Island up for sale in Australia

Owning a private island on Tasmania's east cost may be affordable for many affluent people in Australia costing equivalent of a house worth USD 500,000.

The Picnic Island - resting in Freycinet National Park's Hazard Range in the middle of Coles Bay - is up for sale by expression of interest, according to 'Sydney Morning Herald'.

"You can't really value it as a normal block of land because it's so unique," Paul Whytcross, from Roberts Real Estate in Coles Bay said.

The island in southeastern state of Australia, is expected to sell for between USD 500,000 and USD 1 million. It has permits for a 10-person eco-lodge.

"If someone came along with a plan for a long-term lease to develop the eco-tourism side of things, that would be an option," Whytcross said.

The island's rugged sandstone rocks accommodate a large colony of little penguins and a nesting ground for short-tailed shear waters.

There are abalone, oysters and mussels, too. Despite being within 500 metres of the Tasmanian shoreline, it remains relatively untouched.

"The key thing is the conservation and preservation of the sea bird colony and that limits what you can do with it," Whytcross said.

Picnic Island is within sight of the upmarket Saffire resort and has a convict history.

The original landowner of the Coles Bay area forced his convicts to quarry sandstone on the island during downturns in the whaling season.

The vendor, a Queensland property developer, bought the island for USD 65,000 in 2005.

A planning application stipulates that the only development allowed is basic camping-style accommodation.

However, it has the unique selling feature of penguins and shear waters nesting near your campsite.

Men dread their wives' driving, finds survey

Believe it or not, one in three men dreads getting into the car if his better half is driving, a new survey has revealed.

Wondered why?

Well, many say wives and partners brake too late and they find themselves pushing their feet down into the footwell or gripping the edges of the passenger seat, according to the survey by British market researchers 'OnePoll.com'.

One in 10 of the 3,000 male respondents said he had been forced to grab the wheel as his partner took her eyes off the road and careered towards the central reservation of a motorway, the 'Daily Express' has reported.

They say women are too easily distracted by children, other drivers, even scenery.

The website said: "Most men believe they concentrate a lot better than women, read situations quicker and have better reactions."

But female-only motor insurers Sheilas' Wheels spokeswoman Asia Yasir said: "Claims data proves women are statistically safer."

What came first the chicken or the egg?

British researchers may have uncovered a partial answer to the age-old question, "what came first the chicken or the egg?"

According to a team, comprising researchers from the University of Warwick and the University of Sheffield, the answer is "chicken" or at least a particular chicken protein.

There is, however, a further twist - this particular chicken protein turns out to come both first and last. That neat trick it performs provides new insights into control of crystal growth which is key to egg shell production.

Scientists have long believed that a chicken eggshell protein called ovocledidin-17 (OC-17) must play some role in egg shell formation. The protein is found only in the mineral region of the egg (the hard part of the shell) and lab bench results showed that it appeared to influence the transformation of (CaCo3) into calcite crystals. The mechanism of this control remained unclear. How this process could be used to form an actual eggshell remained unclear.

University of Warwick researchers Mark Rodger and David Quigley, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Sheffield, have now been able to apply a powerful computing tool called metadynamics and the UK national supercomputer in Edinburgh to crack this egg problem.

Dr David Quigley from the Department of Physics and Centre for Scientific Computing, University of Warwick, said: "Metadynamics extends conventional molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and is particularly good at sampling transitions between disordered and ordered states of matter."

Using these tools, the team was able to create simulations that showed exactly how the protein bound to amorphous calcium carbonate surface using two clusters of "arginine residues", located on two loops of the protein and creating a literal chemical "clamp" to nano sized particles of calcium carbonate.

While clamped in this way, the OC-17 encourages the nanoparticles of calcium carbonate to transform into "calcite crystallites" that form the tiny of nucleus of crystals that can continue to grow on their own. But they also noticed that sometimes this chemical clamp didn't work. The OC-17 just seemed to detatch from the nanoparticle or "be desorbed".

Professor Mark Rodger from Department of Chemistry and Centre for Scientific Computing, University of Warwick, said: "With the larger nanoparticles we examined we found that the binding sites for this chemical clamp were the same as the smaller nanoparticles but the binding was much weaker. In the simulations we performed, the protein never desorbed from the smaller nanoparticle, but always fell off or desorbed from the larger one. However in each case, desorption occurred at or after nucleation of calcite."

The researchers had therefore uncovered an incredibly elegant process allowing highly efficient recycling of the OC-17 protein. Effectively it acts as a catalyst, clamping on to calcium carbonate particles to kickstart crystal formation and then dropping off when the crystal nucleus is sufficiently large to grow under its own steam. This frees up the OC-17 to promote more yet more crystallisation, facilitating the speedy, literally overnight creation of an egg shell.

The researchers believe that this new insight into the elegant and highly efficient methods of promoting and controlling crystallisation in nature will be of great benefit to anyone exploring how to promote and control artificial forms of crystallisation. '

The study appears in the international edition of the journal Angewandte Chemie.

Rich and Poor: London's tale of two cities

Residents of the decaying Robin Hood Gardens estate, where grimy windows punctuate concrete, prison-like corridors, say they feel no connection with those living a short walk away in the luxury Canary Riverside complex.

Most of those in and around these overcrowded east London blocks live on incomes less than half the national average.

Their nearest green space is a small hill scarred with burned litter and the remnants of a fire.

The scene is a far cry from the gleaming business hub of Canary Wharf with its gyms and minimalist restaurants, where a penthouse flat can cost over $3.04 million.

That discrepancy - and the wider social gulf it represents -- is unlikely to pass unnoticed in the run up to Britain's May 6 general election.

The Labour party swept to power in 1997 with a promise to close the gap between rich and poor. Yet figures from the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank indicate inequality is now higher than when Labour took office.

"It is an amazing area for all the wrong reasons," said Tim Archer, local councillor and opposition Conservative candidate for the London seat of Poplar and Limehouse, which includes both deprived Robin Hood Gardens and financial center Canary Wharf.

"We have a difference of 10 years in life expectancy within the borough. We've got huge unemployment rates, but, thanks to Canary Wharf, we also have one of the highest numbers of jobs per head. We have prosperity and deprivation cheek by jowl."

London is home to some of Britain's richest and its poorest. The city's main newspaper, the Evening Standard, ran a campaign titled "The Dispossessed" earlier this year, highlighting the plight of the capital's needy. It found that in one of the world's wealthiest cities, poor children are still being buried in mass graves.

TOUGH LONDON

London has four out of England's eight most deprived local authorities, according to official statistics.

Tower Hamlets in east London, which includes Poplar & Limehouse, is the third poorest local authority in England. Islington, spiritual home of New Labour -- the rebranded form of Labour politics that helped it to power in 1997, is eighth.

Islington shares a border with London's financial district and is known for its trendy boutiques and numerous restaurants. It was for years home to former prime minister Tony Blair.

But, the borough is deceptive. More than 40 percent of children in primary school here are defined as living in poverty and it has the highest suicide rate in England.

The problems, say residents in these boroughs, are manifold: a chronic social housing shortage, immigration, low-level crime, poor state education.

"We know that children go to youth clubs and after-school clubs and that's where they go for a meal," Kristina Glenn, the head of the Cripplegate Foundation which funds voluntary projects in Islington, told Reuters.

"The youth workers tell us that if they don't have a meal here, they're not going to eat tonight."

For many, the latest financial crisis has exacerbated the contrast between "them and us" -- prompting hand-wringing over what the opposition Conservative party calls "Broken Britain."

It has also fueled the popularity of minor parties like Respect, fronted by maverick politician George Galloway, who has capitalized on disaffection among east London's immigrant, largely Bangladeshi, population.

"The real division that counts in this borough is between the extremely rich and politicians who serve them and the rest, who are either poor or middle income, in either case struggling to get by," Galloway said in an interview, before an afternoon of hand-shaking and door-knocking at the Robin Hood estate.

This sort of complaint strikes a cord with many of London's poorest residents, who felt left out by the boom years and now say they feel the pain of rising unemployment and spending cuts.

Labour has talked down the criticism, saying crime levels have reduced, neighborhood policing has improved and unemployment remains below the levels seen in the 80s and 90s.

"When Labour came to power in 1997, there were two million homes below the decency threshold, we've now refurbished over a million, including tens of thousands in Tower Hamlets," said Jim Fitzpatrick, Limehouse Labour MP since 1997, and standing again.

But it's a tough message to sell to an electorate disaffected with politics and politicians following an expenses scandal in which many MPs were shown to be claiming for items many voters felt to be extravagant.

"There's always been this division in Islington," shopper Marion Jones said, browsing the local outdoor market. "The wealthy have got really wealthy and everyone else has just stayed the same. It's just the way it is. It'll never change."

Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini is one of the more spiritual types of yoga.

Kundalini yoga is a form of physical and meditative yoga that comprises of various techniques using the mind, body and our senses.

The Kundalini is untapped spiritual energy at the base of the spine that can be drawn up through the body awakening each of the seven chakras of the body. Full enlightenment occurs when this energy reaches the Crown Chakra (topmost).

