“If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives. ”     VBA's Positive News Gauge of US economy's future health up in April A measure of the US economy's future health rose solidly in April, buoyed by a sharp rise in applications to build homes and a better job market. The Conference Board said Friday that its index of leading indicators increased 0.6 per cent last month to a reading of 95. That followed a 0.2 per cent decline in March. The index is intended to signal economic conditions three to six months out.     Healthier lifestyle drives organic farming in Russia The growing trend toward a healthy lifestyle is boosting organic farms in Russia that cultivate eco-friendly products. Russians in Moscow and St Petersburg, particularly, are prepared to pay higher prices for organic produce. The new business niche has expanded so much that it now requires legislative regulation. In late February, the Ministry of Agriculture prepared a bill on organic agricultural products and submitted it to concerned agencies. The document conceives of the certification of producers and state support for farmers starting in 2015. If farmers receive real support from the state, the business will expand many times over.    India: Bombay Stock Exchange Sensitive Index closes at new 2-1/2 year highs The Sensex edged higher on Friday to new 2-1/2-year highs as continued hopes for rate cuts bolstered sentiment for blue chips such as ICICI Bank and Larsen & Toubro, although some analysts warned the recent rally could be running out of steam. The Nifty gained 1.31 per cent for the week, posting its fifth consecutive week of gains. Strong gains in global share markets have also helped domestic indexes. Canada appoints first ambassador to Somalia in more than 20 years A longtime Canadian diplomat will become the country's first ambassador to Somalia in more than two decades. The announcement of David Angell's appointment marks a restart of diplomatic relations between Canada and the east Africa country. His appointment was formally announced Tuesday by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird during a visit to Kenya.        Video of the Day:

World Round-Up

Political + Chennai: MK Stalin surrenders illegally-imported Hummer to CBI        Chennai: DMK leader MK Stalin on Friday surrendered his illegally-imported Hummer to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Chennai. Sources said Stalin's son Udayanidhi came to the Chennai office of the agency and handed over Sports Utility Vehicle Hummer which was imported in 2007 and registered in his name. They said the car was one of the vehicles which were allegedly imported by Hyderabad businessman Alex C Joseph evading customs duties and sold to influential people at attractive rates. In a nation-wide search operation in March, CBI had recovered at least 33 luxury vehicles from various places which were alleged to have been imported by Joseph in alleged violation of the laws. The search by the CBI team at the residence of Stalin to look for a Hummer, just couple of days after DMK withdrew support from UPA Government, had sparked a political storm with the agency launching an internal inquiry to see if there were any procedural lapses in searches. The sources said agency has booked a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence Officer Muruganandan who was allegedly acting in collusion with Joseph in the vehicle import racket. They said Jospeh is still untraceable and agency is looking for him. The CBI had seized 11 cars belonging to BCCI chief and India Cements promoter N Srinivasan as part of its raids in Chennai, sources said. The sources added that Srinivasan had allegedly evaded paying tax on the imported cars. Astrology Aries March 21 to April 19 Your need for autonomy and freedom has never been stronger, and anyone who tries to hem you in now will soon see how futile it would be to try to contain you. This coming week, however, you will be more sensitive to these issues than usual, as powerhouse Pluto (power, force) in Capricorn, in your tenth house of fame and honors, will clash with Uranus (rebellion) in Aries. Because you won't be able to foresee the long-term results of any dispute you fire in by these aspects.      Taurus April 20 to May 20 You've been through two eclipses that have caused several changes, but the most important is how you view your capabilities. Soon you will be easing into a new chapter of your life, so you can use this week to meditate on how your new lifestyle would look. This week brings one more eclipse for the season, and it will appear as a full moon lunar eclipse in Sagittarius - this one will focus you on a financial matter. Gemini May 21 to June 20 Since December 21, 2010, eclipses in Gemini and your opposite sign of Sagittarius have appeared every six months. The coming lunar eclipse of May 25 will be the last in this family of eclipses, and will focus you on an important, close romantic relationship or a business alliance. After this eclipse is over, you can rest, as there will be no more eclipses in your sign for nearly a decade. The job of an eclipse is to test the strength of key relationships in your life and your determination to grow it into an alliance of greater depth - or leave it altogether. Cancer June 21 to July 22  Your life has been in flux for some time. You are moving through vast changes wrought by Uranus, planet of disruption and change, in hard angle to Pluto, planet of force. On Monday, May 20, Uranus and Pluto will meet at sharp odds, the first time in 2013 and third time since they began their one-on-one dispute. If you've been feeling any undue stress at work, or feel that a partner has forced you to follow unfair dictates, conditions may now reach a climax. Leo July 23 to Aug. 22  This week may get off to a bumpy start. On Monday, May 20, Uranus, planet of unanticipated events will conflict with Pluto, a powerful planet with dictatorial style - Pluto's message is, it's my way, or the highway. Tension in the air may be palpable. Being that others may be overwrought and overly sensitive, your job will be to keep all around you calm, especially concerning co-workers and underlings.                     