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“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please..”
| VBA's Positive News |
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US: Farmer- and family-owned wind rises In Iowe
Iowa farmer Randy Caviness saw an opportunity to keep the value of Iowa wind local and he's helped to develop eight utility-scale wind turbines with community ownership, providing clean, local, and locally owned power to municipal and rural electric utilities in southwestern Iowa. Iowa ranks third in installed wind power capacity in the US. Its 5,500 megawatts are behind only Texas and California (and it has much more wind power per capita).
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UK: Recovery optimism grows, helped by services sector
Britain's economy may be finally gaining some ground, with stronger-than-expected growth in the dominant services sector capping a week of relatively upbeat economic news. The services sector -- which accounts for around three-quarters of Britain's economy -- grew at its fastest pace in April since last summer's Olympics, boosted by the strongest increase in new orders in almost a year.
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Please, sir, can I have some more kale? US schools go vegetarian
Would you like the tofu roasted in sesame sauce, the falafel and cucumber salad, or the braised black beans and plantains? These are some of the exotic choices at the first school in the US to take meat off the menu. Public School 244Q, in Queens, New York City, has introduced exclusively vegetarian lunches as part of a city-wide mission to improve public health. And the school's 400 pupils, aged four to nine, can't get enough. New York plans to expand the burger-free regime.
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Zimbabwe lures foreign investors, Bourse scales record peak
After shunning Zimbabwe during its years of hyperinflation and political strife, foreign investors are finding the southern African country increasingly attractive. 'Zimbabwe used to be the breadbasket of Africa so the potential to restore its lost glory is still there,' said Funmi Akinluyi, Silk Invest's sub-Saharan Africa investment director, adding that the firm has no investments in Zimbabwe but is looking at it closely.
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Video of the Day:
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World Round-Up
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Congress says Ashwani, Bansal won't go even as BJP builds pressure
New Delhi: Union Railway Minister Pawan Bansal and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar are not going to resign just as yet. The Congress Core Group, which met on Sunday evening, has decided to fight it out with the Opposition over the railway bribery and coal scam controversies.
Sources say that the allies, too, are backing the Congress on both these issues.
"I don't think it is in keeping with the canons of the Indian jurisprudence to pre-judge or pre-determine issues," Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari said. The core group decided that it would not buckle under pressure from the BJP and even risk adjourning Parliament early.
CNN-IBN has learnt of the inside story which led to the decision to back both ministers.
There were inputs from the government that prima facie link of the railway scam cannot be traced directly to Bansal yet. Congress President Sonia Gandhi said damage must be contained and BJP must be replied to.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said the BJP isolated as most parties want the House to run and and are not asking for Bansal's resignation.
It was felt that if Congress agrees to Bansal's quitting, then Ashwani would be next and the Prime Minister would be vulnerable. The PM said UPA allies agree that no minister needs to quit.
While the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Janata Dal United have not demanded Bansal's resignation, the BJP reacted strongly to Congress's no to the resignation of Bansal and Ashwani Kumar.
"The way the Congress party is shielding its ministers is shocking. BJP demands that the President of India should dismiss this corrupt government to save the country," BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.
Former Railways minister Dinesh Trivedi has hit out at Pawan Bansal saying that the buck stops with the top leadership.
"It all depends on the top person and I'm not here to have value judgement on this case and ministers.
Let the CBI come up with the truth. One has to be held accountable for the entire morality of the system concerned because you are at the helm of affairs and if something goes wrong you are answerable," Trivedi said.
But the decision taken at the Congress Core Group meet could be a temporary reprieve, specially for Ashwani.
If the Supreme Court pulls him up, his continuance becomes untenable. But for now the Cong is smug with the news in of the exit polls predicting its win in Karnataka and the withdrawal of Chinese troops.
