“Don’t try to understand everything because sometimes it is not meant to be understood, but to be accepted.”     VBA's Positive News UK: Nation's focus should be growth in wellbeing not economic growth, conference will say The former Archbishop of Canterbury will address hundreds of delegates at the Resurgence Festival of Wellbeing in October to talk about shifting the country's focus from economic growth to growth in wellbeing. Other speakers scheduled at the festival include Indian environmental activist Vandana Shiva, who will speak about seed freedom; former Friends of the Earth executive director, Tony Juniper; outgoing head of the European Environment Agency, Jaqueline McGlade, and chief executive of Good Energy, Juliet Davenport.   On International Day, UN calls for investment in peace education Education is vital for building peaceful societies and fostering global citizenship, senior United Nations officials said 21 September. marking the International Day of Peace with calls for greater investment in quality education. 'On this International Day of Peace, let us pledge to teach our children the value of tolerance and mutual respect,' Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message for the Day. Education must encompass the teaching of human rights, living together, and respect for others, said Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General.  First industrial-sized seaweed biofuel plant to open in Brazil The world's first industrial-sized plant producing biofuels from seaweed is set to open in Brazil later this year. Located in the north-eastern state of Pernambuco, the $9.8m facility will produce up to 1.2m litres of algae-based biofuels a year. Austrian firm SEE Algae Technology (SAT) is building the facility on an ethanol-producing sugar cane plantation owned by Brazilian company Grupo JB. Australia: Stunning sculptural sound walls sweep across Melbourne's freeway Highway infrastructure usually calls to mind a bland blur of concrete -- but the city of Melbourne has turned a standard freeway connection into a new and memorable art form. Entitled the Craigieburn Bypass, the artistic freeway sculpture was designed by architects Tonkin Zulaikha Greer in collaboration with landscape architecture firm Taylor Cullity Lethlean and artist Robert Owen. The award-winning design consists of three long sculptural sound walls punctuated by a pedestrian bridge and a Corten steel arc that sweeps across the freeway and creates a grand visual gateway into northern Melbourne.   Video of the Day:

World Round-Up

Political + Narendra Modi's long shadow creates a rift in Chicago        Chicago: The shadow of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, and his alleged complicity in the 2002 communal riots in his state, has created a controversy here with the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions (CPWR) withdrawing its support to the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda. The CPWR was formed in 1893 and organized the conference which Vivekananda addressed in Chicago that year. Vivekananda's birth anniversary celebrations are to be held on September 27-28, under the banner of 'World Without Borders' with the VHP and several temples among its sponsors. Withdrawing its support to the event, Dr Mary Nelson, vice chair of the board of CPWR said in a statement: "The Council is a 120-year-old peace building organization whose mission, like Swami Vivekananda's is to promote peace and inter-religious harmony. We honour Swami Vivekananda and that legacy he left creating inter-faith cooperation to build a just, peaceful and sustainable world. Our organization was not informed that an event we were asked to co-sponsor was also co-sponsored by organizations promoting controversial political positions. "While we do honour and promote the ideals of Swami Vivekananda, we respectfully withdraw our name from any co-hosting or co-sponsorship of the 'World without borders' and any connection to this event or other co-sponsors." 'Coalition against genocide', a group which has accused Modi and the VHP of complicity in the 2002 communal riots had reportedly strongly campaigned with the CPWR to withdraw its sponsorship to the event. The coalition says it is dedicated to justice and accountability for the 2002 riots in Gujarat and to "combating extremist ideologies that were its genesis" Two members of the CPWR's board of trustees, Anju Bharagava and Dr Anantanand Rambachan, have said that they were not consulted on the CPWR's decision. "Once we found out, we requested an explanation for the Parliament's decision. We have also formally requested the Parliament to reverse its decision ," they said. Bharagava is a member of President Barack Obama's Inaugural Council on Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and Rambachan is chair and professor of religion, philosophy and Asian studies at Saint Olaf College, Minnesota. Meanwhile, Suhag Shukla, executive director of the Hindu American Foundation has said that Nelson's statement that the CPWR withdrew its sponsorship because the organizers "promoted controversial positions will be seen as ironic at best and institutional hypocrisy at worst." In a letter to Dr Nelson, Shukla said, "I am left with the impression that an unknown segment of CPWR took what can only be seen as a capricious, unilateral decision without respect for democratic process, and of greater concern, without any regard for the understanding of the Hindu community - that Dr Rambachan and Ms Bhargava would have provided - the latter omission violating every core principle of interfaith dialogue, engagement and respect." Astrology   Aries March 21 to April 19 This may be an exciting and ambitious time for learning new skills or delving into new uncharted areas. This will be most evident in your pursuit of philosophy or spiritual information, or may apply to legal matters, financial transactions, estate dealings, and tax investigations. Your ruling planet, Mars, may guide you to find a creative method for stitching up any loose ends. You'll instinctively know the right thing to do and act accordingly.    