In a serious accident, former talk show host and comedian Jay Leno suffered burns to his face after his car reportedly caught fire. Watch this report.

Jay Leno & his love for cars: Comedian injured in a gasoline fire

Love, an emotion that often leaves people overwhelmed, and if it's a reunion, it has to be emotional. These moments are very special to one's heart, and these meetings, when recorded and shared online, leave people teary-eyed with joy.&nbsp;

Similar to the instance above, a heart-touching video went viral where a man travelled all the way to Bolivia to meet his childhood nanny after 45 years. Juanito Jonsson travelled from Spain to meet his nanny and shared his precious memory on Instagram a few months back. The video went viral later after being reposted by the Twitter account GoodNewsCorres1 on September 28.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-netizens-are-in-awe-of-this-200-year-old-jackfruit-tree-in-tamil-nadu-520122">Also read |&nbsp;Watch: Netizens are in awe of this 200-year-old jackfruit tree in Tamil Nadu</a>

The video on Twitter has over 167K views, and the numbers keep rising. Additionally, the video has over 7,000 likes and 881 retweets. However, on Instagram, the video has over 3,000 likes.&nbsp;

The video caption read, "After more than 45 years apart, this man finds his former nanny named Ana. An incredible woman who took care of him as a child as if he were her own son. "

Netizens have been showering the video with love, hugs, and messages of celebration. And some even shared their similar experiences. Take a look!

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My sisters and I did the same a couple of years ago – got back in touch with our nanny Lynda (from Trinidad, now living in the US) after 40+ years. We reunited here in Italy and it was simply magic 💖
— Giancarlo Avellino (@GianxlAvellino) <a href="https://twitter.com/GianxlAvellino/status/1575136943683280898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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One user said, "Her face when she realised it was him." Another user remarked that some tears of joy were needed to start one's day. "

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<a href="https://t.co/geHmbLJsK8">pic.twitter.com/geHmbLJsK8</a>
— Kenny Omega (@KennieOmega) <a href="https://twitter.com/KennieOmega/status/1575181936372244482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Similarly, a tweet read, "Nannies deserve medals of honor as parents keep lowering their responsibilities as they dive into the world's technology advancements."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-turkish-singer-melek-mosso-cuts-her-hair-on-stage-in-show-of-support-for-iran-protests-520429">Also read |&nbsp;Watch: Turkish singer Melek Mosso cuts her hair on stage in show of support for Iran protests</a>

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There is nothing like a hug from an elder, the love they give. The best.❤️❤️
— observantguy (@observantguy1) <a href="https://twitter.com/observantguy1/status/1575383232820150272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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My adult children and I are still in touch with their Nanny.
— Suzanne McCain (@McCainSuzanne) <a href="https://twitter.com/McCainSuzanne/status/1575159051469541380?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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A user tweeted, "Respect for the "human condition" restored.!!"

A user made a remark about treating people right. The tweet read, "People don't remember what you say, they remember how you made them feel."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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Love, an emotion that often leaves people overwhelmed, and if it's a reunion, it has to be emotional. These moments are very special to one's heart, and these meetings, when recorded and shared online, leave people teary-eyed with joy.

Love, an emotion that often leaves people overwhelmed, and if it's a reunion, it has to be emotional. These moments are very special to one's heart, and these meetings, when recorded and shared online, leave people teary-eyed with joy. Similar to the instance above, a heart-touching video went viral where a man travelled all the way to Bolivia to meet his childhood nanny after 45 years. Juanito Jonsson travelled from Spain to meet his nanny and shared his precious memory on Instagram a few months back. The video went viral later after being reposted by the Twitter account GoodNewsCorres1 on September 28. Also read | Watch: Netizens are in awe of this 200-year-old jackfruit tree in Tamil Nadu The video on Twitter has over 167K views, and the numbers keep rising. Additionally, the video has over 7,000 likes and 881 retweets. However, on Instagram, the video has over 3,000 likes. The video caption read, "After more than 45 years apart, this man finds his former nanny named Ana. An incredible woman who took care of him as a child as if he were her own son. " Netizens have been showering the video with love, hugs, and messages of celebration. And some even shared their similar experiences. Take a look! My sisters and I did the same a couple of years ago – got back in touch with our nanny Lynda (from Trinidad, now living in the US) after 40+ years. We reunited here in Italy and it was simply magic 💖 — Giancarlo Avellino (@GianxlAvellino) September 28, 2022 × One user said, "Her face when she realised it was him." Another user remarked that some tears of joy were needed to start one's day. " pic.twitter.com/geHmbLJsK8 — Kenny Omega (@KennieOmega) September 28, 2022 × Similarly, a tweet read, "Nannies deserve medals of honor as parents keep lowering their responsibilities as they dive into the world's technology advancements." Also read | Watch: Turkish singer Melek Mosso cuts her hair on stage in show of support for Iran protests There is nothing like a hug from an elder, the love they give. The best.❤️❤️ — observantguy (@observantguy1) September 29, 2022 × My adult children and I are still in touch with their Nanny. — Suzanne McCain (@McCainSuzanne) September 28, 2022 × A user tweeted, "Respect for the "human condition" restored.!!" A user made a remark about treating people right. The tweet read, "People don't remember what you say, they remember how you made them feel." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Watch | Spanish man travels to Bolivia to meet his nanny after 45 years, leaves netizens in tears

Israel has come out with a new rule that asks foreigners to inform the Israeli defence ministry if they fall in love with a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank.

The new rules, which are due to come in to force from&nbsp;Monday, say that once they marry, they will have to leave the region after 27 months for a cooling-off period of one-and-a-half years, BBC reported.

It also asks foreigners to inform the Israeli authorities within 30 days of starting a relationship with a Palestinian ID holder.

The regulations, which are being seen as an attempt to tighten rules on foreigners living in or looking to visit the West Bank, have been slammed by Palestinians and Israeli NGOs, who have accused the Israeli government of "taking restrictions to a new level".

Apart from that, new restrictions have been imposed on Palestinian universities, limiting a quota for 150 student visas and 100 foreign lecturers, while there are no such limits in the Israeli ones.

"This is about demographic engineering of Palestinian society and isolating Palestinian society from the outside world," Jessica Montell, executive director of the Israeli non-governmental organisation HaMoked, which has petitioned the Israeli High Court against the regulations, told BBC.

"They make it much more difficult for people to come and work in Palestinian institutions, volunteer, invest, teach and study," she added.

These new rules are part of the 97-page order brought by the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (Cogat), which is part of the Israel defence ministry.

Cogat is responsible for the administration of the Palestinian territory.

The order is titled ‘Procedure for entry and residence of foreigners in the Judea and Samaria area’— the biblical name Israel uses for the West Bank.

The order was first published in February, but its introduction has been delayed.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

Israel has come out with a new rule that asks foreigners to inform the Israeli defence ministry if they fall in love with a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank.

Israel has come out with a new rule that asks foreigners to inform the Israeli defence ministry if they fall in love with a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank. The new rules, which are due to come in to force from Monday, say that once they marry, they will have to leave the region after 27 months for a cooling-off period of one-and-a-half years, BBC reported. It also asks foreigners to inform the Israeli authorities within 30 days of starting a relationship with a Palestinian ID holder. The regulations, which are being seen as an attempt to tighten rules on foreigners living in or looking to visit the West Bank, have been slammed by Palestinians and Israeli NGOs, who have accused the Israeli government of "taking restrictions to a new level". Apart from that, new restrictions have been imposed on Palestinian universities, limiting a quota for 150 student visas and 100 foreign lecturers, while there are no such limits in the Israeli ones. "This is about demographic engineering of Palestinian society and isolating Palestinian society from the outside world," Jessica Montell, executive director of the Israeli non-governmental organisation HaMoked, which has petitioned the Israeli High Court against the regulations, told BBC. "They make it much more difficult for people to come and work in Palestinian institutions, volunteer, invest, teach and study," she added. These new rules are part of the 97-page order brought by the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (Cogat), which is part of the Israel defence ministry. Cogat is responsible for the administration of the Palestinian territory. The order is titled ‘Procedure for entry and residence of foreigners in the Judea and Samaria area’— the biblical name Israel uses for the West Bank. The order was first published in February, but its introduction has been delayed. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Israel’s controversial new rule asks West Bank visitors to declare love interest

Hollywood actor Michael Cimino is all geared up to star in two back-to-back shows, one being Netflix's teen comedy-drama 'Never Have I Ever' and the other being HBO Max's supernatural romance 'B-Loved'. Cimino, known for his movie 'Love, Victor' is the new addition to the fourth and final season of 'Never Have I Ever', reported E! News. Cimino would be playing the character of Ethan, who, according to Netflix, is "a skater and new heartthrob at Sherman Oaks High." However, since the third instalment of the series is yet to be released, Caminio's appearance on the show would require a little more patience. Season 3 would start streaming on Netflix on August 12, this year. The release date for Season 4 is yet-to-be-announced.

'Never Have I Ever'&nbsp;starred Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in the lead role, along with Darren Barnet, Jaren Lewison, Richa Moorjani, and Poorna Jagannathan, to name a few. On being asked why the famous teenage drama was coming to a conclusion after four seasons, the creator of the show, Mindy Kaling, revealed that it would not make any "sense" if the characters in the series never graduated from "high school". "Four seasons for a high school show felt like it made sense. They can't be in high school forever," shared Kaling.

Apart from 'Never Have I Ever', Cimino will also feature in another supernatural teen romance, titled 'B-Loved', reported E! News. The two-episode special series will premiere on HBO Max in 2023, around Valentine's Day. 'The Thinning' actor, Peyton List, is also a part of 'B-Loved'. According to HBO Max, the story of the supernatural teen drama revolves around a "teenage ghost," played by List, who bonds with a "new boy in town", Cole, aka Cimion.

"The special revolves around Bea, a free-spirited teenage ghost who forms a special friendship with the new boy in town, Cole, whose house she has been inhabiting for more than 100 years. With the help of a magical ring that allows Cole to see Bea, they'll rediscover the meaning of being alive, but also the importance of letting go," said the streamer platform, as reported by E! News.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/summer-scars-wins-top-prize-at-record-setting-neuchatel-festival-495995">'Summer Scars' wins top prize at record-setting Neuchatel Festival</a>

Meanwhile, talking about Cimino's 'Love, Victor', the comedy-drama series dropped its third and final season on June 15 this year. Later, Cimino said that he felt great to hear that the show, "changed the life" of some of his fans and impacted them to "come out".

"The ones that mean the most to me are the ones that say, 'This show has changed my life because it inspired me to come out. Or 'I watched the show with my family and it changed my mom's perspective about things. That's my whole goal," said Cimino, as reported by E! News.&nbsp;

Hollywood actor Michael Cimino is all geared up to star in two back-to-back shows, one being Netflix's teen comedy-drama 'Never Have I Ever' and the other being HBO Max's supernatural romance 'B-Loved'.

Hollywood actor Michael Cimino is all geared up to star in two back-to-back shows, one being Netflix's teen comedy-drama 'Never Have I Ever' and the other being HBO Max's supernatural romance 'B-Loved'. Cimino, known for his movie 'Love, Victor' is the new addition to the fourth and final season of 'Never Have I Ever', reported E! News. Cimino would be playing the character of Ethan, who, according to Netflix, is "a skater and new heartthrob at Sherman Oaks High." However, since the third instalment of the series is yet to be released, Caminio's appearance on the show would require a little more patience. Season 3 would start streaming on Netflix on August 12, this year. The release date for Season 4 is yet-to-be-announced. 'Never Have I Ever' starred Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in the lead role, along with Darren Barnet, Jaren Lewison, Richa Moorjani, and Poorna Jagannathan, to name a few. On being asked why the famous teenage drama was coming to a conclusion after four seasons, the creator of the show, Mindy Kaling, revealed that it would not make any "sense" if the characters in the series never graduated from "high school". "Four seasons for a high school show felt like it made sense. They can't be in high school forever," shared Kaling. Apart from 'Never Have I Ever', Cimino will also feature in another supernatural teen romance, titled 'B-Loved', reported E! News. The two-episode special series will premiere on HBO Max in 2023, around Valentine's Day. 'The Thinning' actor, Peyton List, is also a part of 'B-Loved'. According to HBO Max, the story of the supernatural teen drama revolves around a "teenage ghost," played by List, who bonds with a "new boy in town", Cole, aka Cimion. "The special revolves around Bea, a free-spirited teenage ghost who forms a special friendship with the new boy in town, Cole, whose house she has been inhabiting for more than 100 years. With the help of a magical ring that allows Cole to see Bea, they'll rediscover the meaning of being alive, but also the importance of letting go," said the streamer platform, as reported by E! News. Also Read: 'Summer Scars' wins top prize at record-setting Neuchatel Festival Meanwhile, talking about Cimino's 'Love, Victor', the comedy-drama series dropped its third and final season on June 15 this year. Later, Cimino said that he felt great to hear that the show, "changed the life" of some of his fans and impacted them to "come out". "The ones that mean the most to me are the ones that say, 'This show has changed my life because it inspired me to come out. Or 'I watched the show with my family and it changed my mom's perspective about things. That's my whole goal," said Cimino, as reported by E! News.

'Love, Victor' star Michael Cimino to star in both Netflix comedy, HBO Max special

A Korean war veteran has finally reunited with his first love. It was his 70-year journey to find his lost love. Watch this report.

A 70-year journey to find lost love: Korean war veteran reunites with first love

In pics: Bangkok celebrates its first pride parade in nearly 16 years

A farmer in Gaza Strip has found a Bronze Age stone statue dating back 4,500 years, depicting the face of an ancient goddess of beauty, love and war, local media reports.

The statue, carved out of limestone and 22 centimetres (8.6 inches) long, was discovered by a farmer working on his land in Khan Younis.

“The statue represents the Canaanite goddess Anat,” Jamal Abu Reda, chief of the Hamas-run ministry of tourism and antiquities department, said in a statement, according to the Times of Israel newspaper.

According to local folklore, Anat was one of the best-known Canaanite deities, symbolised as the goddess of love and war.

It was unearthed on what was an important “overland trade route for several civilizations” that lived in what is now the Gaza Strip, Reda said.

“We found it by chance. It was muddy and we washed it with water," farmer Nidal Abu Eid, who came across the head while cultivating his field, told the BBC.

"We realised that it was a precious thing, but we didn't know it was of such great archaeological value," he said.

"We thank God, and we are proud that it stayed in our land, in Palestine, since the Canaanite times," he added.

The statue of Anat was put on display on Tuesday in Qasr al-Basha, a historic building that serves as one of Gaza's few museums, the British media outlet reported.

Unveiling the artefact at a press conference, Reda said the statue was "resistant against time" and had been carefully examined by experts.

"Such discoveries prove that Palestine has civilisation and history, and no-one can deny or falsify this history," he said.

"This is the Palestinian people and their ancient Canaanite civilisation," BBC quoted Reda as saying.

(With inputs from agencies)

A farmer in Gaza Strip has found a Bronze Age stone statue dating back 4,500 years, depicting the face of an ancient goddess of beauty, love and war, local media reports.

A farmer in Gaza Strip has found a Bronze Age stone statue dating back 4,500 years, depicting the face of an ancient goddess of beauty, love and war, local media reports. The statue, carved out of limestone and 22 centimetres (8.6 inches) long, was discovered by a farmer working on his land in Khan Younis. “The statue represents the Canaanite goddess Anat,” Jamal Abu Reda, chief of the Hamas-run ministry of tourism and antiquities department, said in a statement, according to the Times of Israel newspaper. According to local folklore, Anat was one of the best-known Canaanite deities, symbolised as the goddess of love and war. It was unearthed on what was an important “overland trade route for several civilizations” that lived in what is now the Gaza Strip, Reda said. “We found it by chance. It was muddy and we washed it with water," farmer Nidal Abu Eid, who came across the head while cultivating his field, told the BBC. "We realised that it was a precious thing, but we didn't know it was of such great archaeological value," he said. "We thank God, and we are proud that it stayed in our land, in Palestine, since the Canaanite times," he added. The statue of Anat was put on display on Tuesday in Qasr al-Basha, a historic building that serves as one of Gaza's few museums, the British media outlet reported. Unveiling the artefact at a press conference, Reda said the statue was "resistant against time" and had been carefully examined by experts. "Such discoveries prove that Palestine has civilisation and history, and no-one can deny or falsify this history," he said. "This is the Palestinian people and their ancient Canaanite civilisation," BBC quoted Reda as saying. (With inputs from agencies)

Gaza farmer stumbles upon rare Bronze Age statue of goddess of love and war

In May 2020, Omar Ruiz found himself with a broken heart. “My wife told me she was no longer in love with me,” and shortly thereafter, the couple, who had been married 11 years, separated.

Not only was he crushed, he said, but as a marriage and family therapist, “this entire process challenged my professional identity,” said Ruiz, who is 36 and lives in Boston. “How could I help couples when my own marriage is falling apart?”

And so he determined that he needed to fall out of love.

“People say heartbreak is normal, so we shouldn’t try to fix it,” said Sandra Langeslag, an associate professor of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri-St. Louis who has studied the effects of breakups on the brain. But she points out that there are plenty of common, and even serious, diseases that we try to cure, so “why shouldn’t we try to help people with heartbreak and try to move on?”

Heartbreak has inspired music, poetry, visual art, ice-cream-filled listening sessions with friends and even a new hotel. And regardless of the reason — whether death, cognitive impairment, divorce or otherwise — most who experience it hope to recover and maybe even fall in love again with someone new.

But what if we actually had some control over the process? Can one deliberately fall out of love? Some of the science says yes.

“You can work on it,” said Helen E. Fisher, a biological anthropologist and senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute in New York. She studies the anatomy of love, and in 2005 studied the brain imaging of 100 people using MRIs to pinpoint the circuitry of romantic love.

Fisher said she discovered that the same area of the brain associated with hunger and thirst — what is known as the ventral tegmental area, or VTA — becomes activated when you’re in love, making it “a drive, not an emotion.” This biological function makes falling out of love about as hard as trying not to feel thirsty. In other words, it’s not easy.

