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“There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
| VBA's Positive News |
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In US, China, Europe, data points to global rebound
Business surveys on Thursday suggested the world economy was on the mend, with US and Chinese manufacturing activity at multi-month highs and better-than-expected growth in the euro zone. Economists forecast improving labor market conditions will help the US economy gain momentum in the second half of 2013 and into 2014. A flash composite PMI from Germany, the bloc's largest economy, showed the growth rate was the fastest in seven months.
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Pakistani Taliban commander welcomes peace talks
A senior Pakistani Taliban commander welcomed the government's recent offer to hold peace talks Thursday, raising the possibility the militant group has changed its stance after shunning negotiations earlier this year. Asmatullah Muawiya, head of the Taliban's faction of fighters from central Punjab province, said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif 'demonstrated political maturity' by reiterating his offer to hold peace talks in a speech on Monday.
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Australian scientists find new way to save pneumonia victims
A research team from Melbourne, Australia has developed a low cost, electricity-free oxygen concentrator that has the potential to save thousands of children's lives each year.
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Brazil cuts the ribbon on Mineirão Stadium's new $16.1m solar roof
Brazil's stadium Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto, or Mineirão for short, got a new rooftop solar array in preparation of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Solar energy generated by the Mineirão will not be directly used by the stadium; instead it will be distributed to surrounding homes surrounding, giving back to the local grid with clean energy.
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Video of the Day:
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World Round-Up
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Pakistan accuses Indian troops of killing soldier
The Pakistani military accused Indian troops of firing across the disputed Kashmir border and killing two Pakistani soldiers, days after a similar fatality as the long-simmering conflict over the mountainous region escalates.
Pakistan and India repeatedly have accused each other of violating a 2003 cease-fire agreement along the border in recent weeks. The violence threatens efforts by the leaders of both countries to improve relations after decades of war and animosity.
The Pakistani military accused Indian troops of carrying out "unprovoked" firing around noon Thursday in the Rakhchakri sector near the town of Rawalakot, killing a low-ranking soldier.
An Indian army officer said Indian troops responded only after receiving gunfire from Pakistani soldiers, saying the exchange lasted three hours. Pakistani gunfire wounded a woman and a child, said the officer, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military policy.
Hours later, the Pakistani military accused Indian troops of carrying out "unprovoked" firing in Tatta Pani sector, killing another low-ranking soldier and wounding two others.
The deaths came after the Pakistani military accused Indian troops of killing an army captain and seriously wounding another soldier Tuesday night. The fighting Tuesday night was especially symbolic because it took place in an area along the border called Kargil, where the nuclear-armed rivals fought a bloody three-month conflict in 1999.
Pakistan summoned the Indian high commissioner in Islamabad on Thursday to protest the recent deaths, the government said in a statement. Pakistani Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani proposed senior officials from the foreign ministries and militaries meet to discuss how to avoid future incidents.
Kashmir is divided between Pakistan and India but claimed in its entirety by both. The countries have fought two major wars over the disputed territory since they both gained independence from Britain in 1947.
A 2003 cease-fire agreement largely calmed the Kashmir border. But the two sides occasionally accuse each other of violating it by firing mortars or gunshots. Several soldiers were killed on each side in January in cross-border attacks.
The violence in recent weeks has been more sustained.
It began about two weeks ago when, according to the Indian military, heavily armed militants and Pakistani soldiers crossed the Kashmir border and killed five Indian troops.
The Pakistani military has denied that its soldiers killed any Indian troops and now have accused Indian soldiers of killing three soldiers and a pair of civilians. Seven soldiers and eight civilians also have been wounded.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed hope that the recent violence wouldn't derail efforts to improve relations between the two countries. He is especially interested in increasing cross-border trade to jumpstart Pakistan's economy.
Pakistan's top defense committee, which Sharif convened Thursday, indicated "all military and diplomatic channels should be used to prevent cease-fire violations."
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Astrology
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Aries March 21 to April 19
Prepare to wrap up some long-standing projects and get ready to make a break for an exciting new adventure. You may be working on a writing project or other communications endeavor, in the end-game stages of that whole process. So while on one hand you may have a sense of accomplishment, you may also have challenges about getting the ball rolling in your new plan. You'll have all of the wherewithal to make that happen. You are the trailblazer after all.
