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Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
| VBA's Positive News |
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Australia: Emissions from power sector drop to decade-low
Australia's greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation have fallen to a 10-year low as coal-fired power slumped to its lowest level in a decade, a new report says. At the same time, the share of renewable energy in the National Electricity Market (NEM) has soared beyond 12 per cent and looks set to continue rising. 'Renewables are basically cancelling out coal,' RepuTex executive director Hugh Grossman told AAP on Thursday.
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US: Organic apples, pears to be antibiotic-free
The organic apples you buy in the grocery store will soon be free of a widely used antibiotic. The National Organic Standards Board late Thursday rejected a petition to allow growers to use the antibiotic oxytetracyline beyond the existing expiration date of 21 October 2014. The US Department of Agriculture's labelling standards generally prohibit food from being certified organic if antibiotics were used during production. But the threat of fire blight -- a bacterial pathogen that infects flowers and trees -- led to an exception for growers of apples and pears. That exception was revisited this week as consumer groups and concerned citizens urged the board to maintain next year's deadline.
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Sudan's Bashir pledges peace in first South Sudan visit since split
Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir said on Friday he wanted peace and normal relations with South Sudan in his first visit there since it split off from his country in 2011 after decades of civil war. Diplomats hope Bashir's visit will help the two sides overcome deep mistrust and solve their remaining disputes over the ownership of Abyei and other contested border regions.
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Eco-feminism: 111 plants for every new-born girl in Rajasthan, India
Rajasthan, Piplantri of Rajsamand district, is practicing 'Eco-feminism' -- a fight to save girl child -- for the last seven years. Over the last seven years, villagers have planted 111 trees whenever a girl is born to any family of the village. It is among the rare and spectacular concepts to save both girls and our nature, village Sarpanch Shyam Sunder Paliwal said. Thanks to this unique initiative, the people of the village have been able to plant 25 lakh trees in six years, including neem, mango, amla, and sheesham.
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Video of the Day:
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World Round-Up
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Bihar BJP to meet Rajnath after Nitish's veiled threat over Modi
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party is scrambling to tackle Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's ultimatum on its Prime Ministerial candidate. The Bihar BJP core group will meet party chief Rajnath Singh on April 18 in Delhi.
The BJP will discuss Nitish's ultimatum on keeping out Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi from the PM race. Top state leaders of the BJP will join the meeting, including Sushil Modi, Mangal Pandey, Ashwini Chaubey, Nand Kishore Yadav, Radha Mohan Singh and Giriraj Singh.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar without naming Narendra Modi made his opposition to the Gujarat Chief Minister apparent in his valedictory address at the end of the JD(U) National Council. Nitish minced no words in warning his long standing ally that he would not think twice before pulling out of the NDA if Modi is projected as the PM candidate by the BJP.
"What can be said of life, one day you have power and the next day it is gone. But we won't compromise on principles for the sake of power," Nitish said.
Almost tearing into the political and development model of Narendra Modi assiduously built over the past one month through a media blitzkrieg, Nitish re-iterated that he was not in the PM race, saying, "We do not live in any illusion, we are a small party."
But at the same time, the JD(U) categorically spelt out a benchmark for NDA's PM candidate. In the political resolution, the party demanded that the NDA candidate must be bound by a pre-defined agenda for governance, shouldn't digress from previously agreed alliance stand on the three issues, secular credentials of the candidate must be beyond doubt. It said the PM nominee must support an inclusive model of political and economic development and be committed towards the needs of backward states and most importantly this candidate must be decalred by the NDA before the year end.
"The leader will have to understand the psyche of the people of a diverse multi-religious and multi-lingual country like India. Mere atmospherics would not do.. The Prime Minister should be like Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He always used to talk about following the raj dharma," Nitish said. By talking about inclusive growth, Nitish reached out to potential post poll allies Mamata Banerjee and Naveen Patnaik.
Nitish Kumar has put the ball in the BJP's court making it amply clear that the onus to keep the alliance intact is on the saffron party which can do so by keeping Narendra Modi away from the top job.
