“Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”     VBA's Positive News Japan to end missile alert as North Korea fears subside Japan is expected to pull missile units deployed around its capital off of alert status because it believes the threat of a launch from North Korea has subsided. Media reports said the units were to be taken off alert status as early as Friday.    UN forum adopts historic treaty to expand access to books for visually impaired On 27 June, negotiators at a United Nations-backed forum in Marrakesh adopted a landmark copyright treaty to enhance access to books for millions of people who are blind or visually impaired. 'This treaty is a victory for the blind, visually impaired and print disabled, but also for the multilateral system,' said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry.      .     Canada gets an 'A' in higher education Canada continues to top the list of most educated countries in the world, according to a report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The group's annual report, Education at a Glance 2013, ranks Canadians as the most educated of 34 OECD countries, with 51 per cent of the population having completed university-, college-or polytechnic-level education. US Secretary of State Kerry's shuttle diplomacy lands him in Jerusalem US Secretary of State John Kerry shuttled between Israelis and Palestinians Friday in his latest diplomatic mission to coax the two sides back to the negotiating table and revive the Mideast peace process. State Department officials say Kerry will continue to try to find common ground between the two sides that would lead to a resumption of negotiations. On this trip, Kerry is trying to pin down precisely what conditions Abbas and Netanyahu have for resuming talks and perhaps discuss confidence-building measures.      Video of the Day:

World Round-Up

Political + Gopinath Munde had spent Rs 8 crore on 2009 Lok Sabha campaign       Mumbai: Senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde has stoked a controversy by his candid admission about spending Rs 8 crore on his 2009 Lok Sabha campaign, with Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil demanding that the Election Commission take cognizance and decide on whether to allow him to contest again. Munde also openly dared the Election Commission to act against him for his remark and sought state funding of elections to check use of black money. "I spent Rs 29,000 when I contested my first Assembly poll in 1980. But had to spend Rs 8 crore for my last (2009 Lok Sabha) election," Munde, BJP's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, said at a book release function yesterday in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari. "I hope no Election Commission official is present among the audience. Even if an Election Commission authority is present, six more months are to go for the Lok Sabha polls. Even if a case is filed, so be it," he said. Munde said only state funding could check use of black money in the election process. Munde asked Modi, BJP's newly appointed election campaign committee chief, to retrieve black money stashed away in banks abroad if he became the Prime Minister. "Then he need not levy Income Tax on the people for the next five years," he said. Reacting to the BJP leader's remarks, Maharashtra Home Minister demanded that the poll panel take note of it and decide whether such candidates should be allowed to contest in future. "The EC should take the statement seriously. The poll panel should also decide on whether to allow such candidates to contest elections again," the NCP leader said. In a lighter vein, he went on to add, "Munde should be congratulated as he spoke the truth." The Union Law Ministry had in February 2011 raised the maximum limit on expenses that can be incurred by a candidate contesting Lok Sabha poll from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 40 lakh. Munde's admitted expenditure on his poll campaign is many times more than the permissible limit. Astrology   Aries March 21 to April 19 The planets will be disagreeable during most of this week, especially on July 1, 3, and 4. On Monday, the Sun and Pluto will stand at opposite ends of the sky, possibly causing you friction with a domineering VIP boss or client. Things may get more tense over July 3 or 4 when the Sun and Uranus will be at sharp odds. Because the Sun is in your home sector, you may want to keep an eye on your home, lest something come up that you'll need to attend to quickly. If your physical space is not your focus, a volatile family member's views may concern you.   Taurus April 20 to May 20 This is a popular time of the year to travel, but during much of the week, the planets will be in a grouchy mood and will toss unexpected obstacles your path. If driving, have your car tuned up before you leave for a weekend trip. On July 3-4, you will encounter additional travel difficulties, but if you are prepared, such as to have good driving directions (so that you need not rely totally on your GPS) and a powered up cell phone, you can master what comes up. Check in with a parent over the weekend - one may need your advice.     