You cannot beat the dhabas on the highways in the Punjab

The charm of dhabas is that they haven't changed or lost their character since they first opened.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/kundan-s-chhole-and-kesar-s-dal-114040401212_1.html

Stevie Wonder to headline the Montreux Jazz Festival

Stevie Wonder is all set to fulfil a longtime wish of its late founder Claude "Funky" Nobs, in its 48th edition which also brings red-hot Pharrell Williams to its famed stage. The line-up for the July 4-19 festival, unveiled on Thursday, includes former Blur front man Damon Albarn, hip-hop duo Outkast, the veteran Van Morrison, Massive Attack, and R&B Californian newcomer Banks.

http://www.voanews.com/content/reu-stevie-wonder-pharrell-williams-head-line-up-at-montreux-jazz/1885956.html

Photography in India - From the exotic to the horrible

Photographer Pablo Bartholomew looks at Kolkata of the '70s and '80s. He says Calcutta Diaries is 'a journey into the streets and culture of Calcutta from the mid-1970s, dealing with my exploration of identity and society…'

http://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/art/photographer-pablo-bartholomew-s-calcutta/article1-1203725.aspx

Democracy doesn't suit China: President Xi Jinping

The Chinese people experimented with constitutional monarchy, imperial restoration, parliamentarianism, multi-party system and presidential government, yet nothing really worked, Xi said. He believes that the uniqueness of China's cultural tradition, history and circumstances determines that China needs to follow a development path that suits its own reality.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/Democracy-doesnt-suit-China-President-Xi-Jinping/articleshow/33139149.cms

"Economic growth does not automatically lead to social progress"

Michael Green, executive director of the Social Progress Imperative, a non-profit organisation that publishes the index, told Thomson Reuters Foundation.

A global index, The Social Progress Index (SPI), that ranks countries by social and environmental performance rather than economic output, put India 102nd out of 132 countries. 

The SPI rates countries on more than 50 indicators, including health, sanitation, shelter, personal safety, access to information, sustainability, tolerance and inclusion and access to education.

New Zealand received high scores for personal rights and freedom, internet access and school enrolment. It was followed in the Top 10 by Switzerland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Canada, Finland, Denmark and Australia.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/new-zealand-tops-social-progress-index-india-at-102nd-position/article1-1203618.aspx

Shakespeare Inspires a Cast of Young Syrians

Behind barbed wire.

The place - ZAATARI REFUGEE CAMP, Jordan

The stage - A rocky patch of earth in this sprawling city of tents and prefab trailers

The cast - Refugees who had fled the civil war in Syria

The play - King Lear

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/01/world/middleeast/behind-barbed-wire-shakespeare-inspires-a-cast-of-young-syrians.html?emc=edit_th_20140401&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=58824118


If this does not validate the indomitable human spirit, what does.....?

Slomo

Dr. John Kitchin, neurologist, abruptly quit a medical career to pursue his passion: skating along the boardwalk of San Diego’s Pacific Beach. He is one of those who have had the courage to make seismic changes in life, no matter how late...

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/01/opinion/slomo.html?emc=edit_th_20140401&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=58824118&_r=0