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“If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives. ”
| VBA's Positive News |
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Koreas agree to reunions for first time in three years
North and South Korea agreed Friday to allow reunions next month of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, the first such meetings in three years and the latest conciliatory gesture from the North after a spring that saw it threaten Seoul and Washington with missile strikes and nuclear war. The two Koreas also agreed Friday to work toward a 'fundamental resolution' of the issue of separated families, by making the reunions regular events, allowing families to exchange letters and allowing them to find out whether their loved ones are still alive, the Unification Ministry said.
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Germany, Britain lead Europe's nascent economic recovery
Germany confirmed on Friday it had enjoyed its fastest rate of economic expansion in more than a year in the second quarter, and Britain revised up its growth to the same rate. Consumer morale has jumped to its highest level in two years this month, other data showed on Friday, in a bright sign for the current quarter as well.
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Recovering UK economy shows broader, faster growth
Britain's economy grew faster than expected in the second quarter, benefiting from a broad-based pick-up in activity that looked to have put the country's burgeoning recovery on a firmer footing. Gross domestic product expanded 0.7 per cent from the previous quarter, data from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday, beating its initial estimate and economists' forecasts and putting Britain's growth rate on a par with European powerhouse Germany.
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With Europe's growth, pieces falling in place to lift Canada out of economic doldrums
Canada's economy has looked anything but world-beating during the first half of this year, but economists say the restraints that have handcuffed exports and jobs growth are beginning to break. The biggest confidence booster may have been the news that the troubled Eurozone burst out of a prolonged recession earlier than expected, posting a modest but still significant 1.1 per cent annualized expansion in the second quarter.
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Video of the Day:
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World Round-Up
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Chidambaram meets top bankers to shore up foreign capital
Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday held a closed-door meeting in Mumbai with top bankers to take stock of the situation in the wake of rupee volatility and ways to shore up foreign capital to bridge the widening current account gap.
The minister, who will also be meeting foreign institutional investors whose money is key to funding CAD in the afternoon, did not speak to reporters waiting outside.
Chidambaram was accompanied by his top officials, including economic affairs secretary Arvind Mayaram and financial services secretary Rajiv Takru, while the bankers who met the minister included SBI's Pratip Chaudhuri, ICICI Bank's Chanda Kochhar, HDFC Bank's Aditya Puri, Pramit Jhaveri of Citigroup India, Vijayalakshmi Iyer of Bank of India, Canara Bank chief RK Dubey and StanChart India's Anurag Adlakha among others.
The meeting assumes importance as it comes against the backdrop of continuing flight of capital, especially after RBI put restrictions of capital withdrawal by corporates and individuals last week, which triggered concern among overseas investors that the government was on the verge of a throwback to the early 199 crisis, when stiff capital control was imposed due to the balance of payment crisis.
The FIIs, who pulled out over USD 12 billion since May 22 after the US Fed hinted at scaling down bond buyback sooner than expected, has had a debilitating impact on the rupee, which had plumbed to a low of 65.56 to the dollar on Thursday.
The current plight of the rupee, which is the most bruised currency in entire Asia losing nearly 20 per cent since beginning of the fiscal, has mostly attributed to the high current account deficit, which stood at 4.8 per cent last fiscal and is likely to be higher in Q1 as well.
"The meeting was mainly to seek ideas and suggestions on what can be done about capital inflows.
It was a very good and positive meeting," Kochhar told reporters after the meeting.
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Astrology
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Aries March 21 to April 19
Mars, your ruler, will tour Leo from Tuesday, August 27, to Monday, October 14, giving you a second chance to meet a new romantic interest in the weeks to come. Your first opportunity came at the new moon, August 6, and the weeks that followed, but if no one special materialized, stay optimistic. If you are already attached, you will have a superb chance to recapture the fun you both had together when you first met. If you desire a baby, talks will intensify. It's time to choose a timetable - perhaps that will be immediately. Children you have now will enliven your life.
Taurus April 20 to May 20
You may have been thinking about improving your living situation for weeks, ever since the new moon arrived on August 6. Now, Mars will give your living plans a big push. Get started on making changes - buying, selling or leasing property, moving, painting, making repairs, or scheduling a renovation, or an upgrade to your décor. You will have the energy and motivation to get those plans finished by time Mars departs, October 14, and be all set for the year-end holidays.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
 Good news - that heavy spending you've been doing for weeks will now calm down. You will be in better control of your finances, and will feel more secure to be free of recent financial surprises. Once Mars enters Leo on August 27, you will be able to travel more. At work, you will be asked to do more of what you love to do: write, speak, edit, code, or translate, as a few applications to your talent for communication. On August 30, you will feel very fortunate when Mercury, your ruler, will contact Jupiter - a lucrative assignment or contract should result, or fun travel will be in the cards.