The Kundalini energy is often represented as a snake coiled at the base of the spine. This yoga gives special consideration to the role of the spine and the endocrine system – both essential parts for yogic awakening.

It goes beyond the physical performance of asanas with its emphasis on breathing, meditation, mudras and chanting. However, it can be very physically intense and appeals to those who are up for both mental and physical challenges.

Some of the benefits one can derive from Kundalini yoga are:

- Kundalini yoga helps in the better functioning of the digestive, glandular, cardiovascular, lymphatic and nervous system.

- It has a direct bearing with the glandular system and hence can enhance the ability to look and feel great.

- It heightens the senses. So, your ability to taste, smell, feel and see with sensitivity are increased.

- It helps eliminate and get rid of habits such as smoking and alcohol addiction.

- It also helps overcome negative feelings and encourages positive attitude and feelings.

- You can experience better sense of self-control and, overcome anger and resentment to find inner calm and mental peace.

- It strengthens the immune system too and helps you fight off several diseases and keep them at bay. A positive mind is a great weapon against all of them.

- Kundalini yoga helps to enrich your sense of well-being and confidence that comes from the process of self-discovery of your inner self and reaching a relaxed state of mind and body.

Short sleep ups risk of premature death

People who sleep for less than six hours each night were 12 percent more likely to die prematurely than those who get the recommended six to eight hours.

The study by the University of Warwick and Federico II University Medical School, Italy, provides evidence of the direct link between short duration of sleep and an increased chance of dying prematurely.

The research also notes that consistent overlong sleeping (over nine hours a night) can be a cause for concern. While, unlike short sleeping, overlong sleeping does not in itself increase the risk of death, it can be a significant marker of underlying serious and potentially fatal illnesses.

The study looked at the relationship between the level of habitual duration of sleep and mortality by reviewing 16 prospective studies from Britain, the US, European and East Asian countries.

The study included more than 1.3 million participants, followed up for up to 25 years, with more than 100,000 deaths recorded, said a Warwick release.

Francesco Cappuccio, professor the University of Warwick and consultant physician, said: 'Whilst short sleep may represent a cause of ill-health, long sleep is believed to represent more an indicator of ill-health.'

These findings were published in Sleep.

I have just returned from a week's stay in Alpbach

I have just returned from a week's stay in Alpbach - a lovely village in Tyrol, Austria. I had gone to attend a conference.

'Aral Sea' one of planet's most shocking environmental disasters: Ban Ki-Moon

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has termed the 'Aral Sea' as one of the planet's most shocking environmental disasters.

Ban Ki-Moon toured Aral Sea, once the world's fourth-largest lake, by helicopter as part of a visit to the five countries of former Soviet Central Asia.

"On the pier, I wasn't seeing anything, I could see only a graveyard of ships. It is clearly one of the worst disasters, environmental disasters of the world. I was so shocked," he said.

Ban Ki-Moon, who was on his six-day trip through the region called on the countries' leaders to set aside rivalries to cooperate on repairing some of the damage, reports the Telegraph.

"I urge all the leaders to sit down together and try to find the solutions," he said assuring United Nations support.

Uzbek officials complained Ban Ki-Moon that dam projects in Tajikistan would severely reduce the amount of water flowing into Uzbekistan.

It has been reported that the sea, which has shrunk by 90 percent has ruined the once-robust fishing economy and left fishing trawlers stranded in sandy wasterlands.

There are reports that the sea shrank largely due to a Soviet project to boost cottong production in the arid region and its evaporation has left layers of highly salted sand, which winds an carry as far away as Scandinavia and Japan, and which plague local people with health troubles.

6 Easy Slim-Down Strategies

More from Prevention

Losing weight is about a series of small steps--one less dessert here, an extra 10 minutes on the elliptical there--plus smart lifestyle moves that continually inch you closer to your goals. But like any change, try to do everything at once and you could wind up feeling deprived and deflated (and not in the good way). So instead of vowing to cut calories AND exercise 7 days a week AND forsake ice cream and pizza for the rest of your life, start out with a few of these research-proven tricks that can help you drop pounds. Once you've mastered one, add in another; before you know it you'll see results on the scale--no drastic changes required.


1) Weigh yourself daily
Why It Works: Weekly weigh-ins are a staple of many popular weight loss programs, but some studies show that daily weighing can be key to lasting weight loss. When researchers at the University of Minnesota monitored the scale habits of 1,800 dieting adults, they found that those who stepped on every day lost an average of 12 pounds over 2 years (weekly scale watchers lost only 6) and were less likely to regain lost weight. Step on the scale first thing every morning, when you weigh the least. Expect small day-to-day fluctuations because of bloating or dehydration, but if your weight creeps up by 2% (that's just 3 pounds if you weigh 150), it's time to skip dessert.


2) Keep TV viewing under 2 hours a day
Why It Works: TV junkies miss out on calorie-burning activities like backyard tag with the kids; instead, they become sitting ducks for junk-food ads. One study found that adults who watch more than 2 hours of TV per day take in 7% more calories and consume more sugary snacks than those who watch less than an hour a day. Wean yourself off the tube by introducing other activities into your life. Eliminate the temptation to watch between-show filler by recording your must-see programs so you can fast-forward through the ads. Or subscribe to a mail-order DVD service like Netflix, and make a movie the only thing you watch all day.


3) Eat 4 g of fiber at every meal
Why It Works: A high-fiber diet can lower your caloric intake without making you feel deprived. In a Tufts University study, women who ate 13 g of fiber or less per day were five times as likely to be overweight as those who ate more fiber. Experts see a number of mechanisms through which fiber promotes weight loss: It may slow down eating because it requires more chewing, speed the passage of food through the digestive tract, and boost satiety hormones. To get 25 g of fiber a day, make sure you eat six meals or snacks, each of which contains about 4 g of fiber. For to-go snacks, buy a piece of fruit; it's handier than vegetables, so it's an easy way to up your fiber intake. One large apple has just as much fiber (5 g) as a cup of raw broccoli.


4) Sleep at least 7 hours a night
Why It Works: A University of Chicago study found that people deprived of Zzzs had lower levels of the hormones that control appetite. "The research suggested that short sleep durations could be a risk factor for obesity," says James Gangwisch, Ph.D., an epidemiologist from Columbia University Medical Center. Sure enough, his follow-up study of 9,588 Americans found that women who slept 4 hours or less per night were 234% more likely to be obese. The key number for most people is 7 hours or more a night, he says, so set an early bedtime and stick to it.


5) Drink 8 glasses of water per day
Why It Works: Water is not just a thirst quencher--it may also speed the body's metabolism. Researchers in Germany found that drinking two 8-ounce glasses of cold water increased their subjects' metabolic rate by 30%, and the effect persisted for 90 minutes. One-third of the boost came from the body's efforts to warm the water, but the rest was due to the work the body did to absorb it. "When drinking water, no calories are ingested but calories are used, unlike when drinking sodas, where additional calories are ingested and possibly stored," explains the lead researcher, Michael Boschmann, M.D., of University Medicine Berlin. Increasing water consumption to 8 glasses per day may help you lose about 8 pounds in a year, he says, so try drinking a glass before meals and snacks and before consuming sweetened drinks or juices.


6) Stick to an 8-hour workday
Why It Works: A University of Helsinki study of 7,000 adults found that those who'd packed on pounds in the previous year were more likely to have logged overtime hours. Lack of time for diet and exercise is most likely the cause, but it's also possible that work stress has a direct effect on weight gain through changes in hormones like cortisol. Set firm limits on your workday so that when you're done, you still have the oomph to take a bike ride and cook a healthy dinner. To help you stay productive enough to finish on time, set an hourly alarm; when it goes off, deal with your most pressing duties.

Kenyan wins Mumbai Marathon

Kenyan sprinter Dennis Ndisso won the seventh Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM) held in India's commercial and film capital Mumbai this morning while Bining Lyngkhoi stood first among Indian runners in the 42-km event.

Ndisso completed the marathon in 2 hours and 12 minutes while Lyngkhoi completed in 2.20 hrs.

Sandeep Kumar bagged the Half Marathon. Hele Kebebush of Ethiopia became the winner in the foreign women's category of the SCMM.

Indian Aki Irappa was adjudged winner of the 21 km long Half Marathon in the women's category. Over 38,000 participants ran Asia's largest marathon this year.

Celebrities came out in large numbers as every year to celebrate the spirit of Mumbai.

This year's race saw runners traverse the newly-opened symbol of resurgent Mumbai, the sea link between Worli and Bandra.

The prize money this year for the full marathon is close to INR 15 million.

Superstar status stifled MJ's creativity, says George Michael

George Michael believes Michael Jackson's stardom corroded his musical potential.

The former 'Wham!' member thinks that the King of Pop's death was surreal in nature.

"(Jackson's death) was sad and a bit surreal, too. Jackson's influence on the industry was massive and he made some incredible albums, especially in the '80s," the Daily Express of London has quoted him as saying.

He added: "But I do feel there was some lost potential there. Maybe that level of celebrity simply puts a stop to any musical brilliance."

Jackson's 1982 album 'Thriller' had sold more than 100 million copies, but his last studio album, Invincible, had sold just over 10 million copies after its release in 2001.

