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.