“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed. ”     VBA's Positive News Two Koreas in first talks in over two years 'without argument' North and South Korea opened their first official talks in two years on Sunday at a border village 'without argument', the South said, building on an easing in tensions from nearly daily threats two months ago of impending nuclear war. The hour-long morning session appeared to pave the way for ministerial-level discussions next Wednesday. Such a meeting would be the first such encounter in more than six years..      Afghan President visits Qatar to discuss peace Afghanistan's President landed in Qatar Sunday to discuss his country's stalled peace process and the possible opening of a Taliban office in the Gulf state, officials said. The indirect contacts come as NATO forces draw down in preparation for handing the lead for security to Afghan forces in the coming weeks ahead of a full pullout by the end of next year.     Iraq's Prime Minister visits Kurdish north to melt ice  Iraq's Prime Minister on Sunday made a rare visit to the country's self-ruled northern Kurdish region in a bid to melt the ice between the Kurds and the Shiite-led central government in Baghdad. Nouri al-Maliki held a Cabinet meeting in Irbil -- the first in the Kurdish regional capital since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein -- as part of an initiative started last year to better understand the needs of the provinces. UN Great Lakes Envoy welcomes impending talks between DR Congo, M23 rebels Welcoming the possible resumption of peace talks between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the 23 March Movement (M23), the United Nations Special Envoy for Africa's Great Lake's region has urged both sides to engage in earnest discussion to resolve all outstanding issues.       Video of the Day:

World Round-Up

Political + Finding NaMo: Narendra Modi       At sea for many days, BJP finally finds Modi fit to lead its 2014 poll campaign. At the BJP’s national executive meeting in Goa in 2002 following the Godhra carnage and subsequent riots, Narendra Modi was under intense pressure to quit by then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. However, senior BJP leader LK Advani, who was then home minister, stood by the beleaguered Modi and gave him a new lease of life.  It therefore came as no surprise that Modi acknowledged the importance of Goa in his political career on Sunday when he was anointed the BJP’s election campaign chairman for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Ironically, Advani, the man who resurrected the Gujarat chief minister’s political career, was conspicuous by his absence at this year’s national executive at Taleigao, Goa, where Modi was given the opportunity to scale greater heights.    “I have an important information to share. All political parties take elections as their biggest challenge and so do we. We will move ahead with the resolve of victory. Today, I have appointed Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as chairman of the national election committee. This decision has been on the basis of unanimity,” party chief Rajnath Singh announced after the national executive meeting ended around 2pm on Sunday. Singh further said: “Lok tantra mein jo lokpriya hai wohi neta hai. (In democracy, the one who is popular is the leader).” In a show of solidarity, BJP leaders, including Modi, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, among others posed for pictures after the announcement At sea for many days, BJP finally finds Modi fit to lead its 2014 poll campaign. Narendra Modi addresses party workers after being anointed the party's election campaign chairman in Goa on Sunday. At the BJP’s national executive meeting in Goa in 2002 following the Godhra carnage and subsequent riots, Narendra Modi was under intense pressure to quit by then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. However, senior BJP leader LK Advani, who was then home minister, stood by the beleaguered Modi and gave him a new lease of life.  It therefore came as no surprise that Modi acknowledged the importance of Goa in his political career on Sunday when he was anointed the BJP’s election campaign chairman for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Ironically, Advani, the man who resurrected the Gujarat chief minister’s political career, was conspicuous by his absence at this year’s national executive at Taleigao, Goa, where Modi was given the opportunity to scale greater heights. Astrology   Aries March 21 to April 19 What sort of pleasant, unexpected conversations could occur around your house today? Venus and Mercury, who are working together, may spring a surprise as they both move through your home sector and align with Uranus. Since you love going where few others dare to go, you may be quite delighted, as you would know better than most what to do with impulsive activities. It may be that friends or family stop by and an impromptu party unfolds in the middle of the week.                                       Taurus April 20 to May 20 You may have a conversation today that comes out of nowhere and catches you quite off guard. Rather than be alarmed, you should simply pause and be prepared to respond with dignity and respect. When in doubt, you may decide its best to always take the high road. This approach allows you to give more thought to events and responses. Someone may also take a shine to you and blurt out something quite complimentary, which may also make you speechless.                                 Gemini May 21 to June 20 Work could present a few unexpected events, especially if they are related to your budget. You may find that you have a surplus due to an accounting error. Just when you least expect it, you may have more than you thought. Of course, with that type of surprise, things could go the other way as well, so be prepared if you have to trim somewhere. The news may simply bring your attention to a financial matter that requires a correction. Corrections are good, since they get us back on track.                         