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Astrology
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Aries March 21 to April 19
Two powerful planets may be having their way with you, and the challenges may come from deciding which direction to take. Both Uranus and Pluto will push you onto a new path. This may be a time when the rubber has to hit the road, so there may not be any opportunity to dodge this one. The main source of action may come to light through your career. Have you been trying to shift your occupational focus? Do you have the proper motives? These are good questions to ask as you seek the right answer. Soon you may know.
Taurus April 20 to May 20
This may be an expansive day of regeneration and renewal. Your educational pursuits likely were a wise investment as you may begin to use those skills in new untested areas of your life. A whole new vista may be in store, so it may be wise to send out new queries about moving, finding new jobs, new friends and other expansive ideas. This may be seen as a very rich transition in which you close some doors that no longer serve you, and you open up new connections that may actually prove more valuable.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
 You may be in line for a large organizational shift that will come out of the blue. While you were silently plodding along, you may find out that a reorganization at work will land you in a much more appreciated position with a whole new set of players. This may feel energizing, as the prospect of new projects can be quite thrilling. It may feel a bit of a challenge at first, but be mindful of the potential, and see where the ride will take you.
Cancer June 21 to July 22
You may be facing a decision regarding a relationship and how it fits in with your career. It may be simply that you have to put in a few more hours to complete a project, and that takes away from your together time, or you may be asked to take on a temporary assignment that puts you in a branch office that’s not quite as convenient. You may have to find the sweet spot with your partner and see if he or she can adapt. Be prepared for a change of plans so you can respond accordingly.
Leo July 23 to Aug. 22
 You may be in for unexpected and exciting events as you head for foreign locales. You may travel and teach, so you may want to remain loose, so you can change plans if necessary. You may leave a powerful impact on others, so use your influence with care and good intention. You will be quite dynamic in public settings, so take the extra minute to review your notes and be certain that what you offer is of the highest value.
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SpiceJet rallies over 8% post Jhunjhunwala’s block deal on Friday
NEW DELHI: Shares of SpiceJet rallied over 8 per cent in early trade on Monday, after big bull Rakesh Jhunjhunwala's wife Rekha bought 25 lakh shares of the company.
Rekha Jhunjhunwala bought shares worth Rs 9.73 crore through a block deal for an average price of Rs 38.94 a share on Friday.
At 09:20 am; SpiceJet was trading 6.5 per cent higher at Rs 43.15. It hit a low of Rs 41 and a high of Rs 43.75 in trade today.
The stock has been in focus ever since Jet announced a deal with Etihad. Both Jet and SpiceJet stocks have seen a re-rating. SpiceJet has gained over 50 per cent since April on the back of positive news flows.
The stake acquired by Jhunjhunwalas is miniscule, but reflects the changed sentiments for airline stocks, ET reported.
"SpiceJet is the only company in the aviation pack that one would possibly look at as Jet-Ethhad deal may open lot of avenues for other airlines, especially listed entities," said Gaurang Shah, Asst VP, Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services in an interview with ET Now.
"There will be some amount of positivity on SpiceJet and my belief is that since the stock is trading at about Rs 34-Rs 35, downside is well protected," he added.
Shah is of the view that any positivity of any foreign airline trying to come in buying a stake into SpiceJet will only give incremental upside to the stock.
Recently, SpiceJet's promoter Kalanithi Maran also increased his stake by nearly 6 per cent due to allotment of equity shares following conversion of convertible debentures.
Maran's stake has risen from 16.27% to 22.05%. The overall holding of the promoters in the airline also climbed to 52.14% from 48.59% at the end of March quarter, added the ET report.
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India in healthcare hall of shame, ranked worst peers and neighbours
Among peers and neighbours India is performing the worst when it comes to the health of its citizens. Whether it is life expectancy, mortality due to all causes, under-five mortality or mortality among men and women between 15 and 49 years, on most counts, India ranks way below China, Brazil and Sri Lanka, just below Bangladesh and Nepal and in some cases even Pakistan.
This was revealed in the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2010 Study (GBD 2010), a collaborative project led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. The study details the causes of death and disability — across age groups and genders — for 187 countries around the world.