Despite downturn, more Indians are wealthier now

Despite the worst recession since World War II, affluent Indians have not only managed to survive but in fact grew wealthier than before.

More affluent Indians along with other Asians say they are wealthier now compared to six months ago. According to HSBC Affluent Asian Tracker survey, savvy wealthy Indian investors came through the financial turmoil at the end of 2009 relatively unscathed.

Leading Asia's affluent are 70% of mainland Chinese respondents who reported a rise in net worth compared to only 46% six months ago. Similarly, across Asia, the number of affluent respondents reporting an increase in wealth in the past six months nearly doubled. In India, 68 % have reported higher accumulation of wealth compared to 28% six months ago. In Taiwan 61% reported a similar trend against 33% six months ago. In Malaysia, 55% have seen their wealth multiplying in last six months.

Majority of respondents claimed they gained their wealth through their employment comprising 89% in mainland China, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan, 88 % in Indonesia, 87% in Australia, 84% in Taiwan and 79% in India.

Sandy Flockhart, chief executive officer of HSBC Asia-Pacific has commented: "Asia's workforce is powering the region's affluent who are fast becoming savvy about growing and managing their newly-created wealth. Riding on Asia's recovery and improved market sentiment, the affluent in the region, most particularly in mainland China, are regaining their confidence as investors and are providing momentum towards a more robust wealth management market in Asia." The number of affluent Asians reporting a decline in net worth over the past six months decreased significantly compared to six months ago.

On planned changes in investment risk appetite over the next six months, the survey showed that 31% of affluent mainland Chinese are willing to accept greater risk followed by 30% in India and 28% in Malaysia.

Spy cameras to watch over cops

Corrupt police personnel in India's capital city better be on guard.

Delhi Police have bought spy cameras and microphones to nail their rotten apples. The Crime Branch bought these gadgets after police commissioner Y.S. Dadwal green signalled the proposal.

"They were bought from Delhi Police's secret fund. The recordings can be used as crucial evidence against the corrupt people in the force," said a senior police officer on condition of anonymity.

This year alone more than 200 policemen have been suspended on charges of "corruption". These include more than 15 inspectors.

These spy cams are hidden in notebooks, pens, rings and bags. Recently, nine policemen including an inspector, were suspended at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) after they were caught on camera colluding with touts in fleecing passengers.

"These operations are discreetly planned. The spy cameras are given only to officers who are trustworthy. Many people in the force have vested interests so we have to be doubly sure whether the operation would be a success or not," the officer added. Police said they are increasingly taking the help of these gadgets to contain corruption.

"These gadgets are also used to record evidence in important cases. These recordings are admissible in court if corroborated with other evidences," said the officer.

Delhi government's Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) had last year nailed several corrupt officials with the help of "electronic traps". Apart from the traditional methods like physical traps (using conventional methods like powder /notes), the ACB officials emphasised more on electronic traps.

New Zealand Indians propose 20million-dollar Taj Mahal replica in Auckland

An Indian group in New Zealand has come up with a proposal to build a Kiwi version of the Taj Mahal in the Auckland suburb of Eden Tce.

The planned 20 million dollar replica will rise on the site of the existing Mahatma Gandhi Centre in Auckland, and could include a marble mausoleum, reflection pool and gold-plated ornaments.

"New Zealanders have their Te Papa, and what we want is a building that will reflect the grandeur and the rich Indian culture and history, and be the pride of the community here," The New Zealand Herald quoted Kanu Patel, Mahatma Gandhi Centre's chairman, as saying.

"The new building will benefit not only the Indian community but also Auckland City - as a tourist attraction, maybe - so I think there is a good reason for us to be receiving support from local government and charities," he added.

The centre has over the years hosted some of the Indian community's most significant social, cultural, religious and musical events and festivals, and the Taj Mahal replica is expected to do the same on a larger scale.

"Having a piece of land this size in central Auckland is like sitting on a goldmine, and we just have to maximize its potential. Since we own the land, we will be putting all the 20 million dollars into the building, and I think it can go quite a long way," Patel said.

The project also has the approval of local business owners, who supported the whole idea.

"At the moment, what we are seeing is a lot of business moving out of the area. Hopefully, the project can attract other businesses to set up here," said Erica Liang, a cafe owner.

Paris Hilton jumps out of cake at birthday bash

Socialite Paris Hilton jumped out of a giant-sized cake to surprise her boyfriend Doug Reinhardt on his birthday. The 28-year-old star threw a surprise birthday party for her beau and doubled the effect when she burst out of the huge cake wearing a sexy hot pink outfit and a black diamond mask, reported the New York Post.

"Paris went all out for her man's birthday. No expense was spared", reported the New York Post.

He had no idea about the party and was so happy," a source said. Hilton was so keen to impress ''The Hills'' star that she organised for rap group ''Three 6 Mafia'' and hip-hop star Ya Boy to perform for the party goers.

Guests including Hollywood beauties Hayden Panettiere and Kristanna Loken partied until 3am at the nightclub Hilton has built in her home, while home videos of the couple were screened throughout the mansion. Hilton began dating Reinhardt in February this year and split with him in June.

However, the couple reunited in August when he whisked her away on a romantic break to Fiji. Reinhardt is not the only star to be presented with a giant cake on his birthday.

Hollywood actor Tom Cruise had gifted his wife actress Katie Holmes with an enormous five-tiered sponge when she turned 30 last December.

Marathi film on Phalke is India's Oscar entry

In 1914, Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, widely known as Dadasaheb Phalke, declined an offer to make films in London. "I have to keep making films in my country so that it gets established as an industry at home," said the man who gave India its first full-length feature film Raja Harishchandra. Nearly 95 years have elapsed since then and the Indian film industry has become the biggest in the world, but the father of Indian cinema continues to inspire and contribute to the industry. The latest instance of this is Harishchandrachi Factory.

This Marathi language film about how Phalke made his first film has been nominated as India's official entry to this year's Oscars in the Foreign Film Category. It's the second Marathi film after Shwas (2004) to bag this honour. Its selection was announced by the Film Federation of India (FFI) and the jury was headed by veteran actress Asha Parekh.

"The inspiration for the film came from Dadasaheb Phalke. His adventure of filmmaking is the basis of the film," says Paresh Mokashi, director and writer of the film. Harishchandrachi Factory - which faced competition from 15 recent Indian films including New York and Delhi 6 - captures the first two years of Phalke's cinematic career. The two-hour-long film starts with Phalke giving up his printing business after a fight with his partner. Soon, he accidentally comes across a tent theatre, screening a silent film. An awestruck Phalke decided to make a film and was encouraged by his wife and two enthusiastic children. The Oscar-nominated film ends with Phalke delivering Indian film industry's first hit using his advertising acumen.

Mokashi started working on the film in 2005. The script was ready after three months of research on Phalke's life. "After that started the magical hunt for money to make the film. I didn't want to make a low-budget film and make absolutely no comprises in creating this period drama," he says.

'Slumdog Millionaire' Kid Looses Father

Mohmmed Azharuddin, who featured in the Oscar winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire', has lost his father in Mumbai.

Ismail Shaikh had been suffering from advanced tuberculosis since the past two years. He had a very painful death on Friday at his Santacruz home where the family had shifted a few months ago.

Shaikh, 46, is survived by his widow Shamim, son Azharuddin, an older son and two daughters.

Shamim said that Shaikh had neglected his health and was totally immersed in making a bright future for Azharuddin, especially after "Slumdog Millionaire" became an international box office hit. She said that Azharruddin did not know much about the serious health condition of his father since the family did not want him to ignore his professional advancements.

Director Danny Boyle has written to the family expressing his condolences and support to them in this hour of grief and he is expected to visit the family some time next month.

Not enough Facebook friends? Buy them

Who says you can't buy friends? An Australian online marketing company is selling friends and fans to Facebook members after offering a similar service to Twitter users.

Advertising, marketing and promoting company uSocial (http://usocial.net) said it was targeting social networking sites because of their huge advertising potential.

"Facebook is an extremely effective marketing tool," Leon Hill, uSocial CEO, said in a statement.

"The simple fact is that with a large following on Facebook, you have an instant and targeted group of people you can contact and promote whatever it is you want to promote," he added.

"The only problem is that it can be extremely difficult to achieve such a following, which is where we come in.

The company offers packages for Facebook, the world's number one social networking site, that start at 1,000 friends up to 10,000 friends at costs ranging from $177 to $1,167.

"All we do is send them a welcome message or friend request from the client. If they decide to go ahead and add that person as a friend or a fan then they will; if not, then they won't," Hill told Australian media.

Facebook is now the world's fourth-most visited website.

The company, which counts venture capitalist Peter Thiel, Accel Partners, Microsoft Corp and Russian Internet investment firm Digital Sky Technologies among its investors, has more than 250 million registered users.

But uSocial's packages are not without controversy.

According to some Australian websites, Twitter tried to shut uSocial down, accusing it of spamming members, while the Los Angeles Times reported that Digg.com, a website where people vote for their top news stories or websites, has also tried to shut down uSocial because it sells votes.

