Are you Coming to watch Olympic, Paralympic Games in UK? Then You can stay in UK for up to 6 months

If you are coming to watch the Olympic and Paralympic Games as a visitor, you will be allowed to stay in the UK for up to six months in most cases.

Also, get your papers ready. From 1 January 2012, the UK Border Agency will begin processing visitor visas for those coming from outside the UK to watch the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Games will be the biggest event that the UK has hosted and many extra visitors will arrive during the busy summer period in 2012.

The UKBA said: 1We will process your application and, if you meet the requirements, will issue your visa with a start date that will cover you for the whole Olympic and Paralympic Games period. This means that you can start your preparations for travelling to the UK for the Games from the beginning of 2012.

After Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and Monaco, Taiwan participates in UK youth mobility scheme

After Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and Monaco, its Taiwan

From 1 January 2012, Taiwan will join the list of countries and territories that participate in the UK's youth mobility scheme, under Tier 5 of the points-based system.

The scheme is for young people from participating countries and territories who want to come and experience life in the UK.

Every year, the UK government allocates a number of places on the youth mobility scheme for each country and territory.

For 2012, Taiwan, Japan and Monaco will each receive an allocation of 1,000 places. This is in line with the number of places offered to UK nationals on their reciprocal schemes.

Australia, Canada and New Zealand's allocations will match the number of UK nationals who were issued visas on their reciprocal schemes in the previous year:

Australia has 32,500 places, Canada 5,000 places and New Zealand 10,000 places

The UK Border Agency said the Immigration Rules will be amended on 1 January 2012 to reflect the addition of Taiwan to the scheme. A statement of changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 1693) was laid before Parliament on 8 December.

Indians in UK at-least have a reason to cheer now?. Indian-origin Seema Malhotra wins London bypoll

Indians in the UK have another reason to cheer. Indian-origin Labour candidate Seema Malhotra has won London bypoll.

Daughter of Indian immigrants, Malhotra grew up in Feltham and went to school in Heston.

Born in 1972, the British Labour Party politician is a former management consultant. She worked for Accenture and PriceWaterhouseCoopers and also founded the Fabian Women's Network.

She was a previous National Chair of the Young Fabians and worked as an adviser for Liam Byrne and Ian Austin, while Labour was in government.

Following Gordon Brown's resignation as Prime Minister in the wake of the 2010 general election, she worked for Harriet Harman during her tenure as Acting Leader of the Labour Party.

She comfortably won a by-election to the House of Commons from the Feltham and Heston constituency with an increased majority over the ruling Conservative party.

Malhotra retained the seat for Labour after a swing of 8.56 per cent points from the Tories.

Malhotra increased Labour's majority from 4,658 to 6,203 when she was declared elected with 12,639 votes. Mark Bowen, the Conservative candidate, came second with 6,436 votes while Roger Crouch, the Liberal Democrat, finished third with 1,364 votes.

The turnout was 28.7 per cent, the lowest in a by-election in 11 years.

The by-election was caused by the death last month of Alan Keen, who held the seat for Labour with a majority of 4,658 at the general election last year.

Celebrating the victory with her husband Sushil Saluja, Malhotra said: "This result is a great victory for Labour which shows the progress we are making under Ed Miliband's leadership, a vote of confidence in the way Labour is changing, listening hard, winning back the trust of the people we seek to serve.

"But this is also a wake-up call for (Prime Minister) David Cameron. This result shows how this Tory led government is totally out of touch.”

Top 3 First Day Collections in Tollywood

The whoofing opening weekend collections of 'Panjaa' have brought the debate on - Which Hero's film holds the record of Highest First Day Collections in Tollywood?

Here are the list of Top 3 First Day Collections in Tollywood:

Oosaravelli First Day Collections - 15.46 Crores.

Panjaa First Day Collections -  13.5 to 14.5 Crores.

Dookudu First Day Collections - 12.56 Crores.

Oosaravelli still holds the First Day record with a margin of Rs 1 crore.  The factors which helped this film are its wide range release (1800 screens - Biggest for any Tollywood film till date) and the combo of Jr NTR-Surender Reddy-Devi Sri Prasad.