Sri Lanka and China fight for the top spot in India's neighbourhood on most parameters followed by Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. India and Pakistan figure at the bottom with India often beating Pakistan in the race to the bottom, even if marginally so.
"Countries like China and Brazil and even our neighbours, who are not as well off, doing well show that India should be able to do a lot better. We are in this situation probably because we only pay lip service to health service and health system development. Our public expenditure on health is among the lowest in the world," said Lalit Dandona, research professor, Public Health Foundation of India and professor of global health at IHME.
In India, the top killer in 1990, diarrhoeal diseases, was replaced by ischemic heart disease by 2010. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) held second position through the two decades. However, lower respiratory infections were displaced by stroke by 2010 as the third most common cause of mortality. Diarrhoeal diseases moved to the fourth place followed by TB which continued at fifth place.
For the entire developed world, in fact, for most of the world barring the poorer countries, the biggest killers were ischemic heart disease or stroke. For the poorer countries by 2010, the biggest killers were lower respiratory diseases, malaria and HIV. In the 15-49 age group, i.e. barring children and elderly, suicide and TB were the biggest killers for South Asia while road accidents replaced suicide in the same age group by 2010 in China. In the developed world, suicide and road injury followed by ischemic heart disease seemed to be the biggest killers in this age group. In large swathes of Africa, HIV/AIDS was the biggest killer for the 15-49 age group.
In India, "road injury" is the leading killer of men in the 15-49 age group while suicides are the biggest cause of death among women in this age group. Among children in the under-five age group, preterm birth complications was the leading cause of death in India in 2010 replacing diarrhoeal disease, the top killer of 1990. Preterm complications are the biggest killers in most of the developed world too along with congenital anomalies.
Lower respiratory infections, malaria and diarrhoeal diseases were the biggest killers in most of the lesser developed countries. Interestingly, the biggest risk factors for Indians were dietary risks, high blood pressure, household air pollution and tobacco smoking, including passive smoking.
Dandona pointed out that it was not possible to ignore the fact that shift towards poor quality high-fat food was causing immense damage. "We will suffer as a society if we do not regulate Big Food as the companies selling beverages, snacks etc are called. Tobacco might be a clear killer but this is more insidious and many of us public health experts think we need to be smarter about how these unhealthy foods are allowed into our society," concluded Dandona.
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Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
This may be a particularly creative time for you, so take heed of your own insight. This may be an extremely useful period, where you will grasp difficult concepts and forge new ideas that may set the course for your future work. As a result, libraries, research, education and other intellectual pursuits are highly favored. The types of information that you seek may involve complex calculations and other scientific discoveries, and it may leave quite an impact of you going forward.
Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
The heritage of your family and the past may be a favorite topic today. Whether you are going through old photographs or cleaning out your attic and closets, you may be inclined to look back at where you have been. Nothing triggers a memory like a snapshot taken years ago, when other people and relatives may have played a different role in your life. This should be a good time to pause and reflect on what those people have meant to you.
Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
 A thoughtful and intriguing conversation with your partner may yield a new plan for the shape of your relationship. This may just be a good time to clear the air to see what comes after you express your views. Do you want to become more invested in each other, or do you simply want to get something off your chest? Either way you may be in a position to express your ideas with clarity and precision. Since one of your ruling planets, Pluto figures prominently in the dialogue, you may make a lasting impact.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
This may be an important time to pay special attention to creative ideas that come through. With Uranus in your creativity sector, you will be prone to flashes of inspiration and invention. You may not even have seen the connection, but ideas may seem surreal and quite spontaneous. The challenge for you may be to discern what is worthy of your time and what can be cast off as a whim. It may be worthwhile to write down your ideas for the future.
Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
 The shape of your home may be changing as renovations and redecorating become part of your focus. While it may appear as a major departure from the familiar, the change to your living arrangement may be just what you need. Sometimes it may feel right to shake things up. You might consider new colors and arrangements that alter your dwelling in the most unusual way. The changes may feel a bit odd at first but you may soon come to see them as long overdue.
Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
 You may become deeply immersed in a research project that requires a large view of the world. Humanitarian ideas and charities may be part of your plan, so take into consideration how others are impacted. You might consider a new project or simply formulate a written presentation. With Uranus in your communication sector, you may be surprised by ideas and discoveries that flash across your screen today. This could be a fabulous time for unusual connections and alliances, so allow yourself to be open.
Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20
This may be an excellent time for collaborating with business associates. Discussing possible projects, budgets, and resources are likely to be key talking points, so take good notes and gather quality information; it may be quite valuable down the road. Since you may be an investor, you may want to spend more time considering your options before you make a commitment. Unexpected ideas may come to light that could shift your plans, so be prepared to consider new and different tactics.
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Moral Story
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SMS
“Keep steadily before you the fact that all true success depends at last upon yourself.”
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Good relationships are like trees
They demand attention & care in the beginning
but once they blossoms
they provide U shade in all situations of life .
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know; the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who
will have sought and found how to serve.”
Husband sent a text to his wife at night,
"Hi I will get late, please try and wash all my dirty clothes
and make sure you prepare my favorite dish before I return."
He sent another text,
"And I forgot to tell you that I got an increase in my salary
at the end of the month I'm getting you a new car"
She text back, "OMG really?"
Husband replied,
"No I just wanted to make sure you got my first message".
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'Students can no longer study commerce and CA together'
With the four-year degree course, students can no longer study chartered accountancy and a baccalaureate of commerce together. This will come as a setback to those students who were planning to pursue both these qualifications simultaneously.
Says Karan Aggarwal, a chartered accountant, "The three-year programme offered some scope to students to pursue CA while pursuing graduation. But, now, students will no longer be able to pursue a regular commerce degree and CA together.
Till last year, students could time their internships in a way in which they could finish both these qualifications simultaneously . But now, with an additional year to study, they will not be able to do so."
It is not only the extended year, but the changed commerce syllabus that will also affect these students. With taxation subjects missing from the new proposed course, most CA aspirants will be affected.
"When I was a student at DU, papers on indirect tax, corporate tax planning, etc, helped me gain an understanding of taxation . Now, students will have to rely on tuitions to clear their fundamental concepts," says Aggarwal who completed his BCom (H) from DU and CA from the ICAI simultaneously .
In a situation like this, students wanting to enroll for CA can look at the IP University's and School of Open Learning's BCom (H) programme .
Both these courses follow the old syllabus and are of three years' duration. Ignou is also another option for students wanting to pursue both these programmes together.
While the student community is concerned, JP Sharma, head, department of commerce, and dean faculty of commerce and business, is of the opinion that there is no connect between these two programmes. "Also, not many students who study commerce in DU are interested in CA," he adds.
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Chelsea beat Man United 1-0 to reclaim third spot
LONDON: Juan Mata struck an 87th-minute winner as Chelsea won 1-0 at champions Manchester United on Sunday to reclaim third place in the Premier League and tighten their grip on a Champions League place.
EPL Points Table | Schedule & Results
A lacklustre game at Old Trafford was drifting towards a goalless draw when Mata collected a pass from Oscar and dispatched a low shot that took a slight deflection off Phil Jones on its way into the bottom-right corner.
Mata's goal means that Chelsea will now go into Wednesday's crunch clash against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge with a three-point lead over their London rivals, who are bidding to crash into the top four.
Arsenal are sandwiched between the pair in fourth, a point behind Chelsea, having played a game more.
United had right-back Rafael da Silva sent off late on and although their lead over second-place Manchester City remains 13 points, they have failed to win in two games since clinching their 20th league title.
United made five changes from the side that drew 1-1 at Arsenal last weekend, with Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and goalkeeper David de Gea among the players dropping to the bench.
Chelsea were missing Eden Hazard due to a calf strain and made four changes from their Europa League semi-final second leg success against FC Basel on Thursday.
The visitors made a bright start, with United goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard touching a shot from Oscar onto the post and Demba Ba curling a shot wide from the left.