Nooyi, Sonia Gandhi in Forbes top 15 most powerful women list

Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi, Chanda Kochhar, CEO of ICICI Bank India and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw Chairperson, Biocon India are the only Indians in the Forbes annual list of the 100 most powerful women.

The list, which was released last night, includes fiery chief executives, brilliant politicians and beloved queens, but the model for all women who seek influence, is the cautious and uncharismatic German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

Nooyi is listed as the third most powerful woman in the world, while Sonia Gandhi Kochhar and Shaw are ranked 13, 20 and 91 respectively. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed is the only other South Asian in the list and is ranked 78.

Americans make up 63 of the 100, while only four women from Britain make the grade

In assembling the list, Forbes looked for women who run countries, big companies or influential nonprofits. Their rankings are a combination of two scores:

Visibility - by press mentions - and the size of the organization or country these women lead.

The list is as follows:

1 Angela Merkel Chancellor of Germany

2 Sheila Bair Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. U.S.

3 Indra Nooyi Chief Executive, PepsiCo U.S.

4 Cynthia Carroll Chief Executive, Anglo American U.K.

5 Ho Ching Chief Executive, Temasek Singapore

6 Irene Rosenfeld Chief Executive, Kraft Foods U.S.

7 Ellen Kullman Chief Executive, DuPont U.S.

8 Angela Braly Chief Executive, WellPoint U.S.

9 Anne Lauvergeon Chief Executive, Areva France

10 Lynn Elsenhans Chief Executive, Sunoco U.S.

11 Cristina Fernandez President Argentina

12 Carol Bartz Chief Executive, Yahoo U.S.

13 Sonia Gandhi President, Indian National Congress Party, India

14 Ursula Burns Chief Executive, Xerox Corp. U.S.

15 Anne Mulcahy Chairperson, Xerox Corp. U.S.

16 Safra Catz President, Oracle U.S.

17 Christine Lagarde Minister of Economy, Finance and Employment, France

18 Gail Kelly Chief Executive, Westpac Australia

19 Marjorie Scardino Chief Executive, Pearson Plc. U.K.

20 Chanda Kochhar Chief Executive, ICICI Bank India

21 Mary Sammons Chief Executive, Rite Aid Corp. U.S.

22 Michelle Bachelet President of Chile

23 Paula Reynolds Chief Restructuring Officer, AIG U.S.

24 Carol Meyrowitz Chief Executive, TJX Companies U.S.

25 Andrea Jung Chief Executive, Avon U.S.

26 Patricia Woertz Chief Executive, Archer Daniels Midland U.S.

27 Guler Sabanci Chairperson, Sabanci Holding Turkey

28 Barbara Desoer President, Bank of America Mortgage, Home Equity and Insurance U.S.

29 Brenda Barnes Chief Executive, Sara Lee Corp. U.S.

30 Risa Lavizzo-Mourey Chief Executive, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation U.S.

31 Ann Livermore Executive Vice President, Hewlett-Packard U.S.

32 Cathie Lesjak Executive vice president, Hewlett-Packard U.S.

33 Marina Berlusconi Chairperson, Fininvest Group Italy

34 Melinda Gates Co-chairperson, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation U.S.

35 Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House, House of Representatives U.S.

36 Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State U.S.A.

37 Jane Mendillo Chief Executive, Harvard Management Co. U.S.

38 Margaret Chan Director-general, World Health Org. Switzerland

39 Susan Chambers Executive Vice President, Global People Division, Wal-Mart Stores U.S.

40 Michelle Obama First Lady of U.S.A.

41 Oprah Winfrey Chairperson, Harpo U.S.

42 Queen Elizabeth II Queen of U.K.

43 Nancy McKinstry Chief Executive, Wolters Kluwer Netherlands

44 Gloria Arroyo President of Philippines

45 Ana Patricia Botin Executive Chairperson, Banesto Spain

46 Ann Veneman Executive Director, UNICEF U.S.

47 Yulia Tymoshenko Prime Minister of Ukraine

48 Ruth Bader Ginsburg Supreme Court Justice U.S.

49 Janet Robinson Chief Executive, The New York Times Co. U.S.

50 Dominique Senequier Chief Executive, AXA Private Equity France

51 Janet Napolitano Secretary of Homeland Security U.S.

52 Neelie Kroes Commissioner for Competition, European Union Belgium

53 Gail Boudreaux President, UnitedHealthcare U.S.

54 Sonia Sotomayor Supreme Court Justice U.S.

55 Mary Schapiro Chairperson Securities and Exchange Commission U.S.

56 Kathleen Sebelius Secretary of Health and Human Services U.S.

57 Ellen Alemany Chief Executive, RBS Americas and Citizens Financial Group U.S.

58 Susan Ivey Chief Executive, Reynolds American U.S.

59 Amy Pascal Cochairperson, Sony Pictures Entertainment U.S.

60 Helen Clark Chairman, United Nations Development Group New Zealand

61 Judy McGrath Chief executive, MTV Networks U.S.

62 Stacey Snider Chief Executive, DreamWorks SKG U.S.

63 Navanethem Pillay High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations South Africa

64 Janet Clark Chief financial Officer, Marathon Oil U.S.

65 Sherilyn McCoy Worldwide Chairperson, Pharmaceuticals Group, Johnson and Johnson U.S.

66 Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf President of Liberia

67 Tarja Halonen President of Finland

68 Mary McAleese President of Ireland

69 Virginia Rometty Senior Vice President, IBM U.S.

70 Angela Ahrendts Chief Executive, Burberry Group Plc. U.K.

71 Sri Indrawati Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance Indonesia

72 Terri Dial Chief Executive, U.S. Consumer Bank, Citigroup U.S.

73 Deirdre Connelly President, North American Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithkline U.S.

74 Johanna Sigurdardottir Prime Minister of Iceland

75 Queen Rania Queen of Jordan

76 Christina Gold Chief Executive, Western Union U.S.

77 Colleen Goggins Worldwide Chairperson, Johnson and Johnson U.S.

78 Hasina Wajed Prime Minister of Bangladesh

79 Hyun Jeong-eun Chairperson, Hyundai Group South Korea

80 Amy Schulman Senior Vice President, Pfizer U.S.

81 Penny Pritzker Chairperson, Classic Residence by Hyatt U.S.

82 Drew Faust President, Harvard University U.S.

83 Melanie Healey Group President, Feminine and Health Care, Procter and Gamble U.S.

84 Elizabeth Smith President, Avon U.S.

85 Deb Henretta Group President, Asia, Procter and Gamble Singapore

86 Ann Moore Chief Executive, Time Inc. U.S.

87 Sallie Krawcheck Chief Executive Global Wealth Management, Bank of America U.S.

88 Pamela Nicholson President, Enterprise Rent-A-Car U.S.

89 Janice Fields Chief Operating Officer, McDonald's USA U.S.

90 Stephanie Burns Chief Executive, Dow Corning U.S.

91 Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw Chairperson, Biocon India

92 Eva Cheng Executive Vice President, Amway Greater China and Southeast Asia Hong Kong

93 Efrat Peled Chief Executive, Arison Investments Israel

94 Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi Minister of the Economy United Arab Emirates

95 Charlene Begley Chief Executive, GE Enterprise Solutions U.S.

96 Mindy Grossman Chief Executive, HSN, Inc. U.S.

97 Sharon Allen Chairperson, Deloitte and Touche U.S.

98 Anne Sweeney Co-chairperson, Disney Media Networks U.S.

99 Heidi Miller Chief Executive Treasury and Securities Services, JPMorgan Chase U.S.

100 Mary Erdoes Chairperson, JPMorgan Global Wealth Management U.S.

Jackson harmed himself before death: Reports

In a bid to obtain powerful prescription drugs, Michael Jackson banged his head and hurt himself before his death in June, media reports say.

The pop music icon, who died June 25 after a cardiac arrest, was said to have been so desperate to fuel his addiction that he harmed himself to convince doctors to give him medication that included the strong pain killer Demerol, reports contactmusic.com.

'LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) detectives have interviewed some 30-35 witnesses so far, and it has come to light that Jackson was prone to self-harming. He'd bang his head against the wall, hit his fists and arms against furniture, anything to cause a cut or a bruise.

'He wanted to convince his doctors that he'd had an accident and was in a lot of pain -- a legitimate reason to ask for painkillers. This came up as part of the investigation into Michael's drug-taking. So far there's no evidence to prove or disprove the claims,' a source told Britain's Daily Mirror.

A family source told the newspaper that the late singer was an attention seeker and used to harm himself for that reason.

'Michael self-harmed as an attention-seeking mechanism or to gain sympathy. He enjoyed being cared for. It was a huge cry for help,' said the family member.

Now, a UFO-like flying shape photographed over stately home in England

A UFO sighting claim has once again been made in the UK, with a mystery object now being photographed hovering above a magnificent stately home in Hertfordshire.

The picture of the flying shape was clicked hovering over the house at Hatfield, near Welwyn Garden City.

It was Chris Middleton, of Welwyn, snapped the mystery object during a a visit to the Jacobean house and garden, the home of the 7th Marquess of Salisbury.

