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VOICE OF ASIA The Largest Asian-American Newsweekly in Texas

Serving Harris, Fort Bend and Surrounding Counties for 30 years

Vol. 32 No. 30 • FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

Published Weekly from Houston

Texan behind 3Dprinted guns vows legal fight as White House endorses court ruling

24 Pages (2 sections)

August InFRIDAY, Section 2 3, 2018 l HEALTHLINE August is National Immunization Awareness Month

l LEISURE Most popular tourist sites for Asian travelers

l

BUSINESS

IACCGH organizes trip to TranStar along with 20 representatives

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India recalls vaccines made by tainted China firm

EW DELHI, India | AFP | Wednesday 8/1/2018 - India has ordered an immediate recall of rabies vaccines made by a scandal-hit Chinese comby Nova Sfo pany, India's drug regulator said / with Antoine Wednesday, complaining it only Boyar in Washfound out about possible problems ington through media reports.

H I S. Eswara Reddy, the drug conCAGO troller general, told AFP that it | AFP | has also put a temporary stop on 8/1/2018 - A US fresh imports of the vaccine made gun rights advoby Changchun Changsheng after it cate began gearemerged that it had fabricated reing up for a legal cords, in the latest product safety fight Wednesscare to rock China. day to be able to publish on"We have stopped the import of line blueprints the rabies vaccines for the time befor 3D-printed Eight US states and the District of Columbia have argued in court ing. An investigation is going on firearms, as the that the blueprints available online to make untraceable, undetectable and till then the import is prohibWhite House plastic weapons like this single-shot "Liberator" handgun could fall ited," Reddy said. signaled sup- into the wrong hands. AFP Photo.

"Whatever vaccines were alport for a federal ready imported they are being judge's decision recalled.

As per law the import liColumbia sued, arguing the blueto block the venprints could allow anyone -- from cence holder should have informed ture. a teen to a 'lone wolf' gunman -- to us if there was a problem with the Cody Wilson's Texas-based com- make untraceable, undetectable overseas supplier but he did not inpany Defense Distributed had brief- plastic weapons. form us." ly made the blueprints available onRabies kills an estimated 20,000 Wilson complied with the judge's line, but Seattle-based US District people in India every year, accordorder, but put out a call for finanJudge Robert Lasnik granted an injunction Tuesday to take the ma- cial support for the legal battle ing to the government's National ahead, including a scheduled Au- Rabies Control Programme. terial down. gust 10 court hearing.

China's latest product-safety scanThe Donald Trump administraHe told CBS News ahead of the dal emerged more than a week ago tion last month gave permission for Wilson to publish the blueprints, but injunction that he believes "access with news that Changchun Changthe White House said Wednesday to firearms is a fundamental human sheng Biotechnology was ordered the president was unaware of the dignity. It's a fundamental human to cease production of its rabies vaccines. decision and was glad it was being right." reviewed.

The Chinese government has said Continued on Page 12 the suspect vaccine did not enter the Eight US states and the District of

N

C

Drug manufacturer Changchun Changsheng is under investigation in China after it emerged the company had fabricated records. AFP photo.

market, but there are fears the substandard vaccines may have been imported not only to India but also Cambodia and Egypt.

The World Health Organization's office in China said it did not have information on which countries may have imported the vaccine.

But its staff "had seen evidence that a domestic and foreign recall of the affected vaccine was initiated in mid-July", WHO said in an email reply to AFP. The vaccine case has provoked unusually strong outrage from Chinese consumers fed up with recurring safety scandals.

Parents have vented anger online, prompting the ruling Communist Party's internet censors to swoop in and purge mention of the issue.

The anger was exacerbated by the additional revelation that Changsheng's vaccine for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT) had also failed to meet quality standards, but that 250,000 doses were nonetheless sold last year.

China is regularly hit by scandals involving unsafe food, drugs or other products despite repeated official promises to root out the corruption and shoddy manufacturing that is usually blamed.

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COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS

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By Paul Waldman

VOICE OF ASIA Publisher: Associate Publisher: Editor-in-Chief: Austin Correspondent: Marketing Director: Office Manager:

Koshy Thomas Sherly Philip Shobana Muratee Sherine Thomas Susan Pothanikat Priyan Mathew

Contributors: Legal: Sharlene Sharmila Richards Mala Sharma

VoiceofAsiaOnline.com Editor Online:

Shobana Muratee

All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the consent of the publisher.

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July 31 What happens when a politician confronts a new issue they hadn’t thought much about before? Most of them might try to learn as much as they can, and figure out which of their deeply held values are at play before arriving at a position. President Trump does something … sort of similar:

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

How worried should we be about 3-D-printed plastic guns?

States sue government over3-D printed guns

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public.

Already spoke to NRA, doesn’t seem to make much sense!

7:03 AM - Jul 31, 2018 In 2013, a man named Cody Wilson put designs for a 3-Dprinted gun up on the Internet, and he was soon told by the State Department that he was in violation of a law prohibiting the export of guns without a license. After a lengthy legal battle, last month the State Department settled a lawsuit with Wilson and gave him permission to publish plans to print your own guns, which he says he will start doing on Aug. 1.

Attorneys general from eight states and D.C. are suing to to stop the publication of the plans.

Wilson has made no bones about his goal, which is to allow anyone to make as many guns as they want without government oversight. In addition to gun plans, his company also markets a CNC milling machine called the Ghost Gunner, which it says will allow you to “Legally manufacture unserialized rifles and pistols in the comfort and privacy of home.”

But those are metal guns, which are indeed legal to make yourself. It’s the prospect of 3-D-printed plastic guns that has people worried, because they wouldn’t be picked up on metal detectors and could therefore be smuggled almost anywhere.

We should note that while the Trump administration has decided to allow the publication of these plans online, there’s a law called the Undetectable Firearms Act that makes it illegal to manufacture or sell any gun that doesn’t have a certain amount of metal in it, enough to be picked up by a metal detector. So the status right now is that while you can get plans to print out a plastic gun, if you actually do it you’ll be breaking the law.

But when Trump says it “doesn’t seem to make much sense,” it’s not clear what he’s talking about. Does he mean that allowing the publication of plans for 3-D-printed guns

Nine states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to block the online dissemination of designs for 3-D printed guns. (Photo: Reuters)

doesn’t make sense? That allowing their manufacture doesn’t make sense? Or that owning one doesn’t make sense? As with so many of Trump’s tweets, we may have to wait for Sarah Huckabee Sanders to tell us that what Trump meant was actually the least controversial interpretation of what he said, and anyone who didn’t understand that to begin with is an idiot.

Although Trump is getting some well-deserved ridicule for admitting that he called the National Rifle Association so it could tell him what to think, he’s probably doing it because he got burned the last time he had the temerity to say something about guns without checking with the NRA first. After the Parkland school shooting, Trump said he’d support things like raising the minimum age to buy a gun, and even bragged that the NRA “have less power over me” than it does over members of Congress. Then in a humiliating show of weakness, he met with NRA representatives and quickly backtracked, dropping his support for anything the group wouldn’t support.

And where exactly does the NRA stand on 3-D-printed guns? The truth is that it hasn’t been as emphatic about it as it has about many gun-control issues. It didn’t oppose the UFA the last time it was reauthorized, but it did oppose an effort to make it more sweeping. The NRA wants people to be able to 3-D-print gun parts, but it isn’t exactly promoting it as

something everyone should do.

You can understand the NRA’s ambivalence, because the issue puts two of its central values in conflict. On one hand, the NRA wants more guns everywhere, in as many people’s hands as possible and in as many places as possible.

On the other hand, the NRA exists in a symbiotic relationship with gun manufacturers, whose goal is to maximize the sales of their products. At least in theory, if anyone could manufacture their own guns quickly and easily, that would threaten the manufacturers’ business model.

But that day is a long way off, and it’s possible that homemade guns will never be more than a niche product for hobbyists. And of course, thanks to the NRA and the Republican Party, it’s absurdly easy to get all the guns you want already. At the moment, plastic guns are just a curiosity; the ones that people have made tend to fall apart after firing a shot or two. And it’s already fairly easy to buy almost all the parts to make, say, an AR-15 without going through any background-check process; you’ll just have to get a partially machined lower receiver and do a little milling yourself, if you have the right equipment.

But that may not be true forever. One can foresee a day — say in a couple of decades — when new innovations in 3-D printing and materials will enable you to produce fully functional and durable plastic guns quickly, easily and

cheaply. Indeed, it may be almost inevitable; it’s just a question of how long it takes. What do we do then?

The answer is that we have to update our laws. I raised this issue last October, after the Las Vegas massacre, with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who is one of the chief advocates of gun regulation in Congress.

When I asked him whether 3-Dprinted guns worried him, he said, “I’m always worried about Congress’s ability to keep up with the pace of technological change.” But he didn’t seem concerned that it would be that hard to address the issue: “It’s not that there isn’t a public policy response to it. You can construct a set of laws that applies a background check system to 3-D printing, too. People can choose to ignore or violate that law, but you could either ban people from doing it, or you could regulate it once the technology truly exists and say that the only people that can do it are ones that pass a rigorous background check and potentially other regulatory hurdles as well.”

And it wouldn’t be a radical change. Most of our regulation of guns is focused on the point of sale, but we have laws against possession, too, in some places and for some kinds of weapons. If we want to extend those laws to account for technological development, all we have to do is decide that this is what we want. And, of course, overcome the inevitable resistance from the NRA, and politicians like Trump who will do whatever the gun advocates tell them. That’s the hard part.

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VOICE OF ASIA 3

Section 1

Community Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Shirdi Sai Baba Utsava Vigraha and Simhasana Prathistha at Char Dham Temple

S

ai Baba of Shirdi in Maharastra, India, popularly known as “Shirdi Sai Baba” is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva and Dattatreya.

An “Utsava Vigraha” or a proxy icon of the Baba was installed at the Char Dham Hindu Temple, The Woodlands on the 26th and 27th of July 2018 as per the instructions laid down in the Hindu scriptures.

The two day grand ceremony that began on the evening of 26th culminated with the Pallaki Seva (procession) of Baba’s Vigraha (icon) around the temple at the sunset hours of 27th. Approximately 500 volunteers and devotees participated in the event.

As per the Hindu tradition, hymns and mantras are recited to invite the original deity to be a resident guest at the temple through a special ceremony called the “Prana Prathistha”. The eyes of the deity is opened for the first

Sai Baba of Shirdi

time during the event. At Chardham, Bhagadvadanugna, Vishwaksenapooja, Punyahavachanam, Ritvikvaranam, Rakshbandhanam, Panchgavyaprasanam, Mrutsangrahanam, Ajasradeeparadhana, Panchagavyaprasanam, Mrutsangrahanam, Ankuraropanam, Agniprathisththa, Yagasala vastuhomam, Kumbha Aavahanam, Kumbha Aradhanam, Vukta homam, Poornahuti, Netronmeelanam etc were some of the rituals that marked the occasion. All ceremonies were conducted by a team of three qualified priests under the leadership of the head priest, Pandit Srikiran Narayanam.

A complete face lift of the existing Vigraha also marked the event. The seat of the existing icon was fitted with a gold plated covering and a new crown installed. Besides the crown, the existing deity was also fitted with a new umbrella and a Malai (garland).

Read up on COMMUNITY

Visit us online: www. voiceofasiaonline.com Devotees carrying out the procession with the diety. Photos courtesy Vijay, Char Dham Temple

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

Tel: 713-774-5140

Mercedes-Benz of The Woodlands Names New General Manager

Joe Drago

T

HE WOODLANDS, Texas—MercedesBenz of The Woodlands is pleased to announce that Joe Drago has been named General Manager of the luxury automotive retailer located at 16917 I-45 in The Woodlands. Drago will continue to uphold Mercedes-Benz of The Woodlands values throughout the community, and he is committed to providing clients and neighbors with the very highest level of service in the industry.

Drago has spent his 10-year career with Mercedes-Benz as a member of the Dream Motor Group. Drago has been with Mercedes-Benz of The Woodlands since the dealership commenced operations in 2015. He comes to The Woodlands from Baton

Rouge, Louisiana where was a manager at Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge. Drago and his wife, Jennifer, along with their one-year-old daughter Jordan, are members of St. Anthony of Padua Church and are thrilled to make Woodforest their new home.

“I’m honored to be a part of the Mercedes-Benz of The Woodlands family,” Drago said. “I believe that our company philosophy best describes my approach to leading this team and continuing to give back to the community. We are a luxury retailer, not a car dealer; our success will be measured in that light.”

To learn more about Mercedes-Benz of The Woodlands, contact PR Luxury Media or visit www.mbotw.com

Read in Section 2 of Voice of Asia

AIG Financial Network is a sales and distribution unit of American General Life Insurance Company (AGL) and is a member of American International Group, Inc. (AIG). The issuing insurance company is responsible for financial obligations of its insurance products.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 4

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

Mama Malhotra turns 90!

It may be possible to gild pure gold, but who can make his mother more beautiful? - Mahatma Gandhi

by Shobana Muratee

S

hakuntla Malhotra, fondly called ‘Mama’ by the South Asian Americans in Houston, celebrated her 90th birthday with over 200 people on Sunday, July 22, at the India House community center.

Mama has been a regular at many community events for nearly 2 decades, over which time she has made hundreds of friends and fans, especially through her weekly cookery column in the Indo American News. She inherits the cultures of both India and Pakistan, which she shares through her authentic, home-style Punjabi recipes of Northern India.

Apart from her talent, she has a profound knowledge of her Hindu faith, which she shares with anyone that is interested. She also an amazing storyteller, as she never fails to astonish her admirers with such details of her family’s passage through the Indian Partition - the kind of stuff we find in history books.

Born on July 22, 1928 in Lahore, Pre-Partitioned India. After the Partition Mrs. Malhotra moved to Delhi with her husband who served in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and was posted to Hanoi for 2 years. Later, he was a IFS diplomat; they lived in London, Karachi, Teheran, Bern (Switzerland), Bucharest (Romania) and Kabul. They lived in Rajouri Garden, New Delhi till her passed away at the age of 83 in 2003, Soon aftr, Mrs. Malhotra immigrated to the US in 2004.

Since the last 14 years mama has made Houston her home with her younger son Jawahar Malhotra, Publisher of the Indo American News.

cee Jayant heightened the mood with a rendition of “Mere angane mein”, enticing the guests to join in. Sarita Mehta read a Hindi poem that she specially composed for the occasion.

Brief interludes saw introductions and comments from Jawahar acknowledging the people and organizations like India Culture Center, Club 65, FIS and IMAGH that “made mama a part of them and helped her to develop a legacy in Houston with people of all faiths,” as her son Jawahar put it.

The Malhotra family expressed their thanks to Polly Allam for the decorations, Darshak Thacker for sound system and drums, and Navin Mediwala for the event photography. Lunch was catered by Nirvana Indian restaurant.

Shakuntla 'Mama' Malhotra (4th from left) with her admirers and well wishers Moani and Koshy Thomas, Publishers, Voice of Asia (3d & 4th from the right). Her younger son Jawahar Malhotra is on extreme right. Photos credit: Navin Mediwala.

The venue, India House, was ideal for the occasion as Indian Americans come together here for many celebrations. Mama’s 90 Birthday would be among the beautiful moments that the community would cherish. Guests got an interesting pictorial depiction of Mama’s life from the age 17 till now through the poster prints arranged under the rotunda of India House. Guests also signed the guest book as Mama’s grandsons welcomed them in.

Surrounded by her sons, Jayant and Jawahar, grandsons Sanjay Stefan (and his wife Dr. Alexandra Shepherd) and Jeremy Gyan (of Washington, DC) and other family and a host of friends, it was certainly a memorable moment for Mama, and for everyone who wished her many happier ones to come! (with input from Jawahar).

Jayant Malhotra, mama’s eldest son from Chicago, produced and directed the lively entertainment for the party

Mama’s grandsons Sanjay Stefan (left) and Jeremy Gyan (right) greeted guest Ajay Shah at the entrance to India House where the party was held on Sunday, July 22, mama’s actual birthdate.

Her older son Jayant Malhotra, who lives Chicago, organized last weekend’s celebrations with entertainment that included a comedy skit that he produced and directed called Mama’s Cooking School (if she actually run one). Actors Diane Wutzke, Sarita Mehta, and Anil Dandona played the roles of students and Anjana Dhingra portrayed Mama as the cookery teacher.

Mama’s sons Jayant and Jawahar opened the program with the popular song “Ye mere prem patra padh kar”, but with a twist that was delightful.

Thirteen year old Eesha Dhairyawan gave a wonderful dance performance.

Surender Talwar sang a bhajan while Manisha Gandhi sang “Tora man darpan kahelaye”. The highlight was a Punjabi folk song “Lal chudda chanyakda” sung by mama herself. Em-

The members of the India Culture Center and the International Hindi Association From left, Diane Wutzke, Sarita Mehta, Anil Dandona and Anjana Dhingra (as presented mama with a shawl and a plaque for her dedicated support for 14 years mama) did a spoof of Mama’s Cooking School

VOICE OF ASIA 5

Fort Bend View

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

Sugar Land, Katy, Stafford, Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenberg and Meadows Place Section 1

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Fort Bend ISD resolves compliance review regarding student disciplinary practices U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights completes investigation without findings of wrongdoing

After joining the District in April of 2013, Dr. Charles Dupre created the Department of Student Affairs to support campus principals and administrators, and guide them through behavior management scenarios that keep their campuses safe and secure. The department also trains and advises campus administrators on disciplinary procedures and hears all expulsion appeals to ensure that discipline is fairly and consistently applied in accordance with the FBISD Code of Conduct. This Code of Conduct outlines all expectations for student behavior and is reviewed annually and approved by the Board of Trustees.

“In our recent conversations with the Office of Civil Rights, Fort Bend ISD has been proud to share the details of what we have done in the last five years

Randy Stock’s four decades of service epitomizes service excellence

S

UGAR LAND – The city of Sugar Land’s longest serving employee hit 40 years of service last month.

F

ORT BEND ISD (July 26, 2018) – Fort Bend ISD has resolved a compliance review initiated by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) regarding the District’s disciplinary practices. In May of 2012, the OCR notified Fort Bend ISD that it was seeking to determine whether the District discriminated against African-American students by disciplining them more frequently and harshly than other similarly situated students. Following six years of investigation, the OCR did not make any finding that the District discriminated against any students and did not otherwise identify any wrongdoing or non-compliance with federal law.

Photo: Adobe Stock Images to support students and staff members, and demonstrate that these efforts are working,” said Dr. Dupre.

“The implementation of an enhanced organizational structure, along with ongoing training, is a part of our ongoing efforts to provide safe and supportive learning environments for all students, but I am most proud of our efforts to build relationships between our students and staff.”

Focusing on positive behavior interventions, Fort Bend ISD and its staff have implemented restorative discipline practices at selected middle school and elementary campuses, which provide students with proactive relationship building and problem-solving skills that help them to selfregulate their behavior. These practices involve collaboration between students, staff and parents, and support the creation and sustainment of positive culture and climates by focusing on building relationships, students’ and staff’s needs, and the causes and ef-

fects of problem behavior.

“During the last five years, Fort Bend ISD has actively worked with our staff members and administrators to take preemptive actions to help improve student behavior – but also increase our early identification and intervention measures. We have seen positive results, and as a District that is focused on the whole-child and teaching students to be responsible for their behavior, we are committed to continuing this work, long after the OCR investigation is complete,” said Dupre.

As a part of the resolution, Fort Bend ISD will continue to review and provide training regarding its discipline policies and procedures and will track and monitor discipline data.

“As we start the 2018-19 school year, we are firm in our resolve to support our students, staff and families,” said Dupre. “To learn, students must be present and actively engaged in their learning – this has always been the goal.”

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Born and raised in Sugar Land, Public Works Utilities Operator Randy Stock was 17 years old when he took a job with the city’s water division in 1978. At that time, the city consisted of a handful of neighborhoods north of U.S. Highway 59. The city’s population was just under 8,800.

tion for services provided by employees like Stock. Even higher marks were given for contributions during disasters.

