5 Great reasons to fall in love

Pooja Bedi, TNN | May 29, 2012, 12.00AM ISTIt's quite peculiar but everywhere I look, I see an absence of a very valuable emotion: Love. I see loveless marriages, bored couples just passing their years together because the security of being together outweighs the chances of their finding love again.

I also meet so many people scared to fall in love. Some of them are so scared at the possibility of being hurt that the thought of such an eventuality deters them from even trying, else, they have been bitten or become bitter by past experiences. Then there are those that are just too shy and some that think they are undeserving of being recipients of such an overwhelming emotion. And of course there are those that set their expectations as high as Angelina Jolie or George Clooney. Let me give you five great reasons to fall in love quick and to keep yourrelationship loving.

1. You feel great! Love struck individuals constantly churn out a brain chemical called dopamine, a feel-good stimulant that's responsible for those feelings of bliss, optimism and patience. It infuses you with energy, excites you to discover and do new things, eat new food, and the smallest of things cause so much joy.

2. You lose weight. When in love your body is constantly pumping out a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine, which in turn produces adrenaline which suppresses your appetite. Besides, most of us tend to hit the gym more often in order to look and feel our best.

3. Whoever said "a fool in love" couldn't have been more wrong because you become smarter! Scientists at the University of Pavia in Italy found that falling in love raises levels of a hormone that improves memory by triggering the growth of new brain cells.

4. You look younger because oxytocin, triggers the release of DHEA, an anti-aging hormone that triggers cell restoration in the body.

5. People in a relationships have 1/3 the death rate of single people and having a romantic support system protects the body from developing high levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), which causes heart disease. What are you waiting for? Go out there and fall in love.....!

I am 16-year-old boy and I met a girl on the first day of my school. I am attracted to her and incidently she sat in front of me during exams. She asked me for answers and I told her. Then one day she messaged me on a social networking site and we shared our numbers. Since then we have been talking regularly. But lately she has stopped calling me. What do I do?

It seems evident contact was made, waters were tested and the ship sailed on. Or perhaps she was expecting more than just chatter? Try sending her a little present or a lovely bunch of flowers. It's a small investment but may reap rich rewards!

I am a 27-yea-old man and am not sure whether I am in a relationship or not. I know this girl for the past five years. We like each other and I went ahead and asked her mother for her hand. I was refused flatly on my face. I have been taking care of their family for a while now both emotionally and financially and don't understand what more they want. She has never liked anyone else and now I am confused what to do. Please help.

It's sad that while you are supportive of the family emotionally and also financially, they are clear they don't see you as anything more than a benefactor. Why don't you just put the ball in her court? Tell her that you're ready to settle down and would love to do so with her, but you leave the choice to her as to whether she chooses to reciprocate or shun the proposal and then decide if you'd like to continue the social service or make a future for yourself.

I am a 21-year-old boy who has always thought of having a girlfriend. All my friendshave their girls whom they keep talking to all the time but I feel they are all like stalkers. I always thought that first I should earn and then get into all this. Is this peer-pressure?

If your girlfriend will be happy with walks, holding hands and junk food, there's no problem. There are different stages for different ages. But you're not in your teens anymore. You're 21 and, I suggest you work hard and undistractedly towards a stable, financial future first. Use your spare time to read up and research what makes women tick and ways to cultivate the most satiating relationships. The need for romance is important, but money also plays a very crucial role in creating romance in relationships today. Coffee's, movies, lunches and dinners, presents, little getaways together, etc., are almost integral to relationship building. Why live a compromised life?

I am a 20-year-old girl and I have a cousin who is 14 years older to me and divorced. We have been on great terms but lately things went a little too far. We kissed and made out. He says he loves me and wants me. I know it is wrong but cannot stop. He now wants to make love to me. What do I do?

In India, there are different laws within religions and communities regarding intimate relationships with cousins. As you have not specified yours, I can only advise you to refrain, especially if you feel your family would be averse to it. I don't see the sense in starting something that cannot be sustained, or have long-term benefits and might in many aspects be something that may cause lots of grief, regret and complications.

5 Great reasons to fall in love

Pooja Bedi, TNN | May 29, 2012, 12.00AM ISTIt's quite peculiar but everywhere I look, I see an absence of a very valuable emotion: Love. I see loveless marriages, bored couples just passing their years together because the security of being together outweighs the chances of their finding love again.