Kisha Mays, 40, who runs a business consultancy in Houston, continued to love her former boyfriend even while he was in prison. They were on and off for years, she said, and got back together for two years before he was released in October 2021. Then two months later, she said, he broke up with her.

“Now it is just healing, rebuilding and learning to trust again,” Mays said, noting that reiki and spiritual healing — along with throwing out all of his belongings — have helped.

Fisher would agree with Mays’ technique: She suggests treating the recovery process as you would an addiction, and throw out the cards, letters and keepsakes that remind you of the person. Don’t maintain contact or ask mutual friends how that person is doing. “You’re just raising the ghost,” she said.

Fisher, who put 17 people who had just been dumped through brain scanners, found activity in the VTA and in brain functions linked to attachment and physical pain. “Not the anxiety linked to physical pain, but physical pain,” she said.

Langeslag also said there is hope for the heartbroken. She ran two studies to see if people could try to make themselves feel less in love. The strategies that worked? First, it helps to think negative thoughts about the person you are trying to fall out of love with. The downside? “Thinking negatively makes you feel less in love but doesn’t make you feel any better,” Langeslag said. “Worse, actually.”

What then? Distraction. Think of things that make you happy other than the person you are trying to fall out of love with. This made people happier but no less in love.

The solution? The “one-two punch,” as Langeslag described it, or: negative thoughts about the person followed by a dose of distraction.

Her research found that people were able to deliberately decrease their love, but not completely banish it. The average amount of time for healed hurt feelings, according to survey data collected from her subjects, who self-reported, was six months, although the healing time depended on several factors, including how long the relationship lasted.

Rachelle Ramirez, a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon, can still recall a time when negative associations did the trick for her. When she was 15, she had what felt like an incurable crush on a classmate who was far less interested in her.

“When I say his disinterest was excruciating, it’s often seen as teen melodrama,” said Ramirez, who is now 47. “This assumption doesn’t come close to capturing the pain” she felt when thinking of him.

So how did Ramirez quash it? “I imagined him covered in vomit and holding dead kittens,” she said. “I know it was extreme, and I wouldn’t suggest everyone try this, but it worked for me.”

Some don’t buy into the notion, whether backed by science or not, that willing oneself to fall out of love is possible.

Bethany Cook, a clinical psychologist in Chicago who specializes in neuropsychological assessment, is wary about the notion of being able to control falling out of love.

“Love and affection are basic human needs. We can’t deliberately deny ourselves of it. That would be like saying we could consciously choose to stop breathing,” Cook said. “We don’t have that power, and to pretend we do is a way for the psyche to trick itself into thinking it has control, and is an unhealthy coping mechanism.

“Humans can fall out of love with someone, just not deliberately,” she added. “To suggest that humans deliberately act in a way that depletes a basic need runs contrary to the basic nature of what makes us human and what science tells us about our species.”

It took Ruiz, the marriage therapist, more than a year to successfully fall out of love. He said it took a divorce mediator to help detach from his wife more wholly, as well as immersing himself in activities with friends and family. And the help of a therapist.

“I thank my individual counselor for reminding me that the breakup of a marriage is a two-way street,” he said. “Both my ex-wife and I are held responsible for what happened.”

His therapist “also reminded me that I am human and am as vulnerable to relationship issues as any other person,” he added.

It helps to reframe the notion of falling in or out of love, said Damon L. Jacobs, a marriage and family therapist in New York. “Relationships are conduits for greater energy, joy and fulfillment but are not the lone source,” Jacobs said. Having this mindset, he said, may help you to embrace the pain with more grace and perspective.

“When things don’t work out,” he said, “we know we are still amazing, powerful, fierce, loving people who will continue to grow, love and thrive.”

In May 2020, Omar Ruiz found himself with a broken heart. “My wife told me she was no longer in love with me,” and shortly thereafter, the couple, who had been married 11 years, separated.

In May 2020, Omar Ruiz found himself with a broken heart. “My wife told me she was no longer in love with me,” and shortly thereafter, the couple, who had been married 11 years, separated. Not only was he crushed, he said, but as a marriage and family therapist, “this entire process challenged my professional identity,” said Ruiz, who is 36 and lives in Boston. “How could I help couples when my own marriage is falling apart?” And so he determined that he needed to fall out of love. “People say heartbreak is normal, so we shouldn’t try to fix it,” said Sandra Langeslag, an associate professor of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri-St. Louis who has studied the effects of breakups on the brain. But she points out that there are plenty of common, and even serious, diseases that we try to cure, so “why shouldn’t we try to help people with heartbreak and try to move on?” Heartbreak has inspired music, poetry, visual art, ice-cream-filled listening sessions with friends and even a new hotel. And regardless of the reason — whether death, cognitive impairment, divorce or otherwise — most who experience it hope to recover and maybe even fall in love again with someone new. But what if we actually had some control over the process? Can one deliberately fall out of love? Some of the science says yes. “You can work on it,” said Helen E. Fisher, a biological anthropologist and senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute in New York. She studies the anatomy of love, and in 2005 studied the brain imaging of 100 people using MRIs to pinpoint the circuitry of romantic love. Fisher said she discovered that the same area of the brain associated with hunger and thirst — what is known as the ventral tegmental area, or VTA — becomes activated when you’re in love, making it “a drive, not an emotion.” This biological function makes falling out of love about as hard as trying not to feel thirsty. In other words, it’s not easy. Kisha Mays, 40, who runs a business consultancy in Houston, continued to love her former boyfriend even while he was in prison. They were on and off for years, she said, and got back together for two years before he was released in October 2021. Then two months later, she said, he broke up with her. “Now it is just healing, rebuilding and learning to trust again,” Mays said, noting that reiki and spiritual healing — along with throwing out all of his belongings — have helped. Fisher would agree with Mays’ technique: She suggests treating the recovery process as you would an addiction, and throw out the cards, letters and keepsakes that remind you of the person. Don’t maintain contact or ask mutual friends how that person is doing. “You’re just raising the ghost,” she said. Fisher, who put 17 people who had just been dumped through brain scanners, found activity in the VTA and in brain functions linked to attachment and physical pain. “Not the anxiety linked to physical pain, but physical pain,” she said. Langeslag also said there is hope for the heartbroken. She ran two studies to see if people could try to make themselves feel less in love. The strategies that worked? First, it helps to think negative thoughts about the person you are trying to fall out of love with. The downside? “Thinking negatively makes you feel less in love but doesn’t make you feel any better,” Langeslag said. “Worse, actually.” What then? Distraction. Think of things that make you happy other than the person you are trying to fall out of love with. This made people happier but no less in love. The solution? The “one-two punch,” as Langeslag described it, or: negative thoughts about the person followed by a dose of distraction. Her research found that people were able to deliberately decrease their love, but not completely banish it. The average amount of time for healed hurt feelings, according to survey data collected from her subjects, who self-reported, was six months, although the healing time depended on several factors, including how long the relationship lasted. Rachelle Ramirez, a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon, can still recall a time when negative associations did the trick for her. When she was 15, she had what felt like an incurable crush on a classmate who was far less interested in her. “When I say his disinterest was excruciating, it’s often seen as teen melodrama,” said Ramirez, who is now 47. “This assumption doesn’t come close to capturing the pain” she felt when thinking of him. So how did Ramirez quash it? “I imagined him covered in vomit and holding dead kittens,” she said. “I know it was extreme, and I wouldn’t suggest everyone try this, but it worked for me.” Some don’t buy into the notion, whether backed by science or not, that willing oneself to fall out of love is possible. Bethany Cook, a clinical psychologist in Chicago who specializes in neuropsychological assessment, is wary about the notion of being able to control falling out of love. “Love and affection are basic human needs. We can’t deliberately deny ourselves of it. That would be like saying we could consciously choose to stop breathing,” Cook said. “We don’t have that power, and to pretend we do is a way for the psyche to trick itself into thinking it has control, and is an unhealthy coping mechanism. “Humans can fall out of love with someone, just not deliberately,” she added. “To suggest that humans deliberately act in a way that depletes a basic need runs contrary to the basic nature of what makes us human and what science tells us about our species.” It took Ruiz, the marriage therapist, more than a year to successfully fall out of love. He said it took a divorce mediator to help detach from his wife more wholly, as well as immersing himself in activities with friends and family. And the help of a therapist. “I thank my individual counselor for reminding me that the breakup of a marriage is a two-way street,” he said. “Both my ex-wife and I are held responsible for what happened.” His therapist “also reminded me that I am human and am as vulnerable to relationship issues as any other person,” he added. It helps to reframe the notion of falling in or out of love, said Damon L. Jacobs, a marriage and family therapist in New York. “Relationships are conduits for greater energy, joy and fulfillment but are not the lone source,” Jacobs said. Having this mindset, he said, may help you to embrace the pain with more grace and perspective. “When things don’t work out,” he said, “we know we are still amazing, powerful, fierce, loving people who will continue to grow, love and thrive.”

Can we fall out of love?

Love knows no bounds: Vietnamese man spends thousands converting van into wooden tank for son

World famous chocolate Baci Perugina is celebrating its centenary in 2022 and here's the story of this classic chocolate we leave you with this report.

Baci: Story of the best-known chocolate linked to love

Although Valentine’s Day is an occasion to celebrate love, it seems to have also turned into a way to get back at a pesky ex. &nbsp;

Wondering how? Well, you can go for the 'Name a Cockroach' programme. &nbsp;

The initiative has been initiated by a zoo in southeast England. It is giving scorned lovers a chance to name a cockroach after their troublesome former lover. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-woman-says-she-is-allergic-to-her-own-baby-but-why-452559" hreflang="en">UK woman says she is allergic to her own baby. But why</a>

Hemsley Conservation Centre in Fairseat is a home to a colony of around 12 adult Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, and some hundreds of their babies. &nbsp;&nbsp;

They can be "named" for a £1.50 donation (USD 2.00). This initiative will help fund conservation projects at the zoo.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/drought-in-spain-gives-birth-to-a-ghost-village-its-truly-real-452580" hreflang="en">Drought in Spain gives birth to a ghost village. It’s truly real!</a>

The donors will receive a certificate and can also have the option of adding a personalised message. The name chosen by them will appear on a 'Roach Board', which will be unveiled on Valentine's Day. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"If you've had a particularly nasty break up and you need a pick me up, it's a good way to have a little giggle to yourself or with your friends, but also if you wanted to name it after a politician maybe this year then you're more than welcome to, all names are welcome," Hemsley Conservation Centre Operations Manager, Henry Weedon, told Reuters on Thursday. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Although Valentine’s Day is an occasion to celebrate love, it seems to have also turned into a way to get back at a pesky ex. Wondering how? Well, you can go for the 'Name a Cockroach' programme.

Although Valentine’s Day is an occasion to celebrate love, it seems to have also turned into a way to get back at a pesky ex. Wondering how? Well, you can go for the 'Name a Cockroach' programme. The initiative has been initiated by a zoo in southeast England. It is giving scorned lovers a chance to name a cockroach after their troublesome former lover. Also Read: UK woman says she is allergic to her own baby. But why Hemsley Conservation Centre in Fairseat is a home to a colony of around 12 adult Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, and some hundreds of their babies. They can be "named" for a £1.50 donation (USD 2.00). This initiative will help fund conservation projects at the zoo. Also Read: Drought in Spain gives birth to a ghost village. It’s truly real! The donors will receive a certificate and can also have the option of adding a personalised message. The name chosen by them will appear on a 'Roach Board', which will be unveiled on Valentine's Day. "If you've had a particularly nasty break up and you need a pick me up, it's a good way to have a little giggle to yourself or with your friends, but also if you wanted to name it after a politician maybe this year then you're more than welcome to, all names are welcome," Hemsley Conservation Centre Operations Manager, Henry Weedon, told Reuters on Thursday. (With inputs from agencies)

Time for love or revenge? Take your pick on Valentine's Day with 'Name a Cockroach' programme

Smashing the patriarchy in the human world has been easier said than done. But last year, a 9-year-old female Japanese macaque in a reserve in southern Japan showed humans how it’s done by violently overthrowing the alpha male of her troop to become its first female leader in the reserve’s 70-year history.

The macaque, named Yakei, presides over a troop of 677 monkeys in Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden, which was established as a reserve for monkeys in 1952. There are two troops on the island reserve, and they spend most of their time roaming the forested mountain at its center. They also make daily visits to a park at the base of the mountain, where the staff provides food. Since the reserve opened, its staff has kept tabs on the romantic and political struggles of the simian residents.

Yakei’s ascent to alpha status surprised both scientists and reserve workers, who are now closely observing Yakei’s reign to see how long she can maintain her supremacy. And with breeding season sending Yakei into the middle of something like a messy love triangle, some experts wonder if she may be vulnerable to a usurper.

​​The Japanese macaque, also known as the snow monkey, is a highly intelligent species native to Japan. It is well known for its beet-red bottom and its affinity for soaking in hot springs.

While many animals, including bees, hyenas and elephants, live in female-led societies, a hostile takeover by a female “is very rare in Japanese macaque society, and only a few cases have been reported in the history of primatology,” Yu Kaigaishi, a research fellow at the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, said in an email.

Japanese macaque society is based on a strict hierarchy. The higher an individual monkey’s rank, the greater its access to food, mates and resting locations. Females inherit the rank just below their mothers and rarely leave the troop they were born into. Males leave their natal troop upon reaching puberty and join a new troop, where their rank is usually determined by the amount of time they have spent in the troop. However, rank is sometimes gained through acts of violence, typically male on male.

Yakei confounded what primatologists expected among Japanese macaques. Last April, she beat up her own mother to claim the top spot among the females of her troop. While most females would be content there, Yakei continued to fight.

According to reserve workers, Yakei assaulted three high-ranking males, then went after Nanchu, who had led the troop for five years. At the age of 31, Nanchu is elderly for a Japanese macaque and was ultimately no match for the young and determined Yakei.

“She physically attacked and defeated Nanchu, consequently acquiring the highest ranking in the troop,” said Kaigaishi, who studies the behavior of Japanese macaques.

After Yakei’s altercation with Nanchu, reserve workers performed what is known as a “peanut test”: providing the monkeys with peanuts and seeing who eats first. Males and females stepped aside to let Yakei eat first, a confirmation of her alpha status.

Since then, “Yakei has shown some behaviors typically seen only in dominant males, such as walking with her tail up and shaking tree branches with her body,” said Kaigaishi, who is not affiliated with the reserve. "It sounds as if she is behaving like an adult male, being more aggressive than other individuals.”

Although Yakei seems to be leaning into her role, she is likely to face challenges. The reign of an alpha can last from a few months to over a decade. But observers of the troop say that mating season could change things for Yakei.

Mating time at the reserve, which typically runs from November until March, is in full swing. During the breeding season, male and female macaques, which are polygamous, form pair bonds. They mate, feed, rest and travel with their partners for an average of 16 days. After this period, the bond dissolves, and the females seek new partners. Females typically mate with an average of four males each breeding season.

“Mating season generally heats things up in Japanese macaque society,” said Katherine Cronin of the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, who studies animal social behavior and cognition, including of her zoo’s own Japanese macaques. “The environment becomes more competitive and tense.”

During previous breeding seasons, Yakei paired with Goro, a 15-year-old male ranked sixth within the troop. According to the reserve, the Japanese newspaper Manichi Shimbun reported, Goro bit Yakei in the face in 2019, a move that caused her bottom to flush bright red — a sign she was ready and willing to take him as a mate. However, since Yakei has claimed the troop’s top spot, Goro seems to have lost interest in her.

Since then, another male, an 18-year-old named Luffy, ranked fifth in the troop, has tried to woo Yakei, but to no avail. “Luffy likes Yakei, but it appears one-sided,” Satoshi Kimoto, a guide at Takasakiyama, said in an email.

Yakei could feasibly form pair bonds with both Goro and Luffy over the course of this breeding season. However, her distaste for Luffy seems to have recently evolved into something more akin to fear.

“I visited Takasakiyama last week and observed that Yakei showed a facial expression (known as ‘fear grimace’) typical for subordinate individuals against Luffy,” Kaigaishi said in an email. “Also, I observed Luffy pushing Yakei away to monopolize food.”

While Kaigaishi said more data was needed to reach any conclusions, he added, “It seemed that Luffy was dominant over Yakei.”

Whether Yakei’s behavior is the result of a fall from power or simply a sign she doesn’t wish to mate with Luffy is not yet clear. Kimoto said he still believed that Yakei held the top spot and that “she won’t fall from the top only from mating.”

If Yakei’s rule continues, scientists like Kaigaishi will have a unique opportunity to study how Japanese macaques fare in a society led by a female.

“Japanese macaque society is so dramatic and unpredictable,” he said, “which is why many people, both researchers and nonresearchers, love to observe them.”

Smashing the patriarchy in the human world has been easier said than done. But last year, a 9-year-old female Japanese macaque in a reserve in southern Japan showed humans how it’s done by violently overthrowing the alpha male of her troop to become its first female leader in the reserve’s 70-year history.

