over with excitement that they’d talked with their teen about relationships, love, or sex...their teen had actually engaged in a real conversation with them, or role-played a topic like how to say no to unwanted sexual advances", the British Medical Journal quoted Mark Schuster, the study’s lead researcher, as saying.

The authors also note that before the programme few parents had taught their children how to use condoms, but one week after completion of the programme, 18 per cent of adolescents in the intervention group and 3 per cent in the control group said their parents had reviewed how to use a condom, this increased to 25 per cent vs 5 per cent after nine months.

Well-planned is half done

Waking up early in the morning, readying a wholesome breakfast, cooking and packing a delicious lunch, then getting ready to office, taking care of sundry household requirements — these are some of the daily chores of an average working woman .

And after all these and a hurried bath, if you rush to office, things are not easy on the work front either. Even the modern workplace comes with its own share of tensions.

The multiple-roles that women find themselves compelled to play these days, often bring about a major dip in energy level. If you are a person who does things in the last minute, then things may not be that easy.
A little bit of planning and time management may help a great deal to get rid of stress at home. The thumb rule is — do not put away things for the next day.

Judicious use of weekends or holidays is important in a working woman’s life. Not only must you plan for the ne