Panjaa have taken humongous openings just for one reason - Pawan Kalyan. The film has no big names other than Powerstar himself. It is Director Vishnuvardhan's debut film in Tollywood and also released with less number of prints when compared with the other two biggies. Notably, the film has stood at No 2 position, despite all the negative talk. What will be the numbers if Pawan's film get unanimous hit talk? Unimaginable!!!

Dookudu shattered all existing records with unanimous positive talk and its wide range release. Mahesh Babu's popularity, his stamina in Overseas and the crazy combination of Mahesh Babu and Srinu Vytla has helped in fetching record openings.

Although Oosaravelli holds the First Day record, the First Week record is still with Dookudu. Let's see whether Panjaa crosses it or not!!!

You love their songs, but don’t want the foreigners here(UK)! Why This Kolaveri Di?

20 million viewers in less than one month....

Before saying anything about the song that has transcended so rhythmically social, ethnic, language and even geographical borders, it’s a musical idea to look up the meaning of the two melodic words Kolaveri Di.

Even in India — the land of the rising song — most people do not understand the meaning of the words that have set the foot tapping and people swaying in the UK and other parts of the world.

The inboxes of all those having to do even a little bit with Bollywood have been flooded with queries — what’s the meaning of the two words? After all, everyone in India also does not understand Tamil language.

Composer Anirudh Ravichander, who came out with this song on debut, says: “Why this Kolaveri Di means `why do you have this murderous rage against me’?

It may sound music to your ears, but the entire process was actually over in 20 minutes. The tune came first. Once Ravichander came up with the tune, Dhanush heard and sang the words.

And if you are wondering, why the Kolaveri Di is called the ‘soup song’, Ravichander has an explanation: Soup is a Tamil word used for guys who go through failure in love. Words like these are used by young guys in real life but in a song, they were introduced by them. And, the words have worked well for Kolaveri Di.

What is more important than the basics — which movie is the song from? and other such issues — is the significance behind the success of the song.

Listen with your eyes closed and you realise individual taste may vary, but human beings across the world are so much the same. Good music and soothing lyrics relax their tired nerves; they sway and like to get swayed when something appeals to their senses. And, it’s the same for the blacks, and the whites.   

For once, incomprehensible singing of the somewhat comprehensive words and strangeness of the music is no deterrent. The rhyme and the rhythm binds you; and you sit glued to the small screen, listening and watching the song.

It does not matter whether you are an ardent supporter of the BNP policies, or fighting for the cause of the asylum seekers….

But, when it comes to the people hailing from the land of the hot song, chances are that the attitude of the natives with a stiff upper lip may change.

After all, foreigners are not natives. Their skin colour and tone, their language, and even their ethnicity is different. Why This Kolaveri Di? we ask.

Now about the basics, Lead actor of 3, the lyricist and singer of the Kolaveri song is Dhanush. He recently won the national award for his performance in Aadukalam. 3 is directed by Aishwarya Dhanush, the daughter of superstar Rajnikanth and wife of actor Dhanush. The film stars Shruthi Hassan, Kamaal Hassan’s daughter, and Dhanush in lead roles. It’s expected to be released on 14th January 2012.

Sehwag's trend setting highest record in one day internationals, next man was Sachin Tendulkar

India v England 1st ODI Highlights Online at Hyderabad, Oct 14, 2011

Spain, immigrants leaving the country because of economic crisis

19 October 2011 - With the crisis and the threat of a new economic recession, Spain is no longer the Eldorado for immigration, especially of North Africans and South Americans.

Data on the current population, revealed by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), confirm the reversal of the trend highlighted by earlier estimates: for the first time in the last ten years, the first 9 months of this year showed a negative balance in immigrant population.

From January to September 2011,  around 317,500 migrants arrived in Spain, while about 356,700 were those who decided to return to their countries of origin, with a negative balance of more than 39,200 foreigners.

According to the INE, the exodus is occurring to a greater extent among men than among women, a fact which indirectly confirms the tragedy of the loss of work behind the choice of returning to their country of origin.

And now, bring your under-21 foreign spouse to UK

13^th October 2011: In a judgment expected to benefit those wanting to bring their under-21 spouses to the UK, the Supreme Court this morning overturned an immigration rule prohibiting the entry of foreign spouses from non-EU countries, who are under the age of 21.

