“There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”     VBA's Positive News Pakistani tribesmen pushing Taliban to talk peace The temperamental chief of the group known as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Hakimullah Mehsud, recently offered to start peace talks with the government, raising the prospect of a negotiated end to Pakistan's war against insurgents in a lawless region that runs the length of the border with Afghanistan. The group's offer of sanctuary to Afghanistan's Taliban has been one of the most divisive issues in US-Pakistan relations and has confounded efforts to get the upper hand against Afghan insurgents after more than 11 years of war.     US: Airline industry at its safest since the dawn of the Jet Age Flying on a commercial jetliner has never been safer. In the last five years, the death risk for passengers in the United States has been one in 45 million flights, according to Arnold Barnett, a professor of statistics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In other words, flying has become so reliable that a traveller could fly every day for an average of 123,000 years before being in a fatal crash, he said.        Canada's largest restaurant chain offers electric car owners free fill-up as pilot project As part of a new pilot project that may one day spread across the country, the Tim Hortons -- Canada's largest restaurant chain -- in Oakville, Ontario, Canada is offering customers a free fill-up for their electric car when they stop in for their morning beverage. 'The electric vehicle infrastructure is in its infancy and we see a potential opportunity for Tim Hortons to help make a true difference by expanding that infrastructure in Canada,' said Paulo Ferreira, Tim Hortons' senior director for international design and building standards. 'At this stage, the goal for us is to explore and understand the technology, to see how it can work at our restaurants and how we can, in turn, support our guests who choose to go electric.'  South Africa shines as emerging economy South Africa is the leading emerging economy on the African continent in terms of potential investment destination, a report has found. In its recent report, Emerging Markets Opportunity Index: High Growth Economies, independent consulting and accounting firm Grant Thornton said South Africa was ahead of Nigeria in terms of potential investment destinations. According to the results for 2012, South Africa was also the only African country to be ranked in the top 15 emerging economies worldwide, said the firm on Wednesday.        Video of the Day:

World Round-Up

Political + Rahul Gandhi harps on performance-based rewards, punishment system       New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Friday sent clear signals of introducing a performance-based "reward and punishment system" in Congress to tone up functioning of the organisation ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. At an interaction with PCC chiefs and CLP leaders here, he also said that there is a need for "fixing some definite criteria for ticket distribution". Gandhi said that four to five criteria should be fixed to decide eligibility of a candidate for giving them tickets during elections. The Congress Vice President deprecated the tendency of groupism, asking partymen to shun it and make earnest efforts to connect with the people. "Rahul Gandhi said that both reward and punishment will follow. Those working seriously should be rewarded. Tasks will also be given. He said you set three four commitments for yourselves and I will see after some time whether you have fulfilled them or not," a state leader, who attended the meeting, said. The remarks are significant as Gandhi has often talked about absence of rules and regulation and work culture in the party. Gandhi also told the state leaders that they should not work only from election point of view but also aim to strengthen the organisation. He said this while intervening during an interaction with the PCC chiefs and CLP leaders, which saw a total of 32 leaders expressing their views on the first day of the two-day exercise. . "Everybody must realise his weaknesses and accept that. We can progress only then," he said during the interaction, which also involved issues like that of alliances in states, early resolution of Telangana row, how to cope with regional parties and strategy to counter Narendra Modi's media campaign. Amid demands for a formulating a strategy by Congress to counter Gujarat Chief Minister media campaign, Gandhi said that if the party workers are vocal, then there will be not much need to counter such campaign on television or media. The meeting saw leaders from various states demanding clarity on the issue of alliances. Jharkhand PCC chief Pradip Balumuchu said that the central leadership should make it clear whether Congress has to form a government in the tribal state currently under President's Rule after the BJP-JMM alliance collapsed there. He also demanded a clear idea whether Congress will ally with any party in Jharkhand in future elections or not and if yes, with whom. Congress' alliance with JVM (P) has fallen apart in the state and there is apparent unwillingness among central leaders of Congress to ally with Shibu Soren's JMM. Fresh from the debacle in BJP-ruled Gujarat, Congress state chief Arjun Modhwadia claimed that Congress' defeat was