Taurus April 20 to May 20 You may find yourself working hard to bridge matters between your partner and your family. There may only be so much that you can do in this matter, but your efforts will not go unnoticed. More than likely this may be about doing the right thing and keeping all parties happy, but you may also see that the only way forward is for some compromise on both sides. If you can use your persuasive powers to enlighten others, you'll find the common ground.   Gemini May 21 to June 20 You may be on a mission to figure out some piece of your health status. In an effort to provide maximum coverage for yourself, you may have to do some research. Of course this may mean approaching insurers, physicians, and other large organizations. You may be contacting health insurers or medical records for important data for making an important decision. This same type of energy may also be useful for putting together charitable events for organizations.                           Cancer June 21 to July 22  Take your time when making financial decisions that could impact your vacation plans. This may be particularly useful if you are investing in a trip for the future. You may find that details are hard to come by or that details do not fall into place as easily as you would have hoped. Do not despair. As long as you are diligent and dedicated to the effort, you should do quite well. Nothing comes too easily, especially if it is worth having.                                                 Leo July 23 to Aug. 22  This may be one of those days when you are glad that you have the natural tenacity to stick with the program and get done what has to get done. You may be especially driven to wrap things up, but complications may invariably clog your progress somewhat. Rather than allowing yourself to get discouraged, take heart and work though the challenges with grace under pressure. If you remain cognizant of your backing family, you may be quite pleased with the outcome.                         BUSINESS+VE                                                                              GroupM appoints Ajit Varghese as CEO, Maxus Asia Pacific       Media agency conglomerate GroupM has promoted Ajit Varghese, MD, Maxus South Asia, to the role of CEO, Maxus Asia Pacific. In his new role, which comes into effect on January 1, 2014, Varghese will oversee Maxus operations in all Asia Pacific countries. Varghese, 39, takes charge from Neil Stewart, who is being promoted to the new position of chief client officer, Maxus Global. He will work closely with Stewart during a six-month transition period. In his new role, Varghese will report to both Mark Patterson, CEO, GroupM Asia Pacific and Vikram Sakhuja, CEO, Maxus Global.  He joined Maxus in 2006 from Madison. Said Varghese: “The last seven years have been an exciting journey; we have built a strong portfolio of clients, secured their trust, delivered them a world-class product and picked up many accolades along the way.”   Although he will relocate to Singapore, India will continue to be part of his scope and will, he said, remain close to his heart. CVL Srinivas, CEO, GroupM South Asia, said: “Ajit has been an outstanding leader for Maxus and has helped create a very unique culture at Maxus and truly embodies the Maxus spirit.   All of us at GroupM are very proud of his achievements and wish him the very best in his new role.” Varghese had incidentally taken charge of Maxus a few months after Srinivas left the agency as its CEO for India and Asia Pacific. With Varghese taking charge of Maxus on an APAC basis, the media industry now has Indians at the helm at the global and regional levels. Last year, Vikram Sakhuja was appointed global CEO of the agency. Said Sakhuja on Varghese’s elevation: “I have no doubt that with his brand of entrepreneurial leadership, Maxus APAC will scale new heights.” Asked about his most satisfying moments of his tenure at Maxus in India, Varghese listed five of them: “1: The fastest-growing agency, most dominant profile agency for more than three years in a row; 2: maximum number of awards year-on-year across all industry forums; 3: by far the most awarded in the new-age digital and technology fields across all industry forums for the last two years; 4: a team of 330+ people who demonstrate absolute quality of PACE (passionate, agile, collaborative and entrepreneurial) and a stable leadership team which has been in the system for more than five years; and 5: establishing the second agency Motivator, a force to reckon