The judgment is significant as the age limit was raised from 18 to 21 in 2008. explaining the rationale behind the move, the Home Office had claimed it was an attempt to prevent forced marriages.

But, the Supreme Court was not convinced. It held the rule breached article 8 of the ECHR.

Lord Wilson said the number of forced marriages which the rule deterred was “highly debatable”.

Lord Wilson added: “What seems clear is that the number of unforced marriages which it obstructs from their intended development for up to three years vastly exceeds the number of forced marriages which it deters.

“Neither in the material which she published prior to the introduction of the amendment in 2008 nor in her evidence in these proceedings has the secretary of state addressed this imbalance – still less sought to identify the scale of it.

“Even had it been correct to say that the scale of the imbalance was a matter of judgement for the secretary of state rather than for the courts, it is not a judgement which, on the evidence before the court, she has ever made.”

Lord Wilson made it clear the home secretary has failed to prove the amendment was no more than essential to accomplish her objective or that it struck a fair balance between the rights of the parties to unforced marriages and the interests of the community in preventing forced marriages.

Lord Wilson said: “On any view it is a sledgehammer but she has not attempted to identify the size of the nut”.

“At all events she fails to establish that the interference with the rights of the respondents under article 8 is justified.”

“On any view it is a sledgehammer but she [the secretary of state] has not attempted to identify the size of the nut”

As Lord Wilson turned down the home secretary’s appeal, Lords Phillips and Lord Clarke agreed that the home secretary had violated their rights under article 8 by refusing to grant marriage visas to the claimant couples.

Lord Brown, however, dissented while describing forced marriages as an “appalling evil” which all too often occurred within the immigrant community.

“The extent to which the rule will help combat forced marriage and the countervailing extent to which it will disrupt the lives of innocent couples adversely affected by it is largely a matter of judgment,” Lord Brown asserted.

“Unless demonstrably wrong, this judgment should be rather for government than for the courts.

“Still more obviously, the comparison between the enormity of suffering within forced marriages on the one hand and the disruption to innocent couples within the 18-21 age group whose desire to live together in this country is temporarily thwarted by the rule change, is essentially one for elected politicians, not for judges.”

Lord Brown insisted article 8 was a “difficult provision” leading to some “highly contentious, not to say debatable, decisions”.

“In a sensitive context such as that of forced marriages it would seem to me not merely impermissible but positively unwise for the courts yet again to frustrate government policy except in the clearest of cases.

“To my mind this cannot possibly be regarded as such a case. I would allow these appeals.”

In December 2010, the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, with the support of The AIRE Centre, the Southall Black Sisters and the Henna Foundation, successfully challenged the 2008 law.

The case fought was that of British citizen, Amber and her Chilean husband, Diego Aguilar-Quila, a young couple of who met at school whilst Diego’s mother was studying at University in the UK.

Responding to the verdict, the JCWI said: `They married, with the support of both families, but were denied a visa for Diego due to the new law. Amber and Diego were just one of many couples denied the right to live together, when it was universally accepted, including by the Home Office, that the relationship was genuine.

The ruling should act as a warning to the Home Office, that the making of knee-jerk policy without adequate research is unacceptable’.

JCWI Chief Exec Habib Rahman said: “This is a fantastic victory, our thanks goes to the judges who had made a considered and intelligent judgment. This is a great day for the right to a family life in the UK. This was a law introduced on the hoof, which had no discernible effect on forced marriage, but infringed on the rights of UK citizens to live in the UK with their partners. We are delighted to see it consigned to the scrap heap of misguided legislation.

“We now ask the Government to consider other policies they are generating on family immigration. They habitually frame such policy as helping the welfare of migrants and others, whereas in truth their rules are solely aimed at limiting immigration. Theresa May should rethink these attacks before some of them meet a similar fate”

UK to curb immigrant rights (especially Indians) to settle permanently?

3rd October 2011:  The government is working out a proposal to introduce new rules to curb immigrants' rights to settle down permanently in the UK. The move is likely to unfavourably influence thousands of Indians and other foreigners seeking to live in the country.