Stock was on the front lines during Hurricane Harvey mak-

reer, he’s seen the transformation of a sleepy bedroom community into a progressive full-service community that offers the highest levels of services. It’s a change that’s been

Stock has been part of a team that has helped ensure quality city services during a period of rapid growth. His contributions have been directed toward the city’s most precious resource -a safe, reliable water supply for one of the state’s fastest growing cities.

Stock helped provide seamless services during a number of annexations, including the most recent historic annexation of New Territory and Greatwood.

The annexation increased the city’s population by more than 30 percent from 87,367 to approximately 117,000. The additions of Covington Woods, Sugar Creek, First Colony, RiverPark and Avalon also occurred on his watch.

“Employees such as Randy are the reason we are continually able to keep our commitment to excellence in the delivery of public services for current residents, as well as future residents,” said City Manager Allen Bogard. “Randy is an excellent example of the many front-line employees who selflessly serve our citizens day in and day out.”

Sugar Land’s most recent Citizen Satisfaction Survey showed high levels of satisfac-

Randy Stock at Riverstone Water Plant and with a trapped deer fawn he rescued, reuniting with her mother. Photo: City of Sugar Land. ing sure Sugar Land’s water supply remained safe. His work throughout the historic storm was a continuation of previous efforts that began with Hurricane Alicia in 1983. He also served during Hurricanes Ike and Rita, as well as Tropical Storm Allison. Following a tornado that hit First Colony Mall in 1998, he operated a backhoe to remove unstable, structural debris.

During Stock’s 40-year ca-

marked by careful planning, extensive community input and selfless public service from employees like Stock.

A lot has changed since he began working in Imperial Sugar’s “old John Deere Building.” According to Stock, the company allowed the city to use the building as a base for water operations. Since that time, the Public Works Department has moved into a more modern facility. - City of Sugar Land

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 6

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

Sri Nava Chandi Maha Homam

Hindu Leaders meet of Hindus of Greater Houston

Sri Meenakshi Temple, Pearland, TX Thursday Aug 16th to Sunday Aug 19th.

Greatness & Significance

by Priest Sri Manicka Bhattar with M.K.Sriram “Kalow Chandi Vinayakov”

I

t is said that in the Kali Yuga, worshipping Goddess Chandi and Lord Vinayaka are of great importance.

Heads and representation of temples and organizations in Houston meet.

Goddess Chandi is the most powerful Universal Mother.

She is the combination of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswathy. Like the God Rudra, she has two forms. In Her fierce form, she destroys the evil demons, whereas in Her resplendent and benevolent form she is most compassionate. Mother Rajamathangi, who has a special place in our temple, is a form of Sri Chandi. It is interesting to note that Rajamathangi herself assumes different forms at different times of daily puja – MahaShodasi and Bala at dawn and early morning, Bhuvana and Gowri in mid-morning, Shyamala at noon, Mathangi in evening and Panchadashi and Shodashi at night.

by Thara Narasimhan

H

indus of Greater Houston (HGH) primary role is mainly to bring together all Hindu organizations and hold a Leaders meeting of all Heads and Representation of Temples and Organizations at least once a year. HGH brings together the various organizations under one roof and celebrates one popular Hindu festival, the birth of Lord Krishna- Janmashtami this year on August 25th 2018. Notable Bollywood Actor and Kashmiri Pandit Anupam Kher will be the star attraction at the event.

At the meeting of this year Hindu Leaders Meet, held at Keshav Smrithi Houston on July 21st 2018, Hindus of Greater presented the members of Hindu Youth Council (HSC) a youth wing that will represent all local area Youth forum from all Hindu Temples and Organizations in the Greater Houston Area.

The HYC will comprise of young professionals and students who will work together to bring about a forum for all in one umbrella. HGH vision is to promote Youth activities and we were fortunate to initiate two other interests besides presenting the Hindu youth Awards every year. The Hindu Youth Council has been established by a group of interested

Neha Srivastava, Komal Luthra and Siddharth Prasad Hindu youth spearheaded by Komal Luthra who was the first to intern and work with the HGH through summer of 2018. The Chairman of the Advisory Board of HGH, Dev Mahajan and Vijay Pallod, Board Member of HGH first

conceived the idea of HYC two years ago and Komal Luthra carried the idea to form the HYC. Neha Srivastava and Siddharth Prasad joined Luthra in the presentation about the HYC Continued on Page 7

The Board members, Priests, Artisans, staff and volunteers of Sri Meenakshi Temple are very busy preparing for the Nava Chandi Maha Homam scheduled from Thursday Aug 16th till Sunday Aug 19th.

This is indeed a very rare event as the last time it was performed was over fifteen years ago. This gives a unique opportunity for the Houston area devotees to partake and experience the power and love of the Divine Mother.

Among the sacred texts that laud the glory of the Mother, Devi Mahatmyam is considered extremely auspicious and powerful. Devi Mahatmyam, or the Glory of the Goddess,

describes the victory of the Chandi over the asuras Madhu-Kaitabha, Mahishasura and Shumbha-Nishumbha. It comprises of 700 mantras and hence is called Saptashati.

Though the Devi Mahatmyam consisting of 13 chapters is part of Markandeya Purana, it is not merely treated as a purana, but is considered a full-fledged scripture by itself.

The place where the slokas are recited becomes flooded with waves of vibration, purifying the entire place, and invoking the presence of the Supreme Devi.

The greatness of the Devi Mahatmyam is extensively explained in several ancient texts. The Devi Mahatmyam has the ability to grant the fruits according to the upasana (worship). At one level, the Devi Mahatmyam chronicles the battle between the Devi and the asuras. At another level it deals with the battle of life. At yet another level it deals with the inner battle between the divine and the demoniac forces within the human psyche. The battlegrounds represent our own human consciousness, and its events symbolize our own experiences. The demons are symbolic of the psychic forces within the shadow. The Divine Mother is our own true being, our inherent divinity and wholeness. Her clashes with the demons symbolize the outward and inward struggles we face daily. The Devi, personified simultaneously as the one supreme Goddess and also the many goddesses, confronts the demons of ahamkara or ego (our mistaken notion of who we are or what we identify ourselves with), of excessive tamas and rajas, that in turn give birth to other demons of

excessive craving, greed, anger and pride. In the ultimate sense the dichotomy between the bad and the good is also a false one. There is no duality. Both are part of one single paradoxical reality. Devi Mahatmyam drives home this truth so beautifully.

We may not realize this, but many of the well-known slokas such as the ones below, appear in Devi Mahatmyam: Sarva Mangala Mangalye, Shive Sarvartha Saadhike Sharnye Tryambake Gowri, Narayani Namostute Ya Devi Sarva Bhutheshu Mathru Rupena Samsthitha, Namasthasye Namasthasye, Namasthasye Namo Namaha The Nava Chandi Maha Homam is a very elaborate puja that includes many rituals requiring priests with special skills and knowledge.

With the temple’s own highly knowledgeable priests as well as a few visiting priests, MTS is proud to conduct this great puja and homam. The highlight of the event is the recital of the 700 mantras from the 13 chapters of Devi Mahatmyam (Saptashati Parayanam) and the Homam. Other important pujas included in the program are Kalasa Puja, Vilakku Puja, Lalitha Saharanama Archana, Bhairavar Puja, Kanyaka Puja and Sumangali Puja by Dhampathis.

All monetary contributions will benefit the Kalyana Mandapam Renovation project which is dedicated to Saraswathy Devi, one of the prime aspects of mother Chandi, the Goddess of learning, knowledge, arts and music.

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Celebrate India’s 72 Independence Day at India House Wednesday, August 15, 2018 | Flag Hoisting at 10:30 am

Happy Independence Day!

We invite you with your family and friends to come and celebrate the joy & happiness of free India at O. P. Jindal Center, India House, 8888 West Bellfort Ave., Houston, TX 77031 (Light refreshments will be served)

For more information contact: 713-929-1900 | vipin@indiahouseinc.org | www.indiahouseinc.org

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K. V. Doraiswamy Bhattar 281-489-0464 or 281-948-8368 kvdoraiswamybhattar@yahoo.com kvdoraiswamy60@gmail.com

Rituals Performed: Sreemantham, Punyahavachanam, Namakaranam, Annaprashanam, Vidyarambham, Choulam, Upanayanam, Wedding, Sathya narayana puja, and all kind of Homas (Havans) and more.

I can drive to your place.

More than 30 years of experience as Priest in major temples including Sri Meenakshi Temple Pearland, TX. Can speak 5 languages (Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and English)

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 7

FSIS issues public health alert for beef, pork and poultry salad and wrap products due to concerns about contamination with cyclospora ASHINGTON, July 30, 2018 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert out of an abundance of caution due to concerns about contamination with Cyclospora. The beef, pork and poultry salad and wrap products were distributed by Caito Foods LLC, an Indianapolis, Ind. establishment.

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The beef, pork and poultry salad and wrap items were produced between July 15 to 18, 2018, with the either “Best By,” “Enjoy by,” Best if Sold By” or “Sell By” dates ranging from July 18 through July 23, 2018. [View Label (PDF only)] The complete list of products, product labels, the UPC code numbers and other identifying information can be found here.

The products bear establishment number “EST. 39985 or P-39985” inside or next to the USDA mark of inspection.

These items were shipped to distribution centers nationwide.

The problem was discovered when Caito Foods LLC received notification from their lettuce supplier, Fresh Express, that the chopped romaine that is used to manufacture some of their salads and wraps was being recalled.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' refrigerators and that consum-

ers may be at risk due to the length of the Cyclospora incubation period. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. Caito Foods LLC and FSIS are working together to remove the products from commerce.

Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider. Cyclospora infection is an illness cause by the intestinal parasite, Cyclospora cayetanensis. The incubation period for Cyclospora ranges from two to 14 days, which would include the dates of July 25 through August 6, 2018.

Illnesses might not have been reported yet due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported. For Cyclospora infections this could take up to six weeks.

Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

Planning for 2018 Hindu Heritage Youth Camp

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inutes ago, they were sitting in a quiet environment practicing yoga, but now, they are running around the room in a fierce game of tag with an Indian spin on it, called Kabbadi.

It might seem like a normal, lazy Sunday in June, but the Hindu Heritage Youth Camp (HHYC) counselors gathered at Keshav Smruti are far from bumming around. This fastpaced, ever changing environment is a normal occurrence every Sunday as they come together to prepare to lead activities and games for camp. To fourth year counselor, Shamal Shah, the general atmosphere is “enthusiastic as we are getting ready for camp and evolving as counselors throughout the summer, all happy to be together to attend camp.”

Founded in 1984, HHYC has strived to teach children around greater Houston the positive impact Hinduism makes on one's life through lessons, crafts, games, yoga, and a variety of other activities that can be implemented into daily life.

All of these activities not only teach the children but connect them with other Hindus, together learning more about their culture. In recent years, the demand for camp has grown immensely, despite it splitting into two camps to increase its capacity.

HSS Camp directors Vivek Shukla and Namita Pallod (right). the camp. When asking Priya Patel, second year counselor, about what motivates her to keep counseling she said it “introduced me to a community of Hindus, taught me knowledge of Hinduism, and inspired me to want to know more. My goal is to have HHYC affect every camper the way it has for me.” “Counseling introduced me to a community of Hindus, taught me knowledge

cused to give campers the best possible experience,” Shukla said. “Our coordinators and counselors do a phenomenal job of preparing thorough education topics that teach campers about their Hindu religion and cultural identity.” “I’m very lucky for camp to have been such a pivotal experience in my life as I grew up, and even more blessed to be able to give back to the same camp

need,” second year counselor Sar At HHYC, the counselors work towards making the camper’s experience the best five days of summer. Attending weekly meetings and researching about Hinduism has been just a small part of preparation. “HHYC has taken the core value of Hinduism and made it so that our generation can relate to and understand

Hindu Leaders meet ....

Continued from Page 6 and informed that Raj Salhotra is the chosen president. The mission of HYC is to Promote Youth leadership, community service and professional networking besides participating in major Hindu festivals. The council membership is open to Hindu youth between 18 and 35, irrespective of their affiliations with any temple or institution or none.

Sharad Amin, HGH board member spoke about HGH taking up the responsibility from this year onwards and Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America started it in 1985.

The first camp began with 40 students has grown with phenomenal success to accommodate over 200 campers and 50 counselors. Sharad Amin also appealed to the Hindu community to help establishing a permanent campsite for the annual Hindu Heritage Camp. Namita Pallod, and Vivek Shukla, directors of the Hindu Heritage Youth Camp 2018 informed that within about 30 minutes of opening the registration, the camp attendance was filled up.

This year there are about 435 students who will attend the camp at Camp Lantern Creek, 4045 N FM 1486 Rd. Montgomery, Texas. The Junior Camp starts on July 31st to August 5th and the Senior Camp wil be held from August 7th to August 12th Rishi Bhutada of Hindu American Foundation shared that Voter registration is a nonpartisan activity and it is legal to have voter registration in religious organizations. HAF will hold voter registration drive in all Hindu Temples.

“If our community members don’t vote, lawmakers won’t care about us,” he said. Padma Srinivasan, gave the importance of civic duty and It takes only two minutes to fill the form.

Tupil Narasiman one of the coordinators of HLM and HGH board member, welcomed the Hindu leaders and guests and explained the purpose of the Hindu leaders’ meet as a opportunity to network as the event provided a platform for sharing their activities with others.

Partha Krishnaswamy, President of HGH gave a brief history of HGH and its growth

in the last 29 years. Besides the Annual Janmashtami celebration, HGH has instituted Hindu Youth Awards and ever year help to organize the International Day of Yoga. Girish Naik, the Janmashtami event chair said the goal is to attract a record number of people to the event. He also announced that “The best decorated Temple Award” would be presented with a special prize award and recognition this year. Joseph Emmett, Advisory board of HGH, briefly highlighted the upcoming World Hindu Congress to be held in Chicago. Various temples and organizations were introduced to make brief remarks or their respective organizations.

HGH board member Hemant Jadhav, who also coordinated the meeting, proposed a vote of thanks. Jadhav emphasized that Hindu leaders meet has become a great forum to share and network with all Hindu leaders in the greater Houston area.

1st row: S ​ hreya Kulkarni, Sara Joshi, Priya Patel, Sarina Patel, Namita Pallod, Annika Gandhi, Reema Patel, Maanasa Chittari, Amy Patel 2nd row: Shivangi Dixit, Vrinda Rajkumar, Dhwani Dawar, Trisha Ashar, Kajal Amin, Tanvi Jadhav, Nima Desai, Deven Narayan 3rd row: Vevek Shukla, Rosch Wadera, Achal Shah, Akhil Singh, Neha Afzalpurkar, Hiral Amin, Rahil Dalal, Akash Tarkunde, Arjun Wali, Ram Mishra, Varun Trivedi 4th row: Karthik Reddy, Ranjan Veludandi, Pranav Juturi, Yashwin Koniki, Soham Dhar, Shamal Shah, Shiven Patel, Amrit Kathuria This year, registration for some grades filled up in a mere 15 minutes.

The five day camp in Montgomery, Texas is jam-packed with various activities that appeal to all of our different campers. This year, Junior Camp, the camp for 3rd to 7th graders, is focusing on The Ramayana while Senior Camp, for campers in grades 8 through 12, are centered around The Mahabharata. Most activities at camp will be oriented around these overlying themes, as counselors prepare all summer to become well-versed in each text. These college students and recent graduates who volunteer to be counselors are the heart of

of Hinduism, and inspired me to want to know more,” second year counselor Priya Patel said.

“My goal is to have HHYC affect every camper in a positive manner the way it has for me.”

by volunteering and helping formulate the best experience possible for our campers today,” second-year director and UT Austin graduate Namita Pallod said.

The directors for HHYC this year are Vevek Shukla and Namita Pallod. Vevek Shukla is a Texas A&M graduate, and it is his first year directing, although he has been involved with camp for a few years now.

His sister-in-law (former director Nikita Shukla) originally inspired him to volunteer as a counselor, which ignited a newfound passion for camp and Hinduism. “My main responsibility is to ensure that all counselors are trained and fo-

Along with the traditions of Sunday meetings and counselor game nights, counselors started a new tradition this year, by teaming up with Sewa International to volunteer in Rosharon, a Cambodian farming community destroyed by Hurricane Harvey. They spent the morning and afternoon helping to rebuild their homes and greenhouses. “It made me realize how much I take for granted and how a little help can go a long way for others in

the significance of this faith,” second year counselor Shreya Kulkarni said.

Junior Camp will begin on July 31, and then Senior Camp will start on August 7. In the meantime, the 51 HHYC counselors will ramp up preparations for camp as they hope to help make the week at camp the best week of the year for all of their campers.

In the future, HHYC hopes to have its own campsite so that is can expand its capacity. For now, please reach out houstonhhyc@gmail.com to become involved by donating time or resources.

Hindu American leaders participate in first US State Department Ministerial to advance religious freedom A S H I N G TO N , DC (July 27, 2018) — Over the past week, leaders of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) participated in the first ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom hosted by the US State Department.

As a direct initiative by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ambassador Sam Brownback of the Office of International Religious Freedom, the event served as a pronouncement for global audiences of the Trump Administration’s prioritizing of religious freedom as critical to American foreign policy.

“The multi-day event was the State Department's declaration to both the international community and US lawmakers that promoting religious freedom must be a top priority on par with trade, security, and other interests,” remarked Suhag Shukla, Esq., HAF Executive Director.

“However, what received

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scant mention,” Shukla added, “is a fundamental principle that's been a key to America's success in this realm — that is the healthy distance between religion and state.

It's our abiding hope that as our country seeks to promote religious freedom abroad, we not forget the principles which have made religious liberty possible at home.”

Beginning with two days for civil society to exclusively engage with US government officials with no foreign governments or media allowed, hundreds of religious leaders and NGO officials, mainly from Abrahamic faith communities, from across the United States and around the world congregated in the main conference space of the State Department.

Several panels in the plenary sessions as well as in breakout rooms were led by State Department and other agency officials were convened to facilitate input from civil society on improving the US government’s ability

to facilitate religious freedom initiatives.

Survivors of persecution were invited to share their stories before the audience, revealing gruesome details of torture and daily denial of their basic human rights.

Many parts of the day were dedicated to informal networking with individuals from around the world.

“The Ministerial provided an invaluable opportunity to meet face to face with activists and advocates promoting religious freedom in several of the countries we have monitored for the past 15 years,” said Samir Kalra, HAF Managing Director and author of the organization’s annual human rights report.

“Conversations with those on the front lines in countries like Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, where Hindus and other religious minorities face daily human rights atrocities, promise to lead to greater coordination between like-minded groups and ultimately respite and justice

to those who are suffering,” Kalra concluded.

Over the years, HAF has facilitated dialogue between the State Department and human rights leaders from across the Indian Subcontinent to bolster American foreign policy makers to ensure Hindu minority communities were also accounted for.

HAF leaders were pleased that these efforts resulted in an invitation to Dipangkar Ghose, Organizing Secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, working to establish equity, equality, human rights, and social justice for all in Bangladesh.

Ghose noted that, “We have a good working relationship with the Hindu American Foundation, whose human rights work touches us directly and personally in Bangladesh. We are grateful for this because our partnership ensures the voices of Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and all minorities of Bangladesh are heard throughout the world.”

Ghose and Jay Kansara, HAF Director of Government Relations, attended a private reception hosted by Ambassador Mohammad Ziauddin in honor of Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali, one of 80 ministers leading official delegations from around the world for the third and final day of the Ministerial. Kansara and Foreign Minister Ali spoke on the need to protect religious minorities during the upcoming election in his nation. Minorities have historically been targeted with violent attacks during campaign seasons.

Kansara, who regularly attends in the International Religious Freedom Roundtable — an informal group that now meets with Ambassador Brownback weekly — stated, “We look forward to contributing to subsequent Ministerials, and will work with our friends at the State Department to ensure voices from marginalized Hindu minorities are more prominently highlighted.”

DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 8

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

Indian origin professor wins Seema Nanda becomes Field Medal, the Nobel Prize CEO of Democratic party for mathematics

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ASHINGTON, Jul 30, 2018 - IndianAmerican Seema Nanda, who took over as the CEO of the opposition Democratic National Committee, has vowed to fight for the "soul of the country" and ensure the victory of Democrats in every corner of the US in the crucial upcoming midterm elections.

"We are fighting now for the soul of our country -- for our democracy and for opportunity," Nanda, the first IndianAmerican ever to be the Chief Executive Officer of either the Democratic National Committee or the Republican Nation Committee took over reigns of the main opposition party last week on July 23.

Akshay Venkatesh

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ndian-origin Australian Akshay Venkatesh has become the second person from that country to win the Fields Medal, considered by many as the Nobel Prize for mathematics, the Australian reported on Wednesday.

A lot of the time, when you do Math, you're stuck. But you feel privileged to work with it.

You have a feeling of transcendence and feel like you've been part of something really meaningful." Akshay Venkatesh said after receiving the medal.

Akshay, a former child prodigy, who completed his schooling at Perth’s Scotch College at the age of 12, and finished his mathematics and physics degree at the University of Western Australia at 16, recently left Stamford to join Princeton University in the US.

Akshay Venkatesh was born in New Delhi and moved to Perth as a child. His father, Venky Venkatesh, is a retired oil and gas ­engineer.

He was awarded the medal mainly for his work in number theory, where he has successfully drawn on other fields of mathematics to come up with new ­results.

Akshay is married and has two daughters, aged four and eight.

The Fields Medal is a prize awarded to mathematicians under 40 at the International Congress of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), a meeting that takes place every four years.

The prize comes with a monetary award, which since 2006 has been $15,000 CAD. The medal was first awarded in 1936 to Finnish mathematician Lars Ahlfors and American mathematician Jesse Douglas, and it has been awarded every four years since 1950. In 2014, Maryam Mirzakhani became the first Iranian and first woman to win the Fields Medal.

Manjul Bhargava was the first Indian origin person to win the Fields Medal in 2014.

According to the International Mathematical Union citation, he was awarded the prize "for developing powerful new methods in the geometry of numbers, which he applied to count rings of small rank and to bound the average rank of elliptic curves" - DNA

SmartGaon: an app to transform poor villages in India

In this capacity, she is be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the powerful Democratic National Committee (DNC).

She would play a key role in party's winning strategy in the mid-term November elections, for which the DNC has set a target of winning back the House of Representatives from the Republicans.

"Democrats are offering the positive solutions so desperately needed right now -- solutions forged by the strength of our diversity, the rigour of our ideas, and the decency of our values," she said.

"Since (President Donald) Trump took office, it's been clear that the number one best way for us to set our country back on track is to elect Democrats in every corner of our country. That's why I took this job," Nanda said in her first message to Democratic supporters.

Nanda said supporting the Democratic party is synonymous with building a future for the children that they can be proud of.

"My promise to my two teenage boys is to do all I can to create an America that is

Nanda said supporting the Democratic party is synonymous with building a future for the children that they can be proud of. (Photo: PTI) bright, fair, and that works for everyone -- where opportunity for all means something," she said.

"Our party is strong because it's built on forging positive solutions that include everyone. I'm proud to be the first Asian-American in recent memory to lead the DNC. Democrats are leading with our values and empowering people from diverse backgrounds to speak up and make our voices heard," Nanda said.

The fight to take back the country for working families is one that all must fight together, she said, adding "At the DNC, we have committed to helping Democrats win back seats at all levels of government, because we need Democrats from the school board to the Senate to take back our country".

Noting that everything is at stake with this year's midterm elections in November, Nanda said Democrats are investing in state parties, putting organisers on the ground in all 50 states, and mobilising 50 million voters by Novem-

ber through their nationwide 'IWillVote' campaign.

"We're setting our sights and our goals higher than ever before in order to help Democratic leaders fight and win all across our country," Nanda said.

"As we head toward a crucial election, I'm one hundred percent certain that Seema's leadership will help the DNC capitalise on the unprecedented grassroots energy and enthusiasm surging throughout the country," DNC Chairman Tom Perez had said on her appointment last month.

Nanda's appointment is seen as another sign of the political emergence of Indian-American in particular women in the country's political arena.

Nanda, whose parents are dentists, grew up in Connecticut. She went to the Brown University and Boston College Law School.

She also has a background in labour and employment law, and has worked in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

by Shruthi Nair • CCTV cameras have been set up at specific locations

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EATTLE — The transformation of poor villages in India is crucial to its development. Like many developing countries, India faces a huge rural-urban divide that is a major cause of poverty. While progress can be seen in many cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata, the rural areas and districts remain untouched by the light of development. One of the major reasons for this divide is technological backwardness, also known as the “digital divide”.

While cities in India gain access to technology, poor villages still remain without basic internet facilities.

To bridge this gap, two IT professionals from Uttar Pradesh have come up with an innovative tool. They have devised a mobile app called SmartGaon, which not only connects poor villages in India with the urban world, but also provides the villagers with an opportunity to grow professionally.

SmartGaon is the collaborative effort of two young minds: Yogesh Sahu and Rajnish Bajpai. Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of converting the “brain drain” in India into “brain gain”, these young professionals were determined to design something innovate to transform their nation. They decided to put their creative energies into developing something that would benefit poor villages in India, leading to the birth of SmartGaon.

Sahu and Bajpai started their experimental project in the small village of Taudhakpur, located in the Raeberali district of Uttar Pradesh. As with any new venture, their path was not free of challenges. In order to make an app that would cater to the needs of the villagers, they first conducted a survey of the village. They then discussed their plans with the village council, district magistrate and other ministers to gain their permission and eventually built the app.

The SmartGaon app is designed in such a way that people can track the progress being made in the village and find immediate solutions to their problems. It has various features to allow the villagers easy access to the nearest healthcare

• Streetlights have now lit up the dark corners of the villages • Schools have started functioning more effectively • Roads now have dustbins for proper waste disposal • Wi-Fi zones have been created and the power supply now lasts 18-20 hours a day centers, information centers, village administrators and helpline numbers, while also keeping them updated about the latest news and events.

The Immediate Impact

The impact created by the app was immediate, as major changes to Taudhakpur, became visible within a short span of time: • Village authorities built 242 toilets

In order to help farmers gain more profits, Sahu and Bajpai came up with the feature of GramMart. GramMart is an online village market which allows farmers to list their products for sale, includ-

ing vegetables, fruits, seeds, spices and dairy products.

These products will be visible to customers, who can directly contact the farmers to place an order. The purpose of this feature is to eliminate the presence of middlemen and wholesalers, who tend to negate the farmers’ profits by demanding high commissions.

sible places where they can sell their products.

The feature functions like a B2C business model wherein the products directly reach the consumers. The feature is also a solution to the problem of food waste. Regularly updating the amount of unused grains online provides the farmers with more options for the pos-

A: Adopting Smart Agricultural Practices

The name of the app has been very creatively chosen by Sahu and Bajpai. SmartGaon, which when translated into English means “Smart Village”, stands for: S: Social Security Schemes M: Modern Urban Facilities

R: Road, Infrastructure and Transportation Facilities T: Tech Savvy -Borgan Magazine

SOUTH ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

Pakistan hits back at Sri Lanka Imran Khan oath ceremony: Modi reverses not confirmed, Aamir Khan and 'inappropriate' US fears over IMF bailout hybrid car Sunil Gavaskar among those invited SLAMABAD, Pakistan | AFP | Wednesday 8/1/2018 - Pakistan hit back Wednesday at US fears that any IMF bailout its new government might have to seek would be used to repay Chinese loans, stating that it was "totally wrong" to link the two.

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Abdullah Hussain Haroon, the caretaker foreign minister, said that a new government led

by Imran Khan, who won the country's general election last week, would have to decide whether to approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF) amid fears of a balance of payments crisis.

However he also dismissed as "inappropriate" comments

by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier this week voicing concerns over any IMF bailout being used to repay Chinese loans to Islamabad.

Analysts have predicted that Pakistan, which is running down its foreign reserves and devaluing its currency in a bid to bridge a yawning trade deficit, will need to seek help urgently -- either from a friendly country, or by going to the IMF for its second bailout in five years.

The new government will have "limited time" to act, Fitch ratings agency said this month.

But on Monday Pompeo voiced concerns about any IMF bailout for Islamabad, telling US television station CNBC: "There's no rationale for IMF tax dollars -- and associated with that, American dollars that are part of the IMF funding -for those to go to bail out Chinese bondholders or -- or China

itself."

The US is one of the Washington-based IMF's largest donors.

The concerns centre on Beijing's ambitious $62 billion dollar infrastructure project -the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) -- linking its western province of Xinjiang to the Arabian Sea via Pakistan.

The terms of the massive CPEC deals are shrouded in secrecy, raising concerns about Pakistan's ability to repay Beijing's investment.

Haroon said the new government would have to decide on whether to approach the IMF. Asad Umar, widely tipped to become Khan's finance minister in a coalition government, tweeted on Tuesday that "no option including IMF is ruled out".

But Haroon also hit back at Pompeo's comments, saying: "It is totally wrong to link an IMF package with CPEC", and that there was "absolutely no reason for anyone to intervene" in Pakistan's relationship with China.

The finance ministry did not answer requests for comment

by AFP. Pakistan, which has historically relied on imports, has increased its procurement of materials to help build CPEC projects while also suffering from higher oil prices.

Its meagre exports such as textiles, meanwhile, have been hit as cheaper Chinese-produced goods flood the markets.

Foreign remittances have not been enough to plug the gap.

incentive

OLOMBO, Sri Lanka | AFP | 8/1/2018 - Sri Lanka Wednesday sharply increased customs duties on imports of the top-selling Japanese hybrid car, in an apparent shift in its policy of encouraging greener vehicles.

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The duty on the popular Suzuki Wagon R hybrid model was raised from 825,000 rupees ($5,156) to 1.25 million rupees ($7,812) with immediate effect, finance ministry officials said.

According to the latest data, out of 5,190 new cars registered in the country in April, more than half (2,619) were the small hybrid Suzuki models.

Only last November the government reduced duties on electric and hybrid cars as part of its plans to phase out fossil fuel vehicles by 2040 in the island nation of 21 million people.

The new announcement came as the central bank warned that car imports had inflated the trade deficit by $700 million year-on-year to $4.9 billion for the first five months of 2018.

Sri Lanka's rupee has been under pressure this year with the local currency losing over four percent of its value against the dollar in the first seven months amid a surge in imports.

Last year, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera announced plans to replace all state-owned vehicles with electric or hybrid models by 2025, a move that will be extended to private vehicles by 2040.

Four million in Indian state risk losing citizenship

Sunil Gavaskar and Imran Khan, (r) leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

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top leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said today that the party has asked the Foreign Office to apprise it on whether heads of state, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, could be invited to Imran Khan's oath taking ceremony, according to a media report.

PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry said that Bollywood star Aamir Khan and cricketers Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar have already been invited by the party for the event.

PTI's senior leaders Shireen Mazari and Shafqat Mahmood met Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and wished to know which foreign leaders it would be possible to invite for the event given the short period of time before the ceremony takes place, DawnNewsTv reported quoting sources privy to the meetings.

The sources said that the PTI leaders wished to invite the heads of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) member states - including Prime Minister Modi - as well as leaders of China and Turkey, the channel said.

The PTI leaders also asked the Foreign Office for suggestions on the issue. Members of the FO maintained that calling foreign leaders to the oath taking ceremony is a sensitive matter and all perspectives need to be taken into consideration, sources said.

"Initial arguments from the FO suggested that the office believes Pakistan would face a bigger embarrassment if the Indian PM declined the invitation," the channel said.

PTI spokesperson Chaudhry said the party was awaiting a response from the FO. On Monday, Prime Minister Modi telephoned Khan to congratulate him on his party's victory in the general elections and hoped that "Pakistan and India will work to open a new chapter in bilateral ties".

Khan thanked Modi for his wishes and emphasised that disputes should be resolved through dialogue.

The PTI, led by 65-yearold Khan, has emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after the July

25 elections and it is likely to form the government with the support of its allies and independents.

The then prime minister Nawaz Sharif had travelled to New Delhi to attend Modi's oath taking ceremony in 2014 and the Indian premier had in December 2015 made a brief stopover in Lahore to greet his counterpart on his birthday.

The India-Pakistan ties nosedived in recent years with no bilateral talks taking place.

The ties between the two countries had strained after the terror attacks by Pakistan-based groups in 2016 and India's surgical strikes inside Pakistanoccupied Kashmir. The sentencing of alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav to death by a military court in April last year further deteriorated bilateral ties.

The two sides often accuse each other of ceasefire violations along the Line of Control, resulting in civilian casualties In his victory speech, Khan had said that better relations between Pakistan and India would be "good for all of us".

India police hunt eight men after sex attack on goat EW DELHI, India | AFP | Police in northern India on Tuesday said that a major manhunt was underway for eight men accused of having sex with a pregnant goat that later died.

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The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) Members of Parliament hold placards against the noninclusion of over 4 million people in Assam's National Register of Citizens during a protest in Parliament in New Delhi on July 31, 2018. Š Prakash Singh, AFP. Guwahati, India | AFP | India on Monday effectively stripped four million people in Assam of citizenship, sparking fears of mass deportations of Muslims from the northeastern state.

A new draft register of citizens includes only those able to prove they were in Assam be-

fore 1971, when millions fled Bangladesh's war of independence into the state, and their descendants.

Critics say it is the latest move by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bolster India's Hindu majority at the expense

of minorities. India will hold a national election next year.

The Assam government has brought in 25,000 extra security force members from outside the state in case of trouble. News of the draft register sparked opposition protests in

The suspects face prosecution under the colonial era Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that outlaws "intercourse against the order of nature" -- the same provision that also criminalises gay sex.

the national parliament, forcing the adjournment of upper-chamber hearings for the day.

Just over four million of the more than 30 million people who applied to be on the list were excluded from the draft, said Shailesh, the registrar general of India, who uses one name.

Police raids were bing conducted in the Mewat region of Haryana state, around 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Delhi, to look for the men.

"We have identified three of the eight accused and the police teams are out on raids to arrest them as soon as possible," police official Naazneen Bhasin told AFP. The case was launched after the owner of the goat saw three

"No genuine Indian citizens need to worry as there will be ample opportunities given to them to enlist their names in the final list," he told a news conference in Assam's biggest city Guwahati.

He said appeals could be made under "well-laid-down

men sexually assaulting the animal late at night last week.

"He initially raised the alarm fearing goat thieves but was shocked at what he saw," local police inspector Vipin, who only goes by one name, told AFP. The goat died after the alleged incident. A vet has taken samples for forensic analysis.

The accused are also wanted under the animal cruelty act.

procedures" starting August 30.

The definitive list is to be finalised in December.

"We are going to provide assistance to anyone whose names are not included in the document and whoever wishes to file a claim and objection in Continued on Page 10

ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 10

S. Korea cult leader arrested over violent rituals in Fiji EOUL, South Korea | AFP | Wednesday 8/1/2018 - The leader of a South Korean doomsday cult has been arrested for allegedly holding some 400 followers captive in Fiji by subjecting them to violence and barbaric rituals, a police official said Wednesday.

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Shin Ok-ju, founder of the Grace Road Church, and three other cult leaders were arrested when they arrived at Seoul's Incheon International Airport last week.

"Pastor Shin and the three others face charges of using violence in forcing followers to stay in Fiji", a police official told AFP. A doomsday prophet, Shin convinced her followers to move to Fiji in 2014, claiming they would be safe there from imminent natural disasters.

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the church were subjected to severe public beatings known as "ground thrashings".

"A son beat his father 100 to 200 times at a ground thrash-

"Another congregant was hit more than 600 times and he died after returning home," a

witness said.

Christian-inspired cults have been mushrooming in South Korea where around half the population are Protestants or

Catholics.

A cult leader who claimed to be the messiah was arrested in May in Seoul for raping at least seven female congregants, prosecutors said.

Record suicides of elderly people in ageing Singapore

With persistently low birth rates and longer lifespans, affluent Singapore is grappling with a rapidly ageing

population which has been described as a ticking "demographic time bomb".

SOS said in a statement posted on its website that the number of people aged 60 and above who took their own lives in 2017 rose to 129, which was the highest on record and accounted for nearly 36 percent of that year's total suicides.

"It is very worrying that many elderly are turning to suicide as the only choice to end their pain and struggles," said SOS executive director Christine Wong.

"The ageing population in Singapore is set to bring more challenges to current available social support ser-

Four million....risk losing citizenship Continued from Page 9

all were Muslim, and many were children.

this regard," Shailesh added.

The country's Supreme Court which has been supervising the registration, had initially set June 30 as the deadline to publish the draft list.

Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won control of Assam in 2016 after promising to expel illegal immigrants from mainly Muslim Bangladesh and protect the rights of indigenous groups.

Assam, where one third of the population is Muslim, is the only Indian state to compile a register of citizens.

- Migrant fears Hundreds of thousands fled to India from Bangladesh during its 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. Most settled in Assam, which shares a long border with Bangladesh.

But this was postponed to July 30 because the massive exercise could not be completed in time.

A first draft published last December included only 19 million people as legal citizens.

"I am feeling good after seeing the name of mine and other four members of my family in the draft list," Abdul Gani, a journalist based in Guwahati, told AFP.

Migrants have since been accused of illegally entering the state and taking land and jobs, causing tensions with locals.

"We were a little worried as the first draft did not include our names. However, we had belief in the system."

Rights groups have criticised the government move, saying deletion from citizenship lists was similar to Myanmar's removal of rights and protections for its Rohingya community in 1982.

In New Delhi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh also sought to allay fears about Assam.

Avaaz, a US-based activist group slammed the Indian action.

"It's just Muslims who will likely have to go through a complicated, unfair appeal with no right to counsel, ending in no hope of staying if they lose," Ricken Patel, the executive director of Avaaz, said in a statement.

Rachel Chu is happy to accompany her longtime boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore.

She’s also surprised to learn that Nick’s family is extremely wealthy and he’s considered one of the country’s most eligible bachelors. Thrust into

Not to mention the draw of Crazy Rich Asians‘ star-studded majority-Asian cast. Led

by Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding, with appearances by Ken Jeong, Awkwafina, and Gemma Chan, Crazy Rich Asians is the first major Hollywood feature to boast an all-Asian cast in almost two decades. 2002’s

Shin Ok-ju held as former members of Grace Road Church tell of violent beatings

Some followers who escaped the farm told journalists that those who attempted to leave

Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), which focuses on preventing suicides, said fear of becoming a burden to family, social disconnection, physical impairment and deteriorating mental health are the most common challenges faced by the elderly.

buted to $30 million.

Shin Ok-ju delivering a sermon in 2015

ing session", a former follower told a South Korean TV programme.

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‘Crazy Rich Asians’ tracking for $18 millionplus opening razy Rich Asians is looking at a crazy solid opening weekend at the box office. Early tracking numbers estimate that the Jon M. Chu romantic-comedy based on the Kevin Kwan novel of the same name will open to a respectable $18 million.

Not crazy rich, but not crazy terrible either.

Once they arrived, their passports were confiscated and many were allegedly subjected to beatings and brutal rituals purportedly aimed at driving out evil spirits.

INGAPORE, Singapore | AFP | 7/30/2018 - The number of elderly people committing suicide in Singapore reached a record high last year, a nongovernment group said Monday, urging stronger support for the over 60s in the rapidly ageing city-state.

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

"No coercive action will be taken against anyone. Hence there is no need to panic," Singh said in parliament.

Satyendra Garg, a home ministry official who was at the Guwahati press conference, said there "was no question of sending anyone to detention camps based on the draft list".

Assam, a state of 33 million people known for its lush tea estates, has for decades been racked by violence between indigenous tribes and settlers.

The Assam controversy comes as the government looks at amending the citizenship law to allow certain "persecuted minorities", including Hindus and Christians from neighbouring countries, to obtain legal status after six years of residency in India.

About 2,000 suspected migrants were butchered in a single day in Nellie in 1983. Nearly

Other groups must wait 11 years to become naturalised citizens.

vices. There is imminent need for stronger support networks as the number of elderly Singapore residents living alone continues to increase."