Taurus April 20 to May 20
This should be an excellent time to look toward collaborative ventures. You have a great deal of activity in your group and business sector, which might spell out quite an exciting opportunity. You'll find this to be an outstanding time to work with others and pass ideas back and forth. You may find the stimulation to be quite a gratifying experience in the end. Be sure to nail down the financial pieces so that you can move forward with confidence and the resources to back you.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
 The work place will likely be completely abuzz with activity. You may be ramping up for a big trade show roll out or other scheme that brings all sorts of conversations, meetings, and planning sessions to your daily calendar. This may literally light you up with an enthusiasm you have not felt in some time. Your electric buzz may be contagious and all those who come in contact with you may find you a wellspring of optimism and good nature.
Cancer June 21 to July 22
This day should provide you with an outstanding opportunity to expand your intuition in some manner. Whether you decide to go back to school or set off on an adventure, you should do very well to follow your instincts. Your timing may be spot-on when it comes to travel or any sort of exciting activity. You'll be particularly resourceful and engaged in group activities, so if that theme arises, be sure to pay attention to the feelings you get. This may be an excellent time to truly follow your intuition.
Leo July 23 to Aug. 22
 This should be an outstanding period for you to raise outside resources such as financing or an angel investor. This same type of theme also works well with group encounters. If you are on the road trying to raise money, you'll surely be met with great success, as you have a particularly compelling story that allows you to wield your creative spirit toward your personal and career oriented goals. The Sun will shine in your fundraising sector.
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Why Nokia’s threats to quit India should be taken seriously
It is a quit India movement of sorts. Fed up companies, both Indian and global, are on their way out of the country, as they see no end for their woes here.
The latest addition to the list is Nokia. According to a report in the Indian Express today, the Finnish mobile handset maker has sent a letter to the government saying India is the “least favourable market” and exporting from China makes better business sense.
It has also warned that “political risk” is likely to impact its future investment decisions.
Nokia’s troubles in India are long known. The income tax department had in March slapped a Rs 2080 crore tax demand on the company alleging that the Indian arm did not deduct the stipulated 10 percent tax on royalty payments made to the parent.
Apart from this, Nokia was also entitled to get a Rs 650 crore as value added tax refund from the Tamil Nadu government. According to the IE report today, the company has not yet received it yet.
The refund was part of its memorandum of understanding the company signed with the Tamil Nadu government in 2005. The pact was for setting up a manufacturing plant in the state, which now gives employment to about 38,000 people directly and indirectly.
According to this report, the company was getting this as an incentive for setting up this unit and was under wraps until 2009, when an RTI plea managed to get the details.
In short, the company has waited for nine years and has found that the wait is in vain. On top of it is the fresh transfer pricing claims made on the company.
Nokia’s case has to be read along with that of Royal Dutch Shell, Vodafone, Cadbury Plc and LG Electronics, all of which are in the midst of similar transfer pricing disputes with the government.
Nokia’s threat could not have come at a worse time for the UPA. With the rupee in a bottomless fall against the dollar, pessimism about the country is on the rise among investors.
Foreign institutional investors are not the only ones that are pulling out of the country. Earlier, global steel giants ArcelorMittal and Posco had decided to n to go ahead with one of their steel projects each in the country, citing policy paralysis that rendered their projects non-viable now.
Indian companies such as Aditya Birla group have also threatened to go abroad as policy uncertainties are taking a toll on their businesses here.
Uncertain tax policies have given rise to numerous disputes and legal battles involving multinational companies over the last few years.
In an interview to CNBC- TV18, Asianomics Jim Walker yesterday criticised the UPA government for the slowing economy.
India needs “responsible, sensible fiscal policy” and not UPA’s flagship programmes, said Walker.
“Schemes such as the Food Security Bill, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, or NREGS, should be taken off the table, especially at a time when the economy is slowing down,” he told the TV channel.
Terming these schemes crazy notions, Walker said “They (UPA) failed miserably and are now reaping the benefits of the consequences.”
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Focus on learning disabilities awareness
Awareness about behavioural problems and learning disabilities in children like attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia have increased in the city.
