7 ways to choose the right life partner

Selecting the right life partner is necessary to lead a happy married life. Here's how you can select your perfect one.

There are many factors that one needs to consider when choosing a life partner. The most important aspect is to consider things that are crucial to you.

Find someone who you can connect with easily

It is very important to choose somebody who you can easily strike a conversation with. This way, you can enjoy doing things and talking about them together without getting bored.

Potential partner with same interests

Selecting someone who shares a lot of common interests with you will work in your favour. Remember that all your interests don't really have to be the same, but some would do. Says clinical psychologist and relationship expert Seema Hingorrany, "When you decide to spend your life with someone, you must look at things that the two of you would love to do together. For example, if you are a movie buff, you would ideally like to be with someone who enjoys movies as well. This will make your life interesting."

Consider your partner's intellect

If you are a laid-back person and your partner is an over-achiever, that could lead to a threat in your marriage. You must see eye to eye on how both of you are able to think and process things.

It's okay to have standards

While choosing a life partner, you need to consider your and your family's standards. Though it's okay to choose someone who probably does not belong to the same strata of society as yours, make sure that he/she's not completely off the mark.

You should have respect for one another

You obviously cannot spend your life with someone who has no respect for you or your dreams/goals or your personality. So, choose someone who will acknowledge you for the rest of your life.

Is your potential trustworthy

In this day and age, it is extremely important to choose someone you can trust. You definitely cannot lead a happy marriage if you cannot trust each other or have faith.

Spend time together

Just as important as it is to have similar interests, it is also crucial to be with someone who gives you enough time and who you would love to spend time with.  

World’s oldest masks go on display in Israel

A rare collection of 9,000-year-old masks -- considered among the most ancient human portraits from Stone Age -- is set to be on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

The exhibition titled 'Face to Face: The Oldest Masks in the World' runs March 11-Sep 13 at the Israel Museum.

The 12 neolithic masks, originated from the Judean Hills and nearby Judean desert in Israel, have the same striking features resembling the spirits of dead ancestors.

"It is extraordinary to be able to present this rare group of ancient stone masks, all originating from the same region in the ancient Land of Israel," James Snyder, director of the Israel Museum, was quoted as saying.

Stone Age people who carved the masks were among the first humans to abandon nomadic life and set up home in permanent settlements, said a report in the Times of Israel.

It is thought the masks were used in religious and social ceremonies and in rites of healing and magic.

They have the same large eyes and gaping mouths but are all different to represent the individual spirits of ancestors.

Each carved limestone mask weights one or two kg and would likely have been painted.

"Given their origins in the region, their display carries special meaning, underscoring their place in the unfolding history of religion and art," James Snyder said.

Aamir made warring Mammootty and Lal strike peace” — the reality

Aamir Khan rushed to down South to make truce between warring Malayalam superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal, that is what a Mumbai tabloid and couple of copy-paste Bollywood gossip sites made out of a dinner meeting between the three. 

The tabloid, which removed the news from their website later, wrote that the meeting took place at Mohanlal's house. Contrary to the claims of the tabloid and other gossip sites, it was Aamir, in Kerala to announce signing Mohanlal for the promotions of 'Satyamev Jayate', who threw the dinner party at Taj Malabar in Kochi. The invitees included not just two superstars, but three and two media persons, including yours truly. Dileep was the third superstar Aamir had called to celebrate after roping in Mohanlal for the promotions of his programme. 

Waiting for Lal – who had a shoot on the day, Aamir shared his experience during the making of 'Satyamev Jayate' with rest of the invitees. Once Lal came in, the “warring south stars” together choose the day's specials for Aamir. Mohanlal left Taj at 11.30 pm and Mammootty after an hour, both times Aamir went to the reception to see them off. 

When Mohanlal and Mammootty shared stories about their life and struggling days in the industry, Aamir sat there listening eagerly. After dinner before the gang dispersed, Aamir suggested having a family photoshoot and modestly adding that it was his luck to be amongst the three stars of Malayalam cinema. All the four actors treasured this moment in their mobile phones and thus ended a dinner and a "war".

The tabloid even compared this dinner party with Aamir's attempts to resolve issues between Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan. 

Antibodies hold promise for effective HIV vaccine

Washington: In a path-breaking finding, researchers have discovered how the immune system makes a powerful antibody that blocks HIV infection of cells by targeting the V1V2 site on the virus.

It is believed that if a vaccine could elicit potent antibodies to a specific conserved site in the V1V2 region, then the vaccine could protect people from HIV infection. The V1V2 is a region on the virus envelope which increases the susceptability to neutralistion by antibodies.

"The new findings point the way toward a potentially more effective vaccine that would generate V1V2-directed HIV neutralising antibodies," said scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the US National Institutes of Health.

Scientists from Columbia University, the Centre for AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, were part of the research.

The team began its work by identifying an HIV-infected volunteer, who naturally developed V1V2-directed HIV neutralising antibodies after several months of infection.

Using techniques similar to those employed in an earlier study of HIV-antibody co-evolution, the researchers analysed blood samples donated by the volunteer between 15 weeks and four years after getting infected.

This enabled the scientists to determine the genetic make-up of the original form of the antibody.

They also identified and defined the structures of a number of the intermediate forms taken as the antibody mutated toward its fullest breadth and potency.

The study revealed that after relatively few mutations, even the early intermediates of V1V2-directed HIV neutralising antibodies can neutralise a significant proportion of known HIV strains.

According to the scientists, this improves the chances that a V1V2-directed HIV vaccine developed based on the new findings would be effective.

They have now started working on a set of vaccine components designed to elicit V1V2 neutralising antibodies and guide their maturation, said NIH in a press release.