BUSINESS+VE                                                                              Yahoo schedules event for May 20, to unveil 'something special'       New York: Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is promising to unveil "something special" on Monday in New York as she tries to attract more traffic and advertising to the Internet company. The Sunnyvale, California, company gave no further details Friday other than that Mayer will be discussing a product. Reporters are being invited to attend the 5 p.m. event at a lounge located in New York's Times Square. Mayer has been emphasising the need for better mobile applications and more video since she became Yahoo's CEO 10 months ago after helping to build Google into the Internet's most powerful company during a 13-year career working there. The invitations to Monday's event were sent out amid speculation that Yahoo might form a partnership or buy a stake in Tumblr, a content-sharing service that has become a popular application for mobile devices. The Tumblr talk was spurred by a post on the technology site All Things D, which reported Mayer has been in discussions about a possible deal with Tumblr CEO David Karp, who started the service in 2007. Citing anonymous sources close to the situation, All Things said Yahoo might even buy Tumblr for as much as $1 billion. Tumblr is based in New York, about two miles from where Mayer is making her announcement. Yahoo Inc. has won over investors under Mayer, even though the company's revenue is still barely growing even as advertisers are spending more money on the Internet.   Yahoo's stock price has risen 69 percent under Mayer's leadership. Yahoo's stock closed down 6 cents at $26.52 on Friday. HEALTH+VE                                                              Health benefits of black pepper       From an omelette, pasta to a vegetable stir fry, black pepper can enhance the taste factor. Black pepper has more healthy properties than most people know about. Black pepper is a spice that has the potential to make food more beneficial when used in various recipes and as a table spice. In Kerala, many start their day with a cup of black coffee with a pinch of black pepper powder. The aroma of freshly ground black pepper is difficult to ignore. We get our black pepper from the pepper vine that can grow in tropical climate. The pepper vines actually bear fruit-small white flowers that turn into berries called peppercorns. And the peppercorns are collected as whole berries or as ground black pepper. Research studies have shown that black pepper has quite a handful of healthy properties. It has the ability to enhance the function of the digestive tract. Black pepper is a great way to combat this. More than just a spice, it has been shown to improve digestion and stimulate the secretion from the taste buds. This taste bud stimulation tells the stomach that it's supposed to increase its own digestive juices, namely hydrochloric acid. This, in turn breaks down protein in the stomach, improving the process of digestion. Black pepper is known to have a great amount of antioxidant properties. It also has benefits against bacterial growth, particularly in the intestinal tract. So, just add freshly ground black pepper powder to your dish and see the difference.       Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22  Your physical space or concern for a female relative, possibly your mother, may come up at the full moon lunar eclipse, Friday, May 25. Mars will oppose this eclipse so if something does come up, other family members (or roommates) may not agree with your chosen course of action. Someone near may be confused about certain facts, so you may need to sort fact from fiction and help this person see your point of view.      Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22 The emphasis on managing complex money matters will continue in the coming week. Mars will orbit close to the Sun, showing how determined you will be to clear your desk and get details sorted and done. After so much serious focus on money, you may be yearning to get away from your usual haunts to explore the wide, wide world. Jupiter, Venus and Mercury are now in your ninth house of wide perspectives and adventuresome travel and are responsible for your burgeoning wanderlust.                          Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21 This week, you'll still be meditating about your feelings about a person close to you. The eclipse of May 9 brought up opportunity to become closer to your present romantic partner. If you are serious, you may become engaged or married. Business relationships may be forged now too, so alternatively, or additionally, you may draw up papers to make your partnership official. On May 25, you may discuss important financials, but with Neptune active, you will need to proceed slowly.                       Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21 You have been working hard this month and may have neglected your significant other. Look up from your desk, and you will see that your romantic partner loves you as deeply as ever. Although your work life will stay busy for a while - and opportunities will come up if you are not currently employed - you will nevertheless have more time to spend on your main squeeze. In fact, a major eclipse on May 25 will be in Sagittarius, and help you decide a question about precisely how you'd like to advance your relationship.              Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19 Mars, the bright energy planet, will remain in your house of true love all this week - wonderful news. If life has brought you too much work and not enough play, that all can change this week. Mars brings energy, favor, and advantage. Once Mars moves out of your romantic sector, it will not be until 2015 when Mars will return for his typical six-week visit. While you have Mars, use him for all he is worth. If single, it will be easier than ever to meet new romantic interests.                                Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18  This week, you will still have a chance to make great progress on real estate and other domestic goals. Planets are rapidly migrating out of your home sector, however, so you will have to work quickly. Mars is set to leave on May 31, not to return for two years, so make that your deadline to start working on home-related plans. If you have an aging parent, you may be thinking about your beloved relative and finding ways to help him or her. Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20  You may have traveled in May, but you would be wise to take any last-minute trips you still need to take, as you will have productive meetings. Your attention is about to be pulled in another direction soon. Planets are moving into your home sector, and with four heavenly bodies already there - awaiting Mars and a powerful new moon in June - you are about to think about diving into a goal to move, renovate, or re-design a room.    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.”         Husband to wife: I invited my friend for lunch. Wife: What the whole home is in mesh. Husband: I wanted to show him all this. because he wanted to marry.

EDUCATION +VE University of Pune to introduce MTech in aviatio         PUNE: The University of Pune will introduce a two-year MTech (Aviation) course focused on training pilots, in collaboration with a top German civil aviation company, from academic year 2013-14. "The first six months of the course will be at UoP's department of technology, while the remaining 18 months will be on-site training in Germany, following which the students will get a UoP degree," vice-chancellor Wasudeo N Gade told reporters on Friday. "A formal memorandum of understanding related to the course will be signed in June between the UoP and the German firm Fashschule Feer Luftahrgeng Fuhres (FFLF)," he said and added that the company is one of the top ranked German aviation firms, next only to Lufthansa. Only engineering graduates will be eligible for the new course, with a proposed initial intake of 24 seats. "Only engineering graduates will be eligible for the new course for which we have proposed an initial intake of 24 seats. "The course syllabus and related formalities have been cleared by the university's statutory bodies like the management and the academic councils. After the signing of MoU, the course start from the impending academic year," Gade said. "We have also approached the director general of civil aviation, the country's aviation regulator, for recognition of the course for the purpose of issuance of pilot's license," he added. According to UoP's director of board of university and college development V B Gaikwad, the new course will be offered on a credit-based system. "The credits accumulated for the 18 month on-site training in Germany will be transferred to the UoP to enable the award of a degree," he said. Meanwhile, Gade, who completed a year in office on May 15, said that the university will continue to focus on promoting research activities, both on campus and at affiliated colleges, and will push the ambitious automation programme for the examination department. "We have sanctioned a Rs 10-crore project for the laying of a new underground fiber optic network on the university campus for better connectivity," he said. He said that the university successfully carried out a pilot of introducing bar code system for education, management and postgraduate engineering faculty. "We will extend the system to other faculties from the coming academic year. This will ensure lesser human intervention and glitches in the exam process," he added. The university has also implemented online delivery of engineering question papers; the next priority will be to secure answer sheet scanning and online checking. "This way, problems like portions of answer sheets going unchecked by the paper assessor won't arise," Gade said. SPORTS +VE Kings XI Punjab look for divine intervention when they face Mumbai          DHARAMSHALA: Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab square up on Saturday for their last T20 league encounter in the backdrop of the majestic Dhauladhar Hills here and the spot-fixing controversy. The unsavoury episode has cast a dark shadow over the mega-event, but as they say: the show must go on. Watch IPL Videos Going into the match, the opponents are in different situations. KXIP have slim chances of making the playoffs, while Mumbai Indians are through. Having grabbed a berth in the qualifiers, the latter hope to finish on a high with a win at this picturesque venue as they would prefer to play in Qualifier 1, which gives the loser a second chance to make it to the final. KXIP have done their bit by edging past Delhi Daredevils on Thursday night to keep their chances alive. But they now require some divine intervention. They would be hoping against hope that Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore lose their remaining matches, while they themselves register a big win over Mumbai Indians on Saturday. One can say they are in an 'iffy' situation, as they were at the same stage last year at the same venue. KXIP skipper Adam Gilchrist is, however, confident after the win over DD on Thursday night. He said that the team would like to finish off with a win and leave their passage to the play-offs on fate. "We have had a mixed season. Some good wins and some poor shows. Now we find ourselves at the mercy of other teams." MI skipper Rohit Sharma too said that the team was focused on winning their last game and going into the playoffs on a high. "We are playing at the venue for the first time and there is a great enthusiasm among the fans here to see the team in action. We would like to go into the playoffs, be it Qualifier or Eliminator, on a high. The team has been playing well as a unit and we would like to keep it that way as we enter the business end of the tournament." On the eve of the match, the fans here were not troubled as much by the fixing episode as they are about the doubt over Sachin Tendulkar's fitness for the match. The million dollar question for them is will they get to see him in action. The master blaster has never played at the venue and after spraining his wrist while batting, had missed the previous game against Rajasthan Royals. If he is fit enough and gets going here, it would be a day to remember for all those present at the most far-flung venue in the country.     I Love New Year I Love New Year  Movie Name :   I Love New Year   Release Date :   May 24, 2013 Genre :  Rom Com Producer : Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar Director :   Radhika Rao, Vinay Sapru Music Director :  Pritam Cast : Sunny Deol, Kangana Ranaut, Navin Choudhary, Tannishta Chatterjee, Prem Chopra, Reema Lagoo, Maya Alagh, Manoj Joshi, Jiten Mukhi, Virag Mishra, Arbaaz Khan   Synopsis: I Love New Year is an upcoming romantic comedy film starring Sunny Deol and Kangana Ranaut in the lead. It's a story on what happens between two people in a span of two days over the New Year's Eve. The movie follows two strangers, a beautiful musician (Kangana Ranaut) and a serious Wall Street banker (Sunny Deol), that have a chance encounter on New Year's Eve that the banker can't seem to remember and the events that come about as a result of the two meeting. In 2011 directors Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru announced their intent to begin work on I Love New Year. The film originally had the working title of Happy New Year, but had to change the title due to Shahrukh Khan who also was using the title for a film he was working on during the same time period. Actors Sunny Deol and Kangana Ranaut are starring in the film, with Ranaut stating that she trained over a month in order to gain the correct expressions and body language of a musician. Filming commenced in summer of 2011 at Filmalaya Studios in Mumbai, with the final scenes having to be filmed in New York City.               the names of all continents both start and end with the same letter. " INSPIRING STORY "   The Poor Man’s Wealth  Ramchand and Premchand were neighbours. Ramchand was a poor farmer. Premchand was a landlord. Ramchand used to be very relaxed and happy. He never bothered to close the doors and windows of his house at night. He had deep sound sleeps. Although he had no money he was peaceful. Premchand used to be very tense always. He was very keen to close the doors and windows of his house at night.   He could not sleep well. He was always bothered that someone might break open his safes and steal away his money. He envied the peaceful Ramchand. One day, Premchand call Ramchand and gave him a boxful of cash saying, “Look my dear friend. I am blessed with plenty of wealth.   I find you in poverty. So, take this cash and live in prosperity.” Ramchand was overwhelmingly happy. He was joyful throughout the day. Night came. Ramchand went to bed as usual.   But, to-day, he could not sleep. He went and closed the doors and windows. He still could not sleep. He began to keep on looking at the box of cash. The whole night he was disturbed. As soon as day broke, Ramchand took the box of cash to Premchand. He gave away the box to Premchand saying, “Dear Friend, I am poor.   But, your money took away peace from me. Please bear with me and take back your money.” Moral: Money can not get everything. Learn to be satisfied with what you have and you will always be happy.

“No one really knows why they are alive until they know what they’d die for.”