"It made no noise and I didn't see it until I put the image on my computer. If you sharpen the image and zoom right in you can see its no normal aircraft and you can see a red heat source behind it," the Telegraph of London quoted him as saying.

"I think it's impossible for there not to be something like that out there - the universe is so vast. He had the intriguing image examined by professional photographers - and none of them could explain it," he added.

Richard Wiseman, a professor of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, who has an international reputation for research into the paranormal, said: "It's very difficult to tell what it is because it is tricky to know how far the object is from the camera. I guess that it could be a bird or a paraglider in the distance, or a small piece of dust or debris very close to the lens. Either way, I don't think Hatfield House should be bracing themselves for a close encounter of the third kind quite yet."

Japan's Gundam Robot Mania...

Courtesy wsj.com...

Like something out of a science-fiction movie, the robot stands 18 meters tall and towers above the tree line. But to the thousands of visitors who have come by Odaiba's Shiokaze Park just outside Tokyo, it is a familiar sight. It's Gundam.

The statue, a "life-size" replica of the television anime (Japanese slang for animated series) character created in 1979, was erected this month and will stand in the park through August. It was built by Bandai, the parent company of Sunrise, the animation studio that created the original series, "Mobile Suit Gundam," to celebrate the iconic cartoon's 30th anniversary and acknowledge the $528 million franchise of spin-offs, toys and books it has spawned in that time. Some fans even say the fictional robot has played a part in Japan's rise in the world of robotics engineering and technology.

Set 100 years in the future on extraterrestrial mining colonies (colonies established on other planets or moons for the purpose of extracting minerals) as well as on Earth, "Mobile Suit Gundam" imagines a radical future, where robots are commonplace. A renegade faction, the principality of Zeon (an extraterrestrial colony), has declared war on Earth Federation (a global government of the future) in a bid to become independent. The weapon of choice (created by Zeon but quickly replicated by Earth) is a "mobile suit," a robot driven by a human pilot who sits inside. The RX-78 Gundam -- named for the fictional alloy, Gundanium, from which it is made -- is used by a young pilot in defense of Earth.

Since the first series aired -- and the many other series, movies and made-for-the-Web shows that followed -- children and adults have been hooked on the melodrama featuring these giant martial robots. The mania has fueled several animated series and original Internet animations, films, manga and novels, videogames and plastic models (called pura-mo), merchandise including clothing, costumes, beach towels and even government-issued postage stamps.

Jackson's hair made into diamonds -- for real

Since Michael Jackson's sudden death on June 25, the rumor mill over details of his bizarre personal life has ground away nearly non-stop, and on Friday, one company said it was turning his hair into diamonds. That one is true.

The claims this week included a report in Rolling Stone magazine that a prosthetic nose he wore apparently went missing when he was taken to the morgue, and a British tabloid trumpeted a headline that he fathered a secret love-child.

In one by-product of the "Thriller" singer's death, a Chicago company said on Friday it had obtained some of the hair Jackson burned while filming a 1984 Pepsi commercial and planned to create a limited edition of diamonds from it.

"Absolutely this is for real," said Dean VandenBiesen, founder of LifeGem, which has a patent on a process that extracts carbon from hair, turns it into crystals and then into high-quality laboratory diamonds.

VandenBiesen told Reuters he thought the company could make about 10 diamonds. No sale price has been set but VandenBiesen said LifeGem created three diamonds from locks of Beethoven's hair in 2007, and sold one of them for around $200,000.

Separately, the Aug. 6 issue of Rolling Stone magazine reported that not only was the left arm of Jackson's dead body "scored with needle marks" -- claims that have arisen before -- but he wore an artificial nose that was missing when he was taken to the Los Angeles county morgue.

"The prosthesis that he normally attached to his damaged nose was missing, revealing bits of cartilage surrounding a small dark hole," the magazine said in an unsourced report.

While that report could not be confirmed, Los Angeles coroner's officials did say earlier this week they were probing security breaches in their offices.

The coroner's office is expected to release an official cause of death next week which could shed light on some of the reports, including Jackson's possible use of powerful drugs.

And even as custody of Jackson's three children is set to be decided in court on Aug. 3, The Sun newspaper speculated the singer may have had a love-child raised in Norway.

Omer Bhatti, 25, sparked interest when he was spotted sitting with the singer's immediate family at Jackson's public memorial earlier this month. Bhatti reportedly spent time with Jackson at his Neverland Valley Ranch in the 1990s and was known as "Little Michael".

But another of Jackson's former proteges, singer Ricky Harlow, told celebrity website People.com on Friday that although they were close he doubted Bhatti was Jackson's son.

"They had a father-and-son type of connection," Harlow, 26, told People, "but I never thought he (Jackson) was his biological father."

In Jackson's 2002 will, the singer listed only three children now living: Prince Michael Jackson, Jr, Paris Michael Kathering Jackson and Prince Michael Joseph Jackson II.

MOUNTAIN OF DEBT: Rising US government debt may be next (world) crisis

MOUNTAIN OF DEBT: Legacy of debt from Founding Fathers not celebrated on Independence Day

The Founding Fathers of the United States of America left one legacy not celebrated on Independence Day but which affects us all (in the US and all over the world). It's the national debt.

The country first got into debt to help pay for the Revolutionary War. Growing ever since, the debt stands today at a staggering $11.4 trillion -- equivalent to about $37,000 for each and every American. And it's expanding by over $1 trillion a year.

The mountain of debt easily could become the next full-fledged economic crisis without firm action from Washington, economists of all stripes warn.

"Unless we demonstrate a strong commitment to fiscal sustainability in the longer term, we will have neither financial stability nor healthy economic growth," Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke recently told Congress.

Higher taxes, or reduced federal benefits and services -- or a combination of both -- may be the inevitable consequences.

The debt is complicating efforts by President Barack Obama and Congress to cope with the worst recession in decades as stimulus and bailout spending combine with lower tax revenues to widen the gap.

Interest payments on the debt alone cost $452 billion last year -- the largest federal spending category after Medicare-Medicaid, Social Security and defense. It's quickly crowding out all other government spending. And the Treasury is finding it harder to find new lenders.

The United States went into the red the first time in 1790 when it assumed $75 million in the war debts of the Continental Congress.

Alexander Hamilton, the first treasury secretary, said, "A national debt, if not excessive, will be to us a national blessing."

Some blessing.

Since then, the nation has only been free of debt once, in 1834-1835.

The national debt has expanded during times of war and usually contracted in times of peace, while staying on a generally upward trajectory. Over the past several decades, it has climbed sharply -- except for a respite from 1998 to 2000, when there were annual budget surpluses, reflecting in large part what turned out to be an overheated economy.

The debt soared with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and economic stimulus spending under President George W. Bush and now Obama.

The odometer-style "debt clock" near Times Square -- put in place in 1989 when the debt was a mere $2.7 trillion -- ran out of numbers and had to be shut down when the debt surged past $10 trillion in 2008.

The clock has since been refurbished so higher numbers fit. There are several debt clocks on Web sites maintained by public interest groups that let you watch hundreds, thousands, millions zip by in a matter of seconds.

The debt gap is "something that keeps me awake at night," Obama says.

He pledged to cut the budget "deficit" roughly in half by the end of his first term. But "deficit" just means the difference between government receipts and spending in a single budget year.

This year's deficit is now estimated at about $1.85 trillion.

Deficits don't reflect holdover indebtedness from previous years. Some spending items -- such as emergency appropriations bills and receipts in the Social Security program -- aren't included, either, although they are part of the national debt.

The national debt is a broader, and more telling, way to look at the government's balance sheets than glancing at deficits.

According to the Treasury Department, which updates the number "to the penny" every few days, the national debt was $11,518,472,742,288 on Wednesday.

The overall debt is now slightly over 80 percent of the annual output of the entire U.S. economy, as measured by the gross domestic product.

By historical standards, it's not proportionately as high as during World War II, when it briefly rose to 120 percent of GDP. But it's still a huge liability.

Also, the United States is not the only nation struggling under a huge national debt. Among major countries, Japan, Italy, India, France, Germany and Canada have comparable debts as percentages of their GDPs.

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation, established by a former US commerce secretary and investment banker, argues that the $11.4 trillion debt figures does not take into account roughly $45 trillion in unlisted liabilities and unfunded retirement and health care commitments.

That would put the nation's full obligations at $56 trillion, or roughly $184,000 per American, according to this calculation.

Men find Miss Average more attractive than centrefold babes

Melbourne, June 11 (ANI): Here's some good news for size 14 women:

Gentlemen find the homely shape of the girl-next-door more attractive than the 'perfect' proportions of models.

That's the conclusion of a new study which involved 100 male students.

Miss Average can be defined as a 5ft 4in female with a 30in waist and 40in hips.

Aussie boffins asked male volunteers to rate the attractiveness of more than 200 drawings of female torsos of different sizes, The Couriermail reported.

They then compared the most attractive torsos with the vital statistics of eight groups of women, including models, Playboy centrefolds and normal members of the population.

The New Scientist reports that the real women best matched the ideal body shape, with the best fit being a British size 14.

Researcher Dr Martin Grundl said: "Why the subjects prefer this body most of all is pure speculation."

