Although many companies are hard-hit by economic crisis and unemployment, the "seduction industry'' is booming like never before.

More couples are spending on weekends in expensive hotels and meals in posh restaurants for steamy nights in, which has boosted sales for firms selling stuff to spice-up the bedroom action.

There has been a boom in the sales of sexy lingerie as women look towards adding some zest to their love lives.

Sex toy and love potion sellers say that profits are "through the roof''.

An Etihad Airways flight to Abu Dhabi made an unplanned landing here on Monday after a Filipino on board complained of chest pain. Mondenedo Elmer, 30, however, died of cardiac arrest on way to a private hospital.

Airport authorities said the Jakarta-Abu Dhabi flight EY 471 sought air traffic control permission for emergency landing after Elmer vomited blood.

The flight with 169 people, including crew, landed at 6.30 pm, they said. Police said Elmer's body had been kept at Government Medical College Mortuary and The Philippines embassy informed.

HC had stayed transfer of Godhra carnage case for 2 more weeks allowing for plea to be filed

The case papers of the Sabarmati Express carnage may be transferred to the Godhra sessions court from the designated Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota) court at any time. The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to extend the stay on the order of the Gujarat high court on the transfer of the case.

Sardarji Maganji Waghela, who had lost his son in the incident, had filed an appeal against an order of the Gujarat high court, which had dismissed his petition challenging the decision of the Central Pota Review Committee to drop charges under the stringent anti-terror law against 134 people accused in the case. The matter will be heard by the Supreme Court on March 6.

Manipur, Feb 25 : With a further improvement in the law and order situation in Manipur, curfew was relaxed for twelve hours from 6 a. m. on Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, the local civil society organisations have urged the state government to pressurise the National Socialist Council of Nagaland(Isaac-Muivah - NSCN (IM) to hand over the killers of the three government officials.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) had imposed an indefinite strike on February 19 against the murder of three state government employees in Ukhrul district by some unknown miscreants.

Lawyers of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry continued their hunger strike outside Madras high court on NSC Bose Road on Tuesday. They also turned down the government's attempts to make peace and refused to meet state law minister Duraimurugan. 

The four-member inquiry panel set up by the state administration to probe the February 19 clash was rejected by the agitating lawyers.

Duraimurugan, who went to the high court on Tuesday, met some judicial officers. He called for a meeting with senior counsels on Wednesday. "We aren't prepared for any dialogue unless the government initiates action against the senior police officers who were responsible for the assault on lawyers," Madras High Court Advocates' Association president RC Paul Kanakaraj said. 

In a room full of patients, Kamlaben Vankar sits beside her husband's bed at Modasa general hospital. She is writing post-cards to invite family members for her god bharai on Sunday.

But she does not know if her husband would be able to attend the function, welcoming their first child. Because Prithivi Malaji Vankar (35), a resident of Palampur near Modasa, has been hospitalised for a month. He was admitted in a private clinic, but was shifted to general hospital here last week.  

“There is a custom in our family where a pregnant woman and the unborn child are given blessings and gifts by relatives,'' said Kamla.