Cancer June 21 to July 22
Mars will leave Cancer on Tuesday, August 27, to spend several weeks in Leo, until mid-October. This means you will no longer have quite the control you've had in recent weeks, but you may be happy to hear this news. You've had a high-profile role in events lately, but with that naturally comes some stress. You will be less frenetic and likely will feel calmer than you have in recent weeks. You soon may be spending more, perhaps because certain large payments come due, such as for tuition or a deposit on a renovation, or example.
Leo July 23 to Aug. 22
 Mars, the great action planet and timekeeper of the zodiac, will move into Leo on Tuesday, August 27, and remain in your sign until Monday, October 14. Mars will make this a key time of the year for you, where you can now take the reins and lead others in the direction you choose. You've had to wait two years for this privilege. Every sign is given six weeks of favor from Mars, and now that you have it, think about how you would like to direct Mars' powerful energy. A few weeks ago, you had a new moon in Leo on August 6 that showed you that the tide was turning to your favor.
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Deals on NSEL with missing, inadequate stocks: Tax department
MUMBAI: The National Spot Exchange (NSEL) crisis has deepened with the tax department confirming that transactions on the bourse were made against non-existent to inadequate stocks.
"In some cases there are no stocks, in others the quantity of the stocks is below that claimed by some of the buyers," a senior income-tax official told ET.
Asked whether the survey had encompassed the premises of the promoter of NSEL - Financial Technologies - the tax official said, "We have not interrogated or searched the promoters' premises."
A brief visit by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to commodity market regulator Forward Markets Commission's (FMC) office on Friday fuelled speculation the national investigative agency could be roped in to probe the matter.
Phone calls and text messages to FMC Chairman Ramesh Abhishek for comment on the findings of tax authorities and on the CBI meeting at his office in Mumbai remained unanswered.
The survey results so far put a stamp of authenticity on speculation that many of the 24 buyers have borrowed money without having stocks in the NSEL accredited warehouses.
The results of the survey coincide with NSEL having declared nine of the buyers who failed to make their payout on Tuesday as defaulters.
Recovering Money Difficult
The exchange, according to its byelaws, will now auction the stocks belonging to the defaulters to pay back investors their money.
However, the I-T Department's revelations on stocks have made the recovery of investors' money by auctioning the stocks a distant dream.
Many of the borrowers were unable to meet their pay-in obligations, resulting in the first weekly payout by the exchange to 148 member brokers on Tuesday being unsuccessful.
While the first payout garnered Rs 92 crore of the Rs 174 crore that has to be paid every week for the next 20 weeks starting this Tuesday, buyers are likely to default big time on the second settlement the coming Tuesday.
The pay-in up to Thursday has been a measly Rs 40 lakh, data on NSEL shows. The exchange makes payout to members on Tuesday each week with pay-in happening on the preceding Friday.
The nine borrowers declared as defaulters by NSEL include ARK Imports, Loil Overseas Foods, Lotus Refineries, NK Proteins, NCS Sugars, Spin Cot Textiles, Tavishi Enterprises, Vimladevi Agrotech and Yathuri Associates.
In a separate development, the exchange is learnt to be in the process of appointing one of the three audits and consultancy firms Grant Thornton, Ernst & Young and Deloitte to conduct a forensic audit of its books.
The decision is likely to be taken on Monday. NSEL suspended trading of contracts, which allegedly allowed some members to borrow money against stocks with an agreement to buy back the stock at the end of 25-30 days along with an annualised interest payment of 14-15%.
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Are fruits a good breakfast substitute?
Most of us rely on fruits for 'healthy breakfast substitutes' without really checking up on how healthy that is.
Do you always end up eating a piece of fruit for breakfast, due to lack of time? Many of us, though being aware of the importance of breakfast, tend to avoid eating a healthy breakfast.
The basic excuse we give to avoid a healthy breakfast is 'lack of time'. But if you feel that by adding fruits for breakfast you will get a healthy breakfast, then you need to read what Ms. Eileen Canday - Chief Dietician at Breach Candy Hospital says...
She says, "Essentially, it (fruits for breakfast) affects your body by not giving you all the vitamins and minerals you need to make it through your day."