"That is the nature of beauty - it is very easily to recognize but it is very hard to describe and to explain with words."

Enjoy world's most expensive curry in London for 2,000 pounds

The world's most expensive curry has been launched in London, and it costs 2,000 pounds a portion.

The curry, named Samundari Khazana, or Seafood Treasure, is a mix of caviar, sea snails, a whole lobster and even edible gold.

It is served by London's top-notch eatery Bombay Brasserie.

Even though the expensive dish comes amidst the ongoing recession, head chef Prahlad Hegde says that it is still affordable by some.

"There are still people out there with money to spend and this curry is a real experience," the Sun quoted Hegde as saying.

Hegde prepares the dish with Devon crab and white truffle, while his assistant painstakingly pressed gold leaf on to half a cherry tomato, its flesh replaced with Beluga caviar.

The chef puts four sea snails - abalone - costing almost 300 pounds a kilo into a sizzling pan, as another cook coated an 80 pounds Scottish lobster in gold, while a third deftly hollowed out four shelled quails' eggs before filling them with more caviar.

"The idea is from a basic Indian recipe I got from my mum but we are using the finest ingredients in the world," Hegde explained.

"The fish and seafood is marinated in chilli and tamarind paste, then I'm going to slice truffle over the top to give it a nutty flavour," he added.

The five tiny shavings of truffle cost 90 pounds, while the shimmering, edible gold cost a staggering 1,000 pounds for just 10g.

The curry has been created to coincide with the DVD launch of Oscar-winning flick Slumdog Millionaire, which is set in India.

Eat greens, lower prostate cancer risk

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables but low in fat and red meat is the new mantra for preventing and treating prostate cancer.

Robert Ma and K. Chapman of the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia, conducted an evidence-based review of dietary recommendations in the prevention of prostate cancer and in the management of patients with prostate cancer.

They found that a diet rich in fruits and vegetable but low in fat and red meat and cutting down on dairy products may help prevent prostate cancer. This diet is helpful for patients diagnosed with prostate cancer as well.

Specifically, consumption of tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, green tea and vitamins including Vitamin E and selenium appear to decrease the risk of prostate cancer.

Consumption of highly processed or charcoaled meats, dairy products, and fats seemed to be correlated with prostate cancer, said a UNSW release.

'Although not conclusive, results suggest that general dietary modification has a beneficial effect on the prevention of prostate cancer,' the authors concluded.

The study was published in the June issue of the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.

Slim down to save the earth

Fat people contributing to climate change, says UK's green guru

Fat people are a threat to the planet as they are contributing to climate change, believes Sir Jonathan Porritt, the British Government's chief green adviser.

In a lecture to representatives of the food industry, Sir Jonathan, Chair of the Sustainable Development Commission, said, "fat is a climate change issue", reports The Telegraph of London.

The ex-Green Party politician, who earlier caused controversy by suggesting that people should not have more than two kids to prevent over-population, pinpointed that overweight people eat more protein-rich food such as beef or lamb.

Such intake is responsible for giving rise to greenhouse gases because of the toxic methane livestock emits.

He also said obese people are more likely to use cars rather than walk or cycle, therefore producing more carbon emissions.

"The World Health Organisation recently published some data showing that each overweight person causes an additional one tonne of CO2 to be emitted every year," he said.

"With one billion people judged to be overweight around the world of whom at least 300 million are obese - that's an additional one billion tonnes," he added.

Finally, Archie Andrews to marry Veronica... not Betty

Toronto: The age-old love triangle of Archie comics has finally been broken, after Riverdale's ultimate Playboy Archie Andrews picked the vixen Veronica over girl-next-door Betty to be his wife.

So what if Betty was a blonde, loyal and kind - when it came to popping the question Archie chose the raven-haired, charming and rich Veronica.

After 67 years of being in a dilemma, Archie is all set to tie the knot with the vixen - a choice that left many Archie comic fans in gasps.

Archie Comic Publications announced on May 27 that the flighty redhead from Riverdale picked Veronica over Betty Cooper.

Already in mid-May, the publisher sent speculation swirling when it announced a special marital-themed storyline for release in August, but didn't reveal the lucky lady.

The wedding will take place after the gang graduate from college, and venture out into the working world.

However, the response to the proposal has been markedly divided - Betty fans are outraged that the girl next door has been ditched yet again for the beautiful, yet spoilt, Ronnie.

While many fans are questioning whether Archie should marry at all, because it could mean a possible end to the enduring comic-book soap opera.

The cover of Archie Comics (issue 600) shows Archie proposing to Veronica.

The latest fad: Bikini jeans

LONDON: Just when people thought fashion world couldn't get any weirder, along comes - the bikini jeans!

Priced at 62 pounds, the eye-catching apparel features a thong sewn into a pair of supremely low-slung jeans.

Brainchild of Japanese clothing company Sanna's, the booty-cut bottoms were born after a customer said she wanted jeans that sat lower than the hips but did not need to be hiked up in an unladylike fashion, reports Wales Online.

Designer Sandra Tanimura, who owns a pair of the bikini jeans herself, said: "This was very difficult without the trousers falling down, so I came up with the idea of using the bikini strings.

"They have already taken off in Japan and we believe they will be just as popular in the UK, especially with bold women who like their own bodies."

However, stylist Wenda James-Rowe said: "They are totally tasteless and terrible - it's taking things to the extreme.

"If you have a pair of jeans that fall down, just wear a belt. To wear these you would have to be stick thin or you would have big bulges coming out the gaps.

"It's not something I would wear - maybe they would appeal to really young girls but even if they do, I think the attraction will be short-lived."

When monkeys go on a fast - a folk tale from Karnataka, India...

A group of monkeys decided to go on a day's fast to celebrate a religious festival.

“Before we begin, I think we should keep the food with which we’ll break the fast ready,” counselled the old monkey chief.

The monkeys nodded their heads in agreement. The youngsters were sent in search of food. They returned with huge hands of delicious-looking bananas.

“I think each of us should keep our share of bananas with us before we begin our fast, so that we don’t spend time distributing them after we break our fast. You can imagine how hungry we all will be by then!” said the chief minister of the monkey tribe.

The monkeys liked the idea and they all immediately collected their share of the bananas.

“Why don’t we peel one banana and keep it ready to eat? ” said one of the youngsters.

“Yes, let’s do that,” shouted a fat monkey in agreement. Just looking at the bananas was making him hungry.

“All right,” said the monkey chief. “We shall peel the bananas but under no condition should we eat them.”

So the monkeys peeled their bananas and carefully kept them ready for eating in the evening.

“Can I keep the banana in my mouth? I promise not to eat it till evening. Please!” a little monkey asked his father.

“Why don’t we all put a banana in our mouth? That way we can chew it immediately when we break the fast,” said his father, who had agreed to go on the fast only because his wife had not given him a choice. “As long as we don’t eat it, it should be fine,” he added.

So, the monkeys put the bananas in their mouths. One by one they eyed each other uncomfortably as they began their fast — and as you can imagine, within no time at all, the bananas disappeared down their gullets. And that was the end of their fast!

Our daughters gifted this to Priti and me on our nineteenth wedding anniversary

Lipstick loses its gloss to foundation in race against recession!

With the world struggling in the clutches of one of the deepest recessions in history, women are trying really hard to keep their spirits up .....by kissing goodbye to lipsticks and welcoming flawless skin.

A large number of women are dealing with economic crisis with liquid foundation, and thus supplanting lipstick as the essential item in make-up bags in the recession.

Cosmetic experts claim that British females are far more likely to plump for foundation, reports "The Scotsman".

Estee Lauder Chairman coined the term "Lipstick Index" during the 2001 recession to highlight the link between economic downturns and lipstick sales.

"When lipstick sales go up, people don't want to buy dresses," he said at the time.

"When things get tough, women buy lipstick."

However, L'Oreal, the world's largest beauty company, has found in the UK market that foundation has edged out lipstick as the "must-have" product for women, with more than one third of 18 and 19-year-olds citing it as their most essential beauty product against 8 percent opting for lipstick.

In the UK, foundation sales rose 15 percent last year, against 2.5 percent for lipstick, according to market research group Nielsen.

TNS Worldpanel, another consumer research body, reports foundation sales are up 25.3 percent in the year to February against a 5.7 percent decline in lipstick sales.

Austrian village offers free land to boost population

A village in northern Austria, worried by its dwindling population, is offering free land to all who pledge to start a family in a decade.

Plots of 800 and 900 square metres (8,611 to 9,687 square feet) are up for grabs at Rappottenstein, near the Czech border, to both singles and married couples who pledge to have at least one child in the next 10 years.

Singles also have to get married. Other conditions stipulate that the new owners have to build a house on the plot in three years. If the conditions are not fulfilled, the owners will have to pay 12,000 euros (15,163 dollars).

The commune where the village is located is home to only 1,760 people.

Yesterday was Priti and my nineteenth wedding anniversary...

2009 sees Friday the 13th occurring in two months in a row after 11yrs

For the first time in 11 years, 2009 registered Friday the 13th falling in two consecutive months-February and March.