Smashing the patriarchy in the human world has been easier said than done. But last year, a 9-year-old female Japanese macaque in a reserve in southern Japan showed humans how it’s done by violently overthrowing the alpha male of her troop to become its first female leader in the reserve’s 70-year history. The macaque, named Yakei, presides over a troop of 677 monkeys in Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden, which was established as a reserve for monkeys in 1952. There are two troops on the island reserve, and they spend most of their time roaming the forested mountain at its center. They also make daily visits to a park at the base of the mountain, where the staff provides food. Since the reserve opened, its staff has kept tabs on the romantic and political struggles of the simian residents. Yakei’s ascent to alpha status surprised both scientists and reserve workers, who are now closely observing Yakei’s reign to see how long she can maintain her supremacy. And with breeding season sending Yakei into the middle of something like a messy love triangle, some experts wonder if she may be vulnerable to a usurper. The Japanese macaque, also known as the snow monkey, is a highly intelligent species native to Japan. It is well known for its beet-red bottom and its affinity for soaking in hot springs. While many animals, including bees, hyenas and elephants, live in female-led societies, a hostile takeover by a female “is very rare in Japanese macaque society, and only a few cases have been reported in the history of primatology,” Yu Kaigaishi, a research fellow at the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, said in an email. Japanese macaque society is based on a strict hierarchy. The higher an individual monkey’s rank, the greater its access to food, mates and resting locations. Females inherit the rank just below their mothers and rarely leave the troop they were born into. Males leave their natal troop upon reaching puberty and join a new troop, where their rank is usually determined by the amount of time they have spent in the troop. However, rank is sometimes gained through acts of violence, typically male on male. Yakei confounded what primatologists expected among Japanese macaques. Last April, she beat up her own mother to claim the top spot among the females of her troop. While most females would be content there, Yakei continued to fight. According to reserve workers, Yakei assaulted three high-ranking males, then went after Nanchu, who had led the troop for five years. At the age of 31, Nanchu is elderly for a Japanese macaque and was ultimately no match for the young and determined Yakei. “She physically attacked and defeated Nanchu, consequently acquiring the highest ranking in the troop,” said Kaigaishi, who studies the behavior of Japanese macaques. After Yakei’s altercation with Nanchu, reserve workers performed what is known as a “peanut test”: providing the monkeys with peanuts and seeing who eats first. Males and females stepped aside to let Yakei eat first, a confirmation of her alpha status. Since then, “Yakei has shown some behaviors typically seen only in dominant males, such as walking with her tail up and shaking tree branches with her body,” said Kaigaishi, who is not affiliated with the reserve. "It sounds as if she is behaving like an adult male, being more aggressive than other individuals.” Although Yakei seems to be leaning into her role, she is likely to face challenges. The reign of an alpha can last from a few months to over a decade. But observers of the troop say that mating season could change things for Yakei. Mating time at the reserve, which typically runs from November until March, is in full swing. During the breeding season, male and female macaques, which are polygamous, form pair bonds. They mate, feed, rest and travel with their partners for an average of 16 days. After this period, the bond dissolves, and the females seek new partners. Females typically mate with an average of four males each breeding season. “Mating season generally heats things up in Japanese macaque society,” said Katherine Cronin of the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, who studies animal social behavior and cognition, including of her zoo’s own Japanese macaques. “The environment becomes more competitive and tense.” During previous breeding seasons, Yakei paired with Goro, a 15-year-old male ranked sixth within the troop. According to the reserve, the Japanese newspaper Manichi Shimbun reported, Goro bit Yakei in the face in 2019, a move that caused her bottom to flush bright red — a sign she was ready and willing to take him as a mate. However, since Yakei has claimed the troop’s top spot, Goro seems to have lost interest in her. Since then, another male, an 18-year-old named Luffy, ranked fifth in the troop, has tried to woo Yakei, but to no avail. “Luffy likes Yakei, but it appears one-sided,” Satoshi Kimoto, a guide at Takasakiyama, said in an email. Yakei could feasibly form pair bonds with both Goro and Luffy over the course of this breeding season. However, her distaste for Luffy seems to have recently evolved into something more akin to fear. “I visited Takasakiyama last week and observed that Yakei showed a facial expression (known as ‘fear grimace’) typical for subordinate individuals against Luffy,” Kaigaishi said in an email. “Also, I observed Luffy pushing Yakei away to monopolize food.” While Kaigaishi said more data was needed to reach any conclusions, he added, “It seemed that Luffy was dominant over Yakei.” Whether Yakei’s behavior is the result of a fall from power or simply a sign she doesn’t wish to mate with Luffy is not yet clear. Kimoto said he still believed that Yakei held the top spot and that “she won’t fall from the top only from mating.” If Yakei’s rule continues, scientists like Kaigaishi will have a unique opportunity to study how Japanese macaques fare in a society led by a female. “Japanese macaque society is so dramatic and unpredictable,” he said, “which is why many people, both researchers and nonresearchers, love to observe them.”

Love triangle challenges reign of Japan’s monkey queen

Over the past five years, people in Georgia witnessed a surreal spectacle: giant, even centuries-old trees floating upright on the Black Sea.

Imposing magnolias, tulip trees and other magnificent species glided by on the water’s surface, their mighty boughs spread wide in a procession that looked both poetic and delirious.

The trees, mounted on barges pushed along by tugboats, were on their way to replanting in a park being built by an eccentric billionaire and former prime minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili — a man many Georgians believe still wields substantial political power despite saying he retired to focus on philanthropy.

More than 200 trees arrived at the park in total, dug out of the soil in the impoverished villages and thick forests of Georgia, a small nation in the Caucasus. Ivanishvili personally vetted most of the choices.

About half were ferried to the park on the barges and another half transported by trucks. Riverbeds were widened, and trains had to stop to make way for them, which Georgians seized on as evidence of his continuing ability to move officials with the same impunity he does trees.

Opened to the public in the summer of 2020, Ivanishvili’s park is a rare public manifestation of his opaque but overwhelming presence in Georgia.

He has no official role in government, but his critics say Ivanishvili, 65, still has outsize sway behind the scenes.

“The power is concentrated in the hands of one man, and of course it is Bidzina,” said a former ally, Giorgi Gakharia, who resigned as prime minister in February, saying that the billionaire’s control had become too suffocating.

The Shekvetili Dendrological Park, on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, reflects Ivanishvili’s extravagant tastes, with its winding layout — centered around a pond filled with pink flamingoes, pelicans and other exotic birds — having been personally designed by him, according to Paata Sulaberidze, the project’s manager.

A chain-link fence separates the public park from Ivanishvili’s estate.

Entrance is free at the park, which cost him tens of millions of dollars to create, Ivanishvili said in a rare interview with a business magazine in Georgia.

But signs declaring this property private are everywhere. Closed-circuit TV cameras are installed throughout, and motion detectors stand in front of every tree. Look, but don’t dare touch. And that message goes for the lawn, too. Guards with loudspeakers are quick to scold the noncompliant.

Still, many visitors said they enjoy the park immensely.

“It might not be right, but if these trees feel good here, then why not?” said Nyusya Goman, 19, a manicurist. “Of course, he did it for himself first,” she said, referring to Ivanishvili. “People say that he comes in the mornings to get filled with energy emanated by the trees.”

Theories abound on why Ivanishvili is so infatuated with trees. Some Georgians ruminate that he is a druid who worships them.

Salomé Jashi, a Georgian film director, sees something beyond a love of nature in Ivanishvili’s obsession.

“For me, a floating tree was a symbol of power, of desire, of wanting something at any cost,” said Jashi, who made a documentary about the park project.

Sulaberidze, the project’s manager, dismisses such conjecture. His boss, he said, “just loves trees.”

Many Georgians say they admired Ivanishvili for the free access to his park, which has received more than 1.5 million visitors so far, and for his philanthropic work, including paying stipends to Georgia’s artists and poets.

“People don’t realize that he has helped so many in Georgia,” said Rostom Bolkvadze, an entrepreneur from Batumi, the resort city nearby, who has visited the park.

Ivanishvili’s political opponents, however, compare him to a feudal lord, who sprays little driblets of wealth on people to buy their goodwill.

And they insist his retirement is a fiction. “He is nowhere to be seen, but the truth is that he is present everywhere,” said Armaz Akhvlediani, a member of Georgia’s Parliament.

Ivanishvili made his fortune in Russia, where he assembled a metals and banking empire during the chaotic post-Soviet transition. His wealth is currently estimated at $6 billion, a sum that exceeds Georgia’s state budget for 2021.

Many Georgians speculate that the Kremlin never would have allowed such wealth to leave the country unless it was confident the money would be used to buy influence in Georgia, a strategically important country that is struggling to preserve its independence against the great power ambitions of neighboring Turkey and Russia.

One of Ivanishvili’s fiercest critics is a former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili. After spending years abroad, Saakashvili made a dramatic and surprising return to the country in September and is currently being held on abuse of office and other charges that he denies.

Saakashvili, who tried to distance Georgia from its Soviet past during his presidency, calls himself “Putin’s prisoner” and claims Ivanishvili is the Kremlin’s lackey.

But Giorgi Khelashvili, a member of Parliament from the Georgian Dream party, founded by Ivanishvili, argued that the retirement was sincere.

“His idea was to leave the system, and he wanted to leave the government a system that would take care of it, and he would just step aside,” Khelashvili said.

Ivanishvili’s representatives denied multiple interview requests for this article.

If his role now is murky, Ivanishvili once played a very open and prominent part in Georgia’s emotionally fraught political scene, in which a candidate’s attitude toward Russia is scrutinized by voters.

As the leader of a coalition of political parties, he won the 2012 parliamentary elections and served as prime minister from October of 2012 through November of 2013, during which time he pursued Georgia’s NATO and European aspirations but also tried to be pragmatic with Moscow.

His coalition had campaigned in opposition to Saakashvili, then the president, whose party’s loss led him to step down and soon leave the country.

As seen this month in the deadly protests in Kazakhstan, the transfer of power in many of the former Soviet republics has often been chaotic and violent. Ivanishvili’s supporters point to his decision to voluntarily step down as prime minister after a year as evidence he is hardly power hungry.

For now, Ivanishvili appears most interested in his eccentric hobbies, which sometimes manifested themselves during his stint as prime minister.

Akhvlediani, the lawmaker, who in 2013 worked closely with Ivanishvili as the chairman of his political party but has since had a falling out, recalled how on an official foreign visit to Strasbourg, Ivanishvili was mostly interested in the city’s zoo, where he purchased stork eggs to bring home.

While a passion for trees may appear harmless, that’s not necessarily the case when a powerful billionaire is the one hooked.

When Toby Kiers, a professor of evolutionary biology at Vrije University in Amsterdam, learned about Ivanishvili’s undertaking to uproot ancient trees, she said she felt physical pain.

“For hundreds of years, these ancient trees have been cultivating their unique underground ecosystems, including vast fungal networks supporting the tree since it was a tiny sapling,” said Kiers, who has been researching how trees are connected. “When a tree is uprooted, that life support system gets ripped from the soil, leaving behind a barren wasteland.”

For Valentina Slobodenyuk, what was left behind was a view of the sea that had been blocked by the giant sequoia and ginkgo biloba that Ivanishvili took away for his park.

The trees had played a significant role in her life, she said, with the sequoia providing welcome shelter during thunderstorms. Slobodenyuk now visits the trees in their new home.

“I miss them very much,” she said.

Over the past five years, people in Georgia witnessed a surreal spectacle: giant, even centuries-old trees floating upright on the Black Sea. Imposing magnolias, tulip trees and other magnificent species glided by on the water’s surface, their mighty boughs spread wide in a procession that looked both poetic and delirious.

Over the past five years, people in Georgia witnessed a surreal spectacle: giant, even centuries-old trees floating upright on the Black Sea. Imposing magnolias, tulip trees and other magnificent species glided by on the water’s surface, their mighty boughs spread wide in a procession that looked both poetic and delirious. The trees, mounted on barges pushed along by tugboats, were on their way to replanting in a park being built by an eccentric billionaire and former prime minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili — a man many Georgians believe still wields substantial political power despite saying he retired to focus on philanthropy. More than 200 trees arrived at the park in total, dug out of the soil in the impoverished villages and thick forests of Georgia, a small nation in the Caucasus. Ivanishvili personally vetted most of the choices. About half were ferried to the park on the barges and another half transported by trucks. Riverbeds were widened, and trains had to stop to make way for them, which Georgians seized on as evidence of his continuing ability to move officials with the same impunity he does trees. Opened to the public in the summer of 2020, Ivanishvili’s park is a rare public manifestation of his opaque but overwhelming presence in Georgia. He has no official role in government, but his critics say Ivanishvili, 65, still has outsize sway behind the scenes. “The power is concentrated in the hands of one man, and of course it is Bidzina,” said a former ally, Giorgi Gakharia, who resigned as prime minister in February, saying that the billionaire’s control had become too suffocating. The Shekvetili Dendrological Park, on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, reflects Ivanishvili’s extravagant tastes, with its winding layout — centered around a pond filled with pink flamingoes, pelicans and other exotic birds — having been personally designed by him, according to Paata Sulaberidze, the project’s manager. A chain-link fence separates the public park from Ivanishvili’s estate. Entrance is free at the park, which cost him tens of millions of dollars to create, Ivanishvili said in a rare interview with a business magazine in Georgia. But signs declaring this property private are everywhere. Closed-circuit TV cameras are installed throughout, and motion detectors stand in front of every tree. Look, but don’t dare touch. And that message goes for the lawn, too. Guards with loudspeakers are quick to scold the noncompliant. Still, many visitors said they enjoy the park immensely. “It might not be right, but if these trees feel good here, then why not?” said Nyusya Goman, 19, a manicurist. “Of course, he did it for himself first,” she said, referring to Ivanishvili. “People say that he comes in the mornings to get filled with energy emanated by the trees.” Theories abound on why Ivanishvili is so infatuated with trees. Some Georgians ruminate that he is a druid who worships them. Salomé Jashi, a Georgian film director, sees something beyond a love of nature in Ivanishvili’s obsession. “For me, a floating tree was a symbol of power, of desire, of wanting something at any cost,” said Jashi, who made a documentary about the park project. Sulaberidze, the project’s manager, dismisses such conjecture. His boss, he said, “just loves trees.” Many Georgians say they admired Ivanishvili for the free access to his park, which has received more than 1.5 million visitors so far, and for his philanthropic work, including paying stipends to Georgia’s artists and poets. “People don’t realize that he has helped so many in Georgia,” said Rostom Bolkvadze, an entrepreneur from Batumi, the resort city nearby, who has visited the park. Ivanishvili’s political opponents, however, compare him to a feudal lord, who sprays little driblets of wealth on people to buy their goodwill. And they insist his retirement is a fiction. “He is nowhere to be seen, but the truth is that he is present everywhere,” said Armaz Akhvlediani, a member of Georgia’s Parliament. Ivanishvili made his fortune in Russia, where he assembled a metals and banking empire during the chaotic post-Soviet transition. His wealth is currently estimated at $6 billion, a sum that exceeds Georgia’s state budget for 2021. Many Georgians speculate that the Kremlin never would have allowed such wealth to leave the country unless it was confident the money would be used to buy influence in Georgia, a strategically important country that is struggling to preserve its independence against the great power ambitions of neighboring Turkey and Russia. One of Ivanishvili’s fiercest critics is a former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili. After spending years abroad, Saakashvili made a dramatic and surprising return to the country in September and is currently being held on abuse of office and other charges that he denies. Saakashvili, who tried to distance Georgia from its Soviet past during his presidency, calls himself “Putin’s prisoner” and claims Ivanishvili is the Kremlin’s lackey. But Giorgi Khelashvili, a member of Parliament from the Georgian Dream party, founded by Ivanishvili, argued that the retirement was sincere. “His idea was to leave the system, and he wanted to leave the government a system that would take care of it, and he would just step aside,” Khelashvili said. Ivanishvili’s representatives denied multiple interview requests for this article. If his role now is murky, Ivanishvili once played a very open and prominent part in Georgia’s emotionally fraught political scene, in which a candidate’s attitude toward Russia is scrutinized by voters. As the leader of a coalition of political parties, he won the 2012 parliamentary elections and served as prime minister from October of 2012 through November of 2013, during which time he pursued Georgia’s NATO and European aspirations but also tried to be pragmatic with Moscow. His coalition had campaigned in opposition to Saakashvili, then the president, whose party’s loss led him to step down and soon leave the country. As seen this month in the deadly protests in Kazakhstan, the transfer of power in many of the former Soviet republics has often been chaotic and violent. Ivanishvili’s supporters point to his decision to voluntarily step down as prime minister after a year as evidence he is hardly power hungry. For now, Ivanishvili appears most interested in his eccentric hobbies, which sometimes manifested themselves during his stint as prime minister. Akhvlediani, the lawmaker, who in 2013 worked closely with Ivanishvili as the chairman of his political party but has since had a falling out, recalled how on an official foreign visit to Strasbourg, Ivanishvili was mostly interested in the city’s zoo, where he purchased stork eggs to bring home. While a passion for trees may appear harmless, that’s not necessarily the case when a powerful billionaire is the one hooked. When Toby Kiers, a professor of evolutionary biology at Vrije University in Amsterdam, learned about Ivanishvili’s undertaking to uproot ancient trees, she said she felt physical pain. “For hundreds of years, these ancient trees have been cultivating their unique underground ecosystems, including vast fungal networks supporting the tree since it was a tiny sapling,” said Kiers, who has been researching how trees are connected. “When a tree is uprooted, that life support system gets ripped from the soil, leaving behind a barren wasteland.” For Valentina Slobodenyuk, what was left behind was a view of the sea that had been blocked by the giant sequoia and ginkgo biloba that Ivanishvili took away for his park. The trees had played a significant role in her life, she said, with the sequoia providing welcome shelter during thunderstorms. Slobodenyuk now visits the trees in their new home. “I miss them very much,” she said.