SOS said the rise in cases of elderly people taking their own lives came as the number of overall reported suicides in the country declined in 2017 to its lowest level since 2012.

Official projections show the number of Singapore citizens aged 65 and above will double from 500,000 in 2016 to 900,000 in 2030.

Other developed nations also face challenges due to ageing populations. Japan said last month it plans to bring in more foreign workers to tackle a serious labour shortage caused by the country's ageing, shrinking population.

Crazy Rich Asians is the first major Hollywood feature to boast an all-Asian cast in almost two decades. (Photo: Variety/Warner Bros) Variety reports that tracking numbers for Crazy Rich Asians show definite interest in the film at 31%, leading to early estimates of a $20 million opening for the film’s five-day launch starting Wednesday, according to Variety.

Warner Bros. has released its own tracking, which shows the debut at $18 million.

For a romantic-comedy, a genre that has seen a decline at the box office in recent years, this is not a bad box office opening. The highest opening for a recent rom-com was 2015’s Trainwreck, which de-

the spotlight, Rachel must now contend with jealous socialites, quirky relatives and something far, far worse — Nick’s disapproving mother.

But with the dearth of romcoms at the box office, perhaps Crazy Rich Asians will see a boost for audiences itching for a little gaudy escapism. Netflix has already seen massive word-of-mouth success with its slate of cheesy, nostalgic rom-coms like Set It Up, and the sleeper hit success of The Big Sick last year proved that audiences want a little romance in their lives.

Better Luck Tomorrow is perhaps the last major feature film led by an Asian-American cast, and before that, 1993’s The Joy Luck Club. Asian-American audiences are proving to be a major force at the box office lately and they could likely push Crazy Rich Asians over the line to a bonafide cultural phenomenon.

I mean, we’ve been waiting long enough — and we shouldn’t have to wait another decade for another Asian-led Hollywood movie!

Crazy Rich Asians opens in theaters on August 15, 2018.

Japan's lowflation problem

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OKYO - If ever there were evidence that very low interest rates and QE don’t work, it is in Japan.

Japan’s inflation rate has been on the floor for most of the last quarter-century. So have its interest rates. And the Bank of Japan has been doing QE longer than any other central bank: its first experiment with large-scale asset purchases was between 2002-6.

The current Governor of the

Bank of Japan, Haruhiko Kuroda, is throwing everything he has at Japan’s lowflation problem. The Bank of Japan is buying up Japanese government bonds as fast as the government can issue them, and is also buying corporate debt, ETFs and REITs. The interest rate on excess reserves held by banks is negative. But Japan’s lowflation remains as intractable as ever.

Early in 2018, Japan’s inflation reached 1.5%. It appeared

that the Bank of Japan had defeated the lowflation enemy.

Likely, in my view, the Japanese government will continue to issue debt to support the Japanese population’s saving habit, the Bank of Japan will continue to monetize that debt to suppress interest rates, inflation will remain on the floor, and interest rates will remain zero or negative. Provided that the central bank holds its nerve (-Forbes)

ART & CULTURE

VOICE OF ASIA 11

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

'Mermaid' photo wins National In the hands of the gods: Vietnam's Geographic Travel Photographer Golden Bridge goes viral of the Year contest

Winning photo of National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year 2018 contest. (© National Geographic Traveler/Reiko Takahashi)

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he Japanese photographer who captured the tail of a humpback whale calf underwater, just below the surface and titled it "Mermaid," has been named the winner of the 2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year contest.

When Reiko Takahashi quit her office job to pursue underwater photography it was a gamble. But the risk has paid off, quite literally: Her shot of the grand prize-winning photo beat out 13,000 entries and nets the photographer $10,000.

The photo was taken near Kumejima Island, during a mission to capture humpback whales and their calves.

"It was a special scene for me, to be able to take a photo of the calf, completely relaxed in gentle waters. I really cannot believe it. It was my dream

to win. I am honored and it will be the driving force for my future shooting," she said in a statement.

In the category of cities, a black and white photo taken from within a vintage tram in Nagasaki, Japan that looks out onto a quiet streetscape through a rain-soaked windshield, took first prize.

The photo also captures a lone pedestrian crossing the street under an umbrella.

"This view presents quite a contrast to busy urban centers in Japan, such as Tokyo and Osaka," said winner Hura Kurashina in the photo caption.

And in the category of people, Alessandra Meniconzi took first prize for her stunning portrait of a young Mongolian eagle hunter, cradling a hot steaming cup of tea during their migration from winter to spring camp. AFP.

In this photograph taken on July 31, 2018, visitors walk along the 150-meter long Cau Vang 'Golden Bridge' in the Ba Na Hills near Danang. (AFP/Linh Pham)

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ANANG, Vietnam | AFP | Nestled in the forested hills of central Vietnam two giant concrete hands emerge from the trees, holding up a glimmering golden bridge crowded with gleeful visitors taking selfies at the country's latest eccentric tourist draw.

Designed to make visitors feel like they're taking a stroll on a shimmering thread stretching across the hands of gods, the "Golden Bridge" has attracted hordes of guests since it opened in the Ba Na Hills near Danang in June.

Images of the bridge have gone viral on social media, much to the sur-

Iraq street satirists peddle culture change - 'Breath of air' But the performers are not discouraged.

Once a week, they set up on "Tigris Culture Street", among stalls of second-hand books lining the banks of the river running through the agricultural region.

The plays are the only "breath of air... for people of culture" in the area, said hairdresser Karim al-Bahadli.

"They express the feelings that are inside," said al-Bahadli -- a must, he believes, for a turbulent country that is ranked by Transparency International as the world's 12th most corrupt.

Southern Iraq was the epicentre of protests in July against corruption and poor public services.

On a strip of pavement in the southern Iraqi city of Kut, a gaggle of amateur comedians pulls in the crowds every Friday -- drawing chuckles, smiles and knowing nods. © AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP

prise of the architect who had no idea it would attract so much attention.

"We're proud that our product has been shared by people all over the world," principal designer and founder of TA Landscape Architecture, Vu Viet Anh, told AFP. At 150 metres long (490 feet), the bridge snakes through the forest high up in mountains first developed by French colonists as a hill station in 1919.

Today the area is a major tourist attraction, boasting a cable car, replica French medieval village -- including faux castle and cathedral -- manicured gardens and a wax museum featuring statues of Lady Gaga and Michael Jordan.

The only remnants of the original French occupants are the crumbling remains of their holiday homes that can still be spotted from the cable car.

But visitors are mostly interested in the newly built Cau Vang, which means "Golden Bridge" in Vietnamese.

"The bridge is beautiful with an amazing architectural style, from here we can see Danang City, it's so nice," Nguyen Trung Phuc told AFP. Another visitor, Nguyen Hien Trang, said: "I have travelled quite a lot but I've never seen any bridges as beauti-

ful as this one."

The Ba Na Hills project was built

by Sun Group, which has divided opinion with audacious projects elsewhere in Vietnam.

In 2016 it opened a cable car on Vietnam's tallest mountain Fansipan in the tourist hotpot Sapa, prompting complaints from locals who felt it spoiled the landscape and took business away from trekking guides.

Vietnam is no stranger to off-thewall attractions.

A "crystal cloud" installation of 58,000 shimmering Swarovski beads in the rice-terraced hills of northern Vietnam opened earlier this year, while the surreal "Crazy House" hotel in central Da Lat, designed to look a trippy treehouse, has long attracted legions of curious visitors.

The communist country has long sought to boost visitor numbers and position itself as a must-see destination in Southeast Asia.

It clocked 13 million foreign visitors last year, mostly from China -- a far cry from the 35 million international visitors to Thailand in 2017.

Golden Bridge designer Anh said he already has another project in the works: a silver bridge made to look like a god's strand of hair that will connect to his existing structure in the Ba Na Hills.

Hong Kong buskers take a bow in final show before shutdown

Iraq's state human rights commission said Monday at least 14 people were killed in the demonstrations,

by Salam Faraj

K

UT, Iraq | AFP - On a strip of pavement in the southern Iraqi city of Kut, a gaggle of amateur comedians pulls in the crowds every Friday -- drawing chuckles, smiles and knowing nods.

With a rich repertoire of skits, Khaled al-Atbi and his peers poke fun at politicians more interested in lining their pockets than rebuilding a country devastated by decades of war.

"Theatre is a message," said the 42-year-old al-Atbi, director and actor in the seven-strong troupe.

"With our satire, we condemn... corruption, lack of public services and tribal activities," he said, citing those factors as central to discontent in Iraq.

Since the US-led ouster of dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraq has been plagued by graft and sectarian fighting, culminating in the Islamic State group seizing around a third of its territory in 2014.

As Iraq seeks to move beyond the brutal war that last year finally defeated the jihadists, al-Atbi is determined to embarrass officials who pocket bribes and hand out plum civil service jobs to relatives.

The father-of-two hopes his little troupe can help trigger a culture change, even as he juggles his satirical ventures with a full-time job as a policeman.

- Rubbish piles vanish In one sketch, al-Atbi plays a diligent official obliged to work with incompetent but politically connected colleagues.

The scene did not require much in terms of props -- just a table and a few chairs, which were quickly encircled by rapt onlookers.

"Our audience is very receptive be-

Iraqis look at books on the Corniche Street in the southern Iraqi city of Kut

cause they know what we are enacting exists in reality," said al-Atbi.

Less than two years after they began working the streets, the group's efforts have already brought about change, according to Kut residents.

which spread from Basra to Baghdad, before waning under pressure from the security services.

For fans of al-Atbi and his troupe, laughter is something of a social safety valve.

"We can challenge leaders and solve social problems," said 48-year-old teacher Abu Ali, who never misses a Friday skit.

They scored their "greatest success" with a series of skits in the lead-up to May 12 elections, said troupe member Jalal al-Chati, who works as a reporter.

Where rubbish was once piled high, roads are now clean and refuse is collected regularly, Abu Ali added -thanks at least in part to pressure created by street plays.

No shade of political sentiment escapes the group's ridicule.

But not everyone is a fan.

The group has attracted online trolls, and while street audiences are generally very supportive, hecklers make their presence felt. "'You exaggerate!' 'Stop insulting the parties and leaders!'" are common refrains, al-Atbi shrugged.

In one scene, the actors play two politicians -- one a devout man offering voters access to the afterlife, the other promising to fend off government efforts to shut down shops selling alcohol.

To avoid sailing too close to the political wind, they use no names. But appreciative murmurs and giggles among the audience indicate they know exactly who is being mimicked.

In this picture taken on July 28, 2018, a singer performs at the pedestrian zone of Sai Yeung Choi Street South in Mong Kok, Hong Kong. The rumbustious street performers that have long claimed one of Hong Kong's busiest shopping districts as their informal stage took their final bow on July 29 after local authorities caved to noise complaints over their legendary cacophony. © Philip FONG / AFP

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he rumbustious street performers who have long claimed one of Hong Kong's busiest shopping districts as their informal stage took their final bow Sunday night after local authorities caved to noise complaints over their legendary cacophony.

Under the glow of Mong Kok's famous neon signs, buskers have been entertaining crowds -- and irking neighbours -- for nearly two decades in Sai Yeung Choi Street South, an area which has been regularly closed to traffic to make way for pedestrians and performers since 2000.

Over the years, a motley line-up including an acrobat in his sixties performing stunts to Michael Jackson and karaoke bands surrounded by fans clapping along on plastic stools gave ear-splitting shows to tinny music blasted from amplifiers.

Drawing cheers and consternation equally, the street performers have received 320 noise complaints in just the

first half of the year, according to police, with local media reporting 1,200 complaints last year.

The pedestrian zone will be fully abolished and reopen to traffic starting on August 4.

But while some will be relieved that the plug is being pulled, others fear authorities are killing off the city's vibrant street culture with over-regulation.

Just next to the freestyle performance area, official attempts in 2016 to remove unlicensed hawkers triggered some of the city's worst clashes for decades as protesters used the occasion to express their anger towards Hong Kong's dwindling autonomy.

Ahead of the shutdown of the busking zone, bands in glittery outfits, elderly men and women dancing the cha-cha, and "singing aunties" from mainland China -- who have joined the pack over the years to the displeasure of some locals -- came out over the weekend.

US/WORLD

VOICE OF ASIA 12

US Senate passes huge defense bill, sends it to Trump

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | 8/1/2018 - The US Senate easily passed a $716.3 billion defense authorization bill Wednesday that ramps up military spending and bolsters America's posture against Russia, while avoiding policy changes that would have antagonized President Donald Trump.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed 87 to 10 in the Senate a week after clearing the House of Representatives, and now heads to the White House for Trump's signature.

The bill provides $69 billion in war funding known as overseas contingency operations, authorizes a 2.6 percent pay raise for members of the armed forces, and invests tens of billions in modernizing the Pentagon's air and sea fleets and missile defenses.

It notably prohibits delivery of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to Turkey, a NATO ally with increasingly fraught relations with Washington, until Ankara can confirm it will not buy Russia's S-400 anti-aircraft missile system.

And while China and Russia are classified as "strategic competitors" to the United States, the legislation negotiated between the House and Senate left out a proposal by senators that would have blocked a deal Trump reached with Chinese

telecommunications giant ZTE that eases tough financial penalties on the firm for helping Iran and North Korea evade American sanctions.

The capitulation smoothed things over with the White House, but it angered Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who voted against the bill.

"It's time we opened our eyes," Rubio told colleagues.

"We are engaged in a geopolitical competition, not with some poor agrarian country trying to catch up, but with a global super power who is quickly nipping at our heels and doing so unfairly, with the intent of replacing us in the world as the most powerful country militarily, economically, geopolitically and technologically."

The NDAA also includes a provision allowing the administration to waive some Russiarelated sanctions that would have barred Washington from selling defense-related equipment to countries using Russian technology.

Supporters of the provision stress that the change will help certain countries wean themselves off of Russian influence.

The bill including provisions which allow for better assessment of risks to US national security from transactions involving foreign firms aiming to gain access to sensitive American technology.

US may raise tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods to 25%: officials

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | 8/1/2018 The United States may jack up the tariff rate on the next $200 billion in Chinese imports it plans to target as it pressures Beijing to reform its trade practices, US officials said Wednesday.

President Donald Trump asked the US Trade Representative consider increasing the proposed tariffs to 25 percent from the announced 10 percent, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said.

"We have been very clear about the specific changes China should undertake. Regrettably, instead of changing its harmful behavior, China has illegally retaliated against US workers, farmers, ranchers and businesses," Lighthizer said in a statement.

Officials however down-

France gets tough on sexual violence against minors

import duties.

Washington and Beijing are locked in battle over American accusations that China's export economy benefits from unfair policies and subsidies while stealing American technological know-how.

"We will give people a chance obviously to comment on the substantial effects of a 25 percent duty as oppose to a 10 percent duty," a senior administration official told reporters.

Trump has threated to slap tariffs on virtually all of China's exports to the United States.

The comment period on the proposal, which includes public hearings on the tariffs due to take place later this month, would be extended into September, the officials said.

Increasing the rates to 25 percent could make them significantly more painful.

The US already imposed 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese goods, with another $16 billion to be targeted in coming weeks.

Texan behind 3D-printed guns...

Continued from Page 1

"What I'm doing is legally protected," he said. "I will go to the appellate level. I will go to the Supreme Court. I will waste all my time."

- President 'glad' for review As uproar was building Tuesday over Wilson's efforts, the president tweeted that making plastic 3D-printed guns publicly available "doesn't seem to make much sense."

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders elaborated Wednesday, saying the administration's Justice Department had acted on its own in granting Wilson permission to publish the blueprints on his Defcad website -- settling a five-year legal battle.

"The Department of Justice made a deal without the president's approval," Sanders said. "The president's glad this effort was delayed to give more time to review the issue."

Sanders also repeated the administration's claim from a day earlier that existing law already prohibits plastic firearms.

The National Rifle Association, the nation's most politically influential gun rights group, echoed that claim,

contending that the 1988 law made the current 3Dprinted gun issue moot.

"Regardless of what a person may be able to publish on the Internet, undetectable plastic guns have been illegal for 30 years," the NRA said in a statement.

But Wilson has gotten around the legal prohibition by providing instructions with the digital files for 3D printing his "Liberator" plastic gun that call for an approximately six-ounce block of steel to be affixed to the weapon.

Should those who print the gun follow those instructions, metal detectors would pick up the weapons, thus complying with the law.

But while users can build the gun, there is no way to ensure they affix metal to it.

- 'The debate is over' Late Tuesday, dozens of Democratic senators introduced legislation to prohibit the publication of 3Dprintable firearm designs, a move gun control groups applauded. But some damage was already done.

Wilson's blueprints had been posted on Defcad before the court order took effect and had already been downloaded thousands of times.

Tajikistan to create 'tourist police' after IS-claimed attack kills 4

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ARIS, France | AFP | 8/1/2018 - The French parliament on Wednesday adopted new legislation making it easier to prosecute crimes of sexual violence against minors in the wake of two recent cases of sex involving 11-year-old girls.

Following up on President Emmanuel Macron's election campaign promises to get tough on sexual violence and sexism, the National Assembly voted in favour of tougher punishments for rape and sexual abuse against minors, an extension of the limitation period for the prosecution of certain crimes and a crackdown on sexual harassment.

The changes come in the wake of a public outcry over two cases in which two men escaped rape charges when they were accused of sex with underage girls.

Any sexual act by an adult with a child younger than 15 can be prosecuted as a sexual offence under current French law.

But prosecutors hoping to charge an offender with rape must prove the sex was forced, a more complicated question when pre-teens are involved.

In November, a 30-year-old man was acquitted of the rape of an 11-year-old girl after the court determined she had not been subjected to "constraint, threat, violence or surprise".

In another case involving an 11-year-old girl, a 28-yearold man had faced charges of sexual relations with a minor, rather than rape -- a decision that enraged the girl's family.

Under the new legislation, it will be easier for judges to establish rape.

The bill also extends from 20 years to 30 years the period of limitation for the prosecution of sex crimes against minors.

played suggestions the move was intended to compensate for the recent decline in the value of the Chinese currency, which have threatened to take much of the sting out of Trump's tariffs by making the imports cheaper.

On July 10, Washington unveiled a list of another $200 billion in Chinese goods, from areas as varied as electrical machinery, leather goods and seafood, that would be hit with 10 percent

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

"The debate is over. The guns are downloadable.

The files are in the public domain -- you cannot take them back," Wilson told CBS. Gun control groups nevertheless were relieved by the judge's decision, with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence calling 3Dprinted firearms "nothing short of a menace to society."

"There is simply no way of telling how much damage has already been done

by Cody Wilson's dangerous and reckless actions," Brady Campaign co-president Kris Brown said in a statement.

"This is a strong step and a clear victory for the entire gun safety movement, but we simply can't let up."

Prior to last month, Wilson had actually been losing his drawn-out legal battle, after both a federal district court and an appellate court ruled against him.

The US Supreme Court declined to take up his case.

But in a sign of his determination to continue the legal fight, a message on the Defense Distributed website made a public appeal for financial support "to uncensor the site."

A image taken from a video released by The Islamic States (IS) Amaq News Agency on July 31, 2018, allegedly shows the five executors of an attack on foreign tourists on a bike tour in southern Tajikistan.Authorities said four tourists - a Swiss, a Dutch and two US citizens- were killed and another three injured during their bike tour in southern Tajikistan on July 29, 2018, when a car hit them before fleeing the scene. (AFP photo)

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USHANBE, Tajikistan | AFP | - Tajikistan on Wednesday pledged to create a "tourist police" force to protect visitors after four tourists were killed in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon ordered the creation of the force tasked with "protection of public order and security (and) escort of tourists" as well as the "prevention of crime," state media reported.

The move is a response to the attack by an armed gang on a group of seven foreign cyclists on Sunday which left two Americans, one Swiss and one Dutch national dead along a popular biking route.

Tajikistan released pictures of four of the suspects after they were killed by police while resisting arrest. A 33-year-old man resembling the fifth participant in the video has been detained.

The victims were killed by being struck by a car and attacked with knives and guns as they cycled along a road off the Pamir Highway -- a popular

tourist route with spectacular views.