The opening of counselling centres in some schools has helped students afflicted with such problems. But the onus lies on the parents (who are often in a denial state) and the teachers for creating a platform.
"The scenario is a little better now. Some people have begun to understand the issue but it is mostly in urban locales. Emphasis should be in the rural areas. The attitude of teachers should change in a systematic manner. Monitoring of students in schools by teachers is an important aspect while addressing ADD, ADHD and dyslexia," said Jayanta Das, psychiatrist.
In the city, some parents are consulting their respective school counsellors and psychiatrists to help their wards to fit within the prescribed social norms but mostly the signs are ignored and in the long run the problem gets aggravated creating more problems for the afflicted.
"Most patients (children) that I counsel suffer from ADHD both at the primary and secondary level of diagnosis. Seventy per cent of them are at the primary diagnosis level and the rest are in comorbidity (referring to the presence of more than one diagnosis). Often parents are in denial state and the cases come out of referral from counsellors and teachers," said Sangeeta Dutta, psychiatrist.
Maitryee Talukdar Ralte, counsellor, Don Bosco School, the denial factor among parents often create hindrance in treatment.
"Children with ADHD find it difficult to regulate their emotions making them impulsive and hyper. I have come across some students but there are so many yet to be identified. I try to observe the pattern. Parents often claim to understand the issue but it is mostly in the surface and ignore it ater," said Ralte.
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Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
Your career sector has auspicious activity that may work well with your partner. You may be in line or at least in discussion for new responsibilities and advancement in your career, which would certainly have an impact on your partner in some capacity. By the same token, your partner may offer you great advice for career negotiations. Opinions from outside people can often shed the greatest insights simply because they are not as close to the subject or as attached.
Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
You may be on the road to finding new opportunities. The fortunate presence of Jupiter in your travel and adventure sector may serve up just the boost you need to clinch the deal. Your ability to serve may be one of your strongest assets right now, so use it to its fullest advantage. You can be quite convincing if you can harness this wonderful alignment where ideas, conversations, and drive all come together. When you add the Sun to the mix, the whole program can light right up.
Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
 Your clever and inquisitive mind may be in full bloom as you may possess a rare ability to find answers that elude others. This may be an especially fertile time for uncovering new ideas and being creative. You may be able to find a method for fusing several ideas together into one cohesive package. If you can follow your instincts and hone in on the hidden gem, you may be quite successful. Dig deeper.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
A clever and heartfelt conversation may take place that centers around your main residence. You may be adding on new additions or rearranging the house with a whole new vision in mind. This will be an excellent time to talk about plans and the details of that realignment. Exercise diplomacy and be mindful of others who have a stake in the process. The home can be very personal, so keep that in mind when talking.
Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
 You may be looking at some career changes for the coming season that might pan out quite nicely. This will be an opportune time for contract negotiations and all types of conversations about your plans. You may find that you are drawn to charitable work, for example, which would serve a number of your goals. Not only do you help others, but you may gain valuable experience in the process. This should be an ideal time to flesh out some of these ideas.
Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
 Use this ideal time for raising the topic of resources. You might be in the middle of a project that requires some financial backing in order to come to completion. If so, you may be quite determined to get the contracts signed and on to the next stage. An important player may be unable to complete the work and you may have to find an alternative, which might stall your progress a bit. If you can gather all the details and gain clarity, you should be in good shape.
Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20
You may be at a crossroads with your home and family. This may mean that you have a decision to make that involves not only you but others as well. You may find that this brings up topics and terms that are worth discussing. It may be that the more transparent you can be, the better the chances are for a successful outcome. You may have strong ideas about the outcome, but it might be equally important to get other opinions as well.
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Moral Story
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SMS
“Life has a value only when it has something valuable as its object.”
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
"True love doesn't mean being inseparable; it means being separated and nothing changes."
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
“No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.”
Santa to Driver: Why have you increased speed of car?
Driver: Break has failed. We should reach home before accident.
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MOOC to take education to every doorstep: Raju
Aiming to take education to every doorstep, Union HRD minister M M Pallam Raju on Thursday said they intend to leverage the broadband network by embracing the 'Massive Open Online Courses' (MOOC) programme in a big way.