Cancer June 21 to July 22  You may see quite a lot of activity on your career front. This may mean a promotion or a transfer. The important piece to remember here is the surprise factor. Generally, you appear to be poised for a positive outcome, since you are aglow lately, but to be on the safe side, keep your eyes open and your ears tuned for activity that could send you either way. Reorganizations can shift your daily life, and so can new employees and supervisors. It may be wise to keep your finger on the pulse.                                                        Leo July 23 to Aug. 22  If you are enrolled in any extracurricular education, you may be close to wrapping things up. You may have put in a lot of effort and hours to get this far, but the good news is that the end may be in sight. It appears to be a pleasing ending at that, but it may surprise you. Maybe you receive a higher grade or better feedback than you expected. You may also be surprised by the nature of comments and other people's observations of you.                        BUSINESS+VE                                                                              Maruti plans foray into LCV market with 'Y9T', export push amid slump MUMBAI: Undaunted by the dramatic slowdown in demand for cars, India's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki is going ahead with its expansion plans. The carmaker has plans to foray into the light commercial vehicles market, while the Japanese parent wants it to develop the export markets in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia, which requires capacity addition, chairman of Maruti Suzuki, RC Bhargava, told ET last week. The company's third manufacturing line at Manesar plant, with a capacity to roll out 2.5 lakh vehicles, will be ready by September this year. Maruti's Gujarat plant is expected to go on stream only by 2015 end or early 2016. "We will certainly need more capacity than 1.5 million units, because three years is a long time. To believe that the market will virtually remain at this level for three years is highly impossible," said Bhargava. ET had first reported about Maruti Suzuki's planned foray into light commercial vehicles in December of 2012. Maruti sold 1.13 million units in FY13, posting a volume growth of 3.3%. Many expect the market to be depressed in FY14, but bounce back in FY15. The company wants to be ready when demand picks up in India. "Suzuki has already said that we are responsible for exports to ASEAN, Africa, Middle East and some of the neighboring countries. Plus our LCV too has export potential, to Indonesia and Thailand, etc; so we would need more capacity," added Bhargava. The LCV, codenamed Y9T, is likely to be ready by FY16. Maruti is expected to set up a separate assembly line in Gujarat plant for LCVs. Apart from the LCV, Maruti has lined up a slew of new models including a small car YL7 and a series of big cars including an SUV. Abdul Majeed, leader of automotive practice at global consultancy and audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), says there is a huge potential for companies like Maruti Suzuki to diversify its products and markets. "Most of the emerging markets are very similar to India, and the product portfolio of Maruti Suzuki is very apt for these markets," he said. HEALTH+VE                                                              Why fitness is better than weight loss   Why do you exercise - only to lose weight or for fitness? If you're slim and lean, you don't have to pump iron - true or false? As long as I watch what I eat I am healthy, do you agree? Most people believe in these false and mythical 'facts'. Fitness is a product of healthy diet and exercise, sleep and well being. 'Physical fitness is considered a measure of the body's ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist hypokinetic diseases, and to meet emergency situations' as mentioned in Wikipedia, Fitness. Here is why fitness is a far better goal than weight loss in the long run. Difference between Weight loss and Fitness While all fitness does involve weight loss, all weight loss does not involve fitness. One can lose weight - the unhealthy way - through crash dieting, over-exercising, weight loss pills and several other, equally, harmful quack weight loss methods. There is a finer point here: Unhealthy weight loss involves losing mostly muscle and a little bit of topical fat. Visceral fat, or fat that is stored internally around organs, does not budge with unhealthy weight loss practises. In fact, it increases manifold due to the starvation mode that you set off with unhealthy dieting. Pursuing general fitness and well being, on the other hand, takes care of the harmful body fat, while giving you a healthier mind and body and, yes, burning, calories. Weight loss is about losing weight rapidly. Fitness is about healthy living and longevity. Fitness is a combination of exercise, diet and rest. Weight loss is a short term routine of exercise, diet and rest. When weight loss is your only target, you tend to ignore the other benefits of living a healthy life. Importance of Fitness: To the Respiratory and Circulatory system The easiest way to understand the impact of fitness is to look at what your body needs to live a long, ailment-free, healthy life. This state of being depends entirely on your body's systems, which in turn depend on organ, vessel and tissue health. This brings us, first, to the respiratory and the circulatory systems. You know the heart is a muscle that pumps blood and oxygen to the body. Exercise helps the heart in circulation of blood and oxygen. That means healthy skin, alertness and a healthy system. Similarly, a healthy diet, aids your circulatory and respiratory system by preventing thickening arterial walls and better blood circulation. Importance of Fitness: To the Digestive system When we are constipated or feeling bloated we look for a change in diet to relieve us from our discomfort. Even exercise can help you avoid digestive problems. Breathing, walking, and other physical activities can improve your digestive system. A poor digestive system leads to