I also meet so many people scared to fall in love. Some of them are so scared at the possibility of being hurt that the thought of such an eventuality deters them from even trying, else, they have been bitten or become bitter by past experiences. Then there are those that are just too shy and some that think they are undeserving of being recipients of such an overwhelming emotion. And of course there are those that set their expectations as high as Angelina Jolie or George Clooney. Let me give you five great reasons to fall in love quick and to keep yourrelationship loving.

1. You feel great! Love struck individuals constantly churn out a brain chemical called dopamine, a feel-good stimulant that's responsible for those feelings of bliss, optimism and patience. It infuses you with energy, excites you to discover and do new things, eat new food, and the smallest of things cause so much joy.

2. You lose weight. When in love your body is constantly pumping out a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine, which in turn produces adrenaline which suppresses your appetite. Besides, most of us tend to hit the gym more often in order to look and feel our best.

3. Whoever said "a fool in love" couldn't have been more wrong because you become smarter! Scientists at the University of Pavia in Italy found that falling in love raises levels of a hormone that improves memory by triggering the growth of new brain cells.

4. You look younger because oxytocin, triggers the release of DHEA, an anti-aging hormone that triggers cell restoration in the body.

5. People in a relationships have 1/3 the death rate of single people and having a romantic support system protects the body from developing high levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), which causes heart disease. What are you waiting for? Go out there and fall in love.....!

I am 16-year-old boy and I met a girl on the first day of my school. I am attracted to her and incidently she sat in front of me during exams. She asked me for answers and I told her. Then one day she messaged me on a social networking site and we shared our numbers. Since then we have been talking regularly. But lately she has stopped calling me. What do I do?

It seems evident contact was made, waters were tested and the ship sailed on. Or perhaps she was expecting more than just chatter? Try sending her a little present or a lovely bunch of flowers. It's a small investment but may reap rich rewards!

I am a 27-yea-old man and am not sure whether I am in a relationship or not. I know this girl for the past five years. We like each other and I went ahead and asked her mother for her hand. I was refused flatly on my face. I have been taking care of their family for a while now both emotionally and financially and don't understand what more they want. She has never liked anyone else and now I am confused what to do. Please help.

It's sad that while you are supportive of the family emotionally and also financially, they are clear they don't see you as anything more than a benefactor. Why don't you just put the ball in her court? Tell her that you're ready to settle down and would love to do so with her, but you leave the choice to her as to whether she chooses to reciprocate or shun the proposal and then decide if you'd like to continue the social service or make a future for yourself.

I am a 21-year-old boy who has always thought of having a girlfriend. All my friendshave their girls whom they keep talking to all the time but I feel they are all like stalkers. I always thought that first I should earn and then get into all this. Is this peer-pressure?

If your girlfriend will be happy with walks, holding hands and junk food, there's no problem. There are different stages for different ages. But you're not in your teens anymore. You're 21 and, I suggest you work hard and undistractedly towards a stable, financial future first. Use your spare time to read up and research what makes women tick and ways to cultivate the most satiating relationships. The need for romance is important, but money also plays a very crucial role in creating romance in relationships today. Coffee's, movies, lunches and dinners, presents, little getaways together, etc., are almost integral to relationship building. Why live a compromised life?

I am a 20-year-old girl and I have a cousin who is 14 years older to me and divorced. We have been on great terms but lately things went a little too far. We kissed and made out. He says he loves me and wants me. I know it is wrong but cannot stop. He now wants to make love to me. What do I do?

In India, there are different laws within religions and communities regarding intimate relationships with cousins. As you have not specified yours, I can only advise you to refrain, especially if you feel your family would be averse to it. I don't see the sense in starting something that cannot be sustained, or have long-term benefits and might in many aspects be something that may cause lots of grief, regret and complications.

ഈ സംഗ്രഹം ലഭ്യമല്ല. പോസ്‌റ്റ് കാണാൻ ഇവിടെ ക്ലിക്ക് ചെയ്യുക .

ഈ സംഗ്രഹം ലഭ്യമല്ല. പോസ്‌റ്റ് കാണാൻ ഇവിടെ ക്ലിക്ക് ചെയ്യുക .