"...to make education more accessible, we have in the horizon MOOC, leveraging on the broadband education platform," Raju said at a function here while harping on sustainable development through such efforts.
"We want to embrace MOOC in a big way to increase the number of literates in the country. Institutions must become creators of knowledge," he said.
Stating that the key to sustainable development lies in innovation, Raju said the goal of his ministry is to see that that universities and institutions lead the innovation agenda and be the catalyst for the process in the economy.
The HRD ministry, he said, has asked all Centrally funded institutes such as the IITs and NITs to be role models for green campuses.
The minister was speaking at the Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture here organised by TERI.
The efficacy of the MOOC platform to reach the countless millions across the country was underlined by S Ramadorai, who is the advisor to the Prime Minister in the National Skill Development Council.
"The technology has given an opportunity to students to unshackling access to quality content and education bypassing the difficulty to get admission into the expensive institutions," Ramadorai said.
Last month, he said, seven IITs have announced India'a own MOOC platform.
Ramadorai said India needs to change its traditional mindset and go for innovation across the sectors if it wishes to maintain its competitive edge in the global economy.
He especially suggested massive innovations in sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and the small and medium scale industries who contribute 45 per cent of the manufacturing output and 60 million employees.
The government, he said, is offering as much as USD 2.5 billion as incentives to chipmakers to entice them to build India's first semi-conductor manufacturing plant, which would be an important step in building a domestic hardware industry.
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Khel Ratna controversy: The one and only Ronjan Sodhi
Ending the suspense over this year's awards, the sports ministry decided against making any changes to the original list of winners for the Khel Ratna and Arjuna awards on Thursday, thereby dashing Krishna Poonia's hopes of winning the country's highest sporting honour.
World champion shooter Ronjan Singh Sodhi's name was recommended for the Khel Ratna last week, which sparked a major controversy after Poonia challenged the decision, claiming she deserved the award.
The winners were to be announced on Monday, but the sports minister got busy with parliament's monsoon session and could not clear the file. This, combined with political interference delayed the process and gave rise to speculation that Poonia would be considered for the award along with Sodhi. However, that was not to be.
"The file has been cleared by the sports minister and there has been no addition to the original list of awardees. We have stuck to the recommendations made by the committee," sports secretary PK Deb said. "We were looking into all the complaints and the grievances of some athletes and that was the reason why we delayed the announcement of the awards."
It is learnt that former cueist Michael Ferreira, who was the head of the panel, informed sports minister Jitender Singh that they had followed the guidelines laid down for the awards in choosing the winners. "Ferreira felt there was no need for the panel to change their decision and insisted he had followed the rules laid down by the ministry. He left it to the sports minister to make any changes to the list of winners," a source informed.
The panel felt Sodhi's cumulative performance over the last three years was better than Poonia and hence, he was a more deserving candidate according to them. "He has topped the world rankings, held world record and won several major tournaments. Poonia's performance isn't equivalent to Sodhi's so as far as the panel was concerned, there wasn't much to choose from. Sodhi was a deserving winner this year," the source said.
The date of the national sports award function too has been postponed from August 29 to August 31 due to the sports minister's non-availability on the earlier date. Traditionally, the awards are bestowed on the winners on August 29, which is Dhyan Chand's birthday and is also celebrated as the National Sports Day.
Meanwhile, Poonia said her intention wasn't to politicise the award. The discus thrower, who won a gold medal at the Delhi CWG and finished seventh at last year's Olympics, said she wanted to raise voice against the 'injustice' meted out to her.
"I want to clarify that I was not doing any lobbying. Wrong has been done to me, and I was only raising my voice against that. That can't be called lobbying. It's wrong," Poonia said. "I am not politicising the award. As I had said earlier, if I was to politicise, I could have done it before the list was announced."
The awardees
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna: Ronjan Sodhi
Arjuna Award: Chekrovolu Swuro (Archery), Ranjith Maheshwari (Athletics), P V Sindhu (Badminton), Kavita Chahal (Boxing), Rupesh Shah (Billiards & Snooker), Virat Kohli (Cricket), Abhijeet Gupta (Chess), Gagan Jeet Bhullar (Golf), Saba Anjum (Hockey), Rajkumari Rathore (Shooting), Joshna Chinnappa (Squash), Mouma Das (Table Tennis), Neha Rathi (Wrestling), Dharmender Dalal(Wrestling), Amit Kumar Saroha (Para Athletics).