BJP also launched a counter attack releasing a statement vetted by its top leaders. "It's unfortunate if they concentrate their energies on our CMs and dilute focus on ousting the UPA. We reject all unfounded inferences against Narendra Modi," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Seetharaman said.
Meanwhile, hoping to gain some advantage of this BJP-JD(U) squabble, the Bihar Congress tried to woo the state's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Bihar Congress chief Ashok Choudhary said, "When Nitish Kumar will take a stand like they don't want BJP, then there is the question of an alliance with any secular party.
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Astrology
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Aries March 21 to April 19
You are likely to be behind the scenes today or out of the public eye. Perhaps you will work through the weekend, but you will not be alone. Contacts with your employer around financial matters will be productive now. Your focus will be on investments and taxes and to make adjustments if necessary. The cosmic techie known as Uranus will be moving through
Taurus April 20 to May 20
The moon's transit of Taurus today will enhance your ability to charm others through both written and spoken worlds - and more. Your ability to communicate and influence others will extend to artistic endeavors like photography, the visual arts, drama, and music. Expect numerous calls and emails from family members and others in your community. You will also have an Aha! experience connected with your cash flow from current investments that could inspire you to make significant changes.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
 Expect the unexpected in your other public life today. If you are at your regular job or volunteering, it is likely you will need to soothe a few ruffled public feathers on behalf of others and manage technical surprises. Your significant other and others you meet with for business reasons will be cooperative and assist you if asked. Your opportunities for relaxation now have an ethnic theme: attend a foreign film festival today and make reservations at your favorite Asian restaurant for tonight.
Cancer June 21 to July 22
Your moon will light up your astrological house of friendships today. It's a cosmic signature for good times with your closest companions. You may be the one that organizes a special event for your closest friends, but there will be opportunities to get together with your best bud to catch up on one another's news, too. One of them may be a college chum or visiting from a distant location.
Leo July 23 to Aug. 22
 Like Leo's ruler, the Sun, you may shine as usual today but find the social weather around you still lukewarm at best. You can be somewhat outside of your own element now and find it takes more time than you first thought to adjust to this new environment. It's possible that you will need to put a few former relationships behind you peacefully.
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Takeover tycoon passes away
Rama Prasad Goenka (pictured), leading industrialist and founder of RPG group, passed away in Kolkata on early Sunday morning after a brief fight with cancer. He was 83.
About three years back, Rama Prasad had shown India Inc how best to manage a split of a business house between the siblings.
Rama Prasad Goenka’s division of the Rs 30,000 crore empire that straddles across diverse sectors, both old and new, between his elder son Harshvardhan (55) and younger Sanjiv (51) wasn’t preceded by any media speculations or public spat between the beneficiaries.
The world came to know of it only when the brothers chose to tell.
Tying up the loose ends of executing the split of the RPG group was bit of a cakewalk though for Rama Prasad, who had planted the seeds of his succession even when he was growing at a breakneck speed through acquisitions during the whole of 80s.
These buyouts – Ceat Tyres in 1981, followed by HMV now called Saregama, then CESC, Harrisons Malayalam and Spencer & Co – earned him the sobriquet ‘takeover tycoon’, the first for an Indian industrialist.
Mumbai-based Ceat was for Harsh who settled in that city with RPG House in Worli has his base, while Dunlop, Rama Prasad’s second acquisition in 1984 done along with Manu Chhabria, was for Sanjiv to settle in Kolkata.
Rama Prasad, however, couldn’t hold on to Dunlop and subsequently sold off his stake to Chhabria.
Sanjiv was subsequently given CESC to set up his base in Kolkata at the power utility’s head office at Victoria House.
Harsh then got power transmission equipment maker KEC and IT firm Zensar, while Sanjiv started looking after Spencers, Phillips Carbon Black and Saregama.
Harrisons Malayalam, a south based plantation company was being jointly managed which has now been vertically split between the brothers at the last leg of a long-drawn succession process, which,Harsh later told media, happened at the insistence of their father.