The Conservative Party-led coalition government will abandon a rule that gives foreign workers the right to live permanently in Britain, after working here for five years. It will also limit the rights of their family members to join them.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, is working out modalities for a new obstacle for immigrants that would prevent most of them from gaining the right to remain here indefinitely.

More than half of those permitted the right to stay in Britain in 2010 were from Asian countries such as Pakistan and India, and 27 per cent were from African countries. More than 7,000 Iraqis and 8,401 Iranians were given the right to settle.

Civil servants are drawing up measure for a further test that would be applied before a permanent right to remain is granted.

It is expected to be based on immigrants' ability to support themselves and their families. It would also check qualifications and whether they are working in professions where there are shortages of trained Britons able to fulfill the role.

Those on high incomes, businessmen and millionaire investors would be excused because the government believed they would create jobs.

Already, it is evident that May and Damian Green, the immigration minister, want to break the link between working and settling in Britain.


The Home Office will also look at limiting the right of immigrants' spouses to a British passport if they stay here long enough.

Under the plans, to be announced later this year, foreigners will still be able to gain a visa to work in Britain.  But they will no longer be able to stay by advantage of remaining legally for five years.

People from outside the European Union, who came to Britain as asylum seekers and have worked in the country for years, possibly illegally, are also to have their right to remain restricted.

About 51,000 people were given the right to settle in Britain in 1997, but the figure rose up to a record 241,192 last year. EU nationals who have a right to live in the UK would not be affected.

In August, net migration rose by 21 per cent to 239,000, partly owing to the number of EU migrants coming to Britain and to a fall in the number of people leaving the country to live abroad. 

If anyone Leaving or entering UK with over £1,000 cash? You need to explain

7th October 2011: Leaving or entering the UK with more than £1,000 in cash? You need to provide evidence of the source, and intended use, of the money.

The assertion by the UK Border Agency came soon after a man from Stoke-on-Trent, who tried to leave the UK carrying over £40,000 in cash that he could not account for, was ordered to forfeit the money.

UKBA assistant director Malcolm Bragg said: 'Stopping the flow of money that has not been acquired legitimately is an important part of the work the UK Border Agency carries out to protect our border.

'Anyone leaving or entering the UK with more than £1,000 in cash must provide evidence of the source, and intended use, of the money.

'If there is evidence that the money has not been earned legitimately they face having it confiscated.'

Giving details of the case, the UKBA said: Malcolm Brown, 51, of Boon Avenue, Penkhull was stopped our officers at Birmingham airport in July 2010, before he was due to board a flight to Bangkok via Dubai.

`Brown was found to be carrying £42,980.

`Brown told officers that most of the cash came from his late mother who had died a few days earlier and the remainder from the sale of a car.

`The money was detained under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

`At Solihull Magistrates' Court on 20 September a judge ordered the forfeiture of £40,980 plus costs.

`The judge accepted Brown's account about the cash from the sale of a car and ordered the return of £2,000,’ the agency asserted.

New UK National Minimum Wage rates: 1st October 2011

27 September 2011. From 1 October 2011, new rates and entitlements will be introduced to the National Minimum Wage.

The new National Minimum Wage rates will apply from 1 October 2011. 
Workers who are aged 21 and over will be entitled to the main National Minimum Wage rate.
The new rates will be:

• ADULT NMW: £6.08 per hour

for workers aged 21 years and over (up from £5.93, qualifying age 22, in 2010-2011) 

• DEVELOPMENT NMW: £4.98 per hour

for workers aged 18 to 20 (up from £4.92 in 2010-2011) 

• MINORS NMW: £3.68 per hour

for workers aged 16-17, that is over compulsory school leaving age (up from £3.64 in 2010-2011) 

• APPRENTICE NMW: £2.60 per hour

for apprentices under 19 or 19 or over and in the first yearof their apprenticeship (up from £2.50 in 2010-2011) 

Nearly all workers in the UK are entitled to be paid at least the National Minimum Wage (NMW). If you are a worker entitled to the NMW, your employer is breaking the law if they aren’t paying it.

You are entitled to the NMW even if you sign a contract agreeing to be paid at a lower rate. This is regardless of whether you sign of your own free will or because your employer persuades or makes you. The contract will have no legal effect and you must still be paid the proper rate.

