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“The goal is the same: life itself; and the price is the same; life itself.”
| VBA's Positive News |
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Violent deaths in Scotland fall to record low
The number of homicides in Scotland has fallen to its lowest level on record. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: 'Homicides are continuing to fall, dropping by almost 50 per cent since 2006/7 and are now at their lowest level for 37 years -- the fewest ever on record and the lowest in a generation.
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European recovery gathering momentum
Another round of economic data Thursday provided evidence that Europe's recovery from recession is becoming broad-based and self-sustaining. Particularly encouraging was the news that retail sales across the eurozone rose a forecast-busting 0.7 per cent in August from the previous month, according to Eurostat, the EU's statistics office. Retail sales are an important barometer of economic confidence as they show consumers are more willing to spend rather than save despite many headwinds, such as high unemployment and government-imposed austerity measures. They are also a major component of growth.
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UK: Service sector third-quarter growth strongest in 16 years - PMI
Britain's huge service sector rounded off its strongest quarter in more than 16 years with solid growth in September, suggesting the economy is approaching the momentum of pre-crisis days. Combined with surveys of British manufacturing and construction earlier this week, the data imply the economy grew 1.2 percent in the July-September period, Markit said -- a rate of expansion not seen since late 2007.
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US jobless claims point to labour market healing
The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits edged higher last week but remained at pre-recession levels, a signal of growing strength in the labour market. The four-week average of new claims, which smooths out weekly volatility, fell 3,750 to 305,000, the lowest level since May 2007. A separate report showed the number of planned layoffs at US firms fell 20 per cent in September.
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Video of the Day:
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World Round-Up
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Advani gives credit to President Pranab for withdrawal of ordinance on MPs
New Delhi: There is no end to the ordinance on convicted MPs and MLAs row. Bharatiya Janata Party patriarch LK Advani has now taken on Congress President Sonia Gandhi and blamed her for Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's outburst.
LK Advani has written a blog saying that Sonia Gandhi advised Rahul to oppose the ordinance and that she too must take the blame for undermining Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The senior BJP leader has said Rahul not only insulted the PM through his 'nonsense' comment but also the UPA. ALSO SEE My words may have been strong but sentiment was honest: Rahul on 'nonsense ordinance'
In his blog he has also credited the BJP with informing the President why the ordinance was a bad idea. In fact in the title of the blog, 'It's Pranab da, not Rahul, who saved the situation', Advani has given credit to President Pranab Mukherjee for the withdrawal of the ordinance.
Following is the full text of Advani's blog on the ordinance row: It's Pranab da, not Rahul, who saved the situation With the Cabinet deciding on Wednesday to withdraw the Ordinance as well as the Bill pending before Parliament in respect of convicted MPs and MLAs yet another ugly chapter in the unflattering history of the UPA Government has ended. That most of the media reports on this development have described it as a victory for Rahul Gandhi is a comment on how superficial the media generally has become these days.
In fact, when just before departing from the US after his meetings with President Obama and Pak PM Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh observed that he would discuss with his Cabinet after his return what the party's Vice President has said about the Ordinance, I commented to a friend that all that Rahul Gandhi had said about the Ordinance in his three-and-a-half minute speech was that the Ordinance was "complete nonsense" and deserved to be "torn" and "thrown away." What was there in this outburst which the PM could possibly discuss with his Cabinet?
After all, Rahul Gandhi had not given a single argument why he felt the Ordinance was wrong. In contrast, when on September 26 evening, accompanied by our leaders in the two Houses, Smt Sushma Swaraj and Shri Arun Jaitley,
I went to Rashtrapati Bhavan, and presented to the President a four-page representation, our memo elaborated why we of the BJP regarded the Ordinance not only unconstitutional and illegal, but also immoral, besides being procedurally wrong inasmuch as the Bill which the Ordinance sought to replace had been already referred to a Standing Committee of the Rajya Sabha.
I recall that it was on Tuesday 24 September that the Cabinet approved the Ordinance to protect convicted MPs, MLAs, in effect negating the Supreme Court's order. The first reaction from the Opposition was Sushma's tweet that BJP would oppose the Ordinance.
She consulted me shortly thereafter and we decided to approach the Rashtrapati and urge him not to sign the Ordinance. When she sought an appointment from Rashtrapati Bhavan, she gathered that the President had gone to Puducherry and would return only on September 26 at 4.00 pm. We met him at 5.30 pm that day and were with him for 45 minutes or so.