Gemini May 21 to June 20 With cosmic storms rolling through, it would be best to watch your money closely and make no impulsive moves. On Monday, the Sun and Pluto will oppose each other from your two financial houses, so it would be best not to allow anyone to pressure you into investing, buying, or selling anything. Sit tight. By July 3 and 4, Uranus will be at sharp angles to the Sun, and again, money will be your unexpected focus. If a friend wants to borrow money from you, chances are, you'll not see that sum again, despite promises to pay you back.   Cancer June 21 to July 22 The planets are riled up, so this may be a week that you need to depend on your diplomatic skills to navigate your way to the weekend. On July 1, Pluto will oppose the Sun, so you may encounter a personal or business partner who wants to rule the world. You'll be surprised at how demanding this person may be of you, so it's not a day to bring up any type of controversial subject. On July 3 and 4, Uranus will be at odds with the Sun, and you may hear gossip or read about surprising news about your company or concerning a high level boss.       Leo July 23 to Aug. 22  At the start of the week, Jupiter, planet of good fortune, will still be orbiting close your guardian star, the Sun, a happy influence. At the same time, however, Pluto will conflict with the Sun (July 1), adding unusual tension. A co-worker or subordinate may be out of sorts, but act aggressive to hide feelings of vulnerability. Uranus will also act up, too, over July 3-4, so if you plan to travel, unexpected difficulties may come up in getting to your destination - give yourself more time than you think you need. The dark clouds will clear by the weekend, July 6-7, when Jupiter will meet with the moon, and Venus will send a kiss to Uranus, two lovely influences for romance.               BUSINESS+VE                                                                              Reliance Infra pulls out of Delhi Airport Metro, DMRC to step in       New Delhi: Reliance Infra, which runs the Delhi Airport Metro line, has refused to operate it beyond June 30, a notice rejected by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Friday which termed it as a “violation” of the Concession agreement and the ongoing arbitration proceedings. However, if Reliance Infra does not operate it, DMRC will step in and run it, DMRC Chairman Sudhir Krishna said. Reliance Infra owned Delhi Airport Metro Private Limited (DAMEPL) has written a letter on June 27 expressing its inability to continue operations from the night of June 30. The Board of Directors of DMRC, which met to discuss the matter, concluded that the “notice is in violation of the Concession Agreement and the ongoing arbitration proceedings”, an official statement said here. The statement by Sudhir Krishna, Secretary, Urban Development Ministry and Chairman, DMRC, said “the Board decided to reject the notice and call upon them to continue the operations of the line in terms of the Agreement. If, however, they do not do so, DMRC shall step in and operate the line in larger public interest.” The Airport Metro line, which is the country’s first Public Private Partnership (PPP), has had a tumultuous run beset with controversies after it began operations in February 2011. The services were suspended from July 7, 2012 to January 22, 2013 due to technical problems and after reopening, the speed was cut to 50 km per hour, extending journey time from the airport to New Delhi Railway Station to over 40 minutes, which resulted in a fall in ridership. Before the suspension of services, the ridership hovered around 20,000 to 21,000 but after the resumption, the ridership was nearly halved to around 10,000. Sources in Reliance Infra said the decision to shut operations was not new as they had taken up the matter with DMRC four-five months ago. They said that during the shutdown incident, the company incurred huge losses and even now the ridership was very low, implying that the operation was not commercially viable. A senior Reliance Infra official said their decision to terminate the services was “not new” and it was “pending for the last four-five months”. The official claimed DMRC could not rectify the structural defects in the Airport Metro line in time and they had to shut down operations for a longer period. “We incurred huge losses due to it and after resumption of services, there was a 50 percent drop in ridership,” he said. Asked about DMRC’s charge that Reliance Infra has violated the agreement and the arbitration process, the official said they do not agree with such claims. The high-speed Metro corridor connects the city centre of Connaught Place with the swanky Terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport. As the Airport Metro line faces fresh trouble, Central Vigilance Commission is assessing the report of the two-member committee instituted by the Urban Development ministry to look into the closure of the Airport Metro line in July last year. The ministry had forwarded the committee’s findings to CVC for its advice. The two-member panel, comprising Additional Secretary D Diptivilasa and then Additional Member (Works) in the Railway Board A K Gupta, presented its findings in a 103-page report. The panel had found shortcomings on the part of different