For Rama Prasad knew only too well, succession can be messy if not managed well enough.
Rama Prasad had seen it in his own family when in 1979 his father Keshav Prasad, in a bid to stem increasing hostilities between brothers Rama Prasad, the eldest, Gouri Prasad, the youngest, and Jagdish
Prasad, was forced to split the empire that he had built at the insistence of Rama Prasad, who was gradually finding it stifling to work with brothers having visions not as expansive as he saw.
That marked the formation of RPG Enterprises that year with companies like Phillips Carbon Black, Asian Cables, Agarpara Jute Mill and Murphy India with a turnover of Rs 70 crore.
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Avoid these foods to avoid constipation
Constipation is an uncomfortable condition. Previously, we covered the foods that you must eat on a regular basis to tackle constipation.
On the other side of the healthy-unhealthy food spectrum, there are also some popular foods that you should avoid if you want to stay away from constipation. We give you 5 foods to exclude from your diet.
Processed food: Whether it is frozen foods or burgers and pizzas, it is going to make your mornings hard to get through, literally. When food is preserved and ready to eat, vital nutrients are drained out, plus the ingredients used are cheap. For example, all purpose flour or maida is used practically in all pizzas, breads and instant noodles.
Bottomline: Processed food has less fiber hence they linger in your system causing discomfort.
Bakery goodies: Nankhatais, kharis and tea biscuits are rich in sugar and fat. They may go well with tea and coffee, but lack fiber. But there's a solution to these good old treats, increase your fiber intake, and balance it out.
Bottomline: Sugar may go straight to your thigh, but it can also be the cause of constipation.
Red Meat without supplementing meals with vegetables: If you consume pork or beef regularly, without veggies on the side, you may have already experienced constipation. Make it a habit to accompany this precious chunk of meat with salad, cooked vegetables, and whole grain cereal; something that is rich in fiber.
Bottomline: Guess how long it takes to digest meat? No, you're wrong, it takes 90 hours to partially digest meat.
Caffeine: So no one can give up coffee, black tea and colas. They give you the much needed buzz to start your day and keep you going through strenuous meetings, commutes, and just about everything else. Unhealthy dependency aside, caffeine dehydrates the human body and dehydration is one of the main causes of constipation.
Bottomline: If you're addicted to caffeine, it's better to cut down and supplement it with food rich in fiber.
Oily food: Chips and fast foods are tempting, even for those who are determined to eat healthy. But the more oily and salty your food is, the higher your chances of developing some digestive health issues as you cross over from your 20s to the 30s. Foods that are deep fried and soaked in oil like French fries slows down the digestive process.
Bottomline: Fight your cravings and every time you feel tempted to order a round of French fries make sure you drink enough water and eat enough veggies before or after.
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Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
This will be a good day to strengthen bonds with your significant other. He or she might need extra TLC now because of stresses at work or financial concerns. Your usual methods of being supportive and adding cheer to your sweetie's life will have their usual good effects. Perhaps your loved one could accompany you as you shop today: you both might benefit from products and services that enhance your health and increase your enjoyment of everyday life. Time spent with domestic pets will put you both at ease.
Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
You'll feel most comfortable and have the most success today when you meet the world on your own terms. Others may need a few hours or days to accept your creative options connected with how things should be done - but they will come around to your way of thinking both at home and in your workplace. Your financial responsibilities will be high now, but you will enjoy some low-key entertainment tonight with your special guy or girl. Dinner and a movie would be best.
Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
 Your lively social life will expand even more today and throughout the weekend. You will have opportunities to connect with friends and loved ones at family gatherings, weddings, and other special celebrations. If you bring a new special someone along, he or she will be a big hit and confirm your good taste in partners. Later, you and your sweetie can make plans for a romantic mid-winter vacation. Expect heavenly support for this getaway.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
This is an excellent weekend to bring closure to existing home projects and more. You and your significant other may suddenly decide to compromise on an important matter and put any heated discussions of the same behind you. In the process, back stories on your different perspectives will be revealed, processed, and understood. You both may realize previous discussions were not really about what they seemed to be, and that will be a good thing.
Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
 When your Saturn sign ruler makes a friendly contact with dynamic Mars today, you can make positive changes in the overall environment of your community. Your physical energy will be high, so you may lend a hand to a project in process that others have organized. You will find the most pleasure when taking part in events involving music, art, or water-based sporting events close to home and especially at parks, schools, libraries, and museums. In the process you'll meet like-minded people that share similar interests and values.
Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
 The stars reveal that you'll enjoy a few unexpected additions to your cash flow today. These include your regular paycheck or compensation from an unexpected source. One of your past efforts on behalf of your employer may result in a bonus or a new perk. Venus, the social planet, will transit Aquarius and will add to your charm and attractiveness. Expect a lively Saturday night. Venus also signifies your family, and they may wish to spend more time with you tomorrow.
Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20
Mercury, Mars, and idealistic Neptune will all move through Pisces now. This cosmic combo will assist you to effectively intervene in a special cause that is dear to your heart. You may be inspired to send funds to a non-profit group or support it by donating your time and talents. The unexpected arrival of additional income could inspire you to be even more generous than usual. Expect your significant other to be even more attentive than usual this weekend. You can set the agenda for the relationship now - not forever - but for the next several weeks.
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Moral Story
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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.”
Museum Watchman: That's a 500 year old statue you have broken.
Funny Short Man: Thanks God! I thought it was a new one.
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Scholarship for children from disadvantaged backgrounds
The University of Wolverhampton has recently announced a scholarship, which would provide opportunities for 12 intakes of five children from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of which will be from some of the most deprived areas of the country.
The announcement was made at an evening, which was hosted by British Council in honour of Lord Swraj Paul, chancellor, University of Wolverhampton, on his visit to India and the subcontinent.
A delegation from the University of Wolverhampton, which works through the charity, 'Child & Women Care Society,' was in India to raise the profile of the university, city and Black Country region. The trip was led by the university's chancellor, the Rt Hon Lord Paul of Marylebone PC and vice-chancellor , Geoff Layer.
It involved meeting with education providers, representatives of government, business and investment bodies and alumni of the university. The delegation visited the university's South East Asia Regional Office in the Capital.
The visit included visit to a local school, meetings with UKTI ( UK Trade and Investment) and an event hosted by the British Council in Delhi celebrating the links between Wolverhampton and India.
Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton said, "The trip is all about strengthening existing relationships between the university, Wolverhampton and the Black Country and India. Our ties with this area of the world are good and it is important to emphasise the importance of international students and how we can work even more closely with businesses in this part of the world."
Layer, vice-chancellor of the university, said, "We are the University of the Black Country but it is also important that we have an outlook as a global university. Just looking at our India connections, we have more than 2,000 graduates from India alone and they add to the rich cultural mix and economy of our region. Education can change and improve people's lives and we think it is vital that we seek to work with partners around the world to share knowledge, best practice and build a culture of lifelong learning."
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Australia's Adam Scott wins the Masters
AUGUSTA: Adam Scott sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole on Sunday to beat Angel Cabrera and win the 77th Masters, becoming the first Australian golfer to capture the green jacket.
Nine months after making bogeys on the last four holes to squander a British Open lead at Royal Lytham and two years after sharing second at the Masters, the 32-year-old from Adelaide won his first major title in impressive fashion.
"I don't know how that happened," Scott said. "It seems a long, long way from a couple years ago, or last July when I was trying to win a major. It was incredible."
Scott and Cabrera both birdied the 18th hole to finish deadlocked after 72 holes on nine-under par 279. Each parred the hole again to open the playoff and both had birdie putts at the second playoff hole, the par-4 10th.
Cabrera just missed his 12-footer and Scott followed with his winning putt, thrusting his arms into the air with joy after the ball curled into the cup to signal the end of a journey from Down Under to the top of the golf world.