A love of trees or a display of power? The odd park of an oligarch. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has got embroiled in yet another controversy. In previously unpublished diary extracts by Johnson’s former lover Jennifer Arcuri, the US businesswoman revealed details of how the British leader allegedly overruled the advice of staff to promote her business interests to win her affection. &nbsp;

The diary entries were exclusively accessed and published by British publication 'The Observer'. According to one entry, the then London mayor also offered to be her “throttle” to push her business career.&nbsp;These claims put Johnson in a fix as he may face the possibility of a potential criminal investigation into misconduct allegations. &nbsp;

Written during Arcuri’s affair with Johnson, the diary entries suggest that the PM broke the rules governing ethical conduct in public office in his dealings with the businesswoman. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-thanks-journalists-for-exposing-sexual-abuse-cases-429210" hreflang="en">Pope Francis thanks journalists for exposing sexual abuse cases</a>

The excerpts, which have been handwritten, portray UK PM as desperate to offer help in promoting her business as he looked to pursue a sexual relationship with the then 27-year-old. &nbsp;

In another entry, the writer says the prime minister told her, “How can I be the thrust – the throttle – your mere footstep as you make your career? Tell me: how I can help you?” &nbsp;

In 2019, Arcuri gave her diaries to veteran journalist John Ware after he made a documentary on her relationship with Johnson. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-university-defends-its-student-unions-decision-to-offer-sex-work-training-429189" hreflang="en">UK university defends its student union's decision to offer sex work training</a>

Arcuri has now agreed to allow publication of some extracts at Ware’s request after Johnson’s statements last week about public probity, including how MPs, who break conduct rules “should be punished”. &nbsp;

A government spokesperson, while responding to the latest Arcuri revelations, said, “As mayor, Boris Johnson followed all the legal requirements in the Greater London Assembly’s [sic] code of conduct at the time.” &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has got embroiled in yet another controversy. In previously unpublished diary extracts by Johnson’s former lover Jennifer Arcuri, the US businesswoman revealed details of how the British leader allegedly overruled the advice of staff to promote her business interests to win her affection.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has got embroiled in yet another controversy. In previously unpublished diary extracts by Johnson’s former lover Jennifer Arcuri, the US businesswoman revealed details of how the British leader allegedly overruled the advice of staff to promote her business interests to win her affection. The diary entries were exclusively accessed and published by British publication 'The Observer'. According to one entry, the then London mayor also offered to be her “throttle” to push her business career. These claims put Johnson in a fix as he may face the possibility of a potential criminal investigation into misconduct allegations. Written during Arcuri’s affair with Johnson, the diary entries suggest that the PM broke the rules governing ethical conduct in public office in his dealings with the businesswoman. Also Read: Pope Francis thanks journalists for exposing sexual abuse cases The excerpts, which have been handwritten, portray UK PM as desperate to offer help in promoting her business as he looked to pursue a sexual relationship with the then 27-year-old. In another entry, the writer says the prime minister told her, “How can I be the thrust – the throttle – your mere footstep as you make your career? Tell me: how I can help you?” In 2019, Arcuri gave her diaries to veteran journalist John Ware after he made a documentary on her relationship with Johnson. Also Read: UK university defends its student union's decision to offer sex work training Arcuri has now agreed to allow publication of some extracts at Ware’s request after Johnson’s statements last week about public probity, including how MPs, who break conduct rules “should be punished”. A government spokesperson, while responding to the latest Arcuri revelations, said, “As mayor, Boris Johnson followed all the legal requirements in the Greater London Assembly’s [sic] code of conduct at the time.” (With inputs from agencies)

To win love, UK PM Boris Johnson pledged to help former lover Jennifer Arcuri's business, says report

As the US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> and the First Lady Jill Biden started their first international trip since taking over the White House, Dr Biden made headlines for wearing a jacket that read ‘Love’ on the back.

Her jacket with the word 'Love' was an extension of the message the FLOTUS is trying to carry forward in her first official trip to Europe with the President.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-g7-summit-us-president-biden-meets-uk-pm-johnson-390677" hreflang="en">Ahead of G7 summit, US President Biden meets UK PM Johnson</a>

"We're bringing love from America… This is a global conference, we’re trying to bring unity across the globe,” Jill Biden said.

This is not the first time a First Lady has worn a jacket with a message on the back. Jill Biden’s 'Love' jacket brought back memories of her predecessor, Melania Trump, who was once spotted wearing a green-coloured jacket that read 'Really don’t care. Do you?'

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Jill Biden actually cares. Melania Trump on the other hand, doesn’t give a damn. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeBest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeBest</a> kinda fizzled out after a week. <a href="https://t.co/X6cS4Ib4XG">pic.twitter.com/X6cS4Ib4XG</a>
— KeanoTheDog (@judgeyourself99) <a href="https://twitter.com/judgeyourself99/status/1403022163515424771?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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It’s nice to have a First Lady again who not only exudes class, but also displays compassion. Racist birther trash is gone, Dr. Jill Biden is here. <a href="https://t.co/Kuus39sLzk">pic.twitter.com/Kuus39sLzk</a>
— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRickyDavila/status/1403034714470969345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thursdayvibes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thursdayvibes</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThursdayMorning?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThursdayMorning</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thursdaymood?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thursdaymood</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThursdayThoughts?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThursdayThoughts</a> It Feels so Amazing having an educated Beautiful Loving well spoken <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FLOTUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FLOTUS</a> back in the WH. Thanku “Dr. Jill Biden” / Poor “Melania Trump” was &amp; always will be known as DTs wife who didn’t care👋🏾 <a href="https://t.co/lJ8hhorod2">pic.twitter.com/lJ8hhorod2</a>
— Donnedia Edmond (@donnedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnedia/status/1403021835470467077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Jill Biden also posted a picture posing in front of a large binder with the caption "Prepping for the G7."

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Prepping for the G7. <a href="https://t.co/drPmb2vBwI">pic.twitter.com/drPmb2vBwI</a>
— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS/status/1402674407324229637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The First Couple also met with the US soldiers posted in the UK, during which Jill Biden thanked the American service members for their service and Joe Biden assured them that he will be meeting the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to bring stability in the disrupting relationship of the two countries.

"I'll travel to Geneva to sit down with a man I’ve spent time with before, President Vladimir Putin," Joe Biden said. "We are not seeking conflict with Russia. We want a stable, predictable relationship. Our two nations share incredible responsibilities and, among them, ensuring strategic stability and upholding arms control agreements."&nbsp;

As the US President Joe Biden and the First Lady Jill Biden started their first international trip since taking over the White House, Dr Biden made headlines for wearing a jacket that read ‘Love’ on the back.

As the US President Joe Biden and the First Lady Jill Biden started their first international trip since taking over the White House, Dr Biden made headlines for wearing a jacket that read ‘Love’ on the back. Her jacket with the word 'Love' was an extension of the message the FLOTUS is trying to carry forward in her first official trip to Europe with the President. Also read | Ahead of G7 summit, US President Biden meets UK PM Johnson "We're bringing love from America… This is a global conference, we’re trying to bring unity across the globe,” Jill Biden said. This is not the first time a First Lady has worn a jacket with a message on the back. Jill Biden’s 'Love' jacket brought back memories of her predecessor, Melania Trump, who was once spotted wearing a green-coloured jacket that read 'Really don’t care. Do you?' Jill Biden actually cares. Melania Trump on the other hand, doesn’t give a damn. #BeBest kinda fizzled out after a week. pic.twitter.com/X6cS4Ib4XG — KeanoTheDog (@judgeyourself99) June 10, 2021 × It’s nice to have a First Lady again who not only exudes class, but also displays compassion. Racist birther trash is gone, Dr. Jill Biden is here. pic.twitter.com/Kuus39sLzk — Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) June 10, 2021 × #thursdayvibes #ThursdayMorning #thursdaymood #ThursdayThoughts It Feels so Amazing having an educated Beautiful Loving well spoken #FLOTUS back in the WH. Thanku “Dr. Jill Biden” / Poor “Melania Trump” was & always will be known as DTs wife who didn’t care👋🏾 pic.twitter.com/lJ8hhorod2 — Donnedia Edmond (@donnedia) June 10, 2021 × Jill Biden also posted a picture posing in front of a large binder with the caption "Prepping for the G7." Prepping for the G7. pic.twitter.com/drPmb2vBwI — Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) June 9, 2021 × The First Couple also met with the US soldiers posted in the UK, during which Jill Biden thanked the American service members for their service and Joe Biden assured them that he will be meeting the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to bring stability in the disrupting relationship of the two countries. "I'll travel to Geneva to sit down with a man I’ve spent time with before, President Vladimir Putin," Joe Biden said. "We are not seeking conflict with Russia. We want a stable, predictable relationship. Our two nations share incredible responsibilities and, among them, ensuring strategic stability and upholding arms control agreements."

'All about love': Jill Biden's jacket spreads her message of unity

Act 1. Scene 1. &nbsp;Enter Irony, through a simple but loaded question: Isn’t it truly intriguing that the most hymned, celebrated and revered emotion on planet Earth is – alas – allocated just one day in the year for remembrance [Valentine’s Day] when hard-sell, heart-sell goes on a maniacal overdrive? That done, on every other day, this emotion is slung back in the deep freeze with technological prowess, pricing coups, strategic alliance et al, grabbing the spotlight?

Fact is, never in recorded history has there been a more desperate desire and need for love. &nbsp;Quickly translated, it means the love-market has never been so huge and inviting!&nbsp;

Cynics &amp; pin-striped collar-down marketers may scoff at this line of thought, but obviously these sophisticated, myopic cavemen are a universe away from the new, exciting world of the Attraction Economy which explores the terrain created through narratives that are both engaging &amp; insightful and connect directly with the heart. Champions of this movement believe that the old, ghisa pita branding practices have become stultified and need to be put to sleep with love-affairs with the brand, the new name of the game. &nbsp;

Look around and see for yourself the scene exploding with people longing to invest in love, emotion, imagination &amp; feeling with one huge stumbling block. &nbsp;They are clueless about how to hit which button! Declares an amused Corporate Consultant “They are caught flat-footed in the challenge of translating love into a palpable &amp; tangible act that is warm and credible.” &nbsp;To real people, it is not rocket science. It’s about getting back to basics. Junking those bulky reports and research studies &amp; leveraging this emotion as a strategic device for consumer-connect. Then watch the bottom line soar!&nbsp;

Actually, there are three outstanding attributes define this template. Mystery, Sensuality and Intimacy.&nbsp;

Mystery is about stories, metaphors, dreams and symbols, a space where past, present and future becomes one. &nbsp;Also, what keeps long-term relationships alive.&nbsp;

Sensuality keeps the five senses on a red alert for new textures, intriguing scents and tastes, great music, spell-binding imagery. &nbsp;

Intimacy invokes empathy, commitment, passion – the small, perfect gesture. These are connections that win intense loyalty and are remembered long after features &amp; benefits have faded away. &nbsp;With intimacy comes the feeling of brand ownership. &nbsp;We all know the power of mystery, sensuality and intimacy from our personal journeys.&nbsp;

This could beg the question “why should relationships in business be any different?” The answer is simple. Business too needs the three traits that define transactions. &nbsp;Mystery draws together stories, metaphors and dreams that give a relationship, texture. Not surprisingly, after the metric mania of the 20th century, mystery is again taking centre stage. What we don’t know starts to be as critical as what we do know. &nbsp;Who wants to be squirted with perfume as they walk into a store? This formulaic spray-and-bray is just a symptom of a much bigger malaise – passion trimmed into efficiency. Inspiration pulled back to a positive attitude and love diluted to LIKE. &nbsp;By focusing on mystery, sensuality and intimacy, business-as-usual can be transformed as a powerfully, emotionally-driven selling idea.

Insightful and clued-in communicators have always understood, recognised and cashed in on this emotion intelligently to escape from the ‘commodity trap’ to place brands where they belong – centre stage! &nbsp;This is a hallowed space reserved totally for charismatic brands – Pepsi, Coke, Reebok, Nike, Apple, Fevicol, Tanishq, Vodafone, Airtel, Lux, HDFC, Archies – which inspires passion and loyalties that are non-negotiable. &nbsp;What better time than today’s cynical and complex times to get love back on track? &nbsp;Reaffirm what smart emo-driven marketers have always believed: In the war between reason and emotion, get your facts straight. &nbsp;Reason leads to conclusion. &nbsp;Emotion drives action!

Finally, if fun, sensuality, mystery &amp; intimacy enthrall, engage, entertain, enrich and empower life, why should they be blinkered off from the communication thrust related to trade &amp; commerce, business &amp; industry? &nbsp;Aren’t they driven to people? &nbsp;Why not substitute the dumb, impersonal, corporatised passion-trimmed-into-efficiency mode with a strong, personal &amp; emotional connect? Starbucks, Cafe Coffee Day, Barista and the new bank (ICICI) ads seem to be doing it, brilliantly, all the time.&nbsp;

They’ve understood that the rules of the game have changed. &nbsp;It’s no longer only about consumer contact programmes; it’s about hanging out and being involved. &nbsp;Not about taking notes – but taking the pulse. &nbsp;Also, they’ve recognised that the research guys, after researching the hell out of what they believe needs to be researched, have conveniently ignored the rest. &nbsp;The truth is, everything of value cannot be probed, dissected, analysed, scanned and researched for the right answer. Why? Because then we are in danger [as one perceptive pundit brilliantly put it] of being exactly wrong instead of being approximately right. Of placing consumers at the base of the pyramid rather than the centre, of mistaking the figures on our hands for the beat of our hearts.

So what’s the takeaway? Basically, we need to stop talking about love &amp; emotion and set it to work, blend it to the rampaging, new age emotion economy. The entertainment industry is a brilliant setting, it appeals to our creative, unconscious and intuitive side – zones that operate beyond rationality &amp; rules, celebrating story-telling mystery &amp; metaphor.

So at the end of the day: Is love a Mango? &nbsp;A four-letter word? &nbsp;A many splendoured thing? The April rose that only grows in early spring? &nbsp;Nature’s way of giving a reason to living, the golden crown that makes a man a king? &nbsp;You decide, but yes ... the jury is out and the popular consensus is that [everything considered], love is indeed the CEO that presides over all constituencies and target groups simply because it unfailingly conquers the most significant, critical, precious, sacrosanct and empowering territory of all – your heart!

Hey guys, give love a chance ...!

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Act 1. Scene 1. Enter Irony, through a simple but loaded question: Isn’t it truly intriguing that the most hymned, celebrated and revered emotion on planet Earth is – alas – allocated just one day in the year for remembrance [Valentine’s Day] when hard-sell, heart-sell goes on a maniacal overdrive?

Act 1. Scene 1. Enter Irony, through a simple but loaded question: Isn’t it truly intriguing that the most hymned, celebrated and revered emotion on planet Earth is – alas – allocated just one day in the year for remembrance [Valentine’s Day] when hard-sell, heart-sell goes on a maniacal overdrive? That done, on every other day, this emotion is slung back in the deep freeze with technological prowess, pricing coups, strategic alliance et al, grabbing the spotlight? Fact is, never in recorded history has there been a more desperate desire and need for love. Quickly translated, it means the love-market has never been so huge and inviting! Cynics & pin-striped collar-down marketers may scoff at this line of thought, but obviously these sophisticated, myopic cavemen are a universe away from the new, exciting world of the Attraction Economy which explores the terrain created through narratives that are both engaging & insightful and connect directly with the heart. Champions of this movement believe that the old, ghisa pita branding practices have become stultified and need to be put to sleep with love-affairs with the brand, the new name of the game. Look around and see for yourself the scene exploding with people longing to invest in love, emotion, imagination & feeling with one huge stumbling block. They are clueless about how to hit which button! Declares an amused Corporate Consultant “They are caught flat-footed in the challenge of translating love into a palpable & tangible act that is warm and credible.” To real people, it is not rocket science. It’s about getting back to basics. Junking those bulky reports and research studies & leveraging this emotion as a strategic device for consumer-connect. Then watch the bottom line soar! Actually, there are three outstanding attributes define this template. Mystery, Sensuality and Intimacy. Mystery is about stories, metaphors, dreams and symbols, a space where past, present and future becomes one. Also, what keeps long-term relationships alive. Sensuality keeps the five senses on a red alert for new textures, intriguing scents and tastes, great music, spell-binding imagery. Intimacy invokes empathy, commitment, passion – the small, perfect gesture. These are connections that win intense loyalty and are remembered long after features & benefits have faded away. With intimacy comes the feeling of brand ownership. We all know the power of mystery, sensuality and intimacy from our personal journeys. This could beg the question “why should relationships in business be any different?” The answer is simple. Business too needs the three traits that define transactions. Mystery draws together stories, metaphors and dreams that give a relationship, texture. Not surprisingly, after the metric mania of the 20th century, mystery is again taking centre stage. What we don’t know starts to be as critical as what we do know. Who wants to be squirted with perfume as they walk into a store? This formulaic spray-and-bray is just a symptom of a much bigger malaise – passion trimmed into efficiency. Inspiration pulled back to a positive attitude and love diluted to LIKE. By focusing on mystery, sensuality and intimacy, business-as-usual can be transformed as a powerfully, emotionally-driven selling idea. Insightful and clued-in communicators have always understood, recognised and cashed in on this emotion intelligently to escape from the ‘commodity trap’ to place brands where they belong – centre stage! This is a hallowed space reserved totally for charismatic brands – Pepsi, Coke, Reebok, Nike, Apple, Fevicol, Tanishq, Vodafone, Airtel, Lux, HDFC, Archies – which inspires passion and loyalties that are non-negotiable. What better time than today’s cynical and complex times to get love back on track? Reaffirm what smart emo-driven marketers have always believed: In the war between reason and emotion, get your facts straight. Reason leads to conclusion. Emotion drives action! Finally, if fun, sensuality, mystery & intimacy enthrall, engage, entertain, enrich and empower life, why should they be blinkered off from the communication thrust related to trade & commerce, business & industry? Aren’t they driven to people? Why not substitute the dumb, impersonal, corporatised passion-trimmed-into-efficiency mode with a strong, personal & emotional connect? Starbucks, Cafe Coffee Day, Barista and the new bank (ICICI) ads seem to be doing it, brilliantly, all the time. They’ve understood that the rules of the game have changed. It’s no longer only about consumer contact programmes; it’s about hanging out and being involved. Not about taking notes – but taking the pulse. Also, they’ve recognised that the research guys, after researching the hell out of what they believe needs to be researched, have conveniently ignored the rest. The truth is, everything of value cannot be probed, dissected, analysed, scanned and researched for the right answer. Why? Because then we are in danger [as one perceptive pundit brilliantly put it] of being exactly wrong instead of being approximately right. Of placing consumers at the base of the pyramid rather than the centre, of mistaking the figures on our hands for the beat of our hearts. So what’s the takeaway? Basically, we need to stop talking about love & emotion and set it to work, blend it to the rampaging, new age emotion economy. The entertainment industry is a brilliant setting, it appeals to our creative, unconscious and intuitive side – zones that operate beyond rationality & rules, celebrating story-telling mystery & metaphor. So at the end of the day: Is love a Mango? A four-letter word? A many splendoured thing? The April rose that only grows in early spring? Nature’s way of giving a reason to living, the golden crown that makes a man a king? You decide, but yes ... the jury is out and the popular consensus is that [everything considered], love is indeed the CEO that presides over all constituencies and target groups simply because it unfailingly conquers the most significant, critical, precious, sacrosanct and empowering territory of all – your heart! Hey guys, give love a chance ...! (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Opinion: Give love a chance?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that both India and Bangladesh want to see peace, stability, and love instead of instability, terror and unrest in the entire world.&nbsp;

