Crop damage
Weathering losses

There have been reports of a bumper crop in the region but a large number of farmers were hit hard by the recent unseasonal rain. In some areas, the wheat crop was totally washed away.
The Tribune correspondents check out the field situation in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh

A WASH-OUT: Rain struck at a time when the wheat crop was just ready to be harvested. Photo by Vicky Gharu

Fitness on the go
Portable fitness tools like therabands, tubings, Swiss balls and calorie counters are the rage with the young, writes Nutan Sehgal
Even as web journalist Richa Misra was planning to leave office for the day, she got a call from her editor that she would have to stay back for a breaking news. She’d had a weary day but she knew there was no escaping this urgent work.

Friends in deed
Do we have more empathy for friends than for relatives? Yes, says a new study that looks into our motives for helping those we know. Empathy is that rare capacity to identify oneself with the problems of the sufferer so completely that he or she experiences similar feelings and states of mind, including a sense of sadness, personal loss or betrayal. The emotional response can prompt altruistic behaviour, like helping someone in dire straits.

Say it with tattoos
Tattoos have pierced into the Indian lifestyle in a new avtaar. They are being considered by Gen X as the coolest way to express and emote, says Sreya Basu
Remember Shefali Jariwala in the Kanta laga remix, wooing her boyfriend with the ‘I Luv You’ tattoo on her arm? That was on the silver screen and way back in 2003. This year tattoos have pierced into the Indian lifestyle in a new avtaar—they are being considered by Gen X as the coolest way to express and emote.