London, July 28 : When it comes to seducing a woman, nothing, as it turns out, works better than a man with a self-deprecating sense of humour.

What''''s more is that this finding is based on a two-year scientific research which found that men who can poke fun at themselves are most the ones that are sexual magnets for women.

As a part of the study lead author Gil Greengross, of the University of New Mexico in the US and her colleagues asked female students to listen to tape recordings of men talking about themselves.

The women were then asked to score the men on sexual attractiveness.

London, July 28 : A new study, led by researchers from King''s College London, has shown that cases of dementia in the developing world are far more prevalent than previously thought, suggesting that the previous research had substantially underestimated the problem.

Recent estimates have shown that over 24 million people live with dementia worldwide, with 4.6 million new cases every year.

However, a number of studies have suggested that the prevalence of dementia in the developing world is between a quarter and a fifth of that typically recorded in developed countries.

Now, the new study has cast a doubt on these results.

London, July 27 : Forget polishing resume to find a suitable job, for your looks are more than enough to do the trick, suggests a new study, which has found that a majority of jobseekers are not hired because of their "bad dress sense" and "poor appearance".

Experts have called for style makeovers to get the long-term unemployed into work.

The Scottish Centre for Employment Research believes that image problems are a very real barrier to interview success.

Their conclusions are based on a survey of 500 high-street retailers in which they found that the vast majority had not hired staff because of the way they looked.

London, July 27 : The humble ice cream vans may soon become a thing of the past, courtesy the credit crunch.

Their jingling tunes, a sound that epitomises summer, are in danger of being silenced by the rising price of fuel and key ingredients.

Van owners have been struggling to cope as the price of powdered milk, used to make ice cream, rocketed by nearly 70percent last year.

Despite a brief respite earlier this year, the cost is now rising sharply again. Wheat flour is also going up adding to the cost of cones.

Overheads such as diesel and council permits also add to the pressures that could spell the end of a British institution.

London, July 27 : British and Japanese researchers have developed a robot that may give bartenders a run for their money.

The robot called Mr. Asahi can pull pints, pour shots and open bottles at high speed without asking for orders to be repeated.

It has been named after Japanese beer company Asahi, which is looking after it on its US tour these days.

"I think everyone loves the novelty of a robot that can pour beer. We''ve had a few bartenders who have said ''with this guy on the scene, my job''s in danger'', but given that he cost £100,000 to make, it may be a while before that happens," the Scotsman quoted Martin Leppard, the technical manager for the company, as saying.

London, July 26 : US presidential hopeful Barack Obama''s 67-year-old step mother, Kezia Obama, believes that he will change the way the world thinks once he takes charge at the White House in Washington.

As he arrived in London on Saturday, Kezia Obama, Barack Senior''s first wife, said proudly: "The things Barry Junior says are the things the world needs to focus on.”

"I believe he''s the right person at the right time. He''s the one to make the changes we need. If he does win he will be a president for the whole world," The Mirror quoted her, as saying.