due to the party's inability to match Modi's "massive" media campaign, alleging the Gujarat government spent more than Rs 2,000 crore of government funds on campaign, which could not countered. He also said that there was an need to build a strategy to counter Modi with a "blitzkrieg" media campaign. Modhwadia alleged that Modi had resorted to "false propaganda" regarding development and other issues outside Gujarat. "When we counter his claims in Gujarat, our arguments remain limited to media in the state. So there is a need to counter Gujarat Chief Minister's false claims by other leaders at the central level," he said in the meeting, said sources. Several PCC Presidents and CLP leaders incuding Chief Minsters participated in the meeting which also saw demands for early resolution of the vexed Telangana issue with both Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and state chief Botcha Satyanarayana saying that the long pending issue should be resolved. Astrology   Aries March 21 to April 19 Prepare to wrap up some long-standing projects and get ready to make a break for an exciting new adventure. You may be working on a writing project or other communications endeavor, in the end-game stages of that whole process. So while on one hand you may have a sense of accomplishment, you may also have challenges about getting the ball rolling in your new plan. You'll have all of the wherewithal to make that happen. You are the trailblazer after all.                                                Taurus April 20 to May 20 This should be an excellent time to look toward collaborative ventures. You have a great deal of activity in your group and business sector, which might spell out quite an exciting opportunity. You'll find this to be an outstanding time to work with others and pass ideas back and forth. You may find the stimulation to be quite a gratifying experience in the end. Be sure to nail down the financial pieces so that you can move forward with confidence and the resources to back you.   Gemini May 21 to June 20 The work place will likely be completely abuzz with activity. You may be ramping up for a big trade show roll out or other scheme that brings all sorts of conversations, meetings, and planning sessions to your daily calendar. This may literally light you up with an enthusiasm you have not felt in some time. Your electric buzz may be contagious and all those who come in contact with you may find you a wellspring of optimism and good nature.                      Cancer June 21 to July 22  This day should provide you with an outstanding opportunity to expand your intuition in some manner. Whether you decide to go back to school or set off on an adventure, you should do very well to follow your instincts. Your timing may be spot-on when it comes to travel or any sort of exciting activity. You'll be particularly resourceful and engaged in group activities, so if that theme arises, be sure to pay attention to the feelings you get. This may be an excellent time to truly follow your intuition.                                                           Leo July 23 to Aug. 22  This should be an outstanding period for you to raise outside resources such as financing or an angel investor. This same type of theme also works well with group encounters. If you are on the road trying to raise money, you'll surely be met with great success, as you have a particularly compelling story that allows you to wield your creative spirit toward your personal and career oriented goals. The Sun will shine in your fundraising sector.                             BUSINESS+VE                                                                              Govt. has some compulsions: Tariq Anwar on hike in diesel, petrol prices       New Delhi, Feb. 16 (ANI): Amid sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left Parties over the move to hike the prices of petrol and diesel, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries Tariq Anwar has defended the Central Government's decision, and said that there are some compulsions. "The government has some compulsions. As we all know that whenever prices in international market rise, it has an impact on the domestic market as well. We have to purchase fuel in international currency. The difference between the gap in international value and our domestic currency needs to be recovered," he said. Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D. Raja yesterday hit out at the government on the issue, and said that this would have a cascading effect on the commoners. "We strongly oppose this hike in the price of diesel and petrol. We demand that government should tell the oil marketing companies to roll back this. This is going to have cascading effect on the prices. Already the prices of all essential commodities are high, inflation is high. The Congress led UPA-II Government has completely failed to control the prices and contain inflation," he said. BJP leader Prakash Javadekar also echoed similar sentiments, and termed the government's decision to be completely unacceptable and atrocious. The government's decision to hike the prices of petrol and diesel has also not gone well with the common man. Amrinder Singh, a resident of Kolkata, yesterday said that he would quit driving and opt for bullock cart, as affording petrol is indeed a challenge for commoners. "The government is only raising petrol