Pak says enough proof to nail Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi for 26/11 plot

Vishwa Mohan, TNN | May 29, 2012, 12.55AM IST

Pakistan has finally acknowledged that there is enough evidence to prosecute Lashkar commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi for his involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks.

NEW DELHI: Pakistan has finally acknowledged that there is enough evidence to prosecute Lashkar commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi for his involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks, in what marks the first endorsement of India's case against the 26/11 masterminds holed up across the border.
Pakistani officials admitted during last week's home secretary-level talks that investigation conducted by their Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had established Lakhvi's direct involvement in the 26/11 terror attacks. According to sources in the home ministry here, the Pakistani officials told home secretary R K Singh that the evidence against Lakhvi -- largely related to his role in organizing money and logistics, including the boat and inflatable dingy for the gang that ravaged Mumbai -- was strong enough to secure his conviction in court.

"Pakistan told India about the development at FIA's end during the home secretary-level talks between the two countries in Islamabad last week," said an official privy to the details of talks between the two home secretaries.
Officials here termed it as a "significant admission", stressing that Pakistani authorities will be required to produce the evidence in the court trying Lakhvi and six others including Lashkar commanders Zarar Shah and Abu Al Qama, who all are in jail.
The development marks a validation of the evidence that India gathered against Lakhvi, Shah, Qama and others and can give satisfaction to the investigators who saw Pakistan cussedly shrugging off their findings as flimsy. It should also leave them intrigued because they maintain that the evidence about Lakhvi's role contained in the several Indian dossiers submitted to Pakistan had been so foolproof that it could have easily been corroborated even by the neighbourhood cop long ago.

As it coincides with the pressure from the US for action against Hafiz Saeed, wary Indian officials wonder whether the new stance on Lakhvi's culpability is meant to isolate the Lashkar chief from his junior jihadis and to strengthen Pakistan's case that lack of evidence was the only reason why it was not acting against the Muridke-based hate monger.
Significantly, Pakistani officials bluntly told their Indian counterparts that the demand for action against Saeed was based on what Pakistan's interior minister Rehman Malik called "hearsay". They did not relent when the Indian side pointed out that in his confessional statement, Ajmal Kasab had spoken about Saeed's role in motivating the 26/11 attackers. Though Pakistan, on India's insistence, agreed to put before the Pakistani court new details on Saeed's involvement, it maintained that the FIA could not find anything against him.

The admission about evidence of Lakhvi's involvement in the Mumbai attacks raises the question of how Islamabad is going to treat the evidence against other 26/11 masterminds, particularly two serving officers of Pakistan army who were involved in the Mumbai plot. David Headley, the Pakistan-born jihadi who reconnoitered Mumbai as part of the 26/11 plot, had spoken about the involvement of the two officers, besides Saeed.
Islamabad also gave an assurance to consider positively the request for release of Sarabjit Singh, a condemned Indian prisoner currently lodged in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. The assurance was given when home secretary R K Singh called on Pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik in Islamabad last week.
"I have requested the Pakistan interior minister and my counterpart (interior secretary K M Siddiq Akbar) to release Sarabjit Singh. They have assured me that they will consider our request positively," Singh said while briefing reporters about his visit to Islamabad.

Sarabjit was convicted for his involvement in the 1990 serial bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan that killed 14 people. He was given death sentence but his execution was indefinitely put off by the Pakistan government.
Akbar too had hinted about the possibility after the talks when he told media in Islamabad that the Indian team raised the issue of Sarabjit and the matter would be decided in line with Pakistani laws. It is learnt that Pakistan may take the "pardon" route to release Sarabjit, if at all it decides to do it.
The talks also saw both sides agreeing to initiate negotiations for a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty which is meant to facilitate cooperation in investigation of crimes, prosecution and collecting evidence.

Home secretary Singh said both sides have agreed "in principle" to initiate negotiations on a MLAT to strengthen cooperation in criminal matters. "The Pakistani side promised to examine the draft and revert with comments within two months," he said.
He said the Pakistani side also "took note of Indian request" to consider the possibility of inking an extradition treaty between the two countries. "They said they would examine it," Singh said.
Acceptance of the MLAT draft by Pakistan assumes significance as, if signed, it will pave the way for cooperation on all criminal matters including terror investigation. Assistance under the treaty includes locating and identifying persons and objects; search and seizure; making detained person available to give evidence or assist investigations; taking measures to freeze and confiscate any funds meant for financing acts of terrorism and obtaining statements of accused or detained persons.