Addressing the Matua community after visiting the Orakandi Temple, PM Modi, said, "Both India and Bangladesh want to see the world progressing through their own progress. Both the nations want to see stability, love, and peace in the world instead of instability, terror and unrest."&nbsp;

"During the coronavirus pandemic, India and Bangladesh have proven their capabilities. Today, both nations are facing this pandemic strongly and fighting it together. India is working by considering it its duty that 'Made in India' vaccine reaches the citizens of Bangladesh," he said.&nbsp;

Speaking about Harichand Thakur, also known as Sri Sri Harichand Thakur, who formed the Matua sect of Hindus, PM Modi said, "The life of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur has given the message of divine love, but also made us realise our duties. He told us that the struggle against oppression and misery is also cultivation." &nbsp;

"His successor, Sri Sri Guruchand Thakur has a huge role in bringing the teachings of Harichand Thakur to the people, uniting the Dalit-afflicted society. Guruchand ji gave us the formula of devotion, deed, and knowledge," he added.&nbsp;

"Our siblings of Matua community celebrate 'Baruni Snan Utsav' every year on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur. A large number of devotees from India come to Orakandi to participate in this festival," he added.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered prayers at the Orakandi Temple located at Kashiani Upazila in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh. &nbsp;

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi offered prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. Dedicated to Goddess Kali, Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple is a famous Hindu temple located in Ishwaripur, a village in Shyam Nagar, Upazila of Satkhira. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, scattered across India and neighbouring countries.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also informed that the Indian government will undertake the construction work of a multi-purpose community hall at Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple.&nbsp;

After that, he paid tribute to Bangladesh's 'Father of the Nation' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, Tungipara. He signed the visitors' book and also planted samples at the complex. PM Modi was accompanied by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina during his visit to the complex. &nbsp;

Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi will hold talks with Sheikh Hasina and they are likely to sign few key pacts. Thereafter, he will call on Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid. This is Prime Minister Modi's first foreign trip since the Covid-19 outbreak last year.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that both India and Bangladesh want to see peace, stability, and love instead of instability, terror and unrest in the entire world.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that both India and Bangladesh want to see peace, stability, and love instead of instability, terror and unrest in the entire world. Addressing the Matua community after visiting the Orakandi Temple, PM Modi, said, "Both India and Bangladesh want to see the world progressing through their own progress. Both the nations want to see stability, love, and peace in the world instead of instability, terror and unrest." "During the coronavirus pandemic, India and Bangladesh have proven their capabilities. Today, both nations are facing this pandemic strongly and fighting it together. India is working by considering it its duty that 'Made in India' vaccine reaches the citizens of Bangladesh," he said. Speaking about Harichand Thakur, also known as Sri Sri Harichand Thakur, who formed the Matua sect of Hindus, PM Modi said, "The life of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur has given the message of divine love, but also made us realise our duties. He told us that the struggle against oppression and misery is also cultivation." "His successor, Sri Sri Guruchand Thakur has a huge role in bringing the teachings of Harichand Thakur to the people, uniting the Dalit-afflicted society. Guruchand ji gave us the formula of devotion, deed, and knowledge," he added. "Our siblings of Matua community celebrate 'Baruni Snan Utsav' every year on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur. A large number of devotees from India come to Orakandi to participate in this festival," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered prayers at the Orakandi Temple located at Kashiani Upazila in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi offered prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. Dedicated to Goddess Kali, Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple is a famous Hindu temple located in Ishwaripur, a village in Shyam Nagar, Upazila of Satkhira. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, scattered across India and neighbouring countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also informed that the Indian government will undertake the construction work of a multi-purpose community hall at Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. After that, he paid tribute to Bangladesh's 'Father of the Nation' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, Tungipara. He signed the visitors' book and also planted samples at the complex. PM Modi was accompanied by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina during his visit to the complex. Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi will hold talks with Sheikh Hasina and they are likely to sign few key pacts. Thereafter, he will call on Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid. This is Prime Minister Modi's first foreign trip since the Covid-19 outbreak last year. (With inputs from agencies)

India, Bangladesh want to see peace, stability, love in entire world: Modi 

Actress Laverne Cox, who is known for her role on the popular show Orange Is The New Black, said she is back in the dating business and has found love. 
 
Laverne spoke on the Ellen DeGeneres show, shooting remotely, Eonline.com reported. 
 
"Laverne is in love again. It feels amazing," she shared with Ellen DeGeneres, and "Love is an incredible thing. It`s literally this chemical thing that`s awesome." 
 
While the actress did not reveal the identity of her boyfriend, she is clearly smitten by him. 
 
"He`s a really great guy. I didn`t expect it. I thought he was just gonna be this hot dude I was gonna be hanging out with and then it just kind of happened," Laverne said. 
 
The actress added: "We`ve been hanging out for six months and we went really slowly... The word `love` just sort of happened around November/December." 
 
&nbsp;

Actress Laverne Cox, who is known for her role on the popular show Orange Is The New Black, said she is back in the dating business and has found love. Laverne spoke on the Ellen DeGeneres show, shooting remotely, Eonline.

Actress Laverne Cox, who is known for her role on the popular show Orange Is The New Black, said she is back in the dating business and has found love. Laverne spoke on the Ellen DeGeneres show, shooting remotely, Eonline.com reported. "Laverne is in love again. It feels amazing," she shared with Ellen DeGeneres, and "Love is an incredible thing. It`s literally this chemical thing that`s awesome." While the actress did not reveal the identity of her boyfriend, she is clearly smitten by him. "He`s a really great guy. I didn`t expect it. I thought he was just gonna be this hot dude I was gonna be hanging out with and then it just kind of happened," Laverne said. The actress added: "We`ve been hanging out for six months and we went really slowly... The word `love` just sort of happened around November/December."

Laverne Cox reveals she has found love

The lack of compliments and acts of kindness from their spouses is the top reason for female infidelity, reveals a study. 
 
The survey was conducted by dating app Gleeden on over 11,000 female users and according to their responses, 84 percent of women complain about their partners not giving them enough attention and compliments whereas 61 percent admit that lack of compliments cause discussions and tension within the couple. Further, 77 percent of respondents admitted that this behaviour is the primary reason which brought them to stray away from their married life. 
 
The survey added that 82 percent of the respondents stated that they need to feel appreciated and valued in their relationship, lack of which forces them to look elsewhere. For 76 percent, the lack of compliments undermines their ability to feel desirable and seductive. Lastly, 42 percent find it hard to feel sexually attracted and aroused towards someone who doesn`t feel the same way, forcing them to look for love outside the relationship. 
 
The Journal of Sex Marital Therapy supports these revelations that an inattentive partner can have a devastating impact on a woman`s interest in the relationship. It states that women who regularly receive compliments from their fiance, husband, or boyfriend about their looks are more sexually fulfilled than others. 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

The lack of compliments and acts of kindness from their spouses is the top reason for female infidelity, reveals a study. The survey was conducted by dating app Gleeden on over 11,000 female users and according to their responses, 84 percent of women complain about their partners not giving them enough attention and compliments whereas 61 percent admit that lack of compliments cause discussions and tension within the couple.

The lack of compliments and acts of kindness from their spouses is the top reason for female infidelity, reveals a study. The survey was conducted by dating app Gleeden on over 11,000 female users and according to their responses, 84 percent of women complain about their partners not giving them enough attention and compliments whereas 61 percent admit that lack of compliments cause discussions and tension within the couple. Further, 77 percent of respondents admitted that this behaviour is the primary reason which brought them to stray away from their married life. The survey added that 82 percent of the respondents stated that they need to feel appreciated and valued in their relationship, lack of which forces them to look elsewhere. For 76 percent, the lack of compliments undermines their ability to feel desirable and seductive. Lastly, 42 percent find it hard to feel sexually attracted and aroused towards someone who doesn`t feel the same way, forcing them to look for love outside the relationship. The Journal of Sex Marital Therapy supports these revelations that an inattentive partner can have a devastating impact on a woman`s interest in the relationship. It states that women who regularly receive compliments from their fiance, husband, or boyfriend about their looks are more sexually fulfilled than others.

Lack of compliments top reason for female infidelity: Survey

A novel study has shown that people who met their partners on dating applications have often stronger long-term relationship goals and that these new ways of meeting people encourage socio-educational and geographical mixing.Mobile apps have revolutionised the way people meet in Switzerland and elsewhere in recent years.

The findings of a recent study indicate that app-formed couples have stronger cohabitation intentions than couples who meet in a non-digital environment. Unlike traditional dating sites, these apps do not feature detailed user profiles but are largely based on rating photos using a swipe review system. As dating apps escalated in popularity, so has criticism about them encouraging casual dating only, threatening the existence of long-term commitment, and possibly damaging the quality of intimacy. There is no scientific evidence, however, to validate these claims.

A study by the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, provides a wealth of information about couples who met through dating apps, drawing on data from a 2018 Swiss survey. The results were published in the journal PLOS ONE.What is more, women who found their partner through a dating app have stronger desires and intentions to have children than those who found their partner offline. Despite fears concerning deterioration in the quality of relationships, partners who met on dating apps express the same level of satisfaction about their relationship as others.

Last but not least, the study shows that these apps play an important role in modifying the composition of couples by allowing for more educationally diverse and geographically distant couples.The meteoric rise of romantic encounters on the internet is on its way of becoming the leading place where couples are formed in Switzerland, on a par with meeting via friends. "The Internet is profoundly transforming the dynamics of how people meet," confirms Gina Potarca, a researcher at the Institute of Demography and Socioeconomics in UNIGE`s Faculty of Social Sciences, and holder of an Ambizione research grant awarded by the Swiss National Science Foundation to study the effects of digital ways of communicating on marriage formation and sorting.

"It provides an unprecedented abundance of meeting opportunities, and involves minimal effort and no third-party intervention." These new dating technologies include smartphone apps like Tinder or Grindr, where users select partners by browsing and swiping on pictures. These apps, however, have raised fears: "Large parts of the media claim they have a negative impact on the quality of relationships since they render people incapable of investing in an exclusive or long-term relationship. Up to now, though, there has been no evidence to prove this is the case," continues Dr Potarca.Facilitated encountersThe Geneva-based researcher decided to investigate couples` intentions to start a family, their relationship satisfaction and individual well-being, as well as to assess couple composition. Dr Potarca used a 2018 family survey by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office.

The analysis presented in this study looks at a sub-sample of 3,235 people over the age of 18 who were in a relationship and who had met their partner in the last decade.Dr Potarca found that dating websites - the digital tools for meeting partners that preceded apps - mainly attracted people over the age of 40 and / or divorcees who are looking for romance. "By eliminating lengthy questionnaires, self-descriptions, and personality tests that users of dating websites typically need to fill in to create a profile, dating apps are much easier to use. This normalized the act of dating online, and opened up use among younger categories of the population."Searching for a lasting relationship Dr Potarca sought to find out whether couples who met on dating apps had different intentions to form a family. The results show that couples that formed after meeting on an app were more motivated by the idea of cohabiting than others.

"The study doesn`t say whether their final intention was to live together for the long- or short-term, but given that there`s no difference in the intention to marry, and that marriage is still a central institution in Switzerland, some of these couples likely see cohabitation as a trial period prior to marriage. It`s a pragmatic approach in a country where the divorce rate is consistently around 40%." In addition, women in couples that formed through dating apps mentioned wanting and planning to have a child in the near future, more so than with any other way of meeting.

But what do couples who met in this way think about the quality of their relationship? The study shows that, regardless of meeting context, couples are equally satisfied with their lives and the quality of their relationship. Couples with a diverse socio-educational profile. 
 
The study highlights the final aspect. Dating apps encourage mixing of different levels of education, especially between high-educated women and lower educated men. Partners having more diversified socio-educational profiles "may have to do with selection methods that focus mainly on the visual," says the researcher. Since users can easily connect with partners in their immediate region (but also in other spaces as they move around), the apps make it easier to meet people more than 30 minutes away - leading to an increase in long-distance relationships."Knowing that dating apps have likely become even more popular during this year`s periods of lockdown and social distancing, it is reassuring to dismiss alarming concerns about the long-term effects of using these tools," concludes Dr Potarca.&nbsp;

A novel study has shown that people who met their partners on dating applications have often stronger long-term relationship goals and that these new ways of meeting people encourage socio-educational and geographical mixing.

A novel study has shown that people who met their partners on dating applications have often stronger long-term relationship goals and that these new ways of meeting people encourage socio-educational and geographical mixing.Mobile apps have revolutionised the way people meet in Switzerland and elsewhere in recent years. The findings of a recent study indicate that app-formed couples have stronger cohabitation intentions than couples who meet in a non-digital environment. Unlike traditional dating sites, these apps do not feature detailed user profiles but are largely based on rating photos using a swipe review system. As dating apps escalated in popularity, so has criticism about them encouraging casual dating only, threatening the existence of long-term commitment, and possibly damaging the quality of intimacy. There is no scientific evidence, however, to validate these claims. A study by the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, provides a wealth of information about couples who met through dating apps, drawing on data from a 2018 Swiss survey. The results were published in the journal PLOS ONE.What is more, women who found their partner through a dating app have stronger desires and intentions to have children than those who found their partner offline. Despite fears concerning deterioration in the quality of relationships, partners who met on dating apps express the same level of satisfaction about their relationship as others. Last but not least, the study shows that these apps play an important role in modifying the composition of couples by allowing for more educationally diverse and geographically distant couples.The meteoric rise of romantic encounters on the internet is on its way of becoming the leading place where couples are formed in Switzerland, on a par with meeting via friends. "The Internet is profoundly transforming the dynamics of how people meet," confirms Gina Potarca, a researcher at the Institute of Demography and Socioeconomics in UNIGE`s Faculty of Social Sciences, and holder of an Ambizione research grant awarded by the Swiss National Science Foundation to study the effects of digital ways of communicating on marriage formation and sorting. "It provides an unprecedented abundance of meeting opportunities, and involves minimal effort and no third-party intervention." These new dating technologies include smartphone apps like Tinder or Grindr, where users select partners by browsing and swiping on pictures. These apps, however, have raised fears: "Large parts of the media claim they have a negative impact on the quality of relationships since they render people incapable of investing in an exclusive or long-term relationship. Up to now, though, there has been no evidence to prove this is the case," continues Dr Potarca.Facilitated encountersThe Geneva-based researcher decided to investigate couples` intentions to start a family, their relationship satisfaction and individual well-being, as well as to assess couple composition. Dr Potarca used a 2018 family survey by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office. The analysis presented in this study looks at a sub-sample of 3,235 people over the age of 18 who were in a relationship and who had met their partner in the last decade.Dr Potarca found that dating websites - the digital tools for meeting partners that preceded apps - mainly attracted people over the age of 40 and / or divorcees who are looking for romance. "By eliminating lengthy questionnaires, self-descriptions, and personality tests that users of dating websites typically need to fill in to create a profile, dating apps are much easier to use. This normalized the act of dating online, and opened up use among younger categories of the population."Searching for a lasting relationship Dr Potarca sought to find out whether couples who met on dating apps had different intentions to form a family. The results show that couples that formed after meeting on an app were more motivated by the idea of cohabiting than others. "The study doesn`t say whether their final intention was to live together for the long- or short-term, but given that there`s no difference in the intention to marry, and that marriage is still a central institution in Switzerland, some of these couples likely see cohabitation as a trial period prior to marriage. It`s a pragmatic approach in a country where the divorce rate is consistently around 40%." In addition, women in couples that formed through dating apps mentioned wanting and planning to have a child in the near future, more so than with any other way of meeting. But what do couples who met in this way think about the quality of their relationship? The study shows that, regardless of meeting context, couples are equally satisfied with their lives and the quality of their relationship. Couples with a diverse socio-educational profile. The study highlights the final aspect. Dating apps encourage mixing of different levels of education, especially between high-educated women and lower educated men. Partners having more diversified socio-educational profiles "may have to do with selection methods that focus mainly on the visual," says the researcher. Since users can easily connect with partners in their immediate region (but also in other spaces as they move around), the apps make it easier to meet people more than 30 minutes away - leading to an increase in long-distance relationships."Knowing that dating apps have likely become even more popular during this year`s periods of lockdown and social distancing, it is reassuring to dismiss alarming concerns about the long-term effects of using these tools," concludes Dr Potarca.

Dating apps don't destroy love, says study

Are you looking for love? Hoping to find someone to hold, to share, laugh and love forever. Or did you have it once, a long time ago, but now it has magically turned into an unfamiliar beast that snarls, snaps, and then perhaps kisses you at night? Are you alone and happy, or together and sad? Are these philosophical questions, or just conversation we make on Valentines Day. Either way, there is no escaping love.&nbsp;

Millions of years ago, the journey to love began with sex (true sometimes today as well). That was one of the first things we figured out to do, and then as our brains slowly evolved, our hearts began to lead the way. As apes, we developed the ability to become emotionally attached to each other. The reason was not romantic at all - it just helped us survive. It is this emotional bonding within families and communities has enabled the human species to dominate the planet, spawning billions of us over the rest of the animal kingdom.&nbsp;

Scientists have tried very hard to pin down why and how we fall in love. We now know that chemistry is important, and not just for sparks to fly. Love triggers biochemical changes in our bodies. When we are attracted to each other, we begin to secrete a blend of feel-good chemicals adrenaline, dopamine and reduce serotonin, the hormone that regulates our mood and appetite. Lust is driven by estrogen and testosterone, and with time, as things begin to get steady (and boring), we continue our long term attachment with oxytocin and vasopressin. Interestingly, Oxytocin, the ‘cuddle hormone’ that encourages us to bond was secreted when our mothers held us too - not very romantic, but that’s how it is.&nbsp;

Science has broken love down to various secretions and smells. Psychologists have mapped our behaviour. Dating apps are using computer codes and AI. We have a lot of help at hand. And thus enabled with science and technology, and a long list of what we want, we heartlessly swipe right and left. Almost perfect men and women smile at us hoping to get lucky, and perhaps some do.&nbsp;

When we find love, marriage tends to follow

The institution of marriage is a fairly recent phenomenon, given our long history on the planet. It started off as an alliance to pool in resources, to stay within the tribe, to bring up the kids and so on. Now perhaps it is a psychological one. Marriage is a culturally recognised union between two parties, usually man and woman, promising each other a lifetime of togetherness. We hope for happiness, while slowly seeing it slide under the burden of expectations. We dream of love, but it constantly disappoints us.&nbsp;

Why?