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Astrology
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Aries March 21 to April 19
This morning will be the time to return emails, pay bills, and take care of any outstanding details in your life. After a productive morning, consider making a lunch date with a friend or taking the afternoon off. The Sun entering in your partnership sector may provide the impetus to address your needs within relationships. You or a partner may move toward a new level of self-expression that requires more mutual patience and trust.
Taurus April 20 to May 20
You can get a head start on the day by tackling your toughest challenges early. Once those tasks are completed, the moon's entry by late afternoon into Libra will pave the way for smooth social engagements, and you may even receive a surprise invitation tonight. Be on the lookout for challenges at work. You may be forced to make a decision between what is expected of you and what you feel is ethically appropriate.
Gemini May 21 to June 20
 Today you may be frustrated with a home project that progresses slowly or stalls completely, and this may cause you to feel that your efforts to move things forward have gone unappreciated. The Sun in your creative sector, challenged by Uranus and Pluto, may indicate a sudden resistance to your ideas. Partners who seek a different outcome may challenge you, but your creativity is heightened today and with confidence you will gain their trust and acceptance.
Cancer June 21 to July 22
Cancers are among the most nurturing and appreciative of family ties, and today family members may ask for your help to resolve a difficult situation requiring diplomacy on your part. Because this is a particular area of strength for you, people will lean on you to find a solution to the problem. Effective communication may become tricky later in the day but will improve tomorrow once the moon enters peace-loving Libra; negotiations will be easier then.
Leo July 23 to Aug. 22
 You may begin today with energy to direct toward a new initiative, only to find your enthusiasm diminish later in the day. Try to stay focused on the project at hand and not let minor setbacks cause you to lose sight of the end goal. An emphasis in your spiritual sector today suggests that the reasons to start a project should be aligned with your core beliefs. Important adventures may begin now, so be open to new opportunities.
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Twitter IPO talk: Investors can assess company's financial performance
Millions of users seem to believe that Twitter has value.
Now investors can start to make that call, too.
To kick off the process of selling its shares to the public, Twitter released Thursday a filing that, for the first time, gives outsiders hard numbers about its business. Investors will now pore over these to assess the company's financial performance.
Twitter's initial public offering comes at an auspicious time. Investors are once again keen to place highly optimistic values on social media companies. After a difficult first year on the stock market, shares of Facebook have soared as the company found its feet and posted resurgent revenue figures.
In this climate, Twitter's bankers will probably feel they can persuade investors to accept a high valuation. Based on sales of shares in the private market in August, Twitter effectively estimated its own value at $9.7 billion, according to disclosures in the public offering documents. Adding extra shares that Twitter might include in the offering could push the implied value of the deal above $12 billion, at the August price.
But Facebook's initial stumbles reveal the dangers of assuming that everything will go smoothly. And investors ought to be careful about assuming that all big social media companies will do well on the stock market, some investment specialists said. Competition for advertising dollars - the main source of revenue for these companies - could intensify in the coming years, they said.
"Are there going to be enough dollars out there to justify these valuations?" asked Moshe Cohen, an assistant professor in finance and economics at Columbia University. "Or will there be winners and losers?"
Most of the debate about Twitter's valuation will focus on projections of future sales and earnings. Such forecasts typically do not appear in regulatory public offering filings. Even so, the numbers in the filing will prove valuable to investors, who have so far had to rely on guesswork.
In the 12 months through the end of June, Twitter had revenue of $450 million, two-thirds of which came from advertising. During that period, Twitter recorded a net loss of a little more than $100 million. That loss figure includes a lot of noncash expenses, like the stock it pays to employees. In the first six months of this year, Twitter's operations had positive cash flow of $10 million.
Such figures suggest that investors who have already bought Twitter shares on the private market are willing to attach stratospheric valuations to the company. The $9.7 billion figure in the Twitter prospectus is equivalent to 22 times the sales that the company posted in the 12 months through June. Such a valuation is high, even for a young technology company.
Of course, investors are expecting Twitter's business to grow rapidly.
One common approach toward Twitter among analysts is to apply Facebook's valuations
Facebook's stock market value is 12 times the amount of sales that analysts expect the company to achieve next year. Some expect Twitter to reach $1 billion in sales next year. If the company were to trade at 12 times that estimate, it would be worth $12 billion.
Some analysts will probably argue that Twitter is growing faster and therefore deserves to trade at a higher multiple of sales, which could push up Twitter's stock market value. For instance, in the second quarter of this year, Twitter doubled its revenue from a year earlier, compared with a 50 percent increase at Facebook.
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The goodness of coconut water
Coconut water is healthy and delicious. No wonder so many people swear by it.