United came to life slowly and did not pose a threat until late in the first half, with Robin van Persie diverting a glorious Ryan Giggs pass wide and then heading straight at Petr Cech from Nemanja Vidic's cross.
The second half was similarly underwhelming, with Frank Lampard blazing over for Chelsea and United substitute Rooney heading over the bar at the other end.
Mata finally settled things with three minutes to play with a low shot that nicked off Jones and trundled past Lindegaard, before Rafael was sent off for kicking out at countryman David Luiz.
Everton remain on course to finish above Liverpool for the second season in a row after holding their city rivals to a 0-0 draw in a scrappy Merseyside derby at Anfield earlier in the day.
Liverpool's best chance saw a goal-bound effort from man-of-the-match Steven Gerrard cleared by Everton defender Sylvain Distin, who had a goal controversially disallowed at the other end.
It meant Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher failed to finish on the winning side in his 30th and final Merseyside derby, while Everton are still without an away win in this fixture since 1999.
The draw left Everton somewhat marooned in sixth place in the table, five points above their neighbours and five points below the European qualifying positions with two games to play.
"I don't want to be a whinging manager, but we scored a legitimate goal today. It should have counted," said Everton manager David Moyes.
"We're still in there -- we picked up a point again today. We've got two games to go and we'll keep pushing to try to get in there (the top five) if we can."
Gerrard thought he had put Liverpool ahead in the second half, but after rounding visiting goalkeeper Tim Howard, he saw his shot cleared off the line by Distin.
Distin had earlier seen a header ruled out by referee Michael Oliver for a foul that was far from evident, but Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers felt defeat would have been harsh on his side.
"I can have no complaints," he said. "The players gave everything and the very least we deserved was a point."
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Gippi
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Gippi
Movie Name : Gippi
Release Date : 10 May 2013
Genre : Comedy, Drama
Producer : Karan Johar
Director : Sonam Nair
Music Director : Vishal–Shekhar
Cast : Riya Vij, Taaha Shah, Divya Dutta
Synopsis:
Gippi is a 14-year-old girl who lives in Simla with her mother Pappi and little brother Booboo. She is overweight and awkward and doesn't know how to handle the physical, emotional and social changes happening in her life. In school, she is a backbencher and is constantly bullied by the popular queen-bee Shamira. At home, she's trying to figure out how to deal with living in a broken home. In the middle of all this chaos, she falls madly in love with an older, brooding heartbreaker. When her love story comes to a humiliating end, and she is publicly scorned, she decides to take her life in her hands and accepts Shamira's challenge to stand against her in the school elections. Whatever the final outcome might be, Gippi makes sure she has a great time in the journey, filling it with delicious desserts, funny teachers, school crushes, and Shammi Kapoor dances. Gippi is a coming-of-age story of an ordinary, overweight girl, who, through the course of the film, learns to love herself for exactly who she is. It is also a tale of an underdog, who picks herself up from nothing and finds herself at the top of her own little world.
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the average person falls asleep in 7 minutes.
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" INSPIRING STORY "
A gift of love!
“Can I see my baby?” the happy new mother asked.
When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped.
The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred.
When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks.
He blurted out the tragedy. “A boy, a big boy … called me a freak.”
He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that.
He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. “But you might mingle with other young people,” his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart.
The boy’s father had a session with the family physician. Could nothing be done?
“I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured,” the doctor decided.
Whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by.
Then, “You are going to the hospital, Son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret,” said the father.
The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged.
His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs.
Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. “But I must know!” He urged his father, “Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him.”
“I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know … not yet.”
The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come … one of the darkest days that a son must endure.
He stood with his father over his mother’s casket.
Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to reveal that the mother had no outer ears.
“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut,” he whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?”
Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance, but in the heart.
Real treasure lies not in what that can be seen, but what that cannot be seen.
Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what that is done but not known.
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“Too many people go through life waiting for things to happen instead of making them happen! ”
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