Darwin had a theory. Yes, the famous one that says we descended from apes and that we still behave like them. He brings a certain pessimism to relationships, which are perhaps doomed to fail. As primates, we are inclined to ditch our mates for another, on the basis of nothing more than their breeding potential - the size of her hips and strength of his thigh. What hope for never-ending love then.

Plato warned us many years ago. The greek philosopher argued that the highest form of love was non-sexual, non-romantic, brotherly love. Platonic love is infinitely safer than giving in to ridiculous passions. Desire can be dangerous. Poets would argue otherwise, but skeptics say that Romeo and Juliet is not a story celebrating love, but one that warns us of the potential consequences of love. The fool is afraid of love, or is he afraid of being alone.

In the modern context, we tend to idealise romantic love based on individual choice, as some kind of culmination towards an ideal. There is an inherent struggle through intimacy and commitment. Love can be unpleasant and painful. It needs discipline and restraint. It’s not sexy when it means doing the laundry. We can’t just swipe right into happiness. And yet we try.&nbsp;

People all over the world keep falling in love. Hearts get broken, partners keep changing, poems get written and forgotten, and then we find love again.

What is love - an emotion, a feeling, basic human drive, neurons on fire or psychological dependency? The question has plagued us for thousands of years. It emerges from our subconscious mind, to take us through an experience we cannot control. Can it last? We’ve been struggling with answers to that too. Does it have a purpose? Perhaps only to survive. And so we continue.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Are you looking for love? Hoping to find someone to hold, to share, laugh and love forever. Or did you have it once, a long time ago, but now it has magically turned into an unfamiliar beast that snarls, snaps, and then perhaps kisses you at night?

Are you looking for love? Hoping to find someone to hold, to share, laugh and love forever. Or did you have it once, a long time ago, but now it has magically turned into an unfamiliar beast that snarls, snaps, and then perhaps kisses you at night? Are you alone and happy, or together and sad? Are these philosophical questions, or just conversation we make on Valentines Day. Either way, there is no escaping love. Millions of years ago, the journey to love began with sex (true sometimes today as well). That was one of the first things we figured out to do, and then as our brains slowly evolved, our hearts began to lead the way. As apes, we developed the ability to become emotionally attached to each other. The reason was not romantic at all - it just helped us survive. It is this emotional bonding within families and communities has enabled the human species to dominate the planet, spawning billions of us over the rest of the animal kingdom. Scientists have tried very hard to pin down why and how we fall in love. We now know that chemistry is important, and not just for sparks to fly. Love triggers biochemical changes in our bodies. When we are attracted to each other, we begin to secrete a blend of feel-good chemicals adrenaline, dopamine and reduce serotonin, the hormone that regulates our mood and appetite. Lust is driven by estrogen and testosterone, and with time, as things begin to get steady (and boring), we continue our long term attachment with oxytocin and vasopressin. Interestingly, Oxytocin, the ‘cuddle hormone’ that encourages us to bond was secreted when our mothers held us too - not very romantic, but that’s how it is. Science has broken love down to various secretions and smells. Psychologists have mapped our behaviour. Dating apps are using computer codes and AI. We have a lot of help at hand. And thus enabled with science and technology, and a long list of what we want, we heartlessly swipe right and left. Almost perfect men and women smile at us hoping to get lucky, and perhaps some do. When we find love, marriage tends to follow The institution of marriage is a fairly recent phenomenon, given our long history on the planet. It started off as an alliance to pool in resources, to stay within the tribe, to bring up the kids and so on. Now perhaps it is a psychological one. Marriage is a culturally recognised union between two parties, usually man and woman, promising each other a lifetime of togetherness. We hope for happiness, while slowly seeing it slide under the burden of expectations. We dream of love, but it constantly disappoints us. Why? Darwin had a theory. Yes, the famous one that says we descended from apes and that we still behave like them. He brings a certain pessimism to relationships, which are perhaps doomed to fail. As primates, we are inclined to ditch our mates for another, on the basis of nothing more than their breeding potential - the size of her hips and strength of his thigh. What hope for never-ending love then. Plato warned us many years ago. The greek philosopher argued that the highest form of love was non-sexual, non-romantic, brotherly love. Platonic love is infinitely safer than giving in to ridiculous passions. Desire can be dangerous. Poets would argue otherwise, but skeptics say that Romeo and Juliet is not a story celebrating love, but one that warns us of the potential consequences of love. The fool is afraid of love, or is he afraid of being alone. In the modern context, we tend to idealise romantic love based on individual choice, as some kind of culmination towards an ideal. There is an inherent struggle through intimacy and commitment. Love can be unpleasant and painful. It needs discipline and restraint. It’s not sexy when it means doing the laundry. We can’t just swipe right into happiness. And yet we try. People all over the world keep falling in love. Hearts get broken, partners keep changing, poems get written and forgotten, and then we find love again. What is love - an emotion, a feeling, basic human drive, neurons on fire or psychological dependency? The question has plagued us for thousands of years. It emerges from our subconscious mind, to take us through an experience we cannot control. Can it last? We’ve been struggling with answers to that too. Does it have a purpose? Perhaps only to survive. And so we continue. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Valentines Day: Love, a four-letter word

Supermodel Cara Delevingne feels that she is a better person when she`s "in love" and is happy sharing her life with someone special. 
 
The 27-year-old model, who has kept her relationship with `Pretty Little Liars` star Ashley Benson private, revealed in her October cover story with ELLE UK that she feels like a better person when she`s in a committed relationship, reported People. "I`m just better when I`m in love," she said, clarifying that it could also mean self-love."That doesn`t have to mean with someone.&nbsp; 
 
It can also mean with myself. It just feels incredible when you`re not alone, when you`re facing the world with someone else," she added. 
 
Delevingne and Benson have largely kept their romance out of the spotlight. However, the model finally confirmed their relationship in June when she shared a steamy clip on Instagram pulling Benson in close for a kiss. &nbsp; 
 
In her magazine&nbsp;cover story, the model explained that their secretive nature was not out of shame of accepting their sexual preferences."I don`t want to be so secretive that people think I`m ashamed of anything.&nbsp; 
 
But I`ve never been in a relationship where things are so public, or where I posted pictures of someone else," she said."This seemed different. We had gotten to the point where we had kept it a secret, or at least not wanted attention, and now I feel like I`m not going to not be proud," the model added. 
The pair was first linked in August 2018, when two were spotted kissing at London`s Heathrow Airport.&nbsp; 
 
The same month, Benson told People Now that she values privacy when it comes to her personal relationships. "I think privacy is the best way in any relationship. I`ve always been very private about them, and I think it`s just better," Benson told People&nbsp; 
 
Benson added, "I mean it`s hard, I don`t know, you kind of can`t get away from that if you`re in the public eye. I just kinda try to keep myself as private as possible."Earlier this month, Benson got a second tattoo that seemingly honoured Delevingne. 
 
Celebrity tattoo artist JonBoy shared Benson`s new ink on Instagram in a photo that featured the actor showing off the scripted word "Squish" on her torso, which appears to be a nod to the sweet nickname Delevingne gave herself. Benson`s new ink came less than a month after she first debuted a `CD` tattoo just below her armpit. 
 
Although she did not confirm it was a tribute to the model, since it shared Delevingne`s initials, fans believed that could be the case. In July, the duo sparked engagement rumours after they were spotted wearing bands on their ring fingers while vacationing together in Saint-Tropez.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Supermodel Cara Delevingne feels that she is a better person when she`s "in love" and is happy sharing her life with someone special. The 27-year-old model, who has kept her relationship with `Pretty Little Liars` star Ashley Benson private, revealed in her October cover story with ELLE UK that she feels like a better person when she`s in a committed relationship, reported People.

Supermodel Cara Delevingne feels that she is a better person when she`s "in love" and is happy sharing her life with someone special. The 27-year-old model, who has kept her relationship with `Pretty Little Liars` star Ashley Benson private, revealed in her October cover story with ELLE UK that she feels like a better person when she`s in a committed relationship, reported People. "I`m just better when I`m in love," she said, clarifying that it could also mean self-love."That doesn`t have to mean with someone. It can also mean with myself. It just feels incredible when you`re not alone, when you`re facing the world with someone else," she added. Delevingne and Benson have largely kept their romance out of the spotlight. However, the model finally confirmed their relationship in June when she shared a steamy clip on Instagram pulling Benson in close for a kiss. In her magazine cover story, the model explained that their secretive nature was not out of shame of accepting their sexual preferences."I don`t want to be so secretive that people think I`m ashamed of anything. But I`ve never been in a relationship where things are so public, or where I posted pictures of someone else," she said."This seemed different. We had gotten to the point where we had kept it a secret, or at least not wanted attention, and now I feel like I`m not going to not be proud," the model added. The pair was first linked in August 2018, when two were spotted kissing at London`s Heathrow Airport. The same month, Benson told People Now that she values privacy when it comes to her personal relationships. "I think privacy is the best way in any relationship. I`ve always been very private about them, and I think it`s just better," Benson told People Benson added, "I mean it`s hard, I don`t know, you kind of can`t get away from that if you`re in the public eye. I just kinda try to keep myself as private as possible."Earlier this month, Benson got a second tattoo that seemingly honoured Delevingne. Celebrity tattoo artist JonBoy shared Benson`s new ink on Instagram in a photo that featured the actor showing off the scripted word "Squish" on her torso, which appears to be a nod to the sweet nickname Delevingne gave herself. Benson`s new ink came less than a month after she first debuted a `CD` tattoo just below her armpit. Although she did not confirm it was a tribute to the model, since it shared Delevingne`s initials, fans believed that could be the case. In July, the duo sparked engagement rumours after they were spotted wearing bands on their ring fingers while vacationing together in Saint-Tropez.

Cara Delevingne feels better when she is in love

Valentine's Day: 'Gaekkebrev', 12 days of love, mass weddings and other strange ways to celebrate day of love

Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor never shies away from showing how much he loves his wife Mira Rajput Kapoor, and the latest picture of the couple is proof of their love.

The doting husband took to his Instagram account to share a romantic click and captioned it with a heart emoji.

In the snap, Mira can be seen leaning on Shahid while he is embracing her. Shahid has kept it casual with black shades and a light pastel coloured T-shirt, while Mira too, opted for a casual attire with minimal makeup.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtiIlebH2rZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">💕</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shahidkapoor/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Shahid Kapoor</a> (@shahidkapoor) on <time datetime="2019-02-06T08:18:11+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Feb 6, 2019 at 12:18am PST</time>
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The much-in-love couple has made headlines time and again for their undeniable chemistry.&nbsp;

Both Mira and Shahid are quite active on the photo-sharing application and keep sharing pictures of their children and family outings.

Shahid and Mira tied the knot on July 7, 2015, in an intimate ceremony in the outskirts of Delhi. They are parents to two children- Misha and Zain.

On the work front, Shahid was last seen in 'Batti Gul Meter Chalu' opposite Shraddha Kapoor.&nbsp;Now, the actor is busy gearing up for his next film titled 'Kabir Singh' which is a Hindi remake of Telugu blockbuster 'Arjun Reddy'.The film is slated to release on June 21, 2019.

Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor never shies away from showing how much he loves his wife Mira Rajput Kapoor, and the latest picture of the couple is proof of their love.

Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor never shies away from showing how much he loves his wife Mira Rajput Kapoor, and the latest picture of the couple is proof of their love. The doting husband took to his Instagram account to share a romantic click and captioned it with a heart emoji. In the snap, Mira can be seen leaning on Shahid while he is embracing her. Shahid has kept it casual with black shades and a light pastel coloured T-shirt, while Mira too, opted for a casual attire with minimal makeup. View this post on Instagram 💕 A post shared by Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) on Feb 6, 2019 at 12:18am PST × The much-in-love couple has made headlines time and again for their undeniable chemistry. Both Mira and Shahid are quite active on the photo-sharing application and keep sharing pictures of their children and family outings. Shahid and Mira tied the knot on July 7, 2015, in an intimate ceremony in the outskirts of Delhi. They are parents to two children- Misha and Zain. On the work front, Shahid was last seen in 'Batti Gul Meter Chalu' opposite Shraddha Kapoor. Now, the actor is busy gearing up for his next film titled 'Kabir Singh' which is a Hindi remake of Telugu blockbuster 'Arjun Reddy'.The film is slated to release on June 21, 2019.

Shahid Kapoor's latest picture with wife Mira Rajput is all about love!

In a country where PDA continues to be taboo, Sanjay Mishra says his upcoming film 'Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain' is an endearing effort to make showing love to one another, especially for the older couples, more acceptable.&nbsp;

The veteran actor says people have a skewed notion about the idea of love and romance and how it belongs only to youth.

"Romance is not just for a boy and a girl, the romance which takes place around the trees and flowers... Some people have a romance with food, so different things for different people. That's how even Mira and Khusro came to be. We have very limited notion of romance. We have made it like that.&nbsp;

"Love is beyond all this. It is ageless. You see an older couple sitting in a cafe sharing coffee and you know that's love when they look at you with those eyes. That's romance," Mishra told in an interview.

Directed by Harish Vyas, the Banaras-set film is a story of a couple, played by Mishra and Ekavali Khanna - married for over 30 years. They try to find love and spark back in their lives with the help of the younger generation - Anshuman Jha and Shivani Raghuvanshi.

Pankaj Tripathi also stars in the film.

Asked why love stories focus on youth, the actor says it is a question that needs to be asked.

"Does it mean that after 20 life is over? That all good things will happen below the age of 30? After that, you're done?

"Maybe someone wakes up late. They would want to achieve something at the age of 60. Will you discourage them? How much of a struggle would that be? To establish oneself in one's own society?"&nbsp;

The actor says language may have been created for the humans to express themselves but people have learned "more cusswords" than saying 'those three lovely words'.

In the film, Mishra plays Yashwant Batra, a conservative middle-class man who tries reigniting his relationship with his wife Kiran, whom he realises he has taken for granted for a long time.&nbsp;

"We need to add a little language in our daily lives to acknowledge these gestures, we have learned so many cuss words, this is also possible. Why does 'I love you' has to have such a short shelf life?&nbsp;

"Language is necessary. We express through it. The language of love has become silent. The world would have been different had it been the other way," the actor says.

Mishra says it is unfortunate that the societal norms do not even let people freely express themselves to their mother.

"We don't even feel the need to say it to mothers. This attitude that has been given to us by the society. For that language to emerge, we need to be in touch with ourselves. Then profess love to the other person." 
"But you should not say 'I love you' to everyone," he quips.&nbsp;

Love is beyond everything and it is simply ageless.

In a country where PDA continues to be taboo, Sanjay Mishra says his upcoming film 'Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain' is an endearing effort to make showing love to one another, especially for the older couples, more acceptable. The veteran actor says people have a skewed notion about the idea of love and romance and how it belongs only to youth. "Romance is not just for a boy and a girl, the romance which takes place around the trees and flowers... Some people have a romance with food, so different things for different people. That's how even Mira and Khusro came to be. We have very limited notion of romance. We have made it like that. "Love is beyond all this. It is ageless. You see an older couple sitting in a cafe sharing coffee and you know that's love when they look at you with those eyes. That's romance," Mishra told in an interview. Directed by Harish Vyas, the Banaras-set film is a story of a couple, played by Mishra and Ekavali Khanna - married for over 30 years. They try to find love and spark back in their lives with the help of the younger generation - Anshuman Jha and Shivani Raghuvanshi. Pankaj Tripathi also stars in the film. Asked why love stories focus on youth, the actor says it is a question that needs to be asked. "Does it mean that after 20 life is over? That all good things will happen below the age of 30? After that, you're done? "Maybe someone wakes up late. They would want to achieve something at the age of 60. Will you discourage them? How much of a struggle would that be? To establish oneself in one's own society?" The actor says language may have been created for the humans to express themselves but people have learned "more cusswords" than saying 'those three lovely words'. In the film, Mishra plays Yashwant Batra, a conservative middle-class man who tries reigniting his relationship with his wife Kiran, whom he realises he has taken for granted for a long time. "We need to add a little language in our daily lives to acknowledge these gestures, we have learned so many cuss words, this is also possible. Why does 'I love you' has to have such a short shelf life? "Language is necessary. We express through it. The language of love has become silent. The world would have been different had it been the other way," the actor says. Mishra says it is unfortunate that the societal norms do not even let people freely express themselves to their mother. "We don't even feel the need to say it to mothers. This attitude that has been given to us by the society. For that language to emerge, we need to be in touch with ourselves. Then profess love to the other person." "But you should not say 'I love you' to everyone," he quips.

Romance not just for a boy and a girl: Sanjay Mishra on his new film 'Angrezi Mein Kehte Hai'

Since Valentine&rsquo;s Day has come and gone, accompanied by its predictable hysteria and histrionics, it would be interesting to examine why the new gen seems to find love and marriage so totally incompatible. Why, after those sacred vows and wow honeymoon, love seems to take on a guest appearance role in most urban marriages.

Love is a many splendoured thing.&nbsp; It is the April rose that only grows in early spring.&nbsp; It is nature&rsquo;s way of giving a reason to living, the golden crown that makes a man a king.&nbsp; Once, on a high and windy hill, in the morning mist, two lovers kissed and time stood still, so rhapsodised the magical crooner Nat King Cole, rocketing cupid into zillions of thrilled romantic hearts! There was also, ugh, a flip side too.&nbsp; This lot declared love is a mango and, worse, Love is just a 4 letter word, re-enforcing the point of kill-joys who believe that love really is just a drug, biologically and emotionally programmed for transience and against all delusions of foreverness.