Dronacharya Awards: Poornima Mahato (Archery), Mahavir Singh (Boxing), Narinder Singh Saini (Hockey), K P Thomas (Athletics), Raj Singh(Wrestling).
Dhyan Chand Awards: Mary D'souza Sequeira (Athletics), Syed Ali (Hockey), Anil Mann (Wrestling), Girraj Singh (Para Sports).
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar: Community Sports Identification and Nurturing of Budding Young Talent (Dr U K Mishra, National Sports Academy, Allahabad), Financial Support for Sports Excellence (SSCB), Establishment and Management of Sports Academies of Excellence (Pullela Gopichand Academy of Badminton, Hyderabad), Employment of Sportspersons and sports welfare measures (PSPB).
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Zanjeer
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Zanjeer
Movie Name : Zanjeer
Release Date : September 6, 2013
Genre : Action, Thriller
Producer : Reliance Entertainment, Puneet Prakash Mehra (Hindi) ,Sumeet Prakash Mehra (Hindi), Amit Mehra (Telugu), Flying Turtle Films
Director : Apoorva Lakhia
Music Director : Anand Raj Anand, Meet Bros Anjjan, Chirantan Bhatt
Cast : Ram Charan, Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt (Hindi), Srihari (Telugu), Prakash Raj, Mahi Gill, Ankur Bhatia, Atul Kulkarni , Tanikella Bharani (Telugu)
Synopsis:
Zanjeer (English: Shackles; titled Toofan in Telugu) is an upcoming Indian action film directed by Apoorva Lakhia, shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu. The film marks the Bollywood debut of popular Tollywood actor Ram Charan in the lead role along with Priyanka Chopra. Prakash Raj joins the cast after success in Hindi films, like Wanted, Singham, and Dabangg 2. It is a remake of the 1973 Hindi film of the same name. The Hindi version of the film is to be dubbed in Chinese as Chialo Kaxlaug. The Telugu version of the film is to be dubbed in Tamil and Malayalam. The release date is scheduled for September 6, 2013
Zanjeer in USA by BlueSky. The first look and official theatrical trailer of Toofan (Telugu version) have been launched by Reliance Entertainment on its YouTube Official Channel on 25 March 2013 to rave public response, featuring Ram Charan, Priyanka Chopra, Prakash Raj and Srihari. Ram Charan's Toofan First Look Trailers and Wallpapers have been released on March 25, 2013
The First look and theatrical trailer of Zanjeer (Hindi version) was released on 4 July 2013. The dubbing process started from 26 March 2013, where Sanjay Dutt plays the role essayed by Srihari. Sanjay Dutt finishes Zanjeer filming - with only a few days left at his disposal before he returns to jail.
The Telugu version of the film is titled Toofan and is in Post Production stage. The director planned in for a 25-day schedule in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh from November 14 to December 5, 2012. Priyanka Chopra joined the shooting, her first schedule for this film. It was reported that Ram Charan has done some risky stunts for Zanjeer.
Zanjeer (Hindi) and Toofan (Telugu) will be releasing on 6 September 2013. The Chinese dubbed version (Chialo Kaxlaug) of the Hindi version will be released on the same day, along with the Tamil and Malayalam dubbed versions of the Telugu version.
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" INSPIRING STORY "
The Ship of Friendship
A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island.
The two survivors who have been a good friends, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.
The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man’s parcel of land remained barren.
After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land.
On the other side of the island, there was nothing. Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island.
He considered the other man unworthy to receive God’s blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered. As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, “Why are you leaving your companion on the island?”
“My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them,” the first man answered. “His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything.”
“You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him. “He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings.” Tell me,” the first man asked the voice, “What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?”
“He prayed that all your prayers be answered “
Moral: For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us (Congregational Prayer). Value your friends, don’t leave your loved ones behind.
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“Its important to put a lot of years into your life, but equally important to put a lot of life into your years.”
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