prices and it has become a burden for a common man and now we are thinking of buying a bullock cart!" he said. Our demand that the government should decrease the prices of petrol, inflation is round the corner since the day Congress is in power," said Rakesh, a resident of Patna. Petrol became costlier by Rs. 1.50 per litre and diesel by 45 paise from last night. The rates have been revised in tune with the rise in international rates. The increase does not include VAT or local sales tax. The new rates for petrol sold at Indian Oil Corporation pumps will now be Rs. 69.0 6 per litre in Delhi, Rs. 75.91 in Mumbai, Rs. 76.62 in Kolkata and Rs. 72.16 in Chennai. Diesel will now cost Rs. 48.15 a litre in Delhi, Rs. 54.28 in Mumbai, Rs. 52.04 in Kolkata and Rs. 51.23 in Chennai. (ANI) HEALTH+VE                                                              Never skip your breakfast      In spite of health experts going blue in the face trying to get people to understand the importance of having breakfast, there are thousands who skip the first (and most crucial) meal of the day citing a motley of reasons. Dietician Dr Sunita Dube says that having a hearty breakfast helps control excess hunger throughout the day. "Since we technically fast overnight while sleeping, forgoing breakfast adds to this fasting period and may disrupt blood sugar balance and insulin output. Skipping breakfast also triggers bad eating habits during the day, as cravings ensue and quick-fix fast foods are often eaten. Having breakfast boosts metabolism and increases your energy levels throughout the day. When you miss it, your energy is reduced and physical activity levels decline," reckons Dr Dube. An ideal, healthy breakfast A healthy breakfast provides 25 per cent of the total energy and nutrients required by the body. "Ideally, your first meal of the day should comprise a perfect combination of carbohydrates, protein and fibre. Make sure you include fruits, whole grains, berries and and good fats. Opt for light and soft idlis with sambhar, plain dosas with green chutney, milk with cornflakes or wheatflakes, vegetable poha or upma with a milkshake and sprouts. Also, include high fibre fruits like apples, papayas, muskmelons, oranges or watermelons," says dietician and sports nutritionist, Deepshikha Agarwal. What to avoid in the morning l Processed, deep fried or oily food, preserved meat, left over or junk food, cakes, pastries, and only juices are a no-no. l Avoid refined foods like white rice and white bread. Instead opt for whole wheat bread and cereals. Stay away from deep fried pakodas, puris, samosas, doughnuts, cookies, potato chips, candy bars and sodas. l Food items like vada pav, bhajias, wafers, pizzas and French fries are loaded with fat, salt and calories and have very little fibre — keep them at an arm's length. Disadvantages of skipping breakfast Experts say that skipping breakfast may put you on the fast track to weight gain, heart disease, osteoporosis, irritability or mood swings, menstrual irregularity, low energy levels, low memory and hormonal stress. "A study shows that people who skipped breakfast developed higher bad LDL cholesterol levels, and were less sensitive to insulin than people who ate breakfast every day," says Dr Dube. And for those who skip breakfast in a bid to lose weight, you ought to read this. "People who miss breakfast tend to feel fatigued early on in the day and have low concentration levels, affecting their efficiency. Skipping breakfast also decreases metabolic rate making weight loss difficult. Research proves that people who skip breakfast tend to be heavier than people who eat a healthy breakfast. So, if you're looking forward to losing weight, have a nutritious breakfast to get a healthy start to the day," suggests Dr Agarwal. Importance of a healthy breakfast in children and teens The amount of food that a child needs varies according to height, built, gender, and activity levels. "Most kids will usually eat the amount of food that's right for them, however, it is up to the parents to ensure that their children have the right foods available to choose from. Eating a meal should be both a healthy and an enjoyable occasion — a fact that many parents overlook when planning a meal for growing children. Good eating habits start from home so be a good role model.        Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22  Your career sector has auspicious activity that may work well with your partner. You may be in line or at least in discussion for new responsibilities and advancement in your career, which would certainly have an impact on your partner in some capacity. By the same token, your partner may offer you great advice for career negotiations. Opinions from outside people can often shed the greatest insights simply because they are not as close to the subject or as attached.               Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22 You may be on the road to finding new opportunities. The fortunate presence of Jupiter in your travel and adventure sector may serve up just the boost you need to clinch the deal. Your ability to serve may be one of your strongest assets right now, so use it to its fullest advantage. You can be quite convincing if you can harness this wonderful alignment where ideas, conversations, and drive all come together. When you add the Sun to the mix, the whole program can light right up.                          Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21 Your clever and inquisitive mind may be in full bloom as you may possess a rare ability to find answers that elude others. This may be an especially fertile time for uncovering new ideas and being creative. You may be able to find a method for fusing several ideas together into one cohesive package. If you can follow your instincts and hone in on the hidden gem, you may be quite successful. Dig deeper.   Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21 A clever and heartfelt conversation may take place that centers around your main residence. You may be adding on new additions or rearranging the house with a whole new vision in mind. This will be an excellent time to talk about plans and the details of that realignment. Exercise diplomacy and be mindful of others who have a stake in the process. The home can be very personal, so keep that in mind when talking.                                           Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19 You may be looking at some career changes for the coming season that might pan out quite nicely. This will be an opportune time for contract negotiations and all types of conversations about your plans. You may find that you are drawn to charitable work, for example, which would serve a number of your goals. Not only do you help others, but you may gain valuable experience in the process. This should be an ideal time to flesh out some of these ideas.   Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18  Use this ideal time for raising the topic of resources. You might be in the middle of a project that requires some financial backing in order to come to completion. If so, you may be quite determined to get the contracts signed and on to the next stage. An important player may be unable to complete the work and you may have to find an alternative, which might stall your progress a bit. If you can gather all the details and gain clarity, you should be in good shape.                   Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20  You may be at a crossroads with your home and family. This may mean that you have a decision to make that involves not only you but others as well. You may find that this brings up topics and terms that are worth discussing. It may be that the more transparent you can be, the better the chances are for a successful outcome. You may have strong ideas about the outcome, but it might be equally important to get other opinions as well.    Moral Story     SMS   “Life has a value only when it has something valuable as its object.”      LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS     "True love doesn't mean being inseparable; it means being separated and nothing changes."     LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS      “No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.”          Santa to Driver: Why have you increased speed of car? Driver: Break has failed. We should reach home before accident.

EDUCATION +VE Goa: Private technical institutions' fees upped by 10%       PANAJI: Student's tuition fees in private technical colleges have been increased by around 10% for the academic year 2012-13. The fees has been revised by the state level fee structure committee, which has been revising the fees for institutes annually, since it was set up in 2005 based on directives of the Supreme Court and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to regulate fees and to prevent profiteering. The fee structure committee calls for proposals from private technical education institutes for the upcoming academic year in January each year. The committee begins scrutinizing the proposals from March onwards and analyzes financial details like funds required to pay teachers' salaries, office expenses and development of infrastructure taking into consideration the depreciation in value of assets. The statements of accounts of the institutes are verified before arriving at a revised fee structure which is moderate, reasonable and sees a gradual annual increase. The revised structure was finalized late this year as the committee's work was hindered by implementation of the model code of conduct for the assembly and panchayat elections held in 2012. The fee structure does not remain uniform throughout the course duration and varies in institutions offering similar courses depending on services and facilities provided to students and other financial implications. The committee is headed by Justice (retired) Eurico Santana da Silva and has the AICTE regional officer for western region, chartered accountant S S Davli, education secretary Keshav Chandra and educationist Suresh Amonkar as members. SPORTS +VE Australian women aim to lift sixth World Cup title           MUMBAI: Five-time champions Australia will walk in with the twin aims of revenge and title triumph when they take on a spirited West Indies, a team which has punched above its weight all through, in the summit clash of the ICC Women's World Cup on Sunday. Australia were undefeated in the series until the West Indies beat them by eight runs in their last Super Six match. The team from Down Under would be keen to take avange that loss and win the trophy for the sixth time. But the Aussies have a few issues to sort out ahead of the clash against the Caribbeans, who have made the final for the