They have been named as Lauren Geoghegan and Jay Austin of the United States, Dutch citizen Rene Wokke and Swiss citizen Markus Hummel.

One Dutch and one Swiss citizen also survived the attack while a French cyclist escaped unscathed.

They were 29 and biking the world. Then came The attack

The incident was at first reported as a hit-and-run road accident but later claimed by the Islamic State jihadists.

Tajik authorities have declared 2018 to be a "year of tourism" and claim massive increases in visitor numbers.

On Tuesday IS released a video showing what it said was a pledge of allegiance by the five men accused of murdering the European and American tourists visiting the impoverished ex-Soviet nation.

Police in the authoritarian country have so far ignored the IS claim of responsibility for the attack, instead blaming a banned Islamist opposition party with the backing of rival Iran.

The police account has generated scepticism outside the republic due to an ongoing government crackdown on members of the party, which was legal as recently as 2015, Tajikistan's icy relations with Tehran and the IS video footage.

The video released by IS Tuesday shows five men, who resemble pictures of the suspects put out by Tajik police, sitting by a tree in front of a jihadist flag.

The clip shows them swearing allegiance to Abu Bakr alBaghdadi, the group's leader.

Pictured: Washington couple Jay Austin and Lauren Geoghegan, who were killed in a terror attack in Tajikistan on Sunday.

(Photo courtesy Simplycycling.org)

Jay Austin—who had a master's from Georgetown, worked with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and had built a 143-square-foot tiny home in DC—and Lauren Geoghegan, also a Georgetown grad who studied Spanish and Arabic and worked in the university's admissions office.

They left those lives behind and charted their adventures on their Simply Cycling blog, which tracked their journey throughout Africa, Europe, and central Asia. "Life is short and the world is big and we want to make the most out of our youth and good health before they’re gone," they wrote. (-Newser)

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IACCGH organizes visit to TranStar, 20 other Chamber representatives join in handled Hurricane Harvey’s rainfall triggered flooding crisis.

by Manu Shah

H

OUSTON - On July 24, leaders and representatives from over 20 Chambers of Commerce and Indo American organizations listened attentively as Harris County Judge Ed Emmett revisited Hurricane Harvey, its management and the lessons learned.

Hurricanes are never easy but Hurricane Harvey, he stated, “was a completely different sort of activity.” Meteorologists had predicted 20 inches of rain but Houston was pounded with 50 inches.

Predesignated shelters were opened for those who had to flee their homes and NRG and George Brown Convention Center filled up within hours. A personal appeal on television to boat owners to rescue those who were stranded in their homes turned out to be a lifesaver for hundreds of people.

The visit was arranged by IACCGH at the “epicenter of emergency management” – the state-of-the-art TranStar facility in Houston that allows city officials to manage traffic, evacuation if needed, and emergencies from one central location.

Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia welcomed the wide spectrum of community leaders and stated that the whole purpose of this “exercise was to understand the preparatory efforts by the city in the event of the next hurricane and help spread awareness in their respective organizations.”

L to R: Sanjay Ramabhadran, Karen Francis, Alyssa Holmes Henderson, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, Ashok Garg, Jagdip Ahluwalia, Swapan Dhairyawan at the TranStar facility. Photos credit: Bijay Dixit

The “real heroes” the Judge declared, were the ordinary day people who voluntarily waded knee deep in water to rescue people.

President Swapan Dhairyawan thanked Shell for their sponsorship of the event and lauded the “leadership, calmness and positivity” displayed by Judge Ed Emmett and Mayor Sylvester Turner in their handling of Hurricane Harvey’s devastation.

On a drive home, the sight of the heaped piles of debris on both sides of the streets struck him that this was “not just debris but people’s lives.”

He’s determined to protect Harris County residents from being put “in the same situation again” and is pushing for support for a 2.5 billion bond proposal that would fund flood protection projects in Houston.

Introducing Judge Ed Emmett, Past President Sanjay Ramabhadran described him as “a household name” and referred to him as “Mr. Hunker Down” – a title earned during Hurricane Ike. As County Judge, he also led multiple trade missions to India in collaboration with the Chamber and it was due to his efforts that the world’s largest tractor company, Mahindra, located and expanded its facility in Harris County.

As County Judge, Judge Emmett is the Director of Harris County’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management and is responsible for 4.7 million people. In a riveting address, he shed light on how the city

Unanticipated snags surfaced, but the key to emergency management, the Judge emphasized was “having the right people, the right assets” and working closely with Mayor Sylvester Turner “because people want one clear voice.”

Hurricane Harvey also exposed all the natural water flow paths across the county that need to be corrected.

160,000 homes were flooded and of those 105,000 had no flood insurance because they were unaware that they were in the flood line.

The inflicted damages are estimated at $125 billion. T Leaders of community organizations and area Chambers with Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and IACCGH leadership

he Judge anticipated the process of rebuilding Houston to be completed by 2020 - 21.

US manufacturing expansion slows in July: ISM ASHINGTON | AFP | 8/1/2018 - US manufacturing continued to expand in July but at a slower pace, as many firms cited the impact of a raft of tariffs especially on China, according to an industry survey Wednesday.

sion, he said half the firms surveyed mentioned concerns about US tariffs and retaliatory duties, compared to just a third in prior months, and the issue is causing companies to hold off on investing.

New orders and production remained strong but slowed from June, while employment was flat, according to the Institute for Supply Management’s closely-watched survey.

The Purchasing Managers Index for US manufacturing slipped 2.1 points to 58.1 percent, which was slightly below the average for the past 12 months and below the consensus forecast but still strong.

“Respondents are again overwhelmingly concerned about how tariff-related activity, including reciprocal tariffs, will continue to affect their business,” said Timothy Fiore, chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.

The trade tensions created by President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policy have been stoking price pressures in recent months for steel and aluminum.

W

Although 17 of the 18 industries covered reported continued expan-

“Uncertainty is the enemy of business,” Fiore told reporters.

“Global demand is still strong.

Working on contingency plans for the Chinese tariffs. We will probably onshore most of that material. Labor

availability is becoming an issue,” a company in the computer and electronics sector said.

A transportation equipment firm said, “Reviewing the business case for importing manufactured parts from China, as new tariffs will lead to increased costs that we will pass along to our domestic customers.”

Fiore said the impact is now filtering through into finished products, although the overall price index fell.

But he said companies remained confident for now that they could continue to pass the price increases along to customers.

Fiore said the full impact of the tit-for-tat tariffs that had hit imports and exports would not be known until later in the year, when firms report third quarter financial results.

Companies also continued to report difficulty filling open positions

US manufacturing activity continued to expand in July and companies “continued to note labor as constraints to their opera-

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VOICE OF ASIA 14

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

BOLLYWOOD - HOLLYWOOD Section 2

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Spotify partners with Archie Comics for animated series

A

rchie Comics has teamed with Spotify to bring the adventures of the crew from Riverdale to a new audience, adapting the comic book series into video that will be streamed on the music platform.

to fans and readers,” Archie Comics Publisher/CEO Jon Goldwater said

The six-episode video series is being adapted from the 2015 reboot of the classic comic book characters

by Mark Waid and Fiona Staples, with the translation between media being handled

by Madefire, the motion comic Artwork: Fiona Staples/Archie Comics publisher that has previously handled similar projects for Marvel and in a statement. “And when the opDC Entertainment. Each episode of portunity to work with Spotify arose, the new series will cover one issue it was a perfect match. Being able to reposition these modern classics for of the comic book series. new readers in this unique, motion “Archie has always been about try- comic format makes perfect sense ing to find new ways to get comics and we can’t wait for fans to experi-

ence these beloved Archie stories in a new way.”

The announcement comes a day ahead of former Conde Nast Entertainment executive Dawn Ostroff’s first day as the new chief content officer for Spotify, a move seen as a

Priyanka and Nick chilling in New York (Photo: Instagram/choprajonas)

sign that the platform is getting more serious about original video content just a year after it ramped down production on a number of series.

Spotlight Archie: The New Riverdale is available to view right now.

Indian megastar Priyanka Chopra engaged to Nick Jonas: report

N

EW YORK | AFP - Indian film superstar Priyanka Chopra is engaged to young American singer Nick Jonas after a whirlwind two months of dating, a report said Friday.

Petition urges ‘fat-shaming’ Netflix series to be scrapped

People magazine, citing unnamed sources close to the pair, said Jonas, 25, proposed to Chopra in London for her 36th birthday after shutting down a Tiffany store in New York to choose a ring.

I

nsatiable, a new series on streaming service Netflix, is accused of mocking overweight people, and a petition demanding its withdrawal had garnered more than 125,000 signatures by Tuesday.

Representatives for the two stars did not respond to requests for comment.

But director Ali Abbas Zafar appeared to allude to the engagement when he announced that Chopra was leaving the film “Bharat,” a historical drama about modern India.

The series, which features Alyssa Milano and Debby Ryan and will be on Netflix from August 10, features an overweight teenager who is ridiculed by her classmates. After losing weight, she seeks revenge.

“The reason is very very special,” he tweeted. “She told us in the Nick of time about her decision and we are very happy for her.”

The petition states that the series encourages young women to value “their worth on their bodies,” and “perpetuates not only the toxicity of diet culture, but the objectification of women’s bodies.”

Chopra, who won the Miss World pageant in 2000, has become one of

Bollywood’s most identifiable stars and, more recently, one of the few to achieve success in the West.

She has starred in the thriller series “Quantico” on US network ABC and, in her career as a singer, has released songs with US chart-toppers including Pitbull and The Chainsmokers.

Jonas first found success as a child as the frontman of The Jonas Brothers with his two siblings.

Also an actor on theater and in television, Jonas returned to music as a young adult with a new, mature image and has often been seen as a sex symbol. He has been romantically linked to a number of prominent women including Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez.

People magazine said that, while Jonas and Chopra have known each other for some time, they began dating just two months ago and the relationship was serious enough that she introduced him to her mother in India.

Kangana Ranaut on Priyanka’s wild engagement : “Spoke to her, she seems excited!”

“We still have time to stop this series from being released, and causing a devastation of self-doubt in the minds of young girls who will think that to be happy and be worthy, they need to lose weight,” it says.

Debby Ryan defended the series on her Instagram account.

M

UMBAI, 8/1/2018 - Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut said today she spoke to Priyanka Chopra, who has reportedly gotten engaged to American singer Nick Jonas, and the star seemed “excited and happy”.

“As someone who cares deeply about the way our bodies, especially women’s, are shamed and policed in society, I was so excited to work on Insatiable because it’s a show that addresses and confronts those ideas through satire,” wrote Ryan.

Kangana, who co-starred with Priyanka in ‘Fashion’, said spoke to the actor and congratulated her.

When asked if she’s looking forward to Priyanka’s wedding, Kangana told reporters, “I spoke to Priyanka the other day and I congratulated

She spoke of “twelve years into my own struggles with body image, struggles that took me in and out of terrible places I never want to go again.”

“The redemption is in identifying the bullies and saying ‘this is not OK,’” Ryan said.

Her character “undergoes a physical transformation, but doesn’t make her happy. We’re not in the business of fat shaming. We’re out to turn a sharp eye on broken, harmful systems that equate thinness with worth.”

Cindy Holland, vice president of original content at Netflix, addressed the backlash on Sunday during the

“Insatiable,” a new series on streaming service Netflix, is accused of mocking overweight people, and a petition demanding its withdrawal had garnered more than 125,000 signatures by Tuesday. © Courtesy of Netflix 2018 Television Critics Association summer press tour.

Gussis “felt very strongly about exploring these issues based on her own experiences, but satirically, in a very over the top way,” Holland told reporters, according to Deadline. “Ul-

timately, the message of the show is that what is most important is you feel most comfortable” in your own self, she said. She noted that the issue of “fat shaming is in the DNA of the show.”

Netflix did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The streaming giant has already been the subject of controversy in recent months for the series “13 Reasons

Kangana (right) and Priyanka at the Vogue Beauty Awards 2018.

Rumours of Priyanka and Nick’s engagement started coming in after the actor pulled out of Salman Khan’s forthcoming film ‘Bharat’.

There were speculations that Priyanka who has never spoken about her relationship with Nick got engaged to the popstar on her birthday and would tie the knot this year.

Why,” accused of encouraging suicide in adolescents.

her. She responded in a very.

“If such an event is taking place, I’d love to celebrate with her because she is lovely and she deserves all the happiness. She is a very dear friend. I get very happy and excited with weddings and engagements.

The actor was speaking at beauty awards, here tonight.When a if Priyanka confirmed the wedding date to her, Kangana said “No, not to me”.

- Times of India

LEGAL

VOICE OF ASIA 15

Section 2

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Family Law and Personal Injury

YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER

PROCEDURE FOR DIVORCES IN TEXAS divorce to facilitate reconciliation. There is an exception to this rule for those on active military duty or domestic violence.

Mala Sharma

D

ivorces are scary to think about and can be a very difficult process. Although your attorney will ease this burden for you by handling your case, it is great to understand the entire process.

First step is filing the Petition for Divorce in a Court that has the authority to hear your case and grant your divorce. In Texas, for a Court to have jurisdiction and be the proper venue over your divorce, you will need to have been a resident of the County for the preceding 90 days and of the state the preceding 6 months prior to filing suit. You will also need to name both parties correctly in the petition. Your name would be ‘Petitioner” and your spouse’s name would be “Respondent”. Further Texas has a No Fault divorce which mean divorces may be granted without regard to fault if the marriage has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities that destroys the legitimate ends of the marriage relationship and prevents any reasonable expectation of reconciliation. Filing for divorce based on ‘insupportability’ is used in almost all divorces as an all-encompassing category. However, other grounds do exist including: adultery, abandonment, conviction of a felony or imprisonment for over one year, cruel and inhuman treatment. Further, after filing the petition, there is a 2 month “cooling off” period before a Court will grant your

After filing the petition, the next step is to give legal notice to your spouse, the Respondent.

A process server will give your spouse a file-stamped copy of the petition and file a Return of Service with the Court to prove that your spouse has been officially served and received notice. Without this proof of service, a Court cannot verify that your spouse has been served with the petition. However, if your spouse has run away or cannot be found, you can get a thorough background search.

Also, a Court will grant alternative service in particular cases. After service has been completed, Respondent has the Monday following 20 days from the date of service to respond. Otherwise, if there is no response and Respondent was properly served, then the Court will grant you a divorce by default without needing Respondent’s signature. The divorce will only be finalized after the 60 day waiting period.

However, if you and your spouse agree to the divorce, then you both can waive service. This is an uncontested divorce which is where you and your spouse agree to get a divorce, your spouse will sign the waiver and decree. You would not pay for a process server and your spouse would not need to be served or need to respond to service. Uncontested divorces do not cost much whereas contested divorces can become very expensive with litigation costs. In either a contested or uncontested divorce, the three big issues must be negotiated: child custody, child and spousal support, and community property vs. separate property division. For child custody,

you and your spouse must decide if you will share custody equally or who will be the primary custodian and who has visitation rights. Additionally, the non-primary custodian pays monthly child support to the primary custodian. Further, Texas allows for spousal maintenance in limited circumstances when the receiving spouse is not able to earn sufficient income. Third, any property acquired prior to marriage and by gift or inheritance is separate property.

Any property acquired during marriage is Community property. You and your spouse can also agree to how property is split. Last, if you and your spouse cannot come to an agreement on the divorce, child custody and visitation, child support and/or spousal maintenance, and property division, the next step would be to proceed to trial.

About Mala Sharma Mala Sharma has been practicing family law and personal injury with her family at the Law Offices of Sharma & Associates, founded in 1997.

Mala is President Emeritus of the Houston Northwest Bar Association, Board member of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association and South Asian Bar Association. She is also a member of the Houston Bar Association.

Disclaimer: This material is available for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. If you require advice on any particular legal question, you may contact Sharma & Associates at 281-893-8644 or by email at mala@sharmalaws. net to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

Tel: 713-774-5140

by Sharlene Sharmila Richards, Immigration Lawyer Email at srichardslaw@aol.com

Sharlene Sharmila Richards

Q: I received my conditional residence based on my marriage to a US Citizen. My Green Card will be expiring in about 5 months. What do I need to do to renew my Green Card?

A: You will need to file Form I-751 to remove the conditions on your residence within 90 days before your Green Card expires. You and your US Citizen spouse must jointly file the petition and include documents evidencing your continued cohabitation after you received your Green Card.

Q: How much is the Filing Fee for the I-751?

A: The current Filing Fee is $595.00 plus an additional $85.00 as biometric services fee. The total fee is $680.00.

Q: What kind of documents will USCIS need for me to provide as part of the I-751?

A: The usual documents would be joint leases; joint title to properties such as homes, cars, stocks and shares etc.; joint bank statements and credit card statement; joint vehicle insurance; joint medical insurance; birth certificates of any children of the marriage; joint Tax Returns; joint utility bills; evidences of joint debts such as mortgages, loans, car payments; joint travel itineraries; children’s school records; photos of the couple together and those with family and friends etc.

Q: We do not have many joint financial documents as my husband and I agreed to keep our finances separate because we both have children from past marriages. As to the household bills, I pay some from my account and he pays

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT REMOVAL OF CONDITIONS ON PERMANENT RESIDENCE (MARRIAGE)

the others from his account.

What should do we do when we file the I-751?

A: Just provide whatever other kinds of documents that you may have, for example if you both travelled together on trips – provide the travel itineraries and hotel bookings; photos etc. Also provide both parties bank statements and the bills to show they all belong to the same household. You and your husband should also provide a letter to explain the reasons for your decision as to why you both decided to keep your finances separate.

Q: I have been waiting for my I-751 to be adjudicated as it was filed about a year ago. My US Citizen husband and I filed the I-751 jointly. Then recently I received a Request for Evidence asking me to provide more documents evidencing our marriage. Unfortunately, my husband and I have recently agreed to divorce due to his violent behavior towards me. We separated more than 8 months ago.

The divorce will be coming through any time in the next week or two.

A: You are advised to contact an immigration attorney who will be able to assist you in handling such a Request for Evidence. You will need to inform USCIS of your changed marital status and reasons for the divorce. Your joint I-751 petition will be converted to a petition requesting for waiver of the joint filing requirement due to good faith marriage that ended in divorce or you were subject to extreme cruelty by your spouse. Be prepared to also provide a copy of the Divorce Decree as past of the response to the Request for Evidence.

Q: I was granted conditional permanent residence and it is time for me to file the petition to remove the condition on my residence. However, my husband passed away two months ago from cancer.

What should I do?

A: If you married a US Citizen in good faith but your spouse has since died, you will be eligible to file the waiver of the joint filing requirement.

You will need to provide evidence of your husband’s death i.e. a death certificate, evidence of any joints documents you have together with him and in the Form I-751, you will need to check the appropriate box (my spouse is deceased) – that you are seeking the waiver of the joint filing requirement based on death of spouse.

Disclaimer: Any advice provided in this article is general in nature and not intended to constitute legal advice for any specific case. Please consult with an immigration lawyer about the specific circumstances of your case.

My Bio Sharlene Sharmila Richards is a licensed Immigration lawyer practicing in Houston, Texas. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2000 and is a member of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and a member of the US Supreme Court. You may contact her at telephone number 713623-8088 or by email at srichardslaw@aol.com to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

Read previous articles on LEGAL issues by our columnist Visit us online : www. voiceofasiaonline.com To contribute articles, email voiceasia@aol.com

VOICE OF ASIA 16

Young Life

Using phones and laptops in lectures can affect students’ exam performance

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

This Trump administration whistleblower has some advice for young scientists

N

ew US research has found that allowing devices such as smartphones and tablets in lectures could cause students to perform worse in their end-ofterm exams.

Carried out by researchers from Rutgers University, the team recruited 118 cognitive psychology students who attended the university and followed them for one term of their course.

Electronic devices including laptops, phones and tablets were banned in half of the lectures and permitted in the other half, with students asked to record whether they had used them for non-academic purposes during the lecture.

As previous studies have found that when a person divides attention between two tasks they remember less from at least one of them, the researchers pointed out that when students divide attention between an electronic device and the lecture they should be learning less.