It was Scott's second celebration after an emotional 20-foot birdie at 18 in regulation that Cabrera matched with a stunning approach to four feet and a birdie putt of his own.
"There was a split second I thought I had won," Scott admitted. "You never count your chickens. It was time to step up and see how much I wanted it."
Cabrera, the 2007 US Open and 2009 Masters champion, shared a hug with Scott after the final putt.
"That's how golf is," Cabrera said. "I came back. I had my chance to win it. Adam is truly a good winner. He's a great person and a great player and I'm happy for him."
Cabrera would have been the second-oldest Masters champion at 43, trailing only Jack Nicklaus winning the 1986 Masters at age 46. The 43-year-old grandfather is ranked 269th in the world.
Australian Jason Day was third on 281, two strokes ahead of world number one Tiger Woods and Aussie Marc Leishman with Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen and American Brandt Snedeker sharing sixth on 284.
Woods, a 14-time major champion who has never won a major when he did not at least share the 54-hole lead, has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open and not won the Masters since taking his fourth green jacket in 2005.
The Masters was the only major that no Aussie had won, the Augusta National jinx a painful jinx -- now shattered forever -- that included three heartbreaking defeats for two-time British Open champion Greg Norman.
Norman took a bogey at the 18th in the 1986 Masters to hand Jack Nicklaus his 18th and last major title. In 1987, Norman lost a Masters playoff when Augusta native Larry Mize holed a miraculous chip shot.
In 1996, Norman suffered the greatest last-round collapse in major golf history, leading by six over Nick Faldo only to lose by five to the Englishman.
"He inspired a nation of golfers," Scott said. "Part of this definitely belongs to him."
Scott and Day shared second in 2011, falling short when South African Charl Schwartzel became the first man to birdie the last four holes to win a major.
Scott, who uses an anchored putting stroke, fired a 69 and Cabrera a 70 in the last round.
Day could only watch Scott and Cabrera make their stunning shots at the 18th hole and ponder what might have been.
A day after closing with back-to-back bogeys, Day opened with a birdie and followed with an eagle at the par-5 second, but stumbled back with bogeys at the par-3 sixth and par-4 ninth.
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Ek Thi Daayan
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Ek Thi Daayan
Movie Name : Ek Thi Daayan
Release Date : April 18, 2013
Genre : Horror
Producer : Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor, Vishal Bhardwaj, Rekha Bhardwaj.
Director : Kannan Iyer
Music Director : Vishal Bharadwaj
Cast : Emraan Hashmi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kalki Koechlin, Huma Qureshi.
Synopsis:
Ek Thi Daayan movie is a supernatural musical entertaining romantic thriller with an electrifying jolt at the end.
The movie revolves around the character Bobo (Emraan Hashmi), an India's leading magician. But unknown to even his girlfriend Tamara, Bobo's life is falling apart. His constant hallucinations leave him with no option but to seek psychiatric help.
Going through regression hypnosis, a terrifying story about his childhood surfaces involving a sinister power called Daayan who has not only destroyed his family but also promised to return to haunt Bobo.
He chooses to ignore it and move on with his life. Just when his career and love life is at full throttle, enters the irresistible Lisa Dutt.
Bobo is convinced that she is the daayan. But is she, really? Or is he just losing his mind?
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Unless food is mixed with saliva you can't taste it
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" INSPIRING STORY "
The Wet Pants
There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet.
He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It’s never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it..
When the girls find out, they’ll never speak to him again as long as he lives.
The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, “Dear God, this is an emergency!
I need help now! Five minutes from now I’m dead meat.”
He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.
As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy’s lap.
The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, “Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!”
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out.
All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful.
But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else – Susie. She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. “You’ve done enough, you klutz!”
Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
Susie whispers back, “I wet my pants once too.”
Moral:
All of us go through all good and bad things in life.
We should always remember how we felt when we were in same condition and should not mock others for being in it.
Always try to understand their situation as if you are in it and help much as possible praying to god that today you are in a condition to help someone who needs it.
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At one point in your life you either have the thing you want or the reasons why you don't.
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