Pak says enough proof to nail Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi for 26/11 plot

Vishwa Mohan, TNN | May 29, 2012, 12.55AM IST

Pakistan has finally acknowledged that there is enough evidence to prosecute Lashkar commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi for his involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks.

NEW DELHI: Pakistan has finally acknowledged that there is enough evidence to prosecute Lashkar commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi for his involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks, in what marks the first endorsement of India's case against the 26/11 masterminds holed up across the border.
Pakistani officials admitted during last week's home secretary-level talks that investigation conducted by their Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had established Lakhvi's direct involvement in the 26/11 terror attacks. According to sources in the home ministry here, the Pakistani officials told home secretary R K Singh that the evidence against Lakhvi -- largely related to his role in organizing money and logistics, including the boat and inflatable dingy for the gang that ravaged Mumbai -- was strong enough to secure his conviction in court.

"Pakistan told India about the development at FIA's end during the home secretary-level talks between the two countries in Islamabad last week," said an official privy to the details of talks between the two home secretaries.
Officials here termed it as a "significant admission", stressing that Pakistani authorities will be required to produce the evidence in the court trying Lakhvi and six others including Lashkar commanders Zarar Shah and Abu Al Qama, who all are in jail.
The development marks a validation of the evidence that India gathered against Lakhvi, Shah, Qama and others and can give satisfaction to the investigators who saw Pakistan cussedly shrugging off their findings as flimsy. It should also leave them intrigued because they maintain that the evidence about Lakhvi's role contained in the several Indian dossiers submitted to Pakistan had been so foolproof that it could have easily been corroborated even by the neighbourhood cop long ago.

As it coincides with the pressure from the US for action against Hafiz Saeed, wary Indian officials wonder whether the new stance on Lakhvi's culpability is meant to isolate the Lashkar chief from his junior jihadis and to strengthen Pakistan's case that lack of evidence was the only reason why it was not acting against the Muridke-based hate monger.
Significantly, Pakistani officials bluntly told their Indian counterparts that the demand for action against Saeed was based on what Pakistan's interior minister Rehman Malik called "hearsay". They did not relent when the Indian side pointed out that in his confessional statement, Ajmal Kasab had spoken about Saeed's role in motivating the 26/11 attackers. Though Pakistan, on India's insistence, agreed to put before the Pakistani court new details on Saeed's involvement, it maintained that the FIA could not find anything against him.

The admission about evidence of Lakhvi's involvement in the Mumbai attacks raises the question of how Islamabad is going to treat the evidence against other 26/11 masterminds, particularly two serving officers of Pakistan army who were involved in the Mumbai plot. David Headley, the Pakistan-born jihadi who reconnoitered Mumbai as part of the 26/11 plot, had spoken about the involvement of the two officers, besides Saeed.
Islamabad also gave an assurance to consider positively the request for release of Sarabjit Singh, a condemned Indian prisoner currently lodged in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. The assurance was given when home secretary R K Singh called on Pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik in Islamabad last week.
"I have requested the Pakistan interior minister and my counterpart (interior secretary K M Siddiq Akbar) to release Sarabjit Singh. They have assured me that they will consider our request positively," Singh said while briefing reporters about his visit to Islamabad.

Sarabjit was convicted for his involvement in the 1990 serial bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan that killed 14 people. He was given death sentence but his execution was indefinitely put off by the Pakistan government.
Akbar too had hinted about the possibility after the talks when he told media in Islamabad that the Indian team raised the issue of Sarabjit and the matter would be decided in line with Pakistani laws. It is learnt that Pakistan may take the "pardon" route to release Sarabjit, if at all it decides to do it.
The talks also saw both sides agreeing to initiate negotiations for a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty which is meant to facilitate cooperation in investigation of crimes, prosecution and collecting evidence.