In fact, they found that having devices present in the lectures didn’t lower the students’ understanding of the class, which was measured by tests completed within lectures.

However, students did perform significantly worse in their end-of-term exam, by at least 5% or half a grade, when devices were permitted in lec-

Joel Clement was the top climate policy expert at the U.S. Department of the Interior before he was reassigned to a post collecting royalty checks from the oil and gas industry. (Ja-Rei Wang/Union Of Concerned Scientists) Allowing electronic devices in class could affect students’ test performance according to new research. © JohnnyGreig / IStock.com tures and attention was divided.

The study is the first-ever to be carried out in an actual classroom and show that distraction caused by an electronic device can have an effect on long-term retention of information and subsequent exam performance.

In addition, even when students didn’t use the devices themselves but attended lectures where devices were permitted they also performed worse. The researchers noted in their findings that students

who are not using devices and are trying to direct their full attention to the class may be distracted by the activity around them.

They noted that one of the lecturers often noticed two students giggling together as they viewed an image on a laptop, behavior which could affect the group learning environment.

Commenting on the findings, the study’s lead author, Professor Arnold Glass, added, “These findings should alert the many dedicated students

For many college students, hunger ‘‘Makes it hard to focus’

by Michelle Andrews

A

s students enter college this fall, many will hunger for more than knowledge. Up to half of college students in recent published studies say they either are not getting enough to eat or are worried about it.

This food insecurity is most prevalent at community colleges, but it’s common at public and private four-year schools as well.

Student activists and advocates in the education community have drawn attention to the problem in recent years, and the food pantries that have sprung up at hundreds of schools are perhaps the most visible sign. Some schools nationally also have instituted the Swipe Out Hunger program, which allows students to donate their unused meal plan vouchers, or “swipes,” to other students to use at campus dining halls or food pantries.

That’s a start, say analysts studying the problem of campus hunger, but more systemwide solutions are needed.

“If I’m sending my kid to college, I want more than a food pantry,” says Sara GoldrickRab, a professor of higher education policy and sociology at Temple University in Philadelphia, and founder of the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice. “I want to know that they’re addressing high food prices on campus and taking steps to ensure no student goes hungry,” Goldrick-Rab says.

One of the reasons the issue hasn’t received great attention may stem from a misperception about what today’s students are really like, says Katharine Broton, an assistant professor in educational policy and leadership studies at the University of Iowa, who has published research on food and housing insecurity in colleges.

Many students don’t fit the stereotype of someone who attends a four-year institution full-time and doesn’t have a job, Broton says. Rather, about 40 percent of students these days are working in addition to going to school. And nearly 1 in 4 are parents.

The juggling act can be hard to maintain. “Most of the students, we find, are working and

and instructors that dividing attention is having an insidious effect that is impairing their exam performance and final grade. To help manage the use of devices in the classroom, teachers should explain to students the damaging effect of distractions on retention -- not only for themselves, but for the whole class.”

The results can be found published online in the journal Educational Psychology.

- Relaxnews

generally must work at least 20 hours a week to qualify for SNAP, something many cannot manage. But states have flexibility to designate what counts as employment and training programs, says Elizabeth Lower-Basch, director of income and work supports at CLASP, an anti-poverty advocacy organization. In California, for example, students who participate in certain educational programs at school are eligible for CalFresh, she says.

“That’s our first line of defense,” Canedo says. “Students are being awarded about $192 per month.”

For students who don’t qualify for CalFresh, the school sponsors a parallel food assistance program that also provides benefits. There’s a food pantry that offers regular cooking demonstrations.

With financial aid declining, many college students can’t afford to eat, studies show, even though about 40 percent are also working. Nearly 1 in 4 college students are parents, which can add to their financial stress. (franckreporter/ Getty Images) receiving financial aid, but still struggling with food insecurity,” Broton says.

Adding to the stress is the fact that while tuition and fees continue to rise, financial aid hasn’t kept pace. In the 201718 school year, after accounting for grant aid and tax benefits, full-time students at two-year colleges had to cover $8,070 in room and board, on average, while those at four-year public institutions faced an average $14,940 in room, board, tuition and fees.

Hunger researchers credit students with both sounding the alarm about the problem on campus and in some cases offering ingenious solutions.

Rachel Sumekh, who founded the Swipe Out Hunger program with friends several years ago, when she was a student at UCLA, says they wanted to do something useful with the unused credits from the meal plans that they were required to buy. The program now counts 48 schools as participants, and Sumekh says in the past year they’ve seen a “dramatic” increase in the number of colleges that are reaching out to them about getting involved.

“Free dining passes have given me chances to eat when I thought I wouldn’t be able to,” one student wrote to the Swipes program. “I used to go

hungry and that would make it hard to focus in class or study.

[The passes] really helped my studying and may have helped me get my GPA up.”

- Kaiser Health News

by Katie Langin

T

ORONTO, CANADA- One year ago, Joel Clement—then a senior scientist at the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C.—wrote in The Washington Post: “I am a scientist, a policy expert, a civil servant and a worried citizen. Reluctantly, as of today, I am also a whistleblower on an administration that chooses silence over science.”

And with that, Clement went public about his ongoing feud with President Donald Trump’s administration, alleging that Trump appointees had retaliated against him and transferred him to an inappropriate position because of his work on climate change policy. He filed an official complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel—a complaint that, a year later, is still being investigated. And in October 2017, he resigned from his position entirely.

ScienceInsider caught up with Clement last week here at the North American Congress for Conservation Biology, where he received an award for his work on climate change and his “courage in upholding the highest standards of scientific integrity in government service.” This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Q: For readers who aren’t familiar with your story, can you take us back to what led to your op-ed in The Washington Post and eventual resignation?

A: I was the director of the Office of Policy Analysis at the Department of the Interior, and in that role was the climate change lead for the agency.

I spent most of my time on the impacts of climate change on Alaska Native villages in the Arctic and the implications for these people for getting them out of harms way. These villages are perched on melting permafrost on a coastline that is no longer protected by sea ice most of the year, and every fall we cross our fingers that a big storm doesn’t wipe one of them off the map.

I went from that job to being reassigned to the office that collects royalty checks from the oil and gas industry. The political appointees were sending a very clear signal they wanted me to quit. And it was inappropriate and it was retaliation. They also reassigned a very disproportionate number of American Indians at the same time. So there was discrimination and retaliation; they checked all the boxes for bad management.

Q: What was the hardest part about transitioning away from civil service?

A: It was difficult to leave because working in the federal government exceeded all of my expectations in terms of access and impact. You can’t do a lot of those things from outside government. You can throw ideas over the castle walls, but until you’re inside you don’t know how those ideas take.

In my case, they’d already taken the job I was there to do and all I had left was my voice.

It became clear that if I was going to be effective any longer it had to be outside the agency.

So I have no regrets about leaving.

Q: What are you doing now?

A: Since January, I’ve been a senior fellow at the Union of Concerned Scientists in Cambridge, Massachusetts, working on scientific integrity. The Harvard Kennedy School recently spun up an Arctic initiative, so they brought me on a senior fellow with that as well.

I’ve essentially taken my portfolio into these other arenas. I’m able to continue my work and, under the current circumstances, can be more influential and effective in these roles. So it’s worked out.

Q: What’s your advice for other potential whistleblowers?

A: You should say something if you’re being asked to do something that goes against your values or the mission of the agency, or if it’s an issue that’s important to the health and safety of Americans.

- MarketWatch

The University of California, Berkeley is part of Swipes.

That program is one element in a multipronged effort at Cal that targets students who may need extra support to meet their basic housing, food and other needs, says Ruben Canedo, a university employee who chairs the campus’s basic needs committee. (He also helps govern a similar committee for all 10 UC campuses.)

According to a survey of UC Berkeley students, 38 percent of undergraduates and 23 percent of graduate students deal with food insecurity at some point during the academic year, Canedo says. In particular, the school reaches out to groups known to be at risk for food insecurity — including students who are parents, low-income or who identify as LGBTQ, as well as those who are first-generation college students.

Canedo says a key focus this fall will be to enroll eligible students in CalFresh, the California version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, informally known as food stamps or SNAP. Under federal rules, students

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VOICE OF VOICE OF ASIA ASIA17 17

FRIDAY, August 3,32018 FRIDAY,August 2018

August is Immunization Awareness Month

Section 2

Tel: 713-774-5140

New study finds more chemicals than expected in pregnant women

August is National Immunization Awareness Month

N

ew US research has found that the average pregnant women has 56 different suspect chemicals in their blood, which may be hazardous to themselves or their unborn child.

I

mmunizations (also called shots or vaccines) help prevent dangerous and sometimes deadly diseases. Immunization isn’t just for kids – to stay protected against serious illnesses like the flu, measles, and pneumonia, adults need to get vaccinated, too.

Carried out by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, the study used a new testing method which can screen an individual’s blood for hundreds of chemicals at once to look at blood samples from 75 pregnant women.

The technique identifies chemicals by their molecular weight, and enabled the team to test the blood for 696 chemicals in one screening, a much larger number than previous methods, which typically screen around a dozen chemicals at a time.

The chemicals looked at included environmental organic acids (EOAs), which are widely used in pesticides and consumer products. Many individuals are exposed to these and other similar chemicals by using products, eating contaminated food, drinking contaminated water, or breathing contaminated air and dust. Some EOAs, such as bisphenol-A, methylparaben, and triclosan, are thought to have chemical structures that are similar to hormones which can disrupt the endocrine system, which suggests that they could also interfere with the development of fetuses.

From the initial screening the researchers found that the pregnant women had between 32 and 73 chemicals in their blood, more than previously identified, with an average of 56 different chemicals found.

A second, more refined method also found that six of the chemicals that had not been found previously in the blood of pregnant women, two of which -- 2,4-Dinitrophenol and pyrocatechol -- may cause genetic defects,

New research has revealed that pregnant women may have an average of 56 chemicals in their blood. (Image: © RapidEye / itsock.com) harm fertility, damage the fetus, or have carcinogenic effects.

identify exposures that may pose a health risk.

A third chemical found in the study, 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol, is used in food-related plastic products, as well as plastic pipes and water bottles. In Europe, it has been found that the chemical can leach from water bottles and electric kettles made from chemical substitutes for bisphenol-A -- an endocrine disruptor that is being phased out.

“Our success with the current suspect screening approach indicates that this method can provide new insights regarding human exposures to potentially dangerous chemicals. Our results raise concerns about pregnant women’s chemical exposures and can be used to inform evidence-based approaches to protect human health,” commented senior author Tracey Woodruff.

Despite tens of thousands of chemicals being manufactured in or imported into the United State each year, little is known about which chemicals may enter people’s bodies or how they affect human health.

According to the team, the method used in the new study will improve our ability to better assess chemical exposures in pregnant women and to

The results can be found online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

For those concerned, the Toxic Matters brochure series from PRHE provides information on how to reduce chemical exposures.

- Relaxnews

How to watch calorie intake for a healthier summer

S

ummertime often brings with it plenty of picnics, barbeques, and ice cream, often washed down with a cold glass of your favorite tipple. But indulging in your favorite calorie-laden summer foods can cause the weight to gradually creep up.

In fact, a study by the University of Georgia, USA found that while on vacation 61 percent of the participants included put on weight, which some were still carrying around for up to six weeks after the holiday had ended.

To help you avoid excess weight gain this season, whether at home or on vacation, here we round up some expert advice on how to enjoy your summer favorites in a healthier way.

- Make it yourself Premade dishes are often high in fat and sodium to help give them a longer shelf life, which can lead to health issues like elevated blood pressure. So instead buy fresh ingredients and enjoy some home cooking or make your

favorite summer salads.

"When you prepare the food yourself, you have more control over the quality of the nutrition, and something that's freshly prepared always tastes better," says Sabina Valentine, a nutri-

tion expert with the Centre for Health and Nutrition in the University of Alberta's School of Public Health.

- Try out healthy alternatives Think about the healthier choices you can make at summer get-togeth-

National Immunization Awareness Month is a great time to promote vaccines and remind family, friends, and co-workers to stay up to date on their shots.

While no one enjoys getting shots, staying up to date on your vaccines could have important health benefits; they could help you avoid disease, hospitalization, and even death.

According to U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, a vaccine is a product that produces immunity from disease. They could be administered by needle injections, by mouth, or by aerosol (spray).

People aged 60 and older may be especially vulnerable to certain diseases that could be prevented by vaccines. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 500,000 Americans age 60 and older get shingles (caused by the varicella zoster virus) every year. Fortunately, there is a vaccine which may protect against shingles. The CDC also reports that about 60% of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations are in people age 65 and older. These hospitalizations might be avoided with the flu vaccine that protects against the influenza virus.

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human services, the following vaccines may be recommended for older adults: influenza (flu), shingles, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and pneumococcal disease (pneumonia). (This list of vaccines may not be right for you. Ask your doctor what he/she recommends for you.) Medicare Part B or Part D generally cover many preventative vaccines. See below what Medicare vaccine coverage you may get for each of these shots: Flu According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory illness. Symptoms might include fever, body aches, cough, runny nose, and fatigue. Flu complications in adults age 65 or older could result in hospitalization or death. Flu shots are generally cov-

ers and family events, says Bethany Denlinger, M.D., medical director of the Cardiology Lab at VCU Community Memorial Hospital, such as choosing lean beef and make smaller hamburger patties, or instead grill chicken or salmon.

Valentine also suggests swapping mayonnaise in favorites like potato or pasta salad with Greek yogurt or creating a lighter oil-and-vinegar dressing, replacing salt with herbs and spices,

Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900

ered by Medicare Part B. Usually one shot is covered per flu season and you pay nothing for the flu shot if the doctor or health-care provider accepts Medicare assignment.

Shingles (herpes zoster) Shingles is a painful rash that typically develops on one side of the face or body, according to the CDC. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes the chickenpox: the varicella zoster virus. Very rarely, shingles can lead to pneumonia, hearing problems, blindness, brain inflammation or death, according to the CDC. The shingles shot isn’t covered by Medicare Part A or Part B but is generally covered by Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D). Medicare Part D plans generally cover all commercially-available vaccines. You will have to contact your plan for specific information about coverage of a particular vaccine.

Pneumonia (pneumococcal) vaccines Medicare Part B usually covers the pneumococcal vaccines to prevent pneumonia. Doctors might give you two different shots, taken a year apart. You generally pay nothing for the pneumococcal shots if your doctor or other health-care provider accepts Medicare assignment.

To choose suitable Medicare Advantage Plan, Medicare Supplement and/or Medicare Part D drug plan contact Sudhir Mathuria at 713771-2900.

and eschewing chips for crunchy veggies or baked slices of whole wheat pita bread.

- Try fruit for dessert Skip the cake and ice cream and instead try grilling sliced bananas, peaches, pears or pineapple. "Fruit's natural sugar makes the dessert so sweet when it's barbecued, you don't need to add anything to it," says Valentine. - Relaxnews

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HEALTH

VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

I said ‘no’ to drugs, they didn’t Importance of Diet in Coronary Heart Disease: listen: dealing with addiction Risks and Solutions - Part II Fruit and vegetables are also important sources of folate, which helps lower the blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which appears to be linked to an increased risk of heart disease

At the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, a doctor is on duty to prescribe methadone, a legal heroin substitute, to delegates who might be struggling with withdrawal

N

elda de Grave, an addiction specialist, was not sure she would have any takers, but considers it her duty to ensure any addicts among the conference goers are “not sick, not in withdrawal”, and “well enough to follow” the proceed-

• Fibre – wholegrain cereals and fruit and vegetables

“Most of it is for injecting.”

• Unrefined carbohydrate sources with a low glycaemic index – foods such as wholegrain breads and breakfast cereals, legumes, certain types of rice and pasta are important for people prone to diabetes because they help keep blood sugar levels in check

There are needles and syringes, and sterile cups for dissolving heroin.

“You can also do it in a spoon, of course that’s what most people do, but

Meenakshi Bhattacharjee, PhD. Rice University, Houston Texas

by Dr. Meenakshi Bhattacharjee Foods that help prevent heart disease

At the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, a doctor is on duty to prescribe methadone, a legal heroin substitute, to delegates who might be struggling with withdrawal. © mrtom-uk / IStock.com

There is no ‘magic’ food to decrease the risk of developing heart disease.

You need to eat a healthy diet and have plenty of exercise. High-salt diets increase blood pressure and the risk of heart attack and stroke. Most of us consume more than ten times the amount of salt we need to meet our sodium requirements (salt contains sodium and chloride). However, there is evidence that plant foods – especially wholegrain cereals, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables – may decrease the risk of heart disease.

The foods that best protect against heart disease include:

ings.

this is sterile,” she said.

Three came for prescriptions on Tuesday alone.

There are filters for removing impurities from the liquid heroin mix, sterilising wipes, pads to apply pressure to the prick point, and portable, yellow, plastic bins for discarding used needles.

One floor down, in a large advocacy space at the conference venue, counsellors staff a “harm reduction” booth stacked with boxes upon boxes of sterile needles for intravenous drug users who may need them.

“This is tinfoil for... if you want smoke heroin,” said Bakker, pointing out another product.

No questions asked.

Such pragmatism about narcotics use and addiction may be par for the course in the Netherlands, a country known for its open-minded approach to drugs, which remain illegal.

But for many delegates it may seem too good to be true.

“We were asked (by conference organisers) to be ready especially for people from eastern Europe and (central) Asia,” de Grave told AFP. This is a region where experts say oppressive drug laws are fuelling an HIV surge through the sharing of tainted needles.

Infections with the immune systemwrecking virus that causes AIDS rose 30 percent in the region since 2010, according to a UNAIDS report.

“To be on methadone... obviously is not common in these countries, so only to attend the conference well you have to have some medication,” said de Grave. “That is why we are here.”

- Reducing harm For epidemiologist and public health expert Chris Beyrer, “progressive drug policy can really be a critical part of controlling the HIV epidemic.”

“Part of that is making sure that people who are using, are doing so in ways that are safer and are not associated with disease transmission,” he said on a visit to a nearby addiction centre in Amsterdam.

The centre not only offers counselling, but also offers to test drugs, including heroin, for purity and safety.

Walk-in customers pay 2.50 euros (about three dollars) for a test.

In the Netherlands, experts say, HIV transmission through intravenous drug use is extremely rare.

- ‘Support. Don’t punish’ “In the Netherlands we have very good quality heroin so there’s a lot of people who don’t inject heroin but they smoke it from foil, ‘chasing the dragon’.”

This is a form of harm reduction, she explains, as it presents an alternative to injecting.

There are booklets of sniffing papers too, with tips handily printed on them.

“Crush and chop the powder as finely as possible,” the sheets advise. “Be kind to your nasal passage and go for small lines.”

The papers help stop the spread of Hepatitis C, which can cause liver disease, said Bakker.

“People use straws, for instance, which are quite sharp. If you share them and if you have ... just a tiny, tiny, tiny bit of blood... it (the virus) could be transferred.”

According to Ann Fordham, who leads the International Drug Policy Consortium, an advocacy network, there was a 30-percent increase in HIV among people who inject drugs worldwide between 2011 and 2015.

Less than one percent of people who inject drugs live in countries where needle exchange is available, she said.

Activists at the AIDS conference launched a campaign entitled “Just say no to the war on drugs” -- a direct challenge to the Ronald Reagan-era slogan “Just say no” at the height of America’s “war on drugs”.

“I said no to drugs but they didn’t listen,” reads one slogan of the alternative campaign.

“Support. Don’t punish,” states another.

The country has several needle exchange facilities and safe consumption venues.

A report this month by Harm Reduction International said funding for such services in low- and middle-income countries -- mainly donor money -- had flat-lined in the past decade.

Ingrid Bakker, one of the “harm reduction” advisers stationed at the conference, said about 20 people had made use of the service in the first three days.

In 2016, $188 million (161 million euros) was allocated -- the same as in 2007, it said.

“We have a lot of stuff,” she told AFP, gesturing around the tiny booth.