On the other hand, when you have a complete breakfast you not only get vitamin C, but you also get calcium, fiber, and protein. This helps better prepare your body for the day's activities.
This leads us to staying powerful throughout the day. If a piece of fruit doesn't have enough nutrition, how could it possibly keep you full until your next meal? It's only when you combine fruit with high fiber breakfast foods such as oatmeal, wheat, or even bran, you will stay full longer.
When you add more fiber to your breakfast, you're able to better ward off hunger pains. When you combine these high fiber foods with fruit, you get a breakfast that has more of the nutrition your body needs.
Of course, the most important reason a breakfast of fruit isn't enough is because you aren't consuming sufficient calories or protein. Breakfast is the most significant meal of the day.
By consuming more calories first thing in the morning, you are better able to work off those calories throughout the day. This is a much enhanced option than consuming most of your calories in the evening.
Protein is essential to keeping you full for longer as well. A breakfast that lacks protein will have you feeling hungry by noon, even earlier.
So save fruits as mid-day snacks or add-ons for meals, but avoid using fruits as breakfast substitutes. Find 5-10 minutes to eat a nutritious well-balanced healthy breakfast, and you'll be in better control of your weight and health.
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Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
As a Virgo, you can work successfully in a team setting or alone, and either way you would be happy. Mars, the action planet, will now move into the most secluded part of your chart, to stay until October 15. You will soon want to withdraw from others while you work quietly on a project by yourself. You will enjoy the peacefulness and uninterrupted time to do research, ponder a dilemma, or write an important manuscript, as some examples. No matter what you need to get done, you will become a paragon of productivity. Your favorite day will be Friday, August 30, when your ruler, Mercury, now in Virgo, will be in fine angle to Jupiter in Cancer. Good news from friends should arrive, cooking up a warm, fun night for you.
Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
Since July, you've come through a very important career phase. As long as you made at least one important initiation, whether to find a new position, launch a product or service, or open you own business, as some examples, you will have built enough momentum to see the process through to a successful outcome. Starting August 27 and continuing to October 14, Mars will tour Leo and, career pressure will be reduced. Happily, you will be able to establish a better balance between your private and public life. If you want to continue to press forward in your career, do so in a more relaxed, social way as contrasted to the more formal way you worked in previous weeks.
Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
 You have now entered the most vital period for your career in two years. You had been favored by a friendly new moon in your sector of honors, awards, achievement, and fame on August 6. Since then, you may have sent out feelers or received a phone call inviting you to interview for a top position. You may have also rightly reviewed listings and solicited tips from colleagues. Now, with Mars' help through mid-October, you can advance your job search by leaps and bounds, and you may draw closer to your prize position than you ever thought possible. Patience - you are doing well. Your best days this week: August 28 and 30.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
You've been busy with a number of financial decisions ever since the new moon arrived on August 6 and in the many days that followed. All those calculations may have made you yearn to break free. Now, with Mars moving into fellow fire sign Leo, you will get your chance to travel to near and far, to an exotic country or island or to the opposite coast in your country. You need rest, and you should consider treating yourself to a trip away, for after October 15, Mars will enter Virgo and you'll be too preoccupied with blossoming work opportunities to go.
Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
 Your chart at the moment shows an unusual emphasis on money. This month you may have been approved a large sum, in the form of a loan or mortgage, or you may examine your holdings to see if you can find ways to optimize profits, interest, or dividends. Mars in Leo from August 27 to October 14 may require you to spend more money than usual, say, for tuition, real estate, or to buy a car, as some examples. If you're in the process of splitting proceeds of a marriage in a divorce, be aware that Mars in Leo may make talks contentious until mid-October.
Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
 This week, Mars will enter your partnership sector on August 27, to stay until October 14. You will become more focused on your partner, or on the idea of aligning with a partner for romantic or business reasons. You won't have the same control over events that you usually do, as your partner will have the upper hand during this period. This may mean you have to negotiate to have your point of view validated, or it may mean that tension will arise between you in weeks to come, as you both seem to have different perspectives.
Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20
You are entering a very strenuous phase when the number of assignments you are given will rise, due to Mars' entry into Leo, August 27 to October 14. You may be working long hours and on weekends too, so protect your health, and find ways to relax every day, if only in small ways. You may be glad to have this unusual workload if you are self-employed, and there is also evidence that if you work for others, you can negotiate better pay through overtime, commissions, bonuses, or other fees.