with in the last one-and-a-half years.” HEALTH+VE                                                              Top 7 food pairings for slimmer waistline     Food pairings play more important a role than you think in ensuring a slimmer waistline and peachier skin. Here are the top 7 matches that are healthy for you Green tea + lemon = A healthy heart Since it is rich in powerful antioxidants like catechins, green tea has been linked to a reduced risk of heart attacks. And when you add lemon juice to it, you do your heart more favour. After brewing yourself a cup of green tea, squeeze some lemon juice (you can also use an orange, lime or grapefruit). Broccoli + tomatoes = Cancer control Broccoli and tomatoes are both cancer-fighting agents, but research shows eating them together offers more protection. Tomato and broccoli at the same time are effective at slowing the growth of cancerous prostate tumours than eating either vegetable alone. Eat at least one and a half cups of broccoli and two and a half cups of fresh tomato (or one cup of fresh tomato puree). Red bell peppers + black beans = Improved immunity You'll absorb more immuneboosting iron by adding in some red bell peppers. Iron in beans exists in a form called non-heme iron that's harder for your body to absorb than the one found in red meat. However, adding a dose of vitamin C-rich food like red peppers converts the iron into a type that's easier for the body to use and boosts immunity. Avocad0 + green salad = Complexion protection Absorb more skin-protecting plant compounds called carotenoids from your vegetable salad by adding a little avocado. Carotenoids reduce free radical damage to effectively protect the skin from the harmful effects of UV rays. A recent study showed, people who ate avocado in their salad of lettuce, spinach, and carrots absorbed up to 15 times more carotenoids than those who didn't eat their salads with avocado. Apricots + almonds = A tip-top ticker This power pair helps prevents LDL (bad) cholesterol from oxidising, a process that happens whenever LDL reacts with free radicals. And oxidised LDL is harmful because it encourages dangerous plaque build-up in the arteries. However, in a recent study, researchers found that the phytochemicals in almonds reduced LDL oxidation when paired with the antioxidant vitamins E and C, both of which are found abundantly in apricots. Garlic + onions = Head to toe protection These aromatic veggies both contain a number of organosulfur compounds, heart healthy plant chemicals that help keep arteries flexible and free of plaque. Some of these compounds have even been studied for their power to detoxify carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) in the body. Eating both at the same time means you're covering your bases and boosting your chances of getting more of these healthful compounds, she says. Cinnamon + whole grain toast = Speedier slimming Sprinkling cinnamon may help keep your blood sugar at a healthier level, which prevents dips in your energy and spikes in your hunger level. It has been found to slow the rate of stomach emptying after meals and reduces the rise in blood sugar after meals to negate more noshing later. Experts say you will seize more protective compounds if your cinnamon is fresh.                        Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22  This should be a fabulous day to put your head down and complete a few paperwork projects. Writing and details may be important and necessary so hunker down and crank out the documents. You may also find, however, that the process has a certain satisfaction to it and that you actually enjoy seeing the progress you have made. Hard work does have its rewards. You may feel a strong sense of accomplishment once you have completed the job.               Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22 Watch for activity between you and your business associates. The topic of finances and budgets are likely, so if you can prepare accordingly, you'll be glad you did. This may be an important time for you to be well prepared. Gather your details, figures, records, and financial transactions so that you are completely ready with the right answers at the right time. You may have to negotiate with your friends to get the process to work properly. This may be a good time to exercise patience and compassion as you work forward.                                  Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21 As one of your ruling planets, Mars, moves into your career sector, you may be far more engaged in the daily activities of your job than usual. As such, this may be a marvelous opportunity to gain real measurable progress on your current workload. By the time the day is done, you may be able to look back with a genuine feeling of satisfaction. You may be willing to work extremely hard at accomplishing your work, but try to avoid becoming a steamroller.                              Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21 You may be on the last leg of a successful business trip and still have a few loose ends lingering. The sooner you can get some of those details ironed out, the better you will feel about your travels. As arduous as it may be, the job really will not be complete until the paperwork is done. Get your trip report filed early so you can kick back and relax knowing you did the right thing.                                                     Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19 You may feel pulled in two directions as work and group projects demand as much of your time as your significant partner. If you can find a way to satisfy both ends of the spectrum, you'll feel much better and probably accomplish a lot more. Be responsible to your friends and work associates and compassionate to your sweetheart. This may be one situation where you truly can dance at all weddings and keep everyone happy.                                  Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18  If you find yourself having to make a decision between work and pleasure, you might actually do better if you lean on the side of responsibility. The fun and easy times will always return, but this may be a better time for putting in a few extra hours at the office until you are more confident that you are covered there. A little extra effort may go a long way, at least for appearances sake.                              Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20  If you are out and about, either traveling or attending a conference, take the extra step to keep up your exercise routine. Even though you may be working out on unfamiliar turf, it will still be important to get the workout in, especially because the exercise boosts your ability to concentrate. This will be a worthy pursuit and significantly impact your effectiveness on the job. However, it may be wise to tone down your routine just a notch so you aren't over-extending yourself.               Moral Story     SMS     “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”        LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS     When one loves somebody everything is clear -- where to go, what to do -- it all takes care of itself and one doesn't have to ask anybody about anything.     LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS      Be known for pleasing others, espcecially if you govern them...Ruling other has one advantage: you can do more good than anyone else.       Hitler says, "There is no word like IMPOSSIBLE in my dictionary"   Sardar says:Ab bolne se kiya fayidah? "Jub kharidi thi tab hi check karna tha na":D

EDUCATION +VE Axis-2013 at Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology promotes learning with fun           NAGPUR: Even as the world outside had just wrapped up the festive celebrations, the premises of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) came alive this weekend. The campus was buzzing with presence of students of all ages and classes, including school kids and college youths from across the country. The occasion was college's annual technical fest 'Axis'. There were around 40 events at Axis-2013, divided into four broad themes - software and electronics; construction, design and architecture; robotics and automation; and management. The tech fest saw participation by college students from Gurgaon, Bhillai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai while the school students were from places like Ramtek, Jambsavali, Yavatmal and Wardha. "The events are designed and conceived keeping in mind the interests of budding engineers, even those from the schools. From making various kinds of robotic devices to understanding the working of a car engine, designing bridges and devices that can generate hydroelectricity, animations and other brainy stuff, all the competitions were such that they challenged one's mental faculties," said an organizer Ajay Gupta. He added that instead of the plain boring format, the competitions were situation-based like building a robot to save people from an area where a volcano has just erupted. It was not just learning but a lot of fun too. "We organized games like paint ball and body zorbing which attracted a huge number of kids. There was also a vintage car rally, liquid nitrogen show by scientists from Raman Science Centre and an exhibition of rocks by the Geological Survey of India," said another organizer Sushant Telang. School students had their bit of fun in competitions like science projects, catapult designing, quizzing and model United Nations. "Participating in this event is a learning experience. Now, my resolve to become an engineer and take admission to VNIT has only become stronger," said school student Shreya Kulkarni. "Not just engineering, so many other career options have opened up for us by learning a few things here and interacting with the seniors," said standard X student Mrunal Kakirwar. SPORTS +VE Disaster for Moyes as Man City crush Man United     David Moyes's first derby as Manchester United manager turned into a nightmare on Sunday as Manchester City inflicted a humiliating 4-1 defeat at a triumphant Etihad Stadium. Points Table | Schedule & Results With Robin van Persie absent due to a groin strain, a limp and lacklustre United were dominated from kick-off on a sunny afternoon in northwest England. They saw City take control through first-half goals from Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure, and quick-fire strikes from Aguero and Samir Nasri in the second period meant the game was over after only 50 minutes. Wayne Rooney scored a fine late free-kick to become the outright leading