“Simply put, the lives of people who use drugs are being neglected,” charges the report. -AFP

Voice of Asia brings you the latest

in medicine, medical technology, nutrition, pharmacy, and other health related articles.

healthlinemag.com

• Oily fish – such as mackerel, sardines, tuna and salmon which contain omega-3 fatty acids. This type of fat has been shown to decrease triglycerides and increase HDL-cholesterol levels, improves blood vessel elasticity and thins the blood, making it less likely to clot and block blood flow • Some vegetables oils – such as corn, soy and safflower, which contain omega-6 fatty acids, and those containing omega-3 fatty acids such as canola and olive oil. All of these can help to lower LDL cholesterol when used instead of saturated fats such as butter • Fruit and vegetables – antioxidants in fruit and vegetables offer protection against heart disease.

• Legumes and soy – soy protein has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels, especially if blood cholesterol levels are high

• Garlic – a compound in fresh garlic called allicin has been found in some studies to lower blood cholesterol • Foods enriched with plant sterols – a daily intake of 2–3 g of phytosterols/stanols lowers LDL cholesterol levels by approximately ten per cent in healthy people and in those with high cholesterol and those with diabetes. This intake can be achieved by the consumption of two to three serves of phytosterol-enriched foods like margarine spreads, reduced-fat yoghurts, milk and breakfast cereal Help reduce your risk of heart disease To substantially reduce your risk of developing coronary heart disease:

• Nuts and seeds – they should be eaten in small quantities, as they are high in kilojoules

• Avoid fried fast food and processed foods containing vegetable shortening.

• Tea – some evidence suggests that the antioxidants in tea can help prevent the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries. The antioxidants may also act as an anti-blood clotting agent and improve blood vessel dilation to allow increased blood flow

• Choose a variety of oils (extra virgin olive oil, canola, peanut) and foods containing natural fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, soy, fish).

• Alcohol – it is thought that a moderate intake of alcohol may have some potential health benefits. For example, some types of alcohol (such as red wine) may contain protective factors like antioxidants, although this is still being researched. Alcohol also increases the HDL (‘good’) cholesterol and this helps clear cholesterol from the body. However, a high intake of alcohol increases blood pressure and also tends to increase triglycerides (a type of fat) in the blood, increasing the risk of heart disease. Current guidelines for alcohol intake in Australia recommend no more then two standard drinks per day for men and one for women to reduce the risks of harm related to alcohol

• Increase the amount and variety of plant foods consumed – eat more unrefined vegetables, fruits and wholegrain cereals. Reduce intake of refined sources of carbohydrates with higher glycaemic indices.

• Foods containing vitamin E – some studies indicate that vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect against ‘bad’ cholesterol. Good sources of vitamin E include avocados, dark green vegetables, vegetable oils and wholegrain products. It is better to eat foods containing vitamin E rather than take supplements, which do not have the same protective effects

• meat.

• Switch to low-fat or non-fat dairy products.

• Include legumes (like baked beans, soybeans, lentils and tofu) in your diet.

• Have a handful of a variety of raw, unsalted nuts on most days of the week, especially walnuts and almonds.

• week.

Eat oily fish at least once per

• If you drink alcohol, have no more than two drinks per day.

Trim all visible fat from

• Remove poultry skin and eat only the meat.

• Avoid added salt at the table and cooking and salty foods. Check the sodium content of foods and choose the lowest sodium products.

- CONCLUDED

New study highlights the importance of healthy diet in reducing the risk of cancer

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ew French research has found that following a balanced, healthy diet, drinking little alcohol, and participating in physical exercise are together associated with a reduced overall risk of cancer, as well as lower risk of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer.

Carried out by researchers in the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN) of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), University of Paris 13, the new study evaluated four different diets and their effect on the risk of cancer.

The diets included the WCRF/ AICR score (based on recommendations by the World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research), which encourages plenty of whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and beans with limited fast food, red and processed meat, alcohol, and sugary drinks; the Alternate Healthy Eating Index, which is a diet based on foods and nutrients that could reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases; and the French Nutrition and Health Program-Guidelines Score, which advises at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, foods rich in calcium such as dairy, starchy foods such as whole grains and potatoes, meat or fish one to two times a day, and limited saturated fat, sugar, and alcohol.

A more recent index was also included, the MEDI-LITE score, which measures adherence to a Medi-

terranean diet.

The researchers gathered data from 41,543 French adults aged 40 or older, who were asked to report on their diet every six months, detailing all the foods and beverages they consumed during a 24-hour period.

The results showed that all four diets were associated with a reduction in the risk of cancer, but the WCRF/AICR diet, which was developed specifically with cancer prevention in mind, had the strongest association.

More specifically, a one-point increase in the WCRF/AICR score was associated with a 12 percent decrease in overall cancer risk, a 14 percent decrease in breast cancer risk, and a 12 percent decrease in prostate cancer risk.

They researchers believe that the WCRF/AICR recommendation to avoid alcohol is the part of the diet that

most likely contributed to the reduced cancer risk, with recent research also suggesting that alcohol is a risk factor in many cancers including oropharyngeal, esophagus, liver, colorectal, stomach, and breast cancers.

However, the team added that the "synergistic contribution" of a healthy diet was more important than just a single dietary recommendation.

"The World Cancer Research Fund/ American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) estimated that in developed countries, around 35 percent of breast cancers and 45 percent of colorectal cancers could be avoided by better adherence to nutritional recommendations," commented one of study's authors, Bernard Srour.

The results can be found published online in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

- Relaxnews

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

VOICE OF ASIA 19

Gene-editing damages DNA more than previously thought: study

Google Cloud Next ‘18: Docs will correct your grammar, while Gmail and Hangout guess what you want to say next.

P

A R I S , France | AFP | Monday 7/16/2018 A revolutionary gene editing technique hailed as the future of disease eradication and mooted for a Nobel prize may be less precise and cause more cell damage than previously thought, researchers said Monday.

I

f you like the Smart Replies that pop up on your Gmail app, you’ll be happy to know that they are coming soon to Hangout Chat. As for those emails, Smart Compose will soon be able to finish them off. And should you not remember the grammar rules, Google Docs will correct your mistakes.

Example of a ‘Smart Reply’ in Gmail © Google réponses automatiques sous Gmail

“I’ll take a look for them.”

“Sending them over now.”

Google Cloud Next ‘18 kicked off on Tuesday, July 24 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco welcoming industry leaders, developers and entrepreneurs.

So far the event -- which is Google’s biggest yet, said Diane Green, CEO of Google Cloud, in her keynote -- has brought many announcements, mostly geared towards businesses and those at the heart of cloud-based technology, however there were a few takeaways for the typical day-today G Suite users.

AI writing more texts and emails Hundreds of millions of messages are processed daily to allow Google’s technology to find the best response to user emails. Those familiar with Gmail may have noticed that when opening an email on the app, three short reply options are proposed at the bottom.

Let’s say your boss requests some documents that you may hold, Gmail could offer replies such as: “I don’t know, sorry!”

Google says that this feature will be coming in the next few weeks to its communications app Hangout Chat for G Suite customers.

As for Gmail, already 10 percent of email replies are now made by a tap on Google’s Smart Reply proposal and now the brand is ready to bring Smart Compose to G Suite customers.

The idea is that it can fill in greetings, sign-offs and common phrases to save users’ time. In an example on its blog, Google demonstrates how -- as you’re typing -- sentence suggestions will pop up much like predictive texting, only longer phrases that, with time, will sound more and more like the user’s voice and learn preferred greetings and so forth.

Smart Compose in Gmail will be available to G Suite customers in the coming weeks.

Grammar hints for Docs This next feature could be useful for just about anyone, especially those who didn’t listen to their English teachers or

who juggle multiple languages -- Grammar Suggestions in Google Docs.

The AI is designed to spot different types of corrections “from simple grammatical rules like how to use articles in a sentence (like “a” versus “an”), to more complicated grammatical concepts such as how to use subordinate clauses correctly,” notes Google.

Though not quite ready for a global rollout, it is now available in an Early Adopter Program for G Suite customers.

A makeover for Google’s aesthetics?

Not only are the tools getting updates, so is the brand’s Material Design, according to several reports by notable tech blogs.

Some of the possible design tweaks, such as whiter whites and rounded corners, can be seen in an unofficial teaser video posted by Android Police, who go on to reaffirm that “the interfaces shown off shouldn’t be considered final designs.”

Meanwhile Ars Technica posted mockups that suggest many of the bands of color seen in Google apps could disappear.

Google has not confirmed the changes.

- Relaxnews

Japan, home of the high-tech loo, hopes basic toilet can save lives

T

More than two billion people around the world do not have access to basic sanitation facilities, and children are especially susceptible to diseases that can spread without hygienic toilets.

Household products firm Lixil has developed a latrine that sells for just a few dollars and features a self-sealing trapdoor to keep out disease-spreading insects and seal in unpleasant odours.

Now it is forming an unusual partnership with the UN’s children’s agency UNICEF, which

will help promote the company’s SATO toilet in the hope of saving lives in developing countries.

Andres Franco, UNICEF’s deputy director for private sector engagement, said Thursday the partnership would capitalise on Lixil’s “business, their technology, their knowledge, their innovation.”

Under the partnership, UNICEF will promote the SATO toilets in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, Lixil president Kinya Seto said, with the aim of helping 250 million people gain access to an adequate toilet by 2021.

About 2.3 billion people worldwide do not have access to basic sanitation facilities, including 892 million people who have no choice but to def-

Lab experiments using mouse and human First unveiled about six years ago, CRISPR-Cas9 allows scientists to insert, cells revealed that remove and correct a faulty sequence on a strand of DNA in a cell with pinpoint the CRISPR-Cas9 precision. © poba / Istock.com technique “frequently” caused “extensive” gene mutations, a study team re- could be removed or altered letions and insertions” in cells, before a baby is even born. which could lead to important ported.

In recent years, CRISPR- genes being switched on or off “This is the first systemCas9 has repeatedly been pre- and causing dangerous changatic assessment of unexpected es. events resulting from CRISPR- dicted to win the Nobel chemistry prize.

The research also showed Cas9 editing,” said Allan Bradthat standard tests do not pick ley of the Wellcome Sanger CRISPRs -- clustered reguInstitute in England, where the larly interspaced short palin- up damage to DNA caused by team conducts research. dromic repeats -- are part of the CRISPR-Cas9.

Experts not involved in the The research showed that immune defence system in bacteria, used to hone in on the exstudy said it was unclear how “changes in the DNA have been seriously underestimated act spot on the genome where such large, unintended changes were not noticed before. before now,” said Bradley, who the cut should be made. co-authored a study published But, “the results give no reaCas9 is a protein used as in the journal Nature Biotech- “scissors” to snip through the son to panic or to lose faith in nology. faulty gene, which is then re- the methods when they are carThe mutations have not been placed or fixed by the cell’s ried out by those who know what they are doing,” said Robshown to be harmful, nor be- own DNA repair mechanism. in Lovell-Badge of The Francis nign.

- ‘Safety implications’ Crick Institute, a biomedical “It is important that anyone The technique’s safety has research centre in London. thinking of using this technol- not yet been proven, and it is For Francesca Forzano, a ogy for gene therapy proceeds not approved for use in human consultant in clinical genetwith caution and looks very therapy. ics and genomics with the carefully to check for harmful So far, researchers have used Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS effects,” Bradley said in a stateit to improve hearing in mice Foundation Trust, the work ment issued by the institute. going deaf and to fix a disease- showed that CRISPR-Cas9 “is First unveiled about six years causing mutation in cloned, much less safe than previously ago, CRISPR-Cas9 allows sci- early-stage human embryos. thought” and that safety-monientists to insert, remove and But the new finding raises toring techniques were “not encorrect a faulty sequence on a “safety implications,” the team tirely adequate”. strand of DNA in a cell with said.

More research is needed bepinpoint precision.

They found “large genetic re- fore any clinical application of It has raised hopes that one arrangements such as DNA de- the method is considered, said day disease-causing genes Forzano.

That’s cold: Japan tech blasts snoozing workers with AC

T

OKYO, Japan | AFP | Japanese office workers hoping to nod off on the job may need to sleep with one eye open thanks to a new system that can detect snoozers and blast them with cold air.

ecate in the open, according to UNICEF.

Air conditioning manufacturer Daikin and electronics giant NEC said Thursday they have begun trialling the system, which monitors the Daikin hopes to eventually develop air conditioners that can direct cool blasts to specific snoozing movement of the workers. © Tomwang112 / Istock.com employee’s eyelids with a camera attached to a “Our study proved that lowfacial recognition technology computer. to monitor different types of ering temperature is effective...

The computer can automati- eyelid movement that suggest especially when the early signs cally lower the room’s tem- sleepiness. of sleepiness are detected,” the perature if it detects dozing at It was developed after an ini- companies said in a joint statedesks. tial study done by the compa- ment.

“We hope to introduce this nies on how best to keep people And in news likely to provide system commercially in 2020,” alert. cold comfort to Japan’s infaa Daikin spokesman told AFP, They tried lowering tempera- mously overworked salarymen, adding that a trial had began tures by a few degrees, increas- Daikin hopes to eventually dethis month. ing brightness and spraying velop air conditioners that can The system uses Daikin’s aromas in a room while par- direct cool blasts to specific technology to automatically ticipants did simple maths for snoozing workers. AFP adjust temperatures and NEC’s about an hour.

“This takes away people’s dignity, it renders them vulnerable to life-threatening diseases,” UNICEF deputy executive director Shanelle Hall said Thursday at a joint press conference with Lixil.

Mars makes closest approach to Earth in 15 years

Japanese housing equipment-maker Lixil marketing and technology director Daigo Ishiyama displays the company’s SATO toilet system. © Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP OKYO, Japan | AFP | Japan may be famous for high-tech toilets, but one local firm is hoping a much more basic model can help solve deadly sanitation problems in developing countries.

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

“In fact, each and every day, dirty water, poor sanitation and poor hygiene results in the death of around 800 children under the age of five.

Lixil has already sold around 1.8 million SATO toilets in 15 countries since releasing the product in 2013.

But Seto said it hoped to expand further and capitalise on UNICEF, “which has credibility and a network around the globe that we don’t have,... to give children access to toilets.”

L

OS ANGELES | AFP | Tuesday 7/31/2018 - Earth’s neighboring planet, Mars, is closer than it has been in the past 15 years, offering unusually bright views of the Red Planet’s auburn hues.

Red Planet was 35.8 million miles (57.6 million kilometers) away.

“The Red Planet and Earth haven’t been this close since 2003, and won’t be again until 2035,” NASA said.

One popular public viewing spot was the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, where Mars was visible with the naked eye as a bright orange spot in the sky, according to a live broadcast held to mark the celestial event.

Astronomers around the world trained their telescopes on the sky on July 31, when the

“Mars is invading us tonight,” said observatory director Ed Krupp.

The nearest point to Earth in Mars’ elliptical orbit came at around 1100 GMT on Tuesday, NASA said.

Astronomers are interested in Mars’ travel path because it helps decide the best times for spacecraft to launch.

When the Sun, Eart and Mars are lined up, with Earth sitting in between, a phenomenon called “opposition” is in effect, giving the brightest view of Mars.

LEISURE / TRAVEL

VOICE OF ASIA 20

Hidden sanctuary near spiritual center of Bali named world’s best hotel 2018

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

These are the most popular travel destinations among Chinese travelers

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Indonesia © Four Seasons

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luxurious sanctuary hidden deep in the tropical forests of Ubud, Indonesia, featuring rooftop lily ponds and a dramatic suspension bridge, has been named the world’s best hotel 2018 by readers of Travel + Leisure.

It’s not hard to see why the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Indonesia emerged the top-scoring hotel in Travel + Leisure’s annual World’s Best Awards.

Set in the lush Ayung River Valley, one of its most distinctive features is a dramatic suspension bridge that skims the jungle treetops, offering guests sweeping views of their lush, forest surroundings.

constant: the properties that make this selective list are all incredible ambassadors for their home countries, delivering intuitive service and luxury experiences that can truly make a vacation,” editors say.

This year, Asia dominates the top 100 hotels, landing 27 spots on the list, including “honeymooners’ havens in the Maldives” and a palatial resort overlooking the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

Here are the top 10 hotels of 2018, according to Travel + Leisure 1. Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Indonesia 2. Ballyfin, County Laois, Ireland

3. Frangipani Beach Resort, Anguilla 4. (tie) Inkaterra La Casona, Cusco, Peru 4. (tie) Inverlochy Castle Hotel, Torlundy, Scotland 6. The Mulia, Bali, Indonesia 7. Tierra Patagonia Hotel & Spa, Torres del Paine, Chile 8. Temple House, Chengdu, China 9. Nihi Sumba Island, Indonesia 10. Nayara Springs, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica The World’s Best Awards include winners in 86 categories including best cities, airlines, destinations spas, along with regional lists. Results can be found at https://www.travelandleisure.com/worlds-best.

Readers of Travel + Leisure were particularly smitten by properties in Indonesia, as The Mulia in Bali and Nihi Sumba Island also scored spots on the top 10 list.

For the seventh annual Chinese International Travel Monitor report released by Hotels. com, about 3,050 Chinese residents aged 18-58 were asked about their spending patterns, travel preferences, booking methods, accommodation choices and future travel plans.

After Australia, Canada also holds much appeal among Chinese travelers, who are most keen to experience the country’s natural wilderness and festival scene. Rounding out the podium is France for its gastronomic and rich cultural heritage.

This year, it appears that Chinese travelers are particularly smitten with the promise of sun-soaked beaches, as Australia tops the list of destinations they’re most excited to visit for the first time in the next 12 months.

They’re are also becoming more intrepid, moving away from packaged group and bus tours and embracing independent travel to unfamiliar destinations, says the report.

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Indonesia © Four Seasons

Cheap seats on American Airlines now come with free carry-on allowance

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merican Airlines has eased up on carryon baggage policies for its cheapest tier of seats in a bid to remain competitive with other more flexible carriers.

The US carrier announced that as of Sept. 5, passengers will be allowed one piece of free carry-on in addition to one personal item on domestic and short-haul international basic economy fares.

The move brings American Airlines in line with Delta Air Lines which allows one free carry-on for its basic econo-

The surveys were conducted by Ipsos.

Chinese travelers are no longer confining their travel plans to Asia -- their traditional travel destination of choice -- but looking farther afield to longhaul destinations in Europe, the Americas and Australia.

Overall, the top 10 scoring properties are either located in sublime, remote locations -- Torres del Paine, Chile, Anguilla and Costa Rica -- or in heritage, landmark buildings that include a Scottish castle and Irish mansion.

Currently, flyers must pay to check any bags, and full-sized carry-on bags are not allowed with the basic economy ticket with the exception of a personal bag or backpack.

A

ustralia, Canada and France have emerged the most popular travel destinations among Chinese travelers in the upcoming year, according to a wide-sweeping report that looks at how mainland Chinese globetrotters will impact global travel over the next 12 months.

The results underscore the changing travel styles of Chinese travelers -- the world’s fastest-growing travel demographic and world’s biggest travel spenders. Last year saw 130 million outbound Chinese tourists -- a massive 85 percent spike compared to 2011.

Riverside villas come with a meditation space, outdoor living room and pool. Guests can also take cooking lessons at a Balinese cooking school, and meditation and yoga lessons in the riverside pavilion.

“...[O]ne thing remains a

Australia is the most popular travel destination among Chinese travelers, according to a new report. © allensima/istock.com

American Airlines will allow a free carry-on bag even for its cheapest tier of seats. © American Airlines

my tickets.

However, Delta also advises that overhead bin space is

limited and that bags may be checked at the gate, at no extra cost. - Relaxnews

Over the last year, this trend was led mostly by Chinese mil-

lennials who generally have a better grasp of English than their older counterparts.

Authors of the report note that one of the most surprising findings is how Chinese travelers, both young and old, are becoming bolder and more adventurous, seeking out local activities that include everything from music festivals and film festivals to quirky and modern art exhibits and hikes through rainforests.

The report also found that when it comes to spending, dining on local delicacies, visiting local landmarks and shopping for authentic items were the most popular expenditures.