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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.”
In New Delhi, Blue-line buses are notorious for killing people in accidents.
Today a Blue-line bus driver saved
2 lives.
Howz that possible?
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He did not go to job today.
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Only 38 of 128 pvt CBSE schools in TN have admitted students under RTE Act
COIMBATORE: Even though the state school education board has come out with a formula to compensate private unaided schools for education children admitted under the 25 per cent reservation clause of the RTE Act, private CBSE schools in the state continue to have a poor track record pertaining to the implementation of the Act.
When RTI activist and MDMK state youth wing secretary V Easwaran sought information regarding this issue, only 128 of the total 390 CBSE schools in the state provided the requested information. "Of the 128 schools, only 38 had admitted students under RTE," Easwaran said.
Information received from the CBSE regional office in Chennai revealed that only 762 of the 3,055 seats allocated under RTE in the 128 schools had been filled. This is despite the fact that schools received 2,958 applications for the 3,055 available seats. "All the nine Kendriya Vidyalaya (central schools) that responded to the query have filled all seats allotted under RTE," Easwaran said. While these nine central schools had received 2,826 applications, just 2,958 applications for admissions under RTE were received by 119 private CBSE schools in the state.
Charging that the central government had failed to ensure implementation of RTE by CBSE schools, Easwaran said regulating these schools was the need of the hour. Officials at the CBSE regional office gave contradictory statements regarding this issue. While they said that they were monitoring the implementation of the RTE in CBSE affiliated schools, they did not seem to have details of the schools and date of inspection.
Easwaran also alleges that the CBSE regional office made no effort to advertise this opportunity and sensitize the public to reservation for economically weaker students. This only means that such schools are not inclined to implementing the Act, he said. Despite the fact that education department officials have had one-onone meetings with private schools to explain how exactly they would be reimbursed, the schools are still disinclined to admit students under RTE.
Easwaran however acknowledged that an accurate picture regarding this issue could be determined only when the remaining 262 CBSE schools furnished necessary details.
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Victoria Azarenka poses danger for Serena Williams at US Open
NEW YORK: Serena Williams may be the overwhelming favorite but the world number one is anything but a sure bet to win a U.S. Open overflowing with intriguing possibilities.
As the greatest player of her generation, Williams is the obvious choice to win the women's singles tournament, starting on Monday, but faces challenges on several fronts including the calendar.
If she wins, the 31-year-old American will be the oldest woman champion since tennis turned professional in 1968 but time has not caught up with Williams just yet.
"I'm definitely prepared. I'm definitely ready for New York. I'm looking forward to it," she said.
"I feel like I definitely had more matches than I could want, but I'm definitely prepared for the U.S. Open."
The American is already the second oldest grand slam winner after she won last year's U.S. Open and has captured eight titles this season, including the French Open. But not everything has gone her way.
A quarter-final loss to Sloane Stephens at the Australian Open and a fourth-round defeat to Sabine Lisicki at Wimbledon were followed by her gut-wrenching loss to Victoria Azarenka at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati earlier this month.
Williams seemed to have the match under control when she cruised through the opening set only to lose in a third-set tie breaker, boosting Azarenka's confidence heading into the year's final grand slam.
The pair are seeded one and two and are drawn to meet in the final, just as they did last year. Williams beat Azarenka 7-5 in the final set 12 months ago but remains aware of the danger posed by the Belarusian.
"I'm a big Victoria fan," Williams said. "I think she's just the ultimate competitor on the court and just really nice.
"I really get along with her. She's just a great person."
The 24-year-old Azarenka won her second consecutive Australian Open this year and is perfectly suited to the unforgiving hardcourts at Flushing Meadows.
One of the few players who is unafraid of slugging it out with Williams in the cauldron-like atmosphere of Flushing Meadows, Azarenka looms as the obvious danger in what has all the makings of a great rivalry.
"Every time we play, I face a big challenge, my biggest opponent," Azarenka said.
"Playing in the final of any tournament against the best player, that's what you really strive for and to overcome and beat.
"I've had tough losses before against her but I feel like I learned from those losses, and it helps me improve."
The chances of the pair meeting in the final have increased since the withdrawal of Maria Sharapova, because of injury, and the shock retirement of Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli but there are plenty of other dangers lurking in the draw.
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Zanjeer
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Zanjeer
Movie Name : Zila Ghaziabad
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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An ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain.
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" 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.
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“No one really knows why they are alive until they know what they’d die for.”
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