stakeholders. HEALTH+VE                                                              Health benefits of Amla (Indian Gooseberry)       Everyone is familiar with amla or the Indian gooseberry, it is used in a variety of products like sweets, jams, powder, pickles, while some simply like to pluck and eat them. But are the health benefits of amla overrated? Along with Dr. Jaishree Bhattacharjee, Ayurvedic consultant with Satvikshop, we explore this popular Indian fruit. Amla is known as a good source of vitamin C, but is that all? What are the other health benefits of the Indian gooseberry? Dr. Jaishree gives us a detailed list, "Amla has loads of benefits. It is a super food of Ayurveda due to its antioxidant property. It has beneficial effects on almost all the systems and organs of body." She explains: -It controls blood sugar in diabetes -Lowers cholesterol level -It is a natural anti ageing agent for skin; nourishes scalp and hair roots and encourages hair growth -It improves digestion and alleviates constipation -It improves blood circulation -It ensures proper functioning of liver. -It is a strong immunomodulator and protects from the onset of many diseases if taken regularly -Amla is a good hematinic as it raises hemoglobin level She also goes on to list out other sources of vitamin C, "There are many good sources of vitamin C beside amla: -All leafy vegetables like palak, bathua etc. -All kind of peppers have loads of vit-c -Fruits like mangoes, pine apple, oranges, kiwi, strawberry, berries, papaya, -Vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, red cabbage, etc -Herbs like basil, mint, coriander, rosemary" You can get these health benefits by including amla and the other vitamin C rich foods in your diet. On the other hand, if fresh produce is a problem, you can invest in some organic amla products.         Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22  Your friends have been amazingly supportive lately - true blessings - but this week, on Monday, July 1, your sweetheart (if dating) may be less than supportive and you may not see eye to eye. Rather than agree to disagree, your other half seems to want to keep pressing his or her opinion on you. Finances may worry you, too, over July 3-4, when the Sun will need to fend off Uranus' difficult rays. The cost of a vacation may mount quite a bit at an alarming rate. Keep an eye on costs, but also watch your treasured belongings too during most of the week. The weekend of July 6-7 will be a breath of fresh air - things are improving, dear Virgo, minute by minute.                               Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22 Your career is building in strength, and your efforts to get ahead seem to be paying off. Intensify your efforts next week, starting July 8, when your biggest career opportunities will start to roll. A home-related development, or a difference of opinion with a family member, may leave you steaming on July 1, a day when you should avoid saying anything controversial. On July 3-4, life will still be bumpy, for your partner may become volatile, or you may worry about your partner's welfare. Things will improve in a big way by July 6-7, when love and fun will rule the weekend.                               Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21 If you are trying to reach accord with a person important to you early this week, you may be surprised by the forceful wall of resistance you encounter. This person seems very sure of his or her stance, so you will need to negotiate delicately but persuasively. On another front, you may feel tensions when needs of VIPs at work and needs of family and home clash. Plan to be a master juggler to clear your agenda for soothing time for yourself. The weekend July 6-7 will bring things back to normal and mark the most joyous time of the week. Thankfully, by then, any tensions you may have felt earlier will recede into distant memory.   Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21 As the week begins, on July 1, you may be presented with the need to pay a bill, and it appears to be a sum greater than you anticipated. There'll be no way around ducking this obligation, so you may have to do some fancy footwork take care of it this week. Later, on July 3-4, finances may again concern you, due to a powerful clash between the Sun and Uranus. Keep tight control of expenses. By the weekend you may uncover ways to increase your cash flow. Travel will fan the fires of love, thanks to Venus in ideal angle to Uranus - and when romance arrives, it will arrive suddenly, and in a surprising way, over July 6-7.                                             Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19 On July 1, Pluto and the Sun will be at odds - you may unexpectedly encounter a difference of opinion with a partner, collaborator, or client, and the topic will center on money. Try not to be too heavy-handed in your response, as you may get the changes you want without hitting the gnat with a hammer. Over July 3-4, a close family member may not agree with you either, or, alternatively, you may hear surprising news about your living quarters that you need to suddenly fix. A happy mood will return by the weekend, July 6-7 - so don't lose faith. As Shakespeare said, all's well that ends well.                           Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18  This week, the planets will be in an ornery mood, with Pluto opposed to the Sun. If a co-worker or underling seems to snap at the slightest provocation, it may be that the need to finish projects in a short order has made everyone tense. Then, July 3-4 brings Uranus, your ruler, at odds with the Sun, bringing difficulties with travel and possibly conflicts with your partner, too. You may wonder for a minute if the world's gone mad. Stay cool, for the weekend brings ideal aspects for a quick jaunt - with Venus and Uranus in sync, romance will perfume the air.                   Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20  As the week begins, if you want time with your one-and-only, keep things private rather than invite friends to join in. Complicated emotions will be swirling about, and one friend may make unsolicited, unwelcome comments about your partner or one of your children. Then, the Sun and Uranus will be at odds too, and you may be concerned about money. Still, with Neptune, Saturn, and Jupiter cooperating beautifully, you'll find ways to surmount obstacles and wind up enjoying yourself, especially over the weekend, July 6-7. The moon will meet with Jupiter, and Venus will wink at Uranus, and all will be right with the world.                       Moral Story     SMS   “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”      LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS   Love will not serve those who do not live for her, and in her, and to whom she is not the breath of life.   LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS      Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.     Girl- which computer do u have? Boy- I have a computer with intel core i7 processor at 3.3 ghz, windows 7, 64 bit, 8gb ram & nvidia gtx 560 graphics card B-) Boy- which computer do YOU have??? Girl- A PINK ONE !! Wht to say nw...

EDUCATION +VE ​Cutoffs in Bangalore colleges climb steadily       BANGALORE: Around 3,000km from here, a college called Ram Lal Anand under Delhi University, announced its cutoff to BTech Computer Science course as 100% on Thursday. Closer home, things aren't off the mark. Christ University had it at 96% and 93% for non-Kannadiga girls and boys respectively for B Com. It's not just prestigious colleges in the national capital that are declaring impossible cutoffs. City colleges too are seeing a rise in cutoffs. Inevitable, colleges say, considering the high marks students score. Christ University's cutoff marks for B Com, the most sought after course in a degree college today, is proof. For students from Karnataka, the cutoffs are 87% for boys and 91% for girls. For students from other states, it's 93% and 96% for boys and girls respectively. For B Com with finance and accounting, it's 80% for boys and 85% for girls (Karnataka students). For others, it is 88% and 91% respectively. "It's not possible to keep it lower as the marks scored by students are so high across boards," says Fr Abraham V M, pro-vice-chancellor, Christ University. Vanaja Malathy, admissions incharge at Jyothi Nivas College, agrees. "We initially kept the cutoff at 80%, but realized there are so many students with marks above 85% that we had to increase it." BCom is where the demand is In Mount Carmel College, the cutoff was 91% in the first list for non-Carmelite students. It came down to 88% subsequently. For students from their PU college, the cutoff slid from 89% to 75%. Jain University has an 86% cutoff for the subject, a palpable increase from last year. Sheshadripuram first grade college had its cutoff raised by 2% to reach 74.2% this year. "The cutoffs increase by 1%-2% every year because of the demand and the increasing pass percentage," said M Prakash, principal. True. Bangalore's Sudhindra MS, a student of Vijaya High School, scored 622 of 625 marks in the recent SSLC exams. SPORTS +VE Upbeat India take on West Indies in tri-series opener          KINGSTON (JAMAICA): On a roll after their Champions Trophy triumph, the Indian cricket team would aim to continue the unbeaten run when they take on the West Indies, who would be eyeing revenge, in their opening clash of the tri-nation ODI series on Sunday. The Indians got barely a few days to rejoice after their Champions Trophy win before boarding the flight to the Caribbeans and fatigue could be the only worry for a side which looks in unbeatable form. The West Indians, on the other hand, would be eager to extract revenge for the loss to India in a Champions Trophy group match. The hosts have in fact, started impressively in the ongoing series mauling Sri Lanka in their lung-opener. The biggest positive from the game was the return to form of Chris Gayle, who was slightly off-colour in the Champions Trophy. Gayle's marauding hundred, which included seven sixes and nine fours, helped the West Indies overhaul a 209-run target in a mere 37.5 overs. He would without doubt be the backbone of the West Indian batting against India as well. Both the sides are well aware of each other's strengths and weaknesses as their key players have played in the Indian Premier League either with or against each