You will be a worker who is entitled to the NMW if:
    •    you have a contract of employment
    •    you have a contract to perform work or provide services personally for your employer
    •    you are not self-employed under the contract
The contract does not have to be in writing, it can be oral or implied.
Being registered as self-employed for tax purposes does not necessarily make you self-employed for NMW purposes. 
If you are a worker from outside the UK and you are legally working in the UK you are entitled to the NMW. It doesn’t matter how long or short a time you stay here or whether your employer is based in the UK or somewhere else.

UKBA to carry out more raids to check immigration scams

The Home Office has made it clear that the UK Border Agency will be carrying out raids in the next few days as a part of an operation to check immigration scam. It also claimed they have a  formidable team specialising in immigration related criminality.

The announcement came soon after a series of dawn raids let UKBA smash a £1m benefit and immigration scam.

The Home Office said: `Around 50 officers from the UK Border Agency, Metropolitan Police and other agencies targeted eight addresses across the Forest Gate area of east London.

`Officers believe the alleged scam was operated by a ringleader who deliberately brought foreign nationals into the UK in an attempt to defraud the UK benefit system’.

Chief Immigration Officer Jon Bradbourne, from the UK Border Agency’s London Immigration Crime Team, said: 'The message to those who seek to break the law in London is clear - we now have a formidable team specialising in immigration related criminality.  We will investigate most rigorously those people who seek to abuse the hospitality of the UK and commit crime.

'The arrest of this group is a result of close collaboration between a number of agencies.'

Announcing more raids, the Home Office said: `The operation resulted in the arrest of two men and six women on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to facilitate a breach of immigration law and obtaining benefits and passports by deception.

Those arrested, aged between 18 and 48, are now in police custody pending further investigations. Among the items recovered were a number of fake passports and about £1,600 in cash. More raids are due to take place in the next few days’.

England v India 4th ODI Highlights at Lord’s

You have time till 6th October come out with suggestions on family migration

6th September 2011: You still can have your say on reforms to work routes.

You also have time till 6th October to have your say on family migration.

The UK Border Agency says its public consultation on reforms to work routes, including routes that lead to settlement, Tier 5 and overseas domestic workers, continues till Friday 9th September.

The UKBA says the consultation sets out the government's proposals for breaking the link between temporary and permanent migration.

Under the proposals, migrants coming to the UK to work on temporary visas will no longer be able to apply for settlement.
The key proposals include: re-branding Tier 2, the skilled worker route, as temporary, ending the assumption that settlement will be available for those who enter on this route;

Allowing certain categories of Tier 2 migrant, such as those earning over £150,000 or occupations of a specific economic or social value to the UK, to retain an automatic route to settlement;


Creating a new category into which, after 3 years in the UK, the most exceptional Tier 2 migrants may switch and go on to apply for settlement;

Allowing Tier 2 migrants who do not switch into a settlement route to stay for a maximum of 5 years, with the expectation that they and any dependants will leave at the end of that time;

Introducing an English language requirement for adult dependants of Tier 2 migrants applying to switch into a route to settlement;

Restricting the maximum period of leave for Tier 5 temporary workers to 12 months;

And closing or reforming routes for overseas domestic workers.

Till date, the UKBA has received nearly 10,000 responses. 

A guide to being self employed in UK – tax and benefits

The tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs) you'll pay depend on whether you're self-employed or an employee - so it's important to check that you really are self-employed. ù


You qualify as self-employed if:
• you run your own business and take responsibility for its success or failure;
• you can decide how, when and where you do your work;
• you deal with more than one paying customer, or have the choice to do so;
• you are free to hire other people to do the work for you or help you at your own expense;
• you provide the main items of equipment to do your work;
• you have a ‘contract to provide services’ or a 'contract for services'


Any person engaged in self-employment must have registered their business activities with the HM Revenue & Customs and be able to show they are paying appropriate national insurance contributions.


If you are unsure whether you count as self-employed, go to this HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) link or download the HMRC guidance.