And what's more, the double whammy can only occur in certain non-leap years and only in a February-March combination.

In fact, one can look for another of the Friday the 13th combo in 2015. If this wasn't enough, the double threat isn't the only Friday the 13th claim to infamy for 2009, a particularly tough year for superstitious minds.

The ominous date falls on three Fridays this year: February 13; this Friday, March 13; and again on November 13.

However, three Friday the 13ths in one year is the maximum it can get, at least until we follow the Gregorian calendar, which Pope Gregory XIII ordered the Catholic Church to adopt in 1582.

"You can't have any [years] with none and you can't have any with four because of our funny calendar," National Geographic News quoted Underwood Dudley, a professor emeritus of mathematics at DePauw University in Greencastle, as saying.

The calendar works just as its predecessor the Julian calendar did, with a leap year every four years.

But the Gregorian calendar skips leap year on century years except those divisible by 400.

For example, there was no leap year in 1900 but one was observed in 2000. This trick keeps the calendar in tune with the seasons.

Thus, Dudley noted that we have an ordering of days and dates that repeats itself every 400 years.

And in this order, some years such as 2009 appear with three Friday the 13ths. Other years have two or one.

"It's just that curious way our calendar is constructed, with 28 days in February and all those 30s and 31s," said Dudley.

And there's one more revelation with the 400-year order in practice: The 13th falls on Friday more often than any other day of the week.

"It's just a funny coincidence," said Dudley.

Richard Beveridge, a mathematics instructor at Clatsop Community College in Oregon, authored a 2003 paper in the journal Mathematical Connections on the mathematics of Friday the 13th.

He noted the 400-year cycle is further broken down into periods of either 28 or 40 years.

"At the end of every cycle you get a year with three Friday the 13ths the year before the last year in the cycle ... and you also get one on the tenth year of all the cycles," he said.

Two thousand nine is the tenth year of the cycle that started in 2000.

Wishing you a very happy Holi...

Best wishes on the occasion of the Festival of Colours. Have a great day!

Tibet's silent spring

Losar, the ongoing Tibetan New Year, is likely to herald a silent spring. There will be none of the festivities that greet the arrival of spring that marks the most important holiday in the Tibetan calendar.

This year has seen Tibetans depart from tradition and mark the day by mourning those dead in the protests last March. By observing Black Losar, they will also be mourning Tibet's rapidly degrading environment which has brought increased socio-economic vulnerability in its wake.

There is growing social angst that, if left unchecked, there could soon be no spring left to celebrate.

For their part, many in Beijing may well wonder what the fuss is all about. After all, Tibet has been very much the poster child of China's Western Development Strategy. The policy was unveiled in the mid-'90s to make amends for regional disparities seen as "an eagle spreading only one wing for flight".

The strategy has been a fairly uncomplicated mix-and-stir model of development with an enormous infusion of funds to fast-track the region's growth. Huge subsidies and investments have poured in, transforming Tibet's skyline with gleaming engineering marvels. The Tibetan economy has posted double-digit growth rates for several years in a row. In short, an in-your-face prosperity that Beijing thought was guaranteed to end all debate.

Ironically, it has only started a raging debate on prosperity and its discontents.

Its all-consuming obsession with growth has meant that China's contributions to global warming are today as massive as those to the global economy. Chinese scientists have long warned that Tibet is warming up faster than any other part of the world. Rising temperatures on the plateau will melt glaciers, dry up rivers and set off droughts, floods and desertification. Tibet has also seen a relentless surge in footfall with four million tourists in 2007, outnumbering the local population of 2.8 million and overwhelming its fragile environment.

These ecological footprints are fast enveloping areas of North China; those have borne the brunt of powerful sandstorms, with one such storm depositing Beijing with 330,000 tonnes of sand in 2006. The same year also saw one of the worst droughts in over 50 years, leaving 10 million people without access to drinking water.

It remains to be seen if policy can be sensitised to securing the acceptance of local communities for resource development activities. This will essentially mean acknowledging that conservation and sustainable livelihoods of local people are inseparable.

Some of these questions will also bring with them an eerie sense of deja vu, particularly given that India's Northeast is also negotiating many of these challenges. Many large projects are being planned in areas that are traditionally revered as sacred landscapes and groves.

These concerns were brought out starkly, for instance, when China built a 108 km-long highway to the Mt Everest base camp last year to cut an easy trail for tourists and mountaineers. For the Tibetans, such acts defile the sanctity of sacred landscapes that need to be always preserved since "man should not walk in the house of a god".

Thus development projects that are seen as coming at the cost of traditions have little cultural resonance with communities.

If handled well, these debates can help define sustainable resource use patterns and the limits of acceptable use. It is true that, while there is deep resistance to accepting any curbs on growth, there is an emerging consensus on the severe extent of environmental degradation. China has set itself a number of ambitious environmental targets for the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010). President Hu Jintao also called for a policy reprioritisation when he recently noted, "Development and conservation are equally important - and conservation should be put first." Environmental NGOs such as Friends of Nature and Green Watershed are expanding a small but growing organisational space to engage the state on the issue of environmental protection.

No less significant was the recent decision taken to scale down proposed dams on the Nu River from 13 to 4 in the face of a highly organised campaign led by local farmers and environmental campaigners. New literature coming out of China, such as Cao Jinqing's China along the Yellow River and The Blue Book brought out by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, also makes compelling reading, especially for the increasingly frank treatment of complex social pressures.

Losar and its larger subtext of environmental degradation hold the mirror up to China's future. If China is prepared to look in that mirror, Losar could be a metaphor for beginning a bold new conversation on change and sustainability while there is still time. If not, Rachel Carson's chilling warning of "a spring without voices" will be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The Tibetan New Year may indeed be less a time to celebrate than a time to reflect and unlearn.

1 in 5 Brit kids have imaginary friends

One in five young British children have imaginary friends, says a new study.

What's more, nearly half of the kids take part in make-believe games every day, the BBC study, together with parenting skills expert Dr Pat Spungin, found.

To reach the conclusion, the research team examined the lives of children in 1,446 UK homes and looked at how often they engaged in imaginative activity.

One in five children have an imaginary friend with 62 per cent being girls aged between three and five, reports The Telegraph.

When parents were quizzed about the "kind" of imaginary pal their child had, most pointed to them as other little boys or girls, some parents thought their child had fantasy pets or characters from fiction and many attributed their child's alter-ego to an entirely made up creature.

A total of 43 per cent of children play at make-believe every day according to the report and girls were found to be "more imaginative" on a daily basis than boys.

Experience-based activities such as school, house and shop are top of the list of favourite make-believe games with imaginary fictional characters like princesses and superheroes a close second.

Dr Spungin said: "There are lots of psychological reasons why children play make believe. In games like 'house' and 'shop' children are practicing the adult roles they will eventually play and parents are often shocked to hear how closely their children imitate them.

"Wanting to playact princesses and superheroes is more aspirational; it's about having a bit of the power and glamour of the adult world."

The research was commissioned for the DVD launch of BBC children's series Charlie and Lola.

A R Rahman Wins Two Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire

Music director A R Rahman created history after he became first Indian to win two Oscars for the film Slumdog Millionaire at the 81st Academy Awards ceremony held in Los Angeles last night.

Rahman made the country proud by winning in the categories for best original score and best original song Jai Ho.

Earlier, he became the first Indian to win the British Academy (Bafta) Awards in the music category.

Rahman also won the Golden Globe Award for Slumdog Millionaire.

The film Slumdog Millionaire directed by Danny Boyle had a sweeping victory at the awards ceremony after it won eight Oscars out of 10 nominations.

The categories in which Slumdog Millionaire won the coveted award include best picture, best direction, best original score, best original song, best sound mixing, best film editing, best adapted screenplay and best cinematography.

It was an historic moment for another Indian Resul Pookutty as he won an Oscar for best sound mixing. He shared the trophy with Ian Tapp and Richard Pryke.

Slumdog Millionaire is a story of Mumbai-based boy's journey from rags to riches by winning a game show.

Earlier, the film won prestigious Golden Globe Awards, seven British Academy (Bafta) Awards and Critic's Choice Award in California.

Three India themed films in race for the Oscars...

Courtesy...


'Slumdog Millionaire', 'The Final Inch', 'Smile Pinki'... in a first, three India themed films up for the Oscars, and all three dealing with poverty and disease!

India's poverty is under the global spotlight as never before with the blockbuster 'Slumdog Millionaire', tracing the rags to riches story of a slum boy, and the two documentaries, 'The Final Inch' focusing on the country's battle with polio and 'Smile Pinki' about a young child who can't get a cleft lip surgery because she is too poor.


The Oscars will be announced Sunday night (Monday morning in India).


According to a government survey, about 65 million Indians live in slums and out of them about 42 million live in city slums.


British filmmaker Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire' highlights the pain and misery of this section. He set his story in Mumbai's teeming slums in Nehru Nagar and nearby Dharavi, which is home to more than a million people and is the largest slum in Asia.


Based on Indian diplomat Vikas swarup's novel 'Q & A', 'Slumdog Millionaire' is about an impoverished teaboy who wins a multimillion rupee quiz show. The director has, however, woven hope and romance in his otherwise grim narrative.