And when it comes to deciding where to travel, the most important considerations for Chinese travelers are safety, local cuisine, and local history and heritage.

Here are the top 10 destinations that Chinese travelers are excited to visit over next 12 months, according to the report: 1. Australia 2. Canada 3. France 4. New Zealand 5. USA 6. Maldives 7. Germany 8. Singapore 9. Japan 10. Korea

VOICE OF ASIA 21

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

Home&Real Estate Which cities have the most competitive housing markets? edfin unveiled a new metric, the Redfin Compete Score, which ranks cities based on how competitive the homebuying market is in that area.

The scale ranges from not very competitive, where multiple offers are rare and homes take months to sell, to the most competitive, where homes usually get multiple offers and contingencies are often waived.

R

The top three most competitive cities ranked by Redfin are Fremont, California, San Jose, California and Seattle, Washington, all with a score of 100.

Following close behind is Oakland, California with a score of 97 and Aurora, Colorado with a score of 96.

“Many of the most competitive cities are tech hubs that have attracted an influx of people moving to the area for jobs, unmatched by the creation of new homes,” said Taylor Marr, senior economist at Redfin.

“This has led to intense competition and rising home prices. In San Francisco, Seattle and Denver, homes have become so expensive that many people are moving elsewhere in search of more affordable and less competitive housing markets.”

The ranking is calculated based on data from multiple listing services, and incorporates figures such as the saleto-list price ratio and number of days on market, as well as Redfin proprietary data, like the number of competing offers and number of waived contingencies on homes sold

by Redfin.

The study also highlights the

least competitive cities in the U.S., those in which it could take months for a home to sell.

At the top of that list are cities like New Orleans, Louisiana with a total score of 43, followed by El Paso, Texas with a score of 44.

“I often work with people who are relocating to New Orleans, having been priced out of coastal markets like Seattle and San Francisco,” said Caren Morgan, a Redfin agent in New

Orleans. “They’re relieved to find we have a healthy, relatively affordable housing supply and that homes typically remain on the market for about two months before going under contract. That said, bidding wars aren’t uncommon, especially in the hottest parts of the city, but we typically see two or three competing offers, and they rarely go much above the asking price.”

-Redfin.com

Harvest Green expanding with new plots

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ICHMOND - As home demands around Houston rise, Harvest Green released 178 new homesites since June, causing a bumper crop of new homes.

“All of our builders have been posting excellent sales figures but Newmark, Lennar and D. R. Horton have been red-hot. I think it’s fair to say

that these new homesites won’t last long,” said Harvest Green general manager, Shay Shafie.

The homesites have gone to various builders, including Perry Homes, Lennar, Westin Homes and Newmark Homes.

According to a press release, Harvest Green is scheduled to release 226 homesites by the end of 2019.

Realtor.com report ranks most profitable housing markets uying a home has always been considered a sure way to increase one’s wealth, but the recent state of the housing market leaves some people hesitant to purchase a home due to persistently high prices. Over the long term, though, history has shown homeownership to be a wise investment.

B

ple of homes sold in the last 12 months and compared the recent sales price to the most recent sales price since 2008.

The data found annual returns across 100 metro areas ranged from 14 percent to 2 percent, with the national median at 8 percent since 2008. A similar recent study from Zillow found that sellers made roughly $39,000 in profit after selling

The report looked at a sample of homes sold in the last 12 months and compared the recent sales price to the most recent sales price since 2008.

To figure out where the most profitable U.S. housing market was for buyers over the last few years, realtor.com conducted a study to rank the top ten metro areas for home sellers in America.

The report looked at a sam-

their homes in 2017, but found similar variances between metro areas.

In the high return ranges of the realtor.com study were some of the country’s fastest growing cities, like San Jose, Seattle and Boston. Some cities

Farmhouse inspiration on a hilltop

T

his 4,500 Square Feet house was designed and built for a family of four. It is situated at the intersection of two large farm fields and a small naturally occurring basin in Sagaponack, New York. The farms result in large watersheds. Coupled with the Basin, the site becomes quite topographically challenging.

This complex topography opened up the possibility for a house with multiple levels.

These various levels are composed of an agglomeration of simple shed like forms placed within this undulating landscape. A stair weaves through these forms tying them together experientially from within while allowing them to be separated from without.

Oza Sabbeth Architects / Photos: Michael Moran with: A house with multiple, private, encounters with the outside. In aggregate, we feel the client’s sensibility as an

Artist comes through in a comfort with the unconventional and the unmanicured.

-Dwell

One approaches the house low down from within the Basin. The house is slowly revealed through a wild landscape of a few trees. At the lowest level, a bedroom is perched on the rim of this depression and overlooks these same trees to the North. Farther up, the first floor houses the Entrance, Living Room, Kitchen, Dining and Family room. This level opens to a swimming pool and views of the farm to the West beyond. A private enclave for the master bedroom is tucked between the first and second floors and looks over the farm to the South. The second floor includes three bedrooms and juts out like an outcropping to create a sheltered outdoor space below.

This complex topography also opened up the possibility for a house with multiple fronts. There is no backyard.

Various Domestic spaces tend to create their own private relationships to the landscape.

This tied into a primary design objective the client came to us

CENTERED LIVING

that are on the up-and-up, like Detroit, also ranked in the top ten.

The highest annual return of 14 percent, with a median home list price of $789,100, was observed in Bridgeport, Connecticuit. Bridgeport is in Fairfield County, which was the wealthiest U.S. metro area in 2013, but is known for the stark division between its wealthy and poor areas. The glamorous Greenwich neighborhood is known for its million-dollar luxury homes and has a median home price of $1.9 million. On the other end, the rest of the Bridgeport area has a median home price of $199,000, which the report noted was a factor in the increase of buyers in the area.

Somewhat surprisingly, some cities like Detroit saw a high annual return. After the recession, Detroit struggled for years to rebuild after a great deal of residents lost their jobs and ultimately lost their homes in foreclosure. Years later, Detroit is growing again. The Motor City ranked No. 2 on the list of most profitable housing markets, with an average annual return of 12 percent and a median home list price of $260,000.

The increasingly expensive Boston metro area ranked No. 8 with a 10 percent average annual return and a median home list price of $529,100. Realtor. com credited profits in the area to its high housing demand and low inventory. Many buyers are paying for historic neighborhoods and features, making it easier for sellers.

50% OFF Your Rent for 2018

-Realtor.com

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SMALL BUSINESSES

VOICE OF ASIA 22

B

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BUSINESS DIRECTORY

ACCOUNTANTS BOOK-KEEPING

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

INCOME TAX

Personal and Business Tax Returns, Payroll Sales Tax, Income Tax Audits and Representations.

S. Ram and Associates Tel: 832-877-9625 Free Consultation asu2020.com

M.D. Associates LLP A full service CPA firm

3 Locations to serve you Houston 713-774-6533 Spring 281-251-2205 Dallas 214-722-7545

visit us at: www.mdassociatescpas.com

REAL ESTATE

AUTO CARE & SALES B&J Auto Care & Sales

Auto repair (Collision repair (all insurance), Mechanical (Brakes, Oil change, Engine and Transmission). l Used Car Sales lUsed & New Tires lGreat Service Blessy 281-323-9315 3242 5th St., Stafford, TX 77477

• 6117 Richmond Ave, Ste #120 Houston, TX 77057

FLIP - BUY - SELL- INVEST OR RENT SW Freeway/ Beltway 8 / Near Bissonet / Alief / Gated / Condo Units With Tenants Or Vacant. AS IS.

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Offering Attractive Rates for Website listing of your service and product.

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Networking and Computer Repair

CANAAN CARPET & FLOORING

Home & Business, on site, Microsoft MCSE & A+ certified, low flat rates, free estimates, pickup & delivery, www.PCNetworkGuru.com Call Amit at 832-971-6807

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India’s Restaurant & Catering For special parties and corporate events. Preferred Wine list, authentic vegetarian & nonvegetarian dishes, finest Indian cuisine with chef’s special dishes Ph: 713-266-0131/0805

The quarter moon on August 4 could see you weighing the costs of a creative project or romantic outing. If the outlay isn’t too great, go for it. the same result.

21 April to 20 May Can you really count on your friends to be good matchmakers, Taurus? A few bad blind dates at the beginning of the week say no! Resort to some good, old-fashioned mixing and mingling!

21 May to 20 June How long has it been since you asked your BFF about their love life?

You sometimes get so preoccupied with your own drama that you fail to ask other people about theirs!

21 June to 22 July Is your love life in focus or did it fall to a low priority somewhere along the way? You tend to forget about romance when other pressing events start to occur. It doesn’t have to be your first priority, but make sure it isn’t your last.

23 July to 22 August Ambitious plans grounded in reality will be the best use of your time and energy now. Someone you work closely with could be difficult for you to be around. Do your best to not make this a personal conflict.

23 August to 22 Sept The Universe is making you incredibly creative now. You may be filled with ideas for how to make more money, invest it, and use it to better your life. Aspects affect your house of debt and other people’s money.

l High Quality l Huge Sale l Free Quote Installation of Carpet (Commercial & Residential) Hard wood, Laminate and Vinyl. Call/Text Dian Robinson: 832-623-8028 Email: canaancarpets@gmail.com

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Shiva Indian Restaurant & Catering Specializing in North Indian Cuisine, office & Corporate catering 2514 Times Blvd, Rice Village Ph: 713-523-4753 Visit us online: www.shivarestaurant.com

Week of AUGUST 3, 2018 21 March to 20 April

Commercial & Residential KHOA TRINH, Electrical Technician Tel: 832-359-5447 Free Estimate TECL# 27099 *Repair / Remodeling *New Installation * Ceiling Fans * Light Fixtures *Electric Panel *Trouble Shooting * Services Upgrades

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Astrology.com

23 September to 22 Oct Use your imagination to help you stay healthy. This seems to be one of the most important factors that you can use in your determination to be filled with energy and power.

23 October to 21 Nov Those emotions will need an outlet, though, and one might be to tackle any household chores and tasks that demand a lot of energy, particularly those you’ve been procrastinating about for some time.

22 November to 21 Dec Dating should be fun, Sagittarius.

If it isn’t, you’re doing something wrong. Don’t feel pressure to go out with anyone you don’t want to go out with or say yes when you want to say no.

22 December to 20 Jan This is a powerful time to combine ambitious plans with good customer service. Teamwork and training sessions can help you develop useful friendships. Don’t hesitate to network with people you don’t know well.

21 January to 19 Feb You bring a set of fresh eyes to the events of this week with activity in your house of appearances. A friend may have a helpful suggestion about how to earn more money or gain the promotion you’ve been seeking.

20 February to 20 Mar Focus and concentration is something that you tend to admire in others, being easily distracted yourself. Since when has your nature limited you? This month is a wonderful opportunity to choose something to focus on.

ACROSS 1. Flora’s partner 6. Café alternative 9. Alpine lift 13. European blackbird 14. Owned 15. Reflecting light 16. ____ ____ estate deal 17. He was the greatest?

18. Main artery in the body 19. *”The War of the Worlds” invader 21. *Typical temporal setting 23. Shape with an ax 24. Combustible heap 25. Fleur-de-____ 28. *Scully’s first name in “The X Files” 30. Huey, Dewey or Louie to Donald Duck 35. Crematorium jars 37. Ponies at a party 39. #30 Across’ sister 40. ____ of arms 41. Mideast V.I.P. 43. Military no-show 44. *”Buffy the Vampire Slayer” spin-off 46. Hippocrates’ promise, e.g.

47. *David Bowie in “The Man Who ____ to Earth” 48. *The Dagobah ____ in “The Empire Strikes Back” 50. Lack of guile 52. Bad-mouth 53. Form of arthritis 55. National Institute of Health 57. *”Foundation” series author 60. *Stanislaw Lem’s famous novel 64. Single-cell protozoan 65. Famous Dolly, e.g.

67. Absurd 68. West African country 69. “Eureka!”

70. Neil Diamond’s “Beautiful _____” 71. They’re marching one by one 72. Auction set 73. Young sows

DOWN 1. Memory ____ mattress 2. Certain something 3. ____-friendly 4. Poet’s “below” 5. Like U.S. and U.S.S.R. in WWII 6. Conjunction in comparatives 7. *Heuristically programmed algorithmic computer, for short 8. Enlighten 9. Biblical pronoun 10. Ethiopian currency 11. Initial stake, as in poker 12. Swedish shag rug 15. Shiny cotton 20. Not asleep 22. One of #35 Across 24. “Miss America” contest, e.g.

25. *”Star Wars” creator 26. Shoemaker without shoes, e.g.

27. Hose woes 29. *Captain of Nautilus 31. “La Vie en rose” singer 32. #23 Across, past tense 33. Cause for food recall 34. *One of the “fathers of science fiction” 36. Proofreader’s mark 38. “____ ____ good example” 42. It’s black or white and lives in Africa 45. Office errand boy 49. Barn sound 51. Bureaucratic task 54. Relating to uvea 56. Capital of Vietnam 57. So be it 58. Dispatched 59. Avian wader 60. Center of authority 61. Iron horse track 62. Research facil.

63. Visually perceives 64. Bar association 66. *”Doctor ____”

SOLUTION on SCIENCE FICTION on PAGE 23

CLASSIFIEDS

VOICE OF ASIA 23

Job Posting

GET NOTICED! To receive or advertise on our weekly newsletter Call 713-774-5140 or email request to: voiceasia@ aol.com

90% of Dignity Memorial employees believe “My work has special meaning: This is not just a job.” This is not just a job. It is a meaningful career that makes a difference in the lives of people we serve while providing you an opportunity you will love. Dignity Memorial is looking for Inside and Outside Sales Professionals. We offer Unlimited Income Potential via a commissioned incentive package and benefits! Please contact Marilyn Gonzales at marilyn.gonzales@dignitymemorial. com.

Junior Geologist Junior Geologist Thyssen Petroleum Panther Dome Six(6)Months of employment experience required Houston, Texas 77056 Will work with Senior Geologist and Reservoir Engineer to study and quantify company’s geological assets; interpret 2D and 3D seismic data; manage electronic geological 3D models on IHS Kingdom software, updating well logs, and designing new drilling plans. Help identify new prospects and prepare presentations for the drilling prospects.

Create structural and lithologic maps to determine reservoir size and commerciality.

Must have at least the equivalent of a Master’s of Science in Petroleum Geology or related field. Six (6) months of experience required in geology or related field. Please email resumes to majid@thyssenusa.com.

Job Posting – Digital Producer Are you a digital content guru? Are you obsessed with major news and top trending stories of the day?

Do you have a knack for producing creative digital content that generates high engagement? KTRK TV, the ABC owned station located in Houston, Texas is looking for a full-time digital producer to be part of the team leading the charge to take our digital efforts to thenext level. Ideal candidate must have: Gift for recognizing and creating impactful, innovative and distinctive digital content Extensive newsroom digital background (supervisory skills a plus) Unerring news judgement  Ability to shoot and edit video Knack for writing powerful and accurate copy and headlines Ability to manage multiple projects at one time  Proven social media expertise in both content creation and strategic optimization Working knowledge of digital publishing tools and analytics Ability to excel in fastpaced news station environment and willing to work under deadlines Strong leadership, organizational and communication skills Flexibility with work schedule depending on station needs and projectsWe are a 24/7 news operation, so digital producers must be willing to work any day or shift, as needed.

To be considered, candidates must apply on-line at www.disneycareers.com by uploading a resume file, cover letter and list of references. Please Reference Job ID: 579956BR on all materials submitted.

Equal Opportunity Employer –Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity. No telephone calls please

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

Senior Business Consultant (SAP/FICO) Vadasami LLC Houston, TX 77077

Bachelor’s degree required 5 years experience required

Develop, create, and modify the configuration and support of SAP Financial System modules in alignment with financial and business requirements. Support all phases of SAP Financial System modules project lifecycle including design, development, testing, training, and documentation. Develop, create, and modify applications in SAP, particularly in the Financials and Controlling (FICO) modules together with FICO integration with SAP Sales and Distribution and SAP Material Management modules. Provide business analysis and process design expertise in the SAP FICO area, with integration to BPC, and other systems as necessary. Use knowledge of accounting to design functionality in the FICO module to permit the entry, storage, manipulation and analysis of financial information, within the framework of accounting formats, such as the general ledger, income and expense statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and reports for management/investors. Regularly coach other project personnel to ensure business application systems are developed in a way that complies with best practice use of SAP. Cross train other associates where and when appropriate. Perform SAP business process mapping, configuration and testing (including integration, regression and user acceptance) and data migration for the FICO modules in SAP software and for SAP Business ByDesign (cloud based SAP product). Develop SAP software in the FICO (Finance and Controlling) modules and implementation in SAP Business ByDesign. Education/ Experience required: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Management Information Systems or another closely related field.

Special skills – strong communication and problem solving skills. Technical understanding and teamwork and client management required. 5 years of experience in job offered or related Senior SAP/FICO Business Analyst, SAP/FICO Analyst occupation. Email resumes/applications to vadacareer@outlook.com

Job Posting – Web Producer – Part Time KTRK-TV is looking for a part time digital producer who can do it all to be part of the team leading the charge to take our digital efforts to the next level. The ideal candidate will have three years’ experience working in major market televisionor print news internet operation, the ability to shoot and edit video and working experience of Photoshop. Additionally have proven social media expertise and must beflexible with work schedule which may vary depending on station needs and projects.Candidate must be able to handle many projects simultaneously. Candidate must be a selfstarter and have a ‘Do It Now’ mentality to excel in our fast-paced environment. We are a 24/7 news operation, so digital producers must be willing to work any day or shift, as needed. To be considered interested applicants must apply on-line at www. disneycareers.com by uploading a resume file, cover letter and list of references.

Please reference Job Requisition # 579957BR. Equal Opportunity Employer –Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.

No Telephone Calls Please

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Theme: SCIENCE FICTION from PAGE 22

To Book Classifieds,

Sad Demise

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04-30-1978 - 07-24-2018

Roshen Jocob John was born on April 30, 1978 in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada to Jacob and Susan John. He is survived by Asha John and Noah John Korah. He died on July 24, 2018.

VOICE OF ASIA 24

FRIDAY, August 3, 2018

Indian American Nurses Nightingale Award Night The Beginning of Indian Nurses Immigrating in the US Until 1965, immigrants who came to the US were from European countries. In 1965, the president relaxed the immigration rule and allowed for the first time, people from non-European countries.

Along with the relaxation of immigration laws they introduced health care, Health Insurance and Medicare.

At that time, there were not enough registered nurses or technicians available in the US. This scarcity of professional nurses opened the way for our nurses to come as immigrants in large numbers.

Indian Nurses were among the first wave of immigrants since President Johnson relaxed the immigration law and allowed Nurses from India to come to the US in thousands.

Though they had an easy entry to US, they had to face many hardships and discrimination.

They were mostly middle-aged women who traveled thousands of miles leaving their children, the family and husband back in India.

The purpose of the Indian American Nurses Nightingale Award is to give them their due recognition and respect they deserve and to get their story published for the information of the next generation people to know that the rich life they enjoy now as the result of their sufferings.

Koshy Thomas Publisher and CEO of Voice of Asia Group You can reach me at 832-419-7537 or email:koshyvoa@aol.com

Be proud of your Profession, the Service to the family, community and the country. Be a part of it.

Join the Celebration.

Celebrating and honoring the services of the First generation Indian immigrant nurses who came to the United States of America till 1975.

Indian American Nurses Nightingale Award Join the celebration by participating in the

commemorative publication

With One full page of Life Experience in the United States

Free event, First time in the USA, to be held in October 2019

Please forward this form to All your friends, whether in service, retired, living or deceased, to register.

Do not miss this great opportunity to get Recognized We request every Nurse who came till the end of 1975 to register.

Please complete the form and forward to: nursesawards@gmail.com For more information, please call: 713-774-5140. Submit form by November 1, 2018.

Name:____________________________________________________________________________________ Email:_____________________________________________________Phone_No:________________________ Place_of_Arrival:______________________________________________Date_of_Arrival:_____________________ Voice of Asia address: 8303 Southwest Freeway, Suite 325, Houston, TX 77074