a poor state of being. Quick weight loss ignores this fact of life. The result of crash dieting is usually the Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and plenty of abdominal fat the minute you stop crash dieting. Instead, focusing on general fitness through balanced eating and exercise will give you a smoother digestive function. Importance of Fitness: To the Lymphatic system 'The lymphatic system is a part of the circulatory system, comprising a network of conduits called lymphatic vessels that carry a clear fluid called lymph,' as mentioned on Wikipedia, Lymphatic system. A healthy lymphatic system reduces swelling, improves circulation, metabolism and flexibility. Stretching, strength training and aerobic exercises improve the Lymphatic system. Importance of Fitness: To the Cardiovascular system Enough research has proved, time and again, that pursuing fitness is the best way to achieve better cardiovascular health. This means that your cardiovascular system is able to function a lot better when you're fit, within your desired weight range, and live an active life with healthy eating. The cardiovascular system is responsible for circulating oxygen to the body and important nutrients too. Opting for fitness, instead of quick weight loss, will help you avoid diseases related to the cardiovascular system like heart attack and stroke. Strength, stamina, agility also gets a boost with a well functioning cardiovascular system. Cardio exercises are the key to a functioning cardiovascular system.          Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22  You may be surprised by undiscovered documentation that suddenly turns up. You may have overlooked an insurance claim or another piece of information that has now come to your attention. One of the places you may find a surprise comes from your background and family history. You may also stumble upon an old photograph or two that answers some questions for you about past friendships. The surprise factor may come from how long it has been since you last thought about the things you may find.              Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22 You might expect news today regarding your career. Interestingly enough, it may also have an impact on your partner. You may be in line for a promotion which, of course, is fantastic, but the job may also require a transfer, which might be a challenge to your partner. Even though the good news comes your way, it may be a surprise to your partner. This may be a wonderful opportunity to put all your cards on the table and have an honest discussion about priorities and individual aspirations.                             Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21 The natural investigator in you may be off in search of tantalizing information that completes a puzzle. The surprises may come in the way you work with others or in your own personal wellness. During your fact-finding journey, you may stumble upon information that proves applicable to your own health and wellness. You may find that a new supplement or treatment might be appropriate for you, yet you came upon it quite by accident.                              Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21 You may have been especially creative during the last few weeks, and you may be eager to get some outside support for your ideas. This may be an excellent opportunity to get some surprise support from an outside resource. Another angle that may play out quite by surprise comes from an idea that suddenly pops into your head and opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for raising outside money. You may stumble upon an idea for a fund-raising event that will do wonders for your project.                                                 Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19 A change of plans on the home front may surprise your partner. An unexpected guest may suddenly arrive at your doorstep, while you were headed off to the beach, for example. Plans can often get sidelined, but if you can find a compromise, you may be able to save the day. In situations such as this, you may be quite effective if you can find the sweet spot where all parties come away feeling fulfilled and accommodated. This may require a bit of smooth talking on your part, so be prepared to go into spin control.                                    Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18  You may receive an unexpected email or letter with news that allows you to re-think a situation at work. You may have been looking at events through the wrong lens, and this may serve to clarify your view. Even though you may have been surprised by the message, you may begin to see it as a fortunate heads-up that allows you to make adjustments and carry on with a new agenda. This may be one surprise update that comes just at the right moment.                            Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20  A surprise may come your way as one of your creative ideas catches the eye of the right person. Imagine if your latest money-making idea happened to land in front of the best set of eyes, and suddenly you are on your way. This may be an especially fertile time for your creativity, so be well prepared and bring along your notebook so you can get all your ideas down before they disappear. This may be just the right time to strike while the iron is hot.            Moral Story     SMS   PATIENT..Doctor , people keep ignoring me. DOCTOR...Next please.     LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS   “I want to grow a flower for every time someone tells me “F*** you.” Then I’ll go back to that person and pin the flower on their lapel in a gesture of friendship. And while they are looking down on it in astonishment, I’ll bunch up my knuckles and punch them in the face.”    LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS      A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.          The police arrested two men, one for drinking battery acid and the other for eating fire crackers. They charged one and let the other one off.