Registering for tax


You must register as being self employed within 3 months of trading, or risk a fine from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). You can register online at www.hmrc.gov.uk or by calling 0845 915 4515. Both the website and the helpline can also give you guidance on special tax reliefs and allowances available to the self employed.


You will then be sent a Self Assessment tax return to complete each year (the tax year runs from 6th April to 5th April). This form collects details of your earnings and any other income you get, for example rental income if you own a property, or interest on a bank account, in order for HMRC to calculate how much income tax you must pay. The tax return must be submitted in time (this can be done online) or you risk facing a fine.


National Insurance contributions


(Figures given are correct for this tax year, 2011-12, but are liable to change each year. Please check with HMRC for the most recent rates)


If you're self-employed you normally have to pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions. If your annual profits are over a certain amount you also pay Class 4 contributions. In certain circumstances – for example if you earn less than £5,315 per year - you may be exempt from paying.


Class 2 National Insurance contributions are currently set at a rate of £2.50 a week. They count towards certain benefits, like the basic State Pension, Maternity Allowance and Bereavement Benefit. However any claims for benefits may be affected if your payments are late.


Class 2 contributions do not normally count towards the additional State Pension, Statutory Sick Pay or Jobseeker's Allowance, so you might want to think about making other arrangements like a personal pension and income protection insurance.


Class 4 contributions are determined by how much profit you earn in a year. You pay 9% on annual profits between £7,225 and £42,475 (2011-12) and 2% on any profit over that amount.


If you have more than one business, special rules apply for calculating adjustments to profits on which you pay Class 4 National Insurance contributions.


If you file your return online, your Class 4 National Insurance contributions will be worked out for you automatically. If you send in a paper tax return by 31 October following the end of the tax year and leave the space blank, HMRC will work out your contributions. You can work out your Class 4 contributions yourself by using the Class 4 calculator in the notes that come with your tax return supplement.


For further information, read National Insurance Contributions: a guide for 2011/2012 or can call the National Insurance Self-Employed Helpline on 0845 915 4655.


(Source: HMRC)


Benefits and tax credits


You may qualify for benefits or tax credits, in particular Working Tax Credit. The criteria by which Working Tax Credit is calculated and whether you qualify can be complicated and are beyond the scope of this article – we strongly recommend you speak to the Citizen’s Advice or an experienced tax advisor. In summary however, it consists of several elements, each with its own particular qualifying conditions, that are added together to give the total amount you can claim:




1. A basic element for anyone who qualifies for Working Tax Credit
2. A second adult element if you are claiming as part of a couple


3. A lone parent element if you are raising a child or children alone


4. A 30 hour element if you work more than 30 hours a week


5. A disability element if you are disabled


6. A 50 plus element if you are aged 50 or over


7. A childcare element


Registering for VAT


Each year the government sets a figure known as the VAT registration threshold, currently £73,000. If your turnover over the previous 12 months exceeds this, or you believe your turnover in the next 30 days alone will exceed this then you must register for VAT.


If you do not exceed the threshold then you may choose to register for VAT regardless. The main benefit is that you can claim VAT back on the supplies that you buy, which can be critical to cashflow for a new business. Almost as importantly, it can give the impression to potential customers and suppliers that you are bigger than actually are – indeed, some companies/people will only deal with entities that are VAT registered.


There is an online tool developed in conjunction with HMRC for helping you decide if you should register for VAT - When to Register for VAT.


VAT returns


Once registered for VAT you will have to file VAT returns every quarter. This is not as difficult as it sounds - all the VAT you have charged to customers during the period of the return are added together to give the the output tax; all the VAT you have paid to your suppliers is added together to give the input tax. The difference is then either paid by you to HMRC, or claimed as a repayment.


As with income tax self assessment, the VAT return can be done online.


Getting a business bank account


There are several reasons for opening a business bank account. From an accounting and tax perspective, you should keep your business finances separate from your personal ones, and from a business perspective, it looks much more professional when it comes to cheques and invoices.


Shop around as most banks offer special deals including free banking (for a limited number of months after you open your account).


It is also important that you have a good relationship with your bank manager, so try and find a bank that will allow you to form a lasting relationship with the same manager at the same branch. Then all other things being equal (such as the cost of running the account and key services provided), you should choose the bank where you feel the best ‘connection’ with the manager. Their goodwill may one day be vital in extending your overdraft just when you need it.