other. Interestingly, rival captains Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dwayne Bravo are Chennai Super Kings teammates while Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle turned out for Royal Challengers Bangalore. A look at the teamsheets will, however, give India the edge. Their batting looks in awesome form. Rohit Sharma, as an opener, proved to be a success in the Champions Trophy. His partner Shikhar Dhawan is also in sublime form and was the star of India's title-winning campaign. And it is unlikely that India will disturb the winning combination that saw Dinesh Karthik promoted to No. 4 and Dhoni up at No. 5 ahead of Suresh Raina. On the other hand, in spite of their enormous potential, the West Indies remain a fickle lot. But there is no denying that West Indies have the experience and the talent to give the Indians a run for their money. Gayle, Johnson Charles, Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels can see off India's new ball bowlers -- the troika of Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma -- but will have to apply themselves. West Indies will surely test the Indian batsmen with both speed and spin. Pacers Kemar Roach and Ravi Rampaul can be a handful while spinner Sunil Narine will always have a few tricks up his sleeve. Squads (from): India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Amit Mishra, Mohammed Shami, Suresh Raina, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Murali Vijay, Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav. The West Indies: Dwayne Bravo (capt), Chris Gayle, Johnson Charles, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard, Devon Smith, Darren Sammy, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Sunil Narine, Tino Best, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach.      LOOTERA LOOTERA   Movie Name :   LOOTERA Release Date :   5 July 2013 Genre :  Romance drama film Producer :Ekta Kapoor,Shobha Kapoor,Anurag Kashyap,Vikas Bahl Director :  Vikramaditya Motwane Music Director : Amit Trivedi Cast : Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha   Synopsis: The year is 1953. A visiting archaeologist called Varun Shrivastav comes to the village of Manikpur in West Bengal to excavate the temple grounds of the local Zamindar. With knowledge and experience beyond his young demeanour, Varun greatly impresses the Zamindar and his family. Especially Pakhi, the Zamindar’s feisty and only daughter, who finds herself irrevocably drawn towards him. But Varun isn’t all he seems on the surface. And as the simmering attraction between him and Pakhi leads to a tender and deep love, he is forced to choose between her and his past. Making his choice, Varun disappears. Pakhi struggles to move on with her life, determined to forget him and their relationship. Until one day, when he returns under the most extraordinary circumstances. Inspired from O. Henry’s “The Last Leaf”, Lootera is the uplifting story of two lovers. Of heartbreak, betrayal… and ultimate redemption.   The Statue of Liberty's tablet is two feet thick. " INSPIRING STORY "   Keep your dream   I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch in San Ysidro. He has let me use his house to put on fund-raising events to raise money for youth at risk programs. The last time I was there he introduced me by saying, “I want to tell you why I let Jack use my horse. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant horse trainer who would go from stable to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch to ranch, training horses. As a result, the boy’s high school career was continually interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up. “That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track. Then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch. He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, `See me after class.’ “The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, `Why did I receive an F?’ “The teacher said, `This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You come from an itinerant family. You have no resources.Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land. You have to pay for the original breeding stock and later you’ll have to pay large stud fees. There’s no way you could ever do it.’ Then the teacher added, `If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.’ “The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, `Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you.’ “Finally, after sitting with it for a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He stated, “You can keep the F and I’ll keep my dream.”   Monty then turned to the assembled group and said, “I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.” He added, “The best part of the story is that two summers ago that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out on my ranch for a week.”   When the teacher was leaving, he said, “Look, Monty, I can tell you this now. When I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kids’ dreams. Fortunately you had enough gumption not to give up on yours.” “Don’t let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what.”

“Empowerment is all about letting go so that others can get going. ”