first time. The batters have not fired in unison for Australia and openers Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes haven't been able to provide a good platform, except the 55-run stand they shared in the game against Sri Lanka. Lanning, who scored 112 in her team's victory over New Zealand, hasn't been able to convert the starts into a meaningful score, while her opening partner Haynes, except for her unbeaten 71 against Sri Lanka, hasn't contributed much in the series with the bat. But with a formidable bowling attack, the Jodie-Fields led side would hope to restrict West Indies to a modest score in the final. Pacer Megan Schutt is one of the leading wicket-takers with 13 scalps, while the 17-year-old Holly Ferling, who made her debut in this World Cup, has been impressive with nine wickets in four matches. Australia have been without the services of pace spearhead Ellyse Perry in the last three games and they would hope that she recovers from her ankle injury to be fit for tomorrow's crucial encounter. On the other hand, West Indies will look to rewrite history and get their hands around the coveted trophy for the first time. The odds might favour Australia, having won three of their four World Cup matches against West Indies, but the Caribbean side will have the psychological advantage of defeating them in the previous game. After starting as underdogs, West Indies have emerged as the dark horses in the tournament. They stunned Australia to reach the finals and become the table-toppers in the Super Six stage. The Merissa Aguilleira-led side, who at the group stage looked doubtful to make it through the next round, entered the Super Six stage when hosts India were knocked out due to a 138-run loss against Sri Lanka. Having lost two games with a heavy margin in the group stage, the Caribbean side bounced back by winning all the three matches in the Super Six stage to enter the final. The West Indies side has been unpredictable, losing the campaign-opener by 105 runs to India, thumping Sri Lanka by 209 runs, losing to England by six wickets before winning by two wickets against South Africa, shocking New Zealand by 48 runs and pipping Australia by eight runs. Stafanie Taylor is the player in prime form for the Caribbean side and she has been wielding the bat well to score 309 runs in the series so far. She is expected to come in handy with the ball and pick up a few wickets. World record holder for the fastest 100 in T20s, Deandra Dottin, who made a 67-ball 60 with 10 fours and a six against Australia, will bolster the middle-order and put the opponents on the back foot. The new ball sharers -- Shanel Daley and Tremayne Smartt -- have been inconsistent, either picking up wickets in heap or going wicketless. Spinner Anisa Mohammed with her unusual bowling action will look to trouble the batters and can be useful with the bat to hit the ball out of the park.     Zila Ghaziabad Zila Ghaziabad  Movie Name :   Zila Ghaziabad Release Date :   February 22, 2013 Genre :  Action, Thriller Producer : Vinod Bachan, Showman International Director :   Anand Kumar Music Director :  Pritam Cast : Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Vivek Oberoi, Minissha Lamba, Ravi Kishan, Paresh Rawal, Sunil Grover   Synopsis: Along with Dutt, the cast of Zila Ghaziabad includes leading actors like Arshad Warsi,Vivek Oberoi, Paresh Rawal, Minissha Lamba, Geeta Basra, Charmi Kaur, Ravi Kishan, Ashutosh Rana, Divya Dutta, Zarina Wahav and Sunil Grover. The movie is a hard hitting action thriller based on the political and underworld scenario of GHAZIABAD and is being directed by Anand Kumar. The story is based on the true story of the gang war between two powerful rival groups of Gujjar, which took place in the 90s in Ghaziabad. One led by Satbir Gujjar (Vivek Oberoi) and the other led by Mahender Fauji Bainsla Gujjar(Arshad Warsi), with an police officer Pritam Singh (Sanjay Dutt) in between all of this Zila Ghaziabad will release on 22nd February, 2013.         A bear has 42 teeth. " INSPIRING STORY "       The Ship of Friendship    A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors who have been a good friends, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.   The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man’s parcel of land remained barren. After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land.   On the other side of the island, there was nothing. Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing. Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God’s blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered. As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, “Why are you leaving your companion on the island?” “My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them,” the first man answered. “His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything.” “You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him. “He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings.” Tell me,” the first man asked the voice, “What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?” “He prayed that all your prayers be answered “ Moral: For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us (Congregational Prayer). Value your friends, don’t leave your loved ones behind.

“Its important to put a lot of years into your life, but equally important to put a lot of life into your years.”