Coconut water has many health benefits and one of them is losing weight quickly. Yes, you heard that right. Thus 'nut' is packed with anti-aging properties and has the right number of calories to keep you going.
The water inside the green coconuts is ones to be had. One cup of this water has around 46 calories compared to 550 calories that coconut milk has.
Coconut water is very hydrating and was given to soldiers during the World War when saline was not obtainable.
The water contains no fat and consists mostly of natural sugars and minerals. Coconut water is very rich in magnesium and potassium, as well as being very high in fibre.
It is so hydrating because of the electrolyte composition, which is very similar to human plasma. Staying hydrated will help you feel full for longer, which in turn will reduce hunger and sugar cravings.
This will effectively lead to you eating less, which means your total calorie consumption will go down. Drinking this water will known to flush out toxins which will help you to lose weight faster and also reduce those cravings and hunger pangs.
So, the next time you feel thirsty or feel a hunger/craving pang, go get this nature's pure drink and sip it.
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Virgo Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
Today will be a good day to talk to accountants or financial advisors and gain a greater understanding about long-term financial plans. You will seek a sense of security that these conversations may offer. Take care of paying bills or clearing up debts early in the day. Once the moon enters your financial sector later in the day, you will be able to confidently make any adjustments that impact your financial security for your future.
Libra Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
YoAn ambitious start to the day may begin to fade as the day progresses. Take a step back and try to tie up loose ends and clear your desk of lingering tasks. Take some time for yourself in the form of an afternoon respite. A trip to the gym or a yoga class might help recharge and refocus. The Sun in Libra will provide motivation in the coming days to begin new projects.
Scorpio Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
 Today may bring an unexpected opportunity to gain new responsibilities at work, and you may take on a new project that will ultimately bring you recognition among your peers. Cooperation among everyone involved in the project will be necessary to ensure a successful completion to the endeavor, but planetary influences suggest this will be a time for you to shine. Focus on your leadership skills as the creation of clear project plans will be essential to success.
Sagittarius Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
You could lean on your friends today for help in a situation that has become impossible for you to manage on your own. The Sun in your friendship sector highlights those relationships that support specific needs, and there will be an opportunity now to realize the value in the connections with those friends. At the same time, you could lend a hand today to a friend who will greatly value the support you can provide.
Capricorn Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
 Ambitions and plans for the future will be highlighted today, and your talent for setting goals and making steady progress toward them will be particularly useful. The Sun challenging Uranus in your sector of home and security, however, can make you feel a bit unsettled now in general. Focus your efforts on short-term goals and make a list of the most important action items that will take you closer to achieving each one. Patience is key.
Aquarius Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
 Take a needed break from your routine today to do a little reading that will remind you of the greater purpose and meaning in your daily activities. With an emphasis in your spiritual and philosophical sector, quiet studying or even walking or meditating may allow you to refocus on those ideas that may have gotten lost within the hectic pace of your life lately. Today will be a good day to reflect on where you are in your life.
Pisces Feb. 19 to March 20
Take time early in the day for conversations to discuss important matters. Communication may feel disconnected later in the day when the moon leaves your sector of one-on-one relationships. Negotiations involving finances may lead to unexpected outcomes today and issues of control may arise between you and another person. Be patient and try find an equitable solution in the next few days. It will be possible to find a compromise that benefits both parties.
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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.”
Gang of SARDARS broke a Bank.
Instead of cash they found Botles full of Chilled Red Wine,
Happily they drank & went away.
Next day Headline : Blood Bank Robbed.
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Odisha: Board of Secondary Education plans grade system for matric
BHUBANESWAR: The Board of Secondary Education ( BSE), Odisha, is planning to reform the Class X board examination system by introducing the grade system replacing marks from 2014.
It is also planning to include more objective or multiple choice questions for better evaluation of answersheets. There are also plans to revamp the evaluation system and fix accountability for wrong evaluation of answersheets.
School and mass education minister Rabi Narayan Nanda said, "We want to make the whole system student-friendly. We have sought suggestions from teachers, parents, students and experts. We would implement the reform initiatives based on the suggestions."
The school and mass education department organised a symposium on reforms in examinations and evaluation by the Board of Secondary Education here on Thursday. Educationists, politicians, teachers and students expressed their views on various reform proposals.
Scrapping the division-based marking system students will be evaluated on nine point grades like A1 (91-100), A2 (81-90), B1 (71-80), B2 (61-70), C1 (51-60), C2 (41-50), D (33-44), E (21-32) and F ()-20), which aimed at reducing stress and competitive attitude among students. However, the marks secured by students will be mentioned in marksheets to facilitate admission in colleges.