What The Ancient Indians Did For The World

17 Reasons Why Having Sex Is Good for Your Health

Sex seems to be more than a hormonal discharge and some short moments of pure pleasure. Scientists show that sex is extremely beneficial for our health, while the lack of an active sex life might have negative effects. But too much sex, can also be harmful: more than thrice a week it can weaken the immune system, making us vulnerable to infections...

1. Our mental and emotional health balance is clearly influenced by sex. Abstinence is known to cause from anxiety to paranoia and depression... In fact, in case of light depressions, after having sex the brain releases endorphins, that decrease stress, inducing a state of euphoria. 

2. Sex can be a beauty treatment. While having sex, a woman's body doubles the estrogen level, and this makes her hair shine and the skin becomes softer. 

3. A 10-year research carried on 1,000 middle-aged men

 at Queens University in Belfast, Ireland, showed that sex on a regular basis increases the humans' lifespan. For the same age and health, those who had orgasms more frequently had half the death rate of men who did not have such frequent orgasms. This could be due to the plummeting stress hormones, reaction that installs after we have sex.

3. Sweating while having sex cleanse the skin pores, making the skin brighter and decreasing the risk of developing dermatitis. 

4. Sex can make us lose weight. You burn all that fat and carbohydrates from the romantic dinner. Quickies of 20 minutes weekly mean 7 500 calories annually, that's as much as you consume on 120 km (745 mi) of jogging. A sex session can burn about 200 calories. This is like running 15 minutes on a treadmill!

5. Sex strengthen our muscles. You can imagine the effort made by your muscles through those pushes and flexions. It depends on your stunts in bed, of course. And it's clearly a lot more fun than running for miles. 

6. The more active your sex life is, the more attractive for the opposite sex you are. High sexual activity makes the body release more pheromones, chemicals that attract the opposite sex. 

7. Sex sharpens our senses, at least the smell. Following the orgasm, a rise of the hormone prolactin makes the brain's stem cells form new neurons in the olfactory bulb, boosting a person's olfactory abilities. 

8. Sex is also a pain reliever, ten times more effective than typical painkillers: immediately before orgasm, levels of the hormone oxytocin rise by five times, determining a huge release of endorphins. These chemicals calm pain, from a minor headache to arthritis or migraines, and with no secondary effects. Migraines also disappear because the pressure in the brain's blood vessels is lowered while we have sex. So now we see that actually, a woman's headache is rather a good reason for having sex, not against it. 

9. Kissing your partner daily means less visits to dentist. Kissing stimulates salivation, which cleanses food left between the teeth and lowers the acidity in the mouth, the main cause of the tooth decay. 

10. A good sex session can be a good remedy against stiff nose, being a natural antihistaminic that helps combating asthma and high fever. 

11. Having sex regularly drops the cholesterol level, balancing the ratio good cholesterol: bad cholesterol.

12. The hormones released while we have sex helps both men and women; estrogen protects a woman's heart but on the long term, it can be efficient also against Alzheimer's disease and osteoporosis while testosterone strengthens the bones and muscles. 

13. Sex is not beneficial not only for the heart, but also for the blood circulation, especially in the brain, because of the increased heart rate and deep breathing. 

14. The sexual activity lowers the risk of getting colds and the flu. 1-2 intercourses weekly means 30 % higher levels of the antibody immunoglobulin A, that spurs the immune system. 

15. Sex leads to a better control of the bladder, by strengthening the pelvis muscles controlling the flow of urine. 

16. After orgasm, especially in the evening, we become sleepy. This is the effect of some good sex: it increases sleep quality. Following an orgasm, the body of both males or females becomes completely relaxed, so they may have a good deep sleep. 

17. Sex fights cancer! Various researches have shown that a high ejaculation frequency and sexual activity are linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer later in life. A study found out that men who ejaculated 13 to 20 times monthly presented a 14% lower risk of prostate cancer than men who ejaculated on average, between 4 and 7 times monthly for most of their adult life. Those ejaculating over 21 times a month presented a 33% decreased risk of developing prostate cancer than the baseline group.