Home secretary Singh said both sides have agreed "in principle" to initiate negotiations on a MLAT to strengthen cooperation in criminal matters. "The Pakistani side promised to examine the draft and revert with comments within two months," he said.
He said the Pakistani side also "took note of Indian request" to consider the possibility of inking an extradition treaty between the two countries. "They said they would examine it," Singh said.
Acceptance of the MLAT draft by Pakistan assumes significance as, if signed, it will pave the way for cooperation on all criminal matters including terror investigation. Assistance under the treaty includes locating and identifying persons and objects; search and seizure; making detained person available to give evidence or assist investigations; taking measures to freeze and confiscate any funds meant for financing acts of terrorism and obtaining statements of accused or detained persons.

5 Foods that keep you young

Ano Patel | 

Here are a few natural food items that can help you remain young and healthy 

Looking young is the foremost priority of most people these days. Not just women, even men are wary of ageing. Instead of using the number of anti-ageing creams that have flooded the markets, one can go the natural way and opt for fruits and vegetables to help fight all age-related problems. Here are a few superfoods that can help control ageing and make you look younger - 

1. Avocado - Apart from being high in Vitamin E, avocados are rich in antioxidants which help protect the skin. Avocados help in regenerating skin cells which makes your skin look fresh, giving a more youthful complexion. 

2. Kidney beans - These pulses are full of fibre and potassium which help reduce the cholesterol levels and thus reduce the risk of any heart disease. But their major health benefit is that they are packed with proteins. 

3. Dark chocolate - Any chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa is full of proteins and Vitamin B. Regular small bites into this chocolate will help burn fat and improve your skin and hair. 

4. Broccoli - Broccolis are a great source of fibre and Vitamin C which not only help control weight, but also help to fight heart diseases. 

5. Blueberries - Blueberries are rich in Vitamin C, which help in easy circulation of blood. Blueberries also contain certain minerals which help control the anti-ageing process. High in potassium, these berries help fight puffiness. 

5 Foods that keep you young

Ano Patel | 

Here are a few natural food items that can help you remain young and healthy 

Looking young is the foremost priority of most people these days. Not just women, even men are wary of ageing. Instead of using the number of anti-ageing creams that have flooded the markets, one can go the natural way and opt for fruits and vegetables to help fight all age-related problems. Here are a few superfoods that can help control ageing and make you look younger - 

1. Avocado - Apart from being high in Vitamin E, avocados are rich in antioxidants which help protect the skin. Avocados help in regenerating skin cells which makes your skin look fresh, giving a more youthful complexion. 

2. Kidney beans - These pulses are full of fibre and potassium which help reduce the cholesterol levels and thus reduce the risk of any heart disease. But their major health benefit is that they are packed with proteins. 

3. Dark chocolate - Any chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa is full of proteins and Vitamin B. Regular small bites into this chocolate will help burn fat and improve your skin and hair. 

4. Broccoli - Broccolis are a great source of fibre and Vitamin C which not only help control weight, but also help to fight heart diseases. 

5. Blueberries - Blueberries are rich in Vitamin C, which help in easy circulation of blood. Blueberries also contain certain minerals which help control the anti-ageing process. High in potassium, these berries help fight puffiness. 

 Explosion hits downtown Nairobi, 28 wounded

 NAIROBI: An explosion ripped through a building full of small shops in downtown Nairobi on Monday, wounding at least 28 people, officials said.
A blast in Kenya's capital immediately conjures fears that al-Shabab - Islamist militants fromSomalia have carried out an attack. Police officials indicated the blast was not a deliberate bombing given a lack of shrapnel at the scene but some sort of electrical accident. The prime minister, though, appeared to blame terrorism. 

``This is a heinous act,'' Prime Minister Raila Odinga said while visiting the scene of the blast. ``They want to scare us but we will not be scared.'' 
The explosion sent dark smoke billowing out of a one-story building on a downtown avenue named after Kenya's second president. The blast peeled back the front corner of the building's aluminum roof and sent items for sale in the shops like shoes and clothes scattered across the ground. 
People with bloody wounds received medical care on the street as authorities tried to usher hundreds of people in the street away from the scene. Security blocked off areas around the building with yellow tape. 