EDUCATION +VE Lalit Chandra Bharali College best for electronics, computers           GUWAHATI: Lalit Chandra Bharali (LCB) College in Guwahati is the best choice for students who want to study computer science and electronics. In fact, this is the only college in the city which offers electronics as a subject in both the majors and general course category. Besides BSc in these two subjects, bachelor of computer applications (BCA) and BSc in IT are also in high demand. The college started issuing admission forms from June 3 and the admission process is likely to begin from June 15. There are a total of 200 seats in the BA courses, 120 seats each in the BSc courses and BCom, 40 in BBA and 30 each in BCA and BSc (IT). Principal of LCB College N K Deka said that students seeking admission to BSc courses usually opt for majors in computer science and electronics. The computer science honours course has 50 seats and the electronics honours course has 30 seats. Admissions to the honours courses are completely based on merit. "We give importance to marks obtained in physics and mathematics in the higher secondary exams while giving admission in the two honours courses. This is the only college which has electronics as a subject in BSc," Deka said. The principal added that the demand for BSc honours in computer science and electronics is high among students who do not get through engineering colleges. Every year, the college receives around 250 to 300 applications for computer science and 60 to 70 applications for electronics. SPORTS +VE   Will the Indian pacers swing things around?       LONDON: One-day cricket, regardless of the changes in rules, is heavily loaded in favour of batsmen. The 50 overs give batting sides enough time through an innings to opt for changes in strategies and scoring rates in line with the prevailing conditions. English conditions though, given the fickle weather here at most times, are a respite for bowlers. A team with a five-bowler specialist attack — and consisting of at least three quality seamers who can make use of the weather here — is most likely to get its due regardless of the format. "It's a batsman's game all over the world except here," says West Indian all-rounder Marlon Samuels. "In England it's still a bowler's game. The ball moves around and does a lot. Outside England, with these new rules, it's tough on the bowlers," he explains. India, gearing up to take on the West Indies on June 11, do not boast of the finest bowling attacks in this tournament. Inexperience, largely, is a reason. Umesh Yadav, the lead of India's attack, has just 18 one-dayers under his belt, Bhuvneshwar Kumar merely nine, and Ishant Sharma played his first ODI in England on Thursday only. How they make use of the conditions at the Oval, where it's been very windy this week and sun threatening to stay behind the clouds at most times, will be important. The new rules ensure that bowlers have to work harder. With 300-plus totals becoming regular in ODIs today, being economical rather than targeting wickets has gradually become top priority for bowlers. Two bouncers are allowed in an over, but they can be helpful only if the bowler manages to get his line right in alien conditions. More importantly, the new Powerplay rules of having only four fielders outside the 30-yard-circle are likely to have an adverse impact on slow bowlers and spinners, thus bringing in more responsibility on the seamers.     Fukrey Fukrey  Movie Name :   Fukrey   Release Date :   June 14, 2013 Genre :  Comedy Producer : Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani Director :   Mrighdeep Singh Lamba Music Director :  Ram Sampath. Cast : Pulkit Samrat, Manjot Singh, Ali Fazal, Richa Chadda, Priya Anand, Vishakha Singh Synopsis: College. Three of the most important years of your life. Three years of studies (at times) and sheer indulgence. Indulgence in all the little pleasures that a carefree life has to offer. But it isnt always about ragging, fuchcha parties, college fests, raves and churning out ways to whack some extra pocket money from your parents. Its sometimes hard, ugly and complicated. More so, when you really need to get admission in the coolest college in town and you know you dont deserve it. And to top that, you get yourself involved in the most bizarre situations that could crack you into pieces before you could crack it. FUKREY is one such crazy story of four restless and hapless souls, running after their individual desires, brought together by one dream, which turns their not so simple life upside down. From breaking school walls, to cross dressing dancers at the Ram Lila; from a Jugaad Baaz college watchman to leaking examination papers; from a female pimp, who runs her drug cartel through Nigerian henchmen to visionary dreams. Can the four Fukrey, the four nobodies, twist their fate and dreams into reality or will they forever be lost in the obscurity that they come from?           the sentence "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter in the English alphabet. " INSPIRING STORY "   Five More Minutes    While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground.  “That’s my son over there,” she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide.  “He’s a fine looking boy” the man said. “That’s my daughter on the bike in the white dress.” Then, looking at his watch, he called to his daughter. “What do you say we go, Melissa?”  Melissa pleaded, “Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes.”    The man nodded and Melissa continued to ride her bike to her heart’s content. Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his daughter. “Time to go now?” Again Melissa pleaded, “Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes.”  The man smiled and said, “OK.”  “My, you certainly are a patient father,” the woman responded. The man smiled and then said, “Her older brother Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I’d give anything for just five more minutes with him. I’ve vowed not to make the same mistake with Melissa.    She thinks she has five more minutes to ride her bike. The truth is, I get Five more minutes to watch her play.”

“There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: Those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed  ”