The film was lauded in the West and grossed more than $100 million. It bagged seven British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards and four Golden Globes.


But Boyle's film has been criticised by some in India for showing only the ugly side of the country and concentrating on its grinding poverty.


Another film with an Indian theme in the Oscar nomination list is American filmmaker Megan Mylan's short documentary 'Smile Pinki'.


The documentary is the heartwarming tale of a poor village girl called Pinki whose cleft lip made her a social outcast, till her life changed after a meeting with a social worker.


Unlike 'Slumdog Millionaire', Mylan's work didn't bag headlines but there is a similarity between the two films - they are both about hope and end on a happy note.


Mylan says the happy ending inspired her to show Pinki's story.


'As a filmmaker who focuses on social issue documentaries, it is rare that I get into a film knowing we're likely to have a happy ending. So, I was excited to tell the story of this beautiful hospital and a team of doctors and social workers treating their patients with such compassion and quality care and making a positive impact,' says Mylan.


This is the fourth documentary Mylan has produced - her first with an Indian theme, and her maiden Academy Award nomination has followed.


Another Oscar nominee, 'The Final Inch' by American documentary makers Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant, is based in India too. It is about health workers travelling throughout Uttar Pradesh, urging parents to vaccinate their children against polio.


'The documentary revolves around the fact that in spite of a good polio campaign, which has really worked, we still haven't been able to eradicate polio. The areas targeted in the film are Meerut and the whole of Uttar Pradesh,' said Mohammad Gulzar Saifihe, a polio-affected man who features in the documentary.


This is not the first time that India's impoverished section is being highlighted at the Oscars.


Veteran Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray, who was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Academy Award, was criticised by Nargis for 'selling Indian poverty abroad to win awards'.


Ray's masterpieces include the 'Apu' trilogy, 'Ashani Sanket', 'Jana Aranya', 'Mahanagar' and 'Pratidwandi'.

Dogs hit the catwalk in New York show

Hundreds of carefully coiffed beauties hit the catwalk on February 9 before an adoring crowd in New York — and did their very best not to urinate or growl.

The Westminster Kennel Club show, the Olympics of dog beauty contests, got underway in Madison Square Garden with Bull Terriers, French Bulldogs and enormous Irish Wolf Hounds strutting their stuff.

About 2,500 dogs from some 170 breeds were competing in the two-day event culminating with the Best in Show competition late February 10.

In addition to the sell-out crowd of 20,000 at the Garden, millions are expected to watch on television and the Internet, with portions of the show broadcast live on US television.

Although the dog show has a carefully maintained veneer of old-world civility, the competition is fierce and both owners and dogs showed signs of nervousness.

Spencer, a two-year-old Bedlington Terrier about to go before the judges, quivered as his backstage handler applied last minute touches to his fleecy white coat.

"He's kind of nervous. He's quite a house pet so this is a culture shock," Megan Hof, 24, said.

Hof said the pooch, with his perfectly trimmed hair, shaven ears, and long legs, was a serious contender. "He's very white. He has to look like a lamb, which he does."

Out in the arena area of the Garden — one of the world's top venues for boxing, ice hockey and other less genteel events — judges maintained iron discipline.

"Males to the front, bitches to the back," one judge instructed as a new batch of contestants entered the pen.

The dogs were on their best behaviour, with virtually no barking, let alone any rogue cocking of hind legs.

The human element is trickier, some owners say.

"This can be a bit political to be honest," a disappointed Bill Peacy, 69, said after his friend's Irish Wolfhound Quest was beaten to the breed title.

"Just you watch the rear end on the one who did win. Just watch," Quest's owner Alic Kneavel, 61, said with a knowing wink.

Quest, who won the consolation Award of Merit, seemed oblivious to the machinations of the Irish Wolfhound world.

He folded his giant limbs, lay down, and licked thoughtfully at his paws. Maybe he was thinking of his lunch.

"He eats four to five cups of dog food, a whole can, and I give him little treats," Kneavel said. "If there's a turkey on the table, he doesn't walk away."

The Westminster dog show first took place in 1877 and attracts worldwide interest.

Judges are searching for a successor to last year's popular Best in Show winner Uno, a Beagle who became something of a celebrity with a visit to the White House, talk show appearances, and his own Facebook page.

Uno, making a star guest appearance at the New York show, is on the cusp of a potentially lucrative career.

"He's going to be put out to stud. But first he needs to settle down because when they're on the road the dogs get so stressed," said Dan Huebner, who owns the Texas ranch where Uno now lives.

Companies look at CSR initiatives for branding in slump

New Delhi: Hurt by the global economic downturn in their operations, companies are increasingly seeking brand-building and other strategic benefits from their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, rather than straight philanthropy and charity work.

Philanthropy activities across the world are said to have taken a big hit and India is no exception, but CSR initiatives are expected to continue with some modifications here and there, experts believe.

“We feel they (CSR initiatives) would not be delayed, rather they will be modified and made more strategic as per the company core values,” global consultancy KPMG India Associate Director - Aid and Development Services - Parul Soni said.

However, philanthropy and charity-based CSR activities are likely to take a hit whereas sustainability-driven CSR initiatives would make more headway and emerge. Companies might try to use least resources for maximum branding and competitive advantage, Soni added.

Non-profit organisation SOS Children’s Villages of India, which gets contributions from corporate houses for well-being of children, also said there has been no impact of slowdown on the companies’ social benefit initiatives.

“Surprisingly, we have seen no decline in the interest of companies for CSR activities... What has been affected is the due diligence process in NGO selection,“ SOS Children’s Villages of India Dy National Director (PFR) Joygopal Podder said.

Corporates are now more cautious and selective and shortlist only NGOs with high credibility, transparency in accounting procedures and a long track record of high quality social work, Podder said.

From the corporate perspective, companies maintain that their socially-inclined activities has not be impacted by the credit crunch and they are continuing as before.

Global science products and services firm Dupont, which is a strong supporter of socially beneficial initiatives, has funded various programmes in India, which focus on improving village infrastructure, improving school and education standards for the under-privileged children.

Asked whether Dupont India would be initiating some new CSR activities this year in the midst of a global slowdown, a company spokesperson said, “our community projects are ongoing. We cannot comment on any new initiatives at this point of time.”

“I think the CSR initiatives by companies will remain constant and may be more strategically planned following the downturn in the global economy,“ Tata Capital managing director and CEO Praveen P Kadle said.

Moreover, Podder said that CSR budgets do not seem to have been hit by the current economic slowdown with trusts and foundations of MNC’s operating out of India, which are headquartered abroad, continuing to send contributions to SOS-India once they are convinced of the viability and quality impact of the project proposal that has been sent to them.

In a sharp contrast, a global survey of senior executives by advisory firm Booz & Co revealed that 40% of respondents expect ‘green´ and other corporate social responsibility initiatives to significantly slow due to the downturn.

“The pullback would be especially pronounced in transportation and energy industries, with, respectively, 51% and 47% of respondents in those industries saying CSR agendas will be delayed,” the survey pointed out.

Why some people become fat and others don't

Researchers at Imperial College London, the French National Research Institute CNRS and other international institutions have discovered three new genetic variations that increase the risk of obesity, giving new insight into the reasons why some people become fat and others don't.

They suggest that if each acted independently, these variants could be responsible for up to 50 percent of cases of severe obesity.

According to researchers, the new findings should ultimately provide the tools to predict which young children are at risk of becoming obese.

For the study, the researchers looked at the genetic makeup of obese children under six and morbidly obese adults, most of whom had been obese since childhood or adolescence, and compared this with age matched people of normal weight.

The researchers discovered three previously unidentified genetic variations that increase the risk of severe obesity significantly.

The gene variant most strongly linked to childhood obesity and adult morbid obesity in the study is located near the PTER gene, the function of which is not known.

This variant is estimated to account for up to a third of all childhood obesity, and a fifth of all cases of adult obesity.

The second variant linked to child and adult obesity is found in the NPC1 gene.

Previous studies in mice have suggested that this gene has a role in controlling appetite, as mice with a non-functioning NPC1 gene suffer late-onset weight loss and have poor food intake.

This gene variant accounts for around 10 per cent of all childhood obesity and about 14 per cent of adult morbid obesity cases.

The final variant is found near the MAF gene, which controls the production of the hormones insulin and glucagon, as well as chains of amino acids called glucagon-like peptides.

These hormones and peptides are known to play key roles in people's metabolisms by metabolising glucose and carbohydrates in the body. Also, glucagon and glucagon-like peptides appear to have a strong effect on people's ability to feel 'full' or satiated after eating.

This variant accounts for about 6 per cent of early-onset obesity in children, and 16 per cent of adult morbid obesity.

The researchers reached their conclusions by conducting a genome-wide association study of 1,380 Europeans with early-onset childhood obesity and adult morbid obesity, and 1,416 age-matched normal weight controls.

The study revealed 38 genetic markers with a strong association to a higher than normal body mass index, which the researchers evaluated in 14,186 Europeans, identifying three mutations that are significantly linked to obesity.

The study is published in the journal Nature Genetics.