A hospital official said that at least 28 people were wounded, including four with serious injuries such as burns, fractures and deep lacerations. None of the victims had shrapnel in them, said Thomas Mutie, the acting chief executive at Kenyatta National Hospital.
The force of the explosion also shattered windows in the building, but a high-rise building with a glass exterior right next to the blast did not appear to sustain major damage. 
A high-ranking police official said there were no obvious signs that the blast was caused by a terrorist's bomb. No ball bearings or nails _ lethal shrapnel packed into bombs _ were found, and officials were investigating the possibility that a faulty electrical line caused the explosion. The official said he could not be quoted by name. 

``Let me not speculate this is a terrorist attack. It could be a wire fault,'' said another official Orwa Ojode, assistance minister for internal security. 
Odinga, though, gave an energetic speech at the scene, telling Kenyans to support their security forces. Odinga said security would be improved downtown, and made a reference to Somali militants despite the fact police said the blast wasn't caused by a bomb. 
``They want to scare investors. They want to scare tourists,'' said Odinga, who is expected to run for president in Kenya's election next year. ``We condemn the terrorists and tell them their days are numbered.'' 

Al-Shabab militants from neighboring Somalia have long threatened to carry out substantial attacks in Kenya following Kenya's decision last October to send troops into Somalia to pursue al-Shabab militants. 
Kenya blamed a series of kidnappings on Kenyan soil last year on al-Shabab, and the country saw tourist numbers plummet especially around the coastal resort of Lamu after the kidnappings. 
Since October, Kenya has also suffered a series of grenade attacks. The latest happened Saturday night in the sprawling Dadaab refugee camp. Six people were injured in two simultaneous grenades blasts, officials said.
Monday's explosion appeared to have been caused by a force larger than a grenade.

 Explosion hits downtown Nairobi, 28 wounded

 NAIROBI: An explosion ripped through a building full of small shops in downtown Nairobi on Monday, wounding at least 28 people, officials said.
A blast in Kenya's capital immediately conjures fears that al-Shabab - Islamist militants fromSomalia have carried out an attack. Police officials indicated the blast was not a deliberate bombing given a lack of shrapnel at the scene but some sort of electrical accident. The prime minister, though, appeared to blame terrorism. 

``This is a heinous act,'' Prime Minister Raila Odinga said while visiting the scene of the blast. ``They want to scare us but we will not be scared.'' 
The explosion sent dark smoke billowing out of a one-story building on a downtown avenue named after Kenya's second president. The blast peeled back the front corner of the building's aluminum roof and sent items for sale in the shops like shoes and clothes scattered across the ground. 
People with bloody wounds received medical care on the street as authorities tried to usher hundreds of people in the street away from the scene. Security blocked off areas around the building with yellow tape. 

A hospital official said that at least 28 people were wounded, including four with serious injuries such as burns, fractures and deep lacerations. None of the victims had shrapnel in them, said Thomas Mutie, the acting chief executive at Kenyatta National Hospital.
The force of the explosion also shattered windows in the building, but a high-rise building with a glass exterior right next to the blast did not appear to sustain major damage. 
A high-ranking police official said there were no obvious signs that the blast was caused by a terrorist's bomb. No ball bearings or nails _ lethal shrapnel packed into bombs _ were found, and officials were investigating the possibility that a faulty electrical line caused the explosion. The official said he could not be quoted by name. 

``Let me not speculate this is a terrorist attack. It could be a wire fault,'' said another official Orwa Ojode, assistance minister for internal security. 
Odinga, though, gave an energetic speech at the scene, telling Kenyans to support their security forces. Odinga said security would be improved downtown, and made a reference to Somali militants despite the fact police said the blast wasn't caused by a bomb. 
``They want to scare investors. They want to scare tourists,'' said Odinga, who is expected to run for president in Kenya's election next year. ``We condemn the terrorists and tell them their days are numbered.'' 

Al-Shabab militants from neighboring Somalia have long threatened to carry out substantial attacks in Kenya following Kenya's decision last October to send troops into Somalia to pursue al-Shabab militants. 
Kenya blamed a series of kidnappings on Kenyan soil last year on al-Shabab, and the country saw tourist numbers plummet especially around the coastal resort of Lamu after the kidnappings. 
Since October, Kenya has also suffered a series of grenade attacks. The latest happened Saturday night in the sprawling Dadaab refugee camp. Six people were injured in two simultaneous grenades blasts, officials said.
Monday's explosion appeared to have been caused by a force larger than a grenade.