scorer in the fixture, but it could not stop City's fans revelling in a victory almost as seismic as their 6-1 win at Old Trafford in October 2011. That victory paved the way for City's subsequent title triumph, and after a dream first derby as manager, Manuel Pellegrini saw his side climb to third place in the Premier League table, two points behind leaders Arsenal. Defending champions United, meanwhile, find themselves five points off the pace after two defeats in their first five games. Moyes can console himself that his storied predecessor Alex Ferguson once lost 5-1 at City, but from three games against title rivals City, Chelsea and Liverpool, his side have picked up just a single point. Van Persie had scored the winning goal in last season's corresponding fixture and his unexpected absence from the United team-sheet was the first indication that it might be City's day. Danny Welbeck was the beneficiary, with Ashley Young also coming into United's team, while Pellegrini chose Alvaro Negredo over Edin Dzeko in attack but was unable to select David Silva in his squad due to injury. United began with purpose, Welbeck charging down an attempted clearance by Vincent Kompany inside 10 seconds, but the hosts quickly took control before striking in the 16th minute. With Antonio Valencia dawdling, Aleksandr Kolarov hared onto Nasri's cute back-heel and crossed from the left for Aguero to hook home a smart left-foot volley from eight yards. Despite the presence of the giant Marouane Fellaini, United were swamped in midfield and saw Nasri lash a sweetly struck volley narrowly over David de Gea's crossbar moments later. United's frustration told in a booking for Rooney for a succession of offences, culminating in a hack at City skipper Kompany, and it got worse in first-half injury time when Toure made it 2-0. Nasri's corner was headed down by Negredo and the giant Ivorian had the freedom of the six-yard box to knee the ball over the line from close range. Moyes elected not to make any personnel changes at the interval and within 62 seconds of the restart, his side fell further behind. The irrepressible Nasri was again the instigator with a pass down the inside-left channel for Negredo, who held off Nemanja Vidic, swiveled, and crossed for Aguero to volley in his second of the game.     Warning   Warning    Movie Name :   Warning      Release Date :   27 September 2013 Genre :  Thriller 3D film Producer :  Anubhav Sinha,Jitendra Jain Director :   Gurmmeet Singh Music Director : Meet Bros Anjjan, Ankit,Sharib Sabri,Toshi Sabri Cast : Santosh Barmola,Suzana Rodrigues,Manjari Fadnis,Varun Sharma,Jitin Gulati,Sumit Suri,Madhurima Tuli Synopsis: It was a reunion of seven friends. It was a joy ride on a luxury yacht through the middle of a beautiful ocean. It was time to remember the good old times. It was time to catch up on the lost five years. It was time to come face to face with unrequited love. It was Sara's first birthday. It was time for champagne. It was time for a swim. It was time for a disaster to strike. Seven friends, Neck deep in water, oblivious of their geographical coordinates, unknown miles away from land with no way to get back on to the yacht while little Sara cries incessantly on board. Old conflicts resound and new ones emerge while a new predator comes to kill. This one eats flesh.        The least used letter in the alphabet is Q. " INSPIRING STORY "   Give time to our family After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, “I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.”   The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. “What’s wrong, are you well?” she asked.   My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. “I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,” I responded. “Just the two of us.”   She thought about it for a moment, and then said, “I would like that very much.” That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous.   When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary.     She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel’s. “I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed, “she said, as she got into the car. “They can’t wait to hear about our meeting.”   We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print.   Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. “It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said.   “Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I responded. During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation – nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other’s life.   We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.     “How was your dinner date?” asked my wife when I got home. “Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,” I answered. A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack.   It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: “I paid this bill in advance.   I wasn’t sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates – one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son.”   At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: “I LOVE YOU” and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till “some other time.”

“You can’t live your life for other people. You’ve got to do what’s right for you, even if it hurts some people you love.”