Women continue to be angry, upset and confused about this scenario.&nbsp; How can all that passion and poetry &ndash; they ask &ndash; during those enchanting halcyon days of courtship suddenly hotfoot into nowhere-land, replaced by a pragmatic, practical &amp; horribly (un) romantic entity?&nbsp; Is it then true that men are more seduced by the thrill of the pursuit than the conquest?&nbsp;

Embarrassing, inconvenient and uncomfortable as it may seem, some men perhaps agree.&nbsp; &ldquo;Maybe we are made that way! I have to confess that it was a huge challenge for me to win Laila, given her classy background, dazzling looks and hoity-toity airs.&nbsp; I managed to do it with an audacious strategy that &ndash; luckily &ndash; worked: Be insulting, dismissive, rude and mock her celebrated good looks, background and lifestyle, all the time telling her how hollow and superficial her life is, how her friends really are her chamchas [not real friends] and how those arrogant airs that she puts on are nothing but a defence mechanism against her total lack of self-confidence. It took time, boss, but it finally worked! Today, she is my wife &ndash; despite the near-cardiac arrest of her parents &ndash; and all is cool.&nbsp; She is grounded, real and even agrees that she lived a fake life.&rdquo; &nbsp;

Laila goes along but makes a slight detour.&nbsp; &ldquo;Sushil is right when he says that he tore my mask to introduce me to myself and the real world.&nbsp; His approach &ndash; rough, direct, aggressive, totally devoid of polish, class or politeness &ndash; was certainly a culture shock but I guess the searing truth got me.&nbsp; Also, the complete lack of the visual playing moony-eyed devotee/chamcha, was attractive. Inverted snobbery, I have to confess, worked.&rdquo;&nbsp; However, after marriage, that very directness that appealed to her so much simmered down.&nbsp; &ldquo;He was a sweet and caring husband but the attractive rough edges, the straight no-bullshit talk had almost vanished. He was busy and distracted.&nbsp; I so miss the turbo-charged volcano he was.&nbsp; He was so so different!&rdquo;

Men complain &ndash; that like lyric, poetry and epic &ndash; passion of the courtship kind will shift from a raging fire to a warm, cosy glow.&nbsp; &ldquo;Boss, like sexual hi-jinks, it has an expiry date too and if you don&rsquo;t agree, drop into your friendly, neighbourhood nursing home for a close-up of over-ambitious guys who insisted on wanting to do &hellip; Yesterday once more!&rdquo;&nbsp; The men add that women totally believe that the earlier junoon and paagalpan is a part of the overall romance package they bought into and if one per cent is missing ever &ndash; in word, thought or deed &ndash; its chaos!&nbsp; Yaar, ab to biwi hain, not gasp-pant object of desire, so calm down, chill and taste the coffee.&nbsp; Kaun samjhaye?!

Women are not amused at this typically chauvinistic, patronising, dumb, insensitive, corny and obtuse observation.&nbsp; Does the chase only rock till the conquest happens and, once achieved, like animals, is devouring the only thing on their mind, instead of fostering, nurturing, caring or bonding, taking the relationship to the next level?&nbsp; Confesses a distraught 28-year-old Ayesha Sehgal, home-maker with two small kids, aged 5 &amp; 3, &ldquo;I was so bewildered and disappointed at Akhil, when soon after our blissed-out courtship phase, honeymoon and early days, he started changing.&nbsp; It started when I became pregnant.&nbsp; I expected special attention and caring which just didn&rsquo;t happen.&nbsp; Forget flowers and gifts, even the earlier tons of calls and texting took a huge hit and became minimal.&nbsp; He was there for me and I&nbsp; really can&rsquo;t put a finger on where he went wrong, but somewhere, the magic had evaporated.&nbsp; I&rsquo;ve often tried to figure out the reason but failed.&nbsp; Many of my friends have similar stories to tell, so all is clearly not well in the state of shaadi-nagar!&rdquo;

Marriage counsellors, behavorial scientists and social commentators believe it has to do with men being chronically lazy and totally secure once the &lsquo;campaign&rsquo; is won.&nbsp; Since it&rsquo;s a done-deal, baat khatam! It also has to do, some believe, and women please don&rsquo;t scream, about women too pulling back on their looks and figure post-marriage and certainly post-kids. &nbsp;

A friend swore he heard his once-very-attractive 26-year-old colleague coolly say &ldquo;yaar, shaadi ho gayi, bachche ho gaye, not competing with Kat or Dips for my hubby&rsquo;s attention, so what&rsquo;s this big obsession of retaining looks and hot figure?&nbsp; That&rsquo;s for the insecure types, compulsive attention-seekers or females who are seen as furniture at home by the hubby.&nbsp; I am in a comfortably secure and happy state. Period.&rdquo; &nbsp;

Truth to tell, there are no easy answers.&nbsp; However, in the year 2015 when both women and men &ndash; in their respective ways &ndash; have taken such giant leaps towards achieving their future, it might be wise to pause and reflect on the basics that define the human condition, factors that colour, grace and caress the most significant space of all &ndash; the space between the heart. &nbsp;

Agreed it&rsquo;s a fiercely consumerist world, success at any cost is the new aphrodisiac and battle of the sexes continues to get more over-heated each day with egos going through the roof, but point is &ndash; why continue to play the silly, stone-age hunter-hunted game?&nbsp; Why believe in your own market-driven mythology and chase shadows leading to doom?&nbsp; Why not just be yourself &ndash; warts and all &ndash; bereft of posturing and masks, celebrating simple, uncomplicated joys like togetherness, loyalty, trust, integrity, caring?&nbsp; Try it, and love could well make a glorious return journey, even post-marriage!

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In a fiercely consumerist world, success at any cost is the new aphrodisiac and battle of the sexes continues to get more over-heated each day with egos going through the roof

Since Valentine’s Day has come and gone, accompanied by its predictable hysteria and histrionics, it would be interesting to examine why the new gen seems to find love and marriage so totally incompatible. Why, after those sacred vows and wow honeymoon, love seems to take on a guest appearance role in most urban marriages. Love is a many splendoured thing. It is the April rose that only grows in early spring. It is nature’s way of giving a reason to living, the golden crown that makes a man a king. Once, on a high and windy hill, in the morning mist, two lovers kissed and time stood still, so rhapsodised the magical crooner Nat King Cole, rocketing cupid into zillions of thrilled romantic hearts! There was also, ugh, a flip side too. This lot declared love is a mango and, worse, Love is just a 4 letter word, re-enforcing the point of kill-joys who believe that love really is just a drug, biologically and emotionally programmed for transience and against all delusions of foreverness. Women continue to be angry, upset and confused about this scenario. How can all that passion and poetry – they ask – during those enchanting halcyon days of courtship suddenly hotfoot into nowhere-land, replaced by a pragmatic, practical & horribly (un) romantic entity? Is it then true that men are more seduced by the thrill of the pursuit than the conquest? Embarrassing, inconvenient and uncomfortable as it may seem, some men perhaps agree. “Maybe we are made that way! I have to confess that it was a huge challenge for me to win Laila, given her classy background, dazzling looks and hoity-toity airs. I managed to do it with an audacious strategy that – luckily – worked: Be insulting, dismissive, rude and mock her celebrated good looks, background and lifestyle, all the time telling her how hollow and superficial her life is, how her friends really are her chamchas [not real friends] and how those arrogant airs that she puts on are nothing but a defence mechanism against her total lack of self-confidence. It took time, boss, but it finally worked! Today, she is my wife – despite the near-cardiac arrest of her parents – and all is cool. She is grounded, real and even agrees that she lived a fake life.” Laila goes along but makes a slight detour. “Sushil is right when he says that he tore my mask to introduce me to myself and the real world. His approach – rough, direct, aggressive, totally devoid of polish, class or politeness – was certainly a culture shock but I guess the searing truth got me. Also, the complete lack of the visual playing moony-eyed devotee/chamcha, was attractive. Inverted snobbery, I have to confess, worked.” However, after marriage, that very directness that appealed to her so much simmered down. “He was a sweet and caring husband but the attractive rough edges, the straight no-bullshit talk had almost vanished. He was busy and distracted. I so miss the turbo-charged volcano he was. He was so so different!” Men complain – that like lyric, poetry and epic – passion of the courtship kind will shift from a raging fire to a warm, cosy glow. “Boss, like sexual hi-jinks, it has an expiry date too and if you don’t agree, drop into your friendly, neighbourhood nursing home for a close-up of over-ambitious guys who insisted on wanting to do … Yesterday once more!” The men add that women totally believe that the earlier junoon and paagalpan is a part of the overall romance package they bought into and if one per cent is missing ever – in word, thought or deed – its chaos! Yaar, ab to biwi hain, not gasp-pant object of desire, so calm down, chill and taste the coffee. Kaun samjhaye?! Women are not amused at this typically chauvinistic, patronising, dumb, insensitive, corny and obtuse observation. Does the chase only rock till the conquest happens and, once achieved, like animals, is devouring the only thing on their mind, instead of fostering, nurturing, caring or bonding, taking the relationship to the next level? Confesses a distraught 28-year-old Ayesha Sehgal, home-maker with two small kids, aged 5 & 3, “I was so bewildered and disappointed at Akhil, when soon after our blissed-out courtship phase, honeymoon and early days, he started changing. It started when I became pregnant. I expected special attention and caring which just didn’t happen. Forget flowers and gifts, even the earlier tons of calls and texting took a huge hit and became minimal. He was there for me and I really can’t put a finger on where he went wrong, but somewhere, the magic had evaporated. I’ve often tried to figure out the reason but failed. Many of my friends have similar stories to tell, so all is clearly not well in the state of shaadi-nagar!” Marriage counsellors, behavorial scientists and social commentators believe it has to do with men being chronically lazy and totally secure once the ‘campaign’ is won. Since it’s a done-deal, baat khatam! It also has to do, some believe, and women please don’t scream, about women too pulling back on their looks and figure post-marriage and certainly post-kids. A friend swore he heard his once-very-attractive 26-year-old colleague coolly say “yaar, shaadi ho gayi, bachche ho gaye, not competing with Kat or Dips for my hubby’s attention, so what’s this big obsession of retaining looks and hot figure? That’s for the insecure types, compulsive attention-seekers or females who are seen as furniture at home by the hubby. I am in a comfortably secure and happy state. Period.” Truth to tell, there are no easy answers. However, in the year 2015 when both women and men – in their respective ways – have taken such giant leaps towards achieving their future, it might be wise to pause and reflect on the basics that define the human condition, factors that colour, grace and caress the most significant space of all – the space between the heart. Agreed it’s a fiercely consumerist world, success at any cost is the new aphrodisiac and battle of the sexes continues to get more over-heated each day with egos going through the roof, but point is – why continue to play the silly, stone-age hunter-hunted game? Why believe in your own market-driven mythology and chase shadows leading to doom? Why not just be yourself – warts and all – bereft of posturing and masks, celebrating simple, uncomplicated joys like togetherness, loyalty, trust, integrity, caring? Try it, and love could well make a glorious return journey, even post-marriage! (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why as we enter marriage, love exits

All those <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/dating-apps-usage-to-spike-on-valentines-day-32809">who are single on Valentine&#39;s Day</a>, do not despair, according to a study most believe in gifting themselves on the day of love as an expression of&nbsp;&quot;self-love&quot;.

The study revealed 76% people in the age group of 25-28 and 58 per cent people in the over 33 category&nbsp;were ok with the experience of &quot;gifting themselves&quot;&nbsp;on Valentine&#39;s Day.

The study found Pune more open to the idea of embracing &quot;self-love&quot;&nbsp;with 76 per cent of people willing to gift themselves, Delhi came a close second with 68 per cent.

Beyond just meeting people, in Bangaluru 50 per cent respondents were &quot;open&quot; to meeting a prospective life partner.

And of course, &quot;sense of humour&quot; was&nbsp;highlighted as the &quot;most desirable trait&quot; in a partner with 20 per cent respondents in the 18-28 bracket choosing &quot;sense of style&quot; as an important trait.

Everyone loves surprises, the survey found over 90% of the respondents look&nbsp;forward to &quot;surprises&quot;&nbsp;on Valentine&#39;s Day.

As far as PDAs are&nbsp;concerned, 78% people said Valentine&rsquo;s Day is a good occasion to show love, like all PDA floating around on social media with 68 per cent people in Delhi-NCR more comfortable with it than Mumbaikars who averaged 58 per cent.

Also, 18 to 24 year-olds were most comfortable about expressing &quot;love online&quot;, the study found.

The study found Pune more open to the idea of embracing "self-love" with 76 per cent

All those who are single on Valentine's Day, do not despair, according to a study most believe in gifting themselves on the day of love as an expression of "self-love". The study revealed 76% people in the age group of 25-28 and 58 per cent people in the over 33 category were ok with the experience of "gifting themselves" on Valentine's Day. The study found Pune more open to the idea of embracing "self-love" with 76 per cent of people willing to gift themselves, Delhi came a close second with 68 per cent. Beyond just meeting people, in Bangaluru 50 per cent respondents were "open" to meeting a prospective life partner. And of course, "sense of humour" was highlighted as the "most desirable trait" in a partner with 20 per cent respondents in the 18-28 bracket choosing "sense of style" as an important trait. Everyone loves surprises, the survey found over 90% of the respondents look forward to "surprises" on Valentine's Day. As far as PDAs are concerned, 78% people said Valentine’s Day is a good occasion to show love, like all PDA floating around on social media with 68 per cent people in Delhi-NCR more comfortable with it than Mumbaikars who averaged 58 per cent. Also, 18 to 24 year-olds were most comfortable about expressing "love online", the study found.

Valentine's Day: 68 per cent people in Delhi-NCR believe in PDA, finds study

The Internet sensation&nbsp;Priya Prakash Varrier is back with a new teaser flirting with her male classmate in a still from upcoming Malayalam film Oru Adaar Love (A Superb Love).

In the new teaser of the film, the two can be seen exchanging flirtatious glances while attending a lecture in their classroom. As the teacher is busy writing on the blackboard, the supposed on-screen couple Priya Prakash Varrier and Roshan Abdul Rahoof carry on with their romance -- Priya loads a gun (made using her two fingers) with a kiss and aims for Rahoof, to which Rahoof acts as attacked and sighs with such innocence.&nbsp;

Watch the latest video here:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pC2yUlN2kMU" width="970"></iframe>

Speaking to WION, the 18-year-old actress said:&nbsp;&quot;Didn&#39;t expect it to go viral and reach the&nbsp;international audience. The fame is too much for me to handle. All this is surreal, I am still trying to cope with it, trying to consume it.&quot; Read the full interview <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/priya-prakash-varrier-on-being-the-internets-latest-crush-the-fame-is-too-much-for-me-to-handle-32767" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;

The Malayali actress got famous for her vivid facial expressions -- wink, smile -- while flirting with her classmate. She became an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-meet-priya-prakash-varrier-internets-latest-crush-32591" target="_blank">overnight success</a> owing to the clip that went viral from her movie.&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="476" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhutiyacasm%2Fvideos%2F224440061443687%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="476"></iframe>

This success has even translated to her social media presence --&nbsp;becoming the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-priya-prakash-varrier-internets-latest-crush-now-creates-record-on-instagram-32709" target="_blank">third highest gainer of social media followers on Instagram</a>. In a single day, she acquired more than 606 thousand followers. Speaking about this, Priya said&nbsp;that she now has a verified Instagram profile and that people won&#39;t anymore be confused with the multiple accounts that have had sprang up ever since her clip went viral.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-priya-prakash-varrier-co-star-roshan-abdul-rahoof-profile-32755" target="_blank">Also Read:&nbsp;Meet Roshan Abdul Rahoof, the boy who we all relate to in the Priya Varrier video</a>

The latest internet's sensation got famous for her recently released song in which she is seen winking playfully at her classmate

The Internet sensation Priya Prakash Varrier is back with a new teaser flirting with her male classmate in a still from upcoming Malayalam film Oru Adaar Love (A Superb Love). In the new teaser of the film, the two can be seen exchanging flirtatious glances while attending a lecture in their classroom. As the teacher is busy writing on the blackboard, the supposed on-screen couple Priya Prakash Varrier and Roshan Abdul Rahoof carry on with their romance -- Priya loads a gun (made using her two fingers) with a kiss and aims for Rahoof, to which Rahoof acts as attacked and sighs with such innocence. Watch the latest video here: Speaking to WION, the 18-year-old actress said: "Didn't expect it to go viral and reach the international audience. The fame is too much for me to handle. All this is surreal, I am still trying to cope with it, trying to consume it." Read the full interview here. The Malayali actress got famous for her vivid facial expressions -- wink, smile -- while flirting with her classmate. She became an overnight success owing to the clip that went viral from her movie. This success has even translated to her social media presence -- becoming the third highest gainer of social media followers on Instagram. In a single day, she acquired more than 606 thousand followers. Speaking about this, Priya said that she now has a verified Instagram profile and that people won't anymore be confused with the multiple accounts that have had sprang up ever since her clip went viral. Also Read: Meet Roshan Abdul Rahoof, the boy who we all relate to in the Priya Varrier video

Priya Prakash 'wink' Varrier has a Valentine's Day gift: Flying kiss!

In June 2015, this correspondent was fresh out of college and working for a back-packers&#39; hostel in Daryaganj in central Delhi. The job was to design walking tours of the city and arranging a rich cultural experience for guests from across the world. It was during this period that one got to know Chintan Girish Modi, the founder of an India-Pakistan friendship initiative, Aao Dosti Karein (Let&#39;s be friends) or Friendships Across Borders (FAB), that utilises the power of internet and technology to change minds.&nbsp; 
 
On a summer afternoon, Chintan was busy chatting animatedly with a Pakistani couple in their 50s, who were on a tour of India. After a 30-minute chat, they discovered they had common friends. The couple looked out of place because they were the only people their age in a hostel full of young backpackers.&nbsp;

A talk with Chintan revealed that he worked to build friendships between Indians and Pakistanis. The so-called &lsquo;broad-minded, modern, cosmopolitan Delhi-girl&rsquo; that one thought one was, the instinctive question on my mind was -- Is friendship even possible?