"Introduction of grade system has got overwhelming response from all sections. But there are still several apprehensions and we would chalk out a detail plan before implementing," school and mass education secretary Usha Padhee said.
Bringing reforms in question paper pattern, the board is planning to increase multiple choice questions to 50 marks on Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets. Presently students are appearing for 40 marks of objective questions.
"I welcome this move of increasing objective type questions, which will help in securing better marks," said Prasant Debata, a student.
For the first the time, students will get a chance to appeal for re-evaluation of answer sheets. A student has to apply for it within seven days of publication of results by paying Rs 700. If a student secures more than six marks after reevaluation then action will be taken against evaluators and Rs 700 will be collected from them. Besides, the evaluation of answersheets will be done by a group of evaluators and one scrutinizer who will check answers of separate questions.
"Casual attitude of teachers leading to mistakes in evaluation are affecting the students badly. We don't want to punish the evaluators but there must be some check and balance in the system to fix accountability on teachers," Padhee said.
The Board has also plans to prepare question papers of Class-IX annual examination to acquaint students as well as teachers with multiple choice questions and OMR sheet.
Moreover, the board will implement same school centre in over 5,000 schools in the state this year.
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Chennai Super Kings face stiff test on Rajasthan Royals's home turf
JAIPUR: The last time Rajasthan Royals played Chennai Super Kings at home during the IPL in May, Rahul Dravid's men had the last laugh.
Now, when MS Dhoni's brigade square off against the Royals in the first semifinal of the Champions League T20 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Friday, they will look to make amends.
Since the IPL spot-fixing saga, both Chennai and Royals have been the worst sufferers. Now, having played some good cricket in the last couple of weeks, both the sides would be cautious about a last minute slip-up.
While the Royals have remained unbeaten at home, Super Kings suffered a shock defeat against Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday which saw them slipping to the second spot in the league table.
But then, Dravid's men aren't ready to read much into CSK's defeat. Perfectly aware of the opponents' strengths, the Royals would like to keep things simple in the semifinal too.
The pace-spin combination has worked wonders for the Royals and on Friday, they will once again look forward to Rahul Shukla and Pravin Tambe to fire.
Shukla, who played a hand in Royals' victory against the Otgao Volts, would be hoping to keep the momentum going in the semifinals too, while for Tambe it will also be a test of character.
On paper, the Super Kings have an edge over the Royals. But then, in T20 cricket, there's nothing called favourites. With Ajinkya Rahane, Sanju Samson and Brad Hodge in the Royals batting order, the hosts will be looking for a good start.
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Boss
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Boss
Movie Name : Boss
Release Date : October 16, 2013
Genre : Drama
Producer : Ashwin Varde
Director : Anthony D'Souza
Music Director : Meet Bros Anjjan, Chirantan Bhatt, P.A.Deepak, Yo Yo Honey Singh
Cast : Akshay Kumar, Aditi Rao Hydari, Shiv Pandit, Mithun Chakraborty, Danny Denzongpa, Johny Lever, Parikshit Sahani, Ronit Roy, Sonakshi Sinha (Item Number)
Synopsis:
Akshay Kumar will play a kind hearted Haryanavi gangster, apparently known as Boss and Mithun Chakraborty will enact the role of his father.
Shiv Pandit will portray Akshay Kumar's younger brother's role in the film and Aditi Rao Hydari is paired opposite him.
Danny Denzongpa will play Boss's mentor and Ronit Roy will play a ruthless police officer who is pitted against Boss.
The film's trailer which was released on 27 August got tremendous response from audience and critics alike. It crossed 3 million views in just 10 days.
Ronit Roy, who plays the role of a police officer up against the titular character, Boss marking the first instance where he is the antagonist of a film.
It is also the second consecutive instance where his role is that of a cop with Shootout at Wadala being the last one where he portrayed the role of Inspector Raja Ambat, based on real life encounter specialist, Raja Tambat.
Ronit along with Akshay Kumar have an action sequence at the climax of the film, one of the highlights of the film which were shot in temperatures exceeding 47 degree Celsius in Thailand involving high octane stunts that were carried out in the end successfully by both the actors.
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the names of all continents both start and end with the same letter.
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" INSPIRING STORY "
Lesson Learned
One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”
“It was great, Dad.”
“Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked.
“Oh yeah,” said the son.
“So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.
The son answered: “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
“We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
“We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
“We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.”
The boy’s father was speechless.
Then his son added, “Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.”
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“Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.”
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