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Chintan Girish Modi with his friend Aliya from Pakistan (left), Artwork (right) by Kirthi Jayakumar from Chennai to symbolise love, peace, unity, hope, and strength (Image Courtsey: Aao Dosti Karein) (WION)
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Chintan related tales of his travels in Pakistan. He had visited Lahore. Was it even safe to go there, one wondered. The questions stayed with one. Ours is a generation increasingly connected by Internet. Many of us use it to stay in touch with our friends from across the border whom we may have met while studying or travelling abroad. WION decided to reach out young Indians and Pakistanis through and online survey: &nbsp;

 
&#39;Indians and Pakistanis be friends?&#39; &nbsp; 
 
We reached out to 336 respondents between the ages of 18 years and 30 years of whom 193 are Pakistanis, while 143 are Indians. We sought responses from college students and professionals working for major corporate houses in cities of India and Pakistan like Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata in India and Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi in Pakistan. 
&nbsp; 
From the responses, it appears that friendship is definitely possible. Of the Pakistanis we got responses from, 55 per cent seemed very fond of India. In India, 18 per cent said they had positive feelings to Pakistan, while 42 per cent said they had neutral feelings toward their neighbour.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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55% people in Pakistan expressed positive feelings towards their neighbouring nation. (WION)
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&nbsp;

When asked what was the main reason they would want to befriend someone from across the border &ndash; the shared culture emerged as the main factor &ndash; 42 per cent Indians and 60 per cent Pakistanis felt it was the main thing that brought the two countries together.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;I love everything about India - it is absurd to base your perceptions on political differences. We are much more than that,&rdquo; Raza Khan, a student of University of Karachi from Pakistan wrote as a part of his response.&nbsp;

Coke Studio, Lahore Fort, same as us, Sufi music, delicious food, Pakistani serials, cricket matches were the most instant &nbsp;answers to things the neighbours liked about each other. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;I visited Pakistan on an exchange programme and felt like I&rsquo;m in some part of Old Delhi. I didn&rsquo;t feel there was much difference between the two countries,&rdquo; said Madhurima Chopra, an engineering student from Delhi. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The citizens of both the countries are also keen on visiting the other. About 45 per cent Indians said yes, while 26 per cent said may be. Pakistanis (75% ) also want to visit India someday. &ldquo;I have heard a lot about the Lahore Fort. I&rsquo;d love to see it someday,&rdquo; says Arushi Chand, an architecture student from Delhi.&nbsp;

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Around 75% people in Pakistan would want to visit India someday (WION)
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&nbsp; 
These respondents are also hopeful that the differences between the two nations can be resolved -- 34.3 per cent Indians and about 75 per cent Pakistanis believe it can definitely happen. Some Indians (25%) and Pakistanis (23%) are unsure about that happening, but hope it happens. &ldquo;The differences are only in our minds&rdquo; said Syed Muhamed Qasim, working in an electronics MNC in Lahore.&nbsp;

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A major share in both countries believe that their differences can be resolved (WION)
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&nbsp;

Most of them were open about having friends on the other side of the border. Fifty per cent Indians would like to have friends in Pakistan and 17 per cent already do. Fifty-one per cent of the Pakistanis respondents have friends in India and 40 per cent were interested in having one. &ldquo;I have plenty of friends in India and they are no different from my friends here,&rdquo; said Amira Khan, a student from Rawalpindi.&nbsp;

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Both countries are willing to have friends on the other side of the border. (WION)
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&nbsp; 
Separated by a border, virtually friends&nbsp; 
 
Internet, the largest community in history, is a technology without borders. India and Pakistan -- separated by a decades-old animosity, can explore friendships that would otherwise never be.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Pakistan has been a part of Chintan&rsquo;s imagination ever since he was a child.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;When I was a kid, adults asked me where I would like to go when I grew up? I would say Pakistan. For an Indian child to say this seems quite strange to people. But all I heard about Pakistan when I was growing up was that it was a dangerous place. That the people were mean. I would not come back alive if I went there. I was not convinced. How could a place be all bad? I was curious and wanted to check it out for myself.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Modi got the opportunity to visit Pakistan during an exchange project. Friendships formed during this time showed him another way to think about Pakistan &ndash; quite different from the tone of most media, history textbooks, and news. &ldquo;I had a growing urge to make these experiences and opportunities available to other people, to let them participate and interact with folks across the border. And so Aao Dosti Karein: Friendships Across Borders (FAB) was formed,&rdquo; said Modi. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;I also visit schools in India to talk to students about my experiences in Pakistan. All our interactions are based on questions the children had. It was an enriching experience for me as well. I began thinking about combining social media and interactions with young people. That&rsquo;s how FAB started. However, FAB owes tremendously to friends who have volunteered their time and support and organised speaking engagements.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The project has contributors and volunteers of diverse backgrounds including a poet, a journalist, an arts manager, a historian, a filmmaker, and students from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
An inspiring <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fabaaodostikarein/photos/a.250723438441144.1073741833.245356592311162/526053360908149/?type=3">story</a> is the one of Devika from Delhi and Aliya from Islamabad.&nbsp;

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Devika Mittal (right) from India and Aliya Harir (left) from Pakistan share an everlasting bond (Image Courtsey: Aao Dosti Karein) (WION)
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&nbsp;

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Devika Mittal is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology at the Delhi School of Economics. (WION)
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Aliya Harir has a Masters in International Relations from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. (WION)
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&nbsp;

A part of the motivation for FAB is to show the different forms that peace can take, and provide alternatives to the powerlessness that people feel. &ldquo;What you and I can do is make friends even if we can&rsquo;t sign treaties.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
These are relationships that the internet enables and makes that much easier. &nbsp; &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Indians and Pakistanis can connect on online platforms &nbsp;even when the visa regime makes physical travel difficult.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
Students from India sent messages to Pakistan after the attack on the army school in Peshawar in solidarity and condolence to the families of the slain children. There is hope yet.&nbsp;

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Messages from Indian students of Ecole Mondiale World School (Mumbai) and Heritage School (Gurgaon) to Pakistan after the attack on army school in Peshawar (Image Courtsey: Aao Dosti Karein) (WION)
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&nbsp;&quot;The only true borders lie between day and night, between life and death, between hope and loss&quot; - Erin Hunter

Youngsters from India and Pakistan say their shared culture is the strongest factor for forging friendships

In June 2015, this correspondent was fresh out of college and working for a back-packers' hostel in Daryaganj in central Delhi. The job was to design walking tours of the city and arranging a rich cultural experience for guests from across the world. It was during this period that one got to know Chintan Girish Modi, the founder of an India-Pakistan friendship initiative, Aao Dosti Karein (Let's be friends) or Friendships Across Borders (FAB), that utilises the power of internet and technology to change minds. On a summer afternoon, Chintan was busy chatting animatedly with a Pakistani couple in their 50s, who were on a tour of India. After a 30-minute chat, they discovered they had common friends. The couple looked out of place because they were the only people their age in a hostel full of young backpackers. A talk with Chintan revealed that he worked to build friendships between Indians and Pakistanis. The so-called ‘broad-minded, modern, cosmopolitan Delhi-girl’ that one thought one was, the instinctive question on my mind was -- Is friendship even possible? Chintan Girish Modi with his friend Aliya from Pakistan (left), Artwork (right) by Kirthi Jayakumar from Chennai to symbolise love, peace, unity, hope, and strength (Image Courtsey: Aao Dosti Karein) (WION) × Chintan related tales of his travels in Pakistan. He had visited Lahore. Was it even safe to go there, one wondered. The questions stayed with one. Ours is a generation increasingly connected by Internet. Many of us use it to stay in touch with our friends from across the border whom we may have met while studying or travelling abroad. WION decided to reach out young Indians and Pakistanis through and online survey: 'Indians and Pakistanis be friends?' We reached out to 336 respondents between the ages of 18 years and 30 years of whom 193 are Pakistanis, while 143 are Indians. We sought responses from college students and professionals working for major corporate houses in cities of India and Pakistan like Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata in India and Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi in Pakistan. From the responses, it appears that friendship is definitely possible. Of the Pakistanis we got responses from, 55 per cent seemed very fond of India. In India, 18 per cent said they had positive feelings to Pakistan, while 42 per cent said they had neutral feelings toward their neighbour. 55% people in Pakistan expressed positive feelings towards their neighbouring nation. (WION) × When asked what was the main reason they would want to befriend someone from across the border – the shared culture emerged as the main factor – 42 per cent Indians and 60 per cent Pakistanis felt it was the main thing that brought the two countries together. “I love everything about India - it is absurd to base your perceptions on political differences. We are much more than that,” Raza Khan, a student of University of Karachi from Pakistan wrote as a part of his response. Coke Studio, Lahore Fort, same as us, Sufi music, delicious food, Pakistani serials, cricket matches were the most instant answers to things the neighbours liked about each other. “I visited Pakistan on an exchange programme and felt like I’m in some part of Old Delhi. I didn’t feel there was much difference between the two countries,” said Madhurima Chopra, an engineering student from Delhi. The citizens of both the countries are also keen on visiting the other. About 45 per cent Indians said yes, while 26 per cent said may be. Pakistanis (75% ) also want to visit India someday. “I have heard a lot about the Lahore Fort. I’d love to see it someday,” says Arushi Chand, an architecture student from Delhi. Around 75% people in Pakistan would want to visit India someday (WION) × These respondents are also hopeful that the differences between the two nations can be resolved -- 34.3 per cent Indians and about 75 per cent Pakistanis believe it can definitely happen. Some Indians (25%) and Pakistanis (23%) are unsure about that happening, but hope it happens. “The differences are only in our minds” said Syed Muhamed Qasim, working in an electronics MNC in Lahore. A major share in both countries believe that their differences can be resolved (WION) × Most of them were open about having friends on the other side of the border. Fifty per cent Indians would like to have friends in Pakistan and 17 per cent already do. Fifty-one per cent of the Pakistanis respondents have friends in India and 40 per cent were interested in having one. “I have plenty of friends in India and they are no different from my friends here,” said Amira Khan, a student from Rawalpindi. Both countries are willing to have friends on the other side of the border. (WION) × Separated by a border, virtually friends Internet, the largest community in history, is a technology without borders. India and Pakistan -- separated by a decades-old animosity, can explore friendships that would otherwise never be. Pakistan has been a part of Chintan’s imagination ever since he was a child. “When I was a kid, adults asked me where I would like to go when I grew up? I would say Pakistan. For an Indian child to say this seems quite strange to people. But all I heard about Pakistan when I was growing up was that it was a dangerous place. That the people were mean. I would not come back alive if I went there. I was not convinced. How could a place be all bad? I was curious and wanted to check it out for myself.” Modi got the opportunity to visit Pakistan during an exchange project. Friendships formed during this time showed him another way to think about Pakistan – quite different from the tone of most media, history textbooks, and news. “I had a growing urge to make these experiences and opportunities available to other people, to let them participate and interact with folks across the border. And so Aao Dosti Karein: Friendships Across Borders (FAB) was formed,” said Modi. “I also visit schools in India to talk to students about my experiences in Pakistan. All our interactions are based on questions the children had. It was an enriching experience for me as well. I began thinking about combining social media and interactions with young people. That’s how FAB started. However, FAB owes tremendously to friends who have volunteered their time and support and organised speaking engagements.” The project has contributors and volunteers of diverse backgrounds including a poet, a journalist, an arts manager, a historian, a filmmaker, and students from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. An inspiring story is the one of Devika from Delhi and Aliya from Islamabad. Devika Mittal (right) from India and Aliya Harir (left) from Pakistan share an everlasting bond (Image Courtsey: Aao Dosti Karein) (WION) × Devika Mittal is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology at the Delhi School of Economics. (WION) × Aliya Harir has a Masters in International Relations from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. (WION) × A part of the motivation for FAB is to show the different forms that peace can take, and provide alternatives to the powerlessness that people feel. “What you and I can do is make friends even if we can’t sign treaties.” These are relationships that the internet enables and makes that much easier. “Indians and Pakistanis can connect on online platforms even when the visa regime makes physical travel difficult.” Students from India sent messages to Pakistan after the attack on the army school in Peshawar in solidarity and condolence to the families of the slain children. There is hope yet. Messages from Indian students of Ecole Mondiale World School (Mumbai) and Heritage School (Gurgaon) to Pakistan after the attack on army school in Peshawar (Image Courtsey: Aao Dosti Karein) (WION) × "The only true borders lie between day and night, between life and death, between hope and loss" - Erin Hunter

Keeping aside hate, Indians and Pakistanis enter into virtual friendship

It&rsquo;s been only a week since the UK took the decision to Brexit but that one vote has altered the Britain I thought I knew. Born and raised in Canada, I have spent most of my professional life in the UK. It was my adopted home. I loved it and, in turn, I hoped it loved me.&nbsp; 
 
It doesn&rsquo;t. 
 
The vote to leave was largely an anti-immigrant vote and the Leave campaign seems to have given legitimacy to the ugliest facets of society &ndash; xenophobia and racism. 
 
I have spent the week interviewing experts on what the vote means for Britain. It turns out some of the brightest minds are foreign-born &ndash; an American risk analyst, an Indian economics professor, a Belarussian negotiation expert, and a Slovenian international economics expert. 
 
We had all considered the vibrant international capital of London home... but there&#39;s doubt seeping in now. Our beloved city has grown an ugly underbelly. The Slovenian economics expert put it best.&nbsp; 
 
His 26-year-old son, raised in Britain since he was a year old, called him after the vote. &ldquo;They don&rsquo;t like us. They don&rsquo;t want us,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; 
 
We are &ldquo;the other&rdquo;. 
 
The American is considering returning to New York or perhaps Frankfurt; he has German roots and can get a passport. The Indian says she might take European job offers more seriously, and the Belarussian believes England is an uglier place now and wonders if it is the right place to raise her son. 
 
It has gotten ugly &ndash; fast. There has been a 57% rise in racist abuse after the Brexit vote, according to the National Police Chiefs&rsquo; Council. &nbsp; 
 
There&#39;s been racist graffiti scrawled on a Polish community centre in London. Letters stuffed through the doors of Polish families calling them &ldquo;Polish vermin&rdquo;, Muslims threatened with violence, an African American man verbally abused by teenagers in Manchester, a woman of South Asian descent born in Britain told to &ldquo;go home&rdquo; -- she swiftly retorted, &ldquo;I AM HOME&rdquo; -- and children of foreign parents taunted at schools.&nbsp; 
 
It all makes me sick. 
 
Then I wonder if this &ldquo;sudden&rdquo; surge of hatred for immigrants &ndash; &ldquo;the other&rdquo; &ndash; has always been there. Bubbling under the surface. Do the postman, the bartender, and the saleswoman all quietly judge me as soon as I open my mouth? Are they also wishing I would just go home? 
 
If this is the real Britain, well, I don&rsquo;t love you either and in this break-up, it&rsquo;s not me &ndash; it&rsquo;s you.

UK has seen a 57 per cent rise in racist abuse since it decided to exit the EU and Clark, a Canadian, suddenly finds herself as 'the other'

It’s been only a week since the UK took the decision to Brexit but that one vote has altered the Britain I thought I knew. Born and raised in Canada, I have spent most of my professional life in the UK. It was my adopted home. I loved it and, in turn, I hoped it loved me. It doesn’t. The vote to leave was largely an anti-immigrant vote and the Leave campaign seems to have given legitimacy to the ugliest facets of society – xenophobia and racism. I have spent the week interviewing experts on what the vote means for Britain. It turns out some of the brightest minds are foreign-born – an American risk analyst, an Indian economics professor, a Belarussian negotiation expert, and a Slovenian international economics expert. We had all considered the vibrant international capital of London home... but there's doubt seeping in now. Our beloved city has grown an ugly underbelly. The Slovenian economics expert put it best. His 26-year-old son, raised in Britain since he was a year old, called him after the vote. “They don’t like us. They don’t want us,” he said. We are “the other”. The American is considering returning to New York or perhaps Frankfurt; he has German roots and can get a passport. The Indian says she might take European job offers more seriously, and the Belarussian believes England is an uglier place now and wonders if it is the right place to raise her son. It has gotten ugly – fast. There has been a 57% rise in racist abuse after the Brexit vote, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council. There's been racist graffiti scrawled on a Polish community centre in London. Letters stuffed through the doors of Polish families calling them “Polish vermin”, Muslims threatened with violence, an African American man verbally abused by teenagers in Manchester, a woman of South Asian descent born in Britain told to “go home” -- she swiftly retorted, “I AM HOME” -- and children of foreign parents taunted at schools. It all makes me sick. Then I wonder if this “sudden” surge of hatred for immigrants – “the other” – has always been there. Bubbling under the surface. Do the postman, the bartender, and the saleswoman all quietly judge me as soon as I open my mouth? Are they also wishing I would just go home? If this is the real Britain, well, I don’t love you either and in this break-up, it’s not me – it’s you.

If this is the real Britain, then I don't love you

&quot;Unapologetic&quot; singer Rihanna broke down mid concert to the point where she couldn&#39;t continue with her song. 
 
The 28-year-old hitmaker was performing on a stage in Dublin, Ireland as a part of her &quot;Anti World Tour&quot;, reported E! online. 
 
Instagram videos of the concert shows RiRi singing the first few lyrics of her famous hit song with Eminem &quot;Love the Way You Lie&quot; with tears in her eyes. 
 
When the crowd sang the song back to her, she got engulfed in emotion and stepped back with her hand in the air. Later she attempted to continue with the track, but kept getting choked up. 
 
It seemed the singer was just taken aback by all the love she was getting from the crowd. 
 
(PTI)

Singer gets overwhelmed by all the love from the crowd

"Unapologetic" singer Rihanna broke down mid concert to the point where she couldn't continue with her song. The 28-year-old hitmaker was performing on a stage in Dublin, Ireland as a part of her "Anti World Tour", reported E! online. Instagram videos of the concert shows RiRi singing the first few lyrics of her famous hit song with Eminem "Love the Way You Lie" with tears in her eyes. When the crowd sang the song back to her, she got engulfed in emotion and stepped back with her hand in the air. Later she attempted to continue with the track, but kept getting choked up. It seemed the singer was just taken aback by all the love she was getting from the crowd. (PTI)

Rihanna breaks down in tears onstage during Dublin gig

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