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8th Houston Rath Yatra – A Grand Celebration

H

OUSTON – The Orissa Culture Center (OCC) and Shri Sitaram Foundation in collaboration with many other organizations celebrated the 8th Chariot Festival of Lord Jagannath of Puri Dham on 18th of July, 2015 at the VPSS Haveli on Bellfort.

The Havan or the Fire Worship

Every year OCC organizes the free health checkup fair at this yearly event. This year was no exception. Several dedicated cardiologists and family practitioners provided free health check including blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure and a few laboratory tests for many devotees and visitors to the temple during the day.

Fire worship or the “Havan” is the most ancient of worships rooted in Vedic tradition that signifies the nature worship and the fact that divinity is all pervading and is manifested in nature in all its forms. The “Havan” was conducted by the head priest of the Hindu Worship Society and was assisted by members from OCC, Sri Sitaram Foundation and Sri Govinda Ji Gaudiya Matha.

The deities of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Baladev, Devi Subhdra and the Sudarshana Chakra were put on gorgeous attire and appeared with newly decorated and beautified form in front of his beloved devotees. The main hall was filled with the sound of “Jai Jagannath.” The ritual is also called the “Netrotsava” or the festival for the eyes of the devotees. Following this ritual,

Morning Rituals:

The traditional chariot (Rath) getting ready for the journey (Yatra). Photo by Shobanaa M.

The Free Health Fair

The Naba Jaubana Darshana

there was a special puja for all assembled devotees from all around Houston and neighboring cities seeking the blessings of the Lord Jagannath. This is called the “Jagannatha Paribara Puja” or the worship for the entire Jagannatha Family. He is after all the Lord of the Universe. Finally the noon Arati or lighting of lamps by the devotees was performed for the deities.

The Afternoon Programs: The Chapan Bhoga This ritual shows the devotion and love of the devotees for their beloved Lord. All members of the OCC, mainly the ladies, had prepared fifty six types of delicious food items in accordance with the guidelines followed in Puri Jagannatha Complete report on Page 5

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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS

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Modi’s new India: A view from the main street

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FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

Chandra K. Mittal, Ph.D.

by Chandra K. Mittal, Ph.D.

M

odi’s new India is alive and kicking.

It is buzzing with dynamism, optimism, and full of futuristic aspirations. These characters are quite palpable on the Main Street of India. While India has not yet reached its ultimate goal or destination, i.e. full realization of its potential, it is certainly on its way under the vision and leadership of its captain, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This assessment was reached by this author during a recent visit to India and direct interaction with people on the street, and discussions about Modi’s government with members of the media, young professionals, and businessmen in different locations.

There is unanimity of opinion that Prime Minister Modi’s government has taken constructive steps in the governance of India to make a difference in the lives of its citizens. The task is, however, vast, resources limited and challenges are enormous in a culture that is deeply entrenched in bureaucratic tradition where things can move only slowly.

While changes may not be visible on the surface because of the India’s cultural character,

there are clear undercurrents of optimism that are palpable at all echelon of the Indian society as reflected by various indices of economic activity. This includes professional class, labor, street vendors, students, and corporate who all want Modi to succeed in his mission, and want to give some time to do so.

Even the detractors who, as a matter of their political compulsion criticize Modi, acknowledge the positive contributions of Modi’s government and its commitment for the betterment of “regular� folks of India. Modi’s actions, his selfless dedication and his persona has essentially sucked the oxygen out of the political opposition leaving them somewhat “blue�.

The opposition, for now, has been left to bicker only about non-substantive matters to sway people in their direction. One hears the rhetoric like, Modi is only an economic Prime Minister or that he is traveling too much overseas, or that Modi does not really have time for domestic governance. These are simple innuendos without merit coming from individuals with no accomplishment of their own. They are counting on negative campaign against the Modi government perhaps with an eye on the State Assembly elections.

To its credit, Modi’s new India is showing an “inclusive� character to its economic growth. He is not oblivious to the plight of the less fortunate masses, and is genuinely following “Sabka Saath, Sabka

Vikas� philosophy in his actions and programs. The current economic expansion in India is not limited to the upper class only but visibly impacting all sections of the society.

Today, a Rickshaw puller on Delhi streets, without any education or skills, is proudly earning about Rs. 12,000 to 15,000 per month- not much amount to write home about, but enough to survive and sustain in the growing industrial economy. This is in addition to Govt. announced assistance programs such as insurance, health schemes, pension plans, etc. for low income section of the society.

India’s professional class, be it lawyers, small business, doctors, academicians, or IT professional, is beaming clear confidence and optimism in Modi’s leadership and in his governing style and commitment to solve problems. It represents a refreshing change after years of neglect or inability of previous governments to address people’s concerns.

Many of the recently announced major initiatives by the Modi government are being viewed positively by the public. These include building 100 Smart cities in India with major expansion of urban infrastructure involving major civil construction projects. Major emphasis of Modi government on technical and vocational skills education is considered a significant step forward to boost India’s capability and capacity to develop a robust manufactur-

ing base.

Prime Minister Modi is also doing well in public opinion on the foreign policy front. There is great endorsement by the public about his so-called “excessive� (as opposition like to call it) foreign travel in his first year in office as it has seen significant increase in foreign investment in Indian economy. Such actions(s) have also elevated and boosted India’s image on the world stage as a significant global player. Prime Minister Modi’s active involvement with its neighbors and Eastern and Central Asian countries is both reassuring and promising for future relations.

Overall, there is new sense and new mood in India about Narendra Modi and his government that transcend social class, economic status, educational level or the professional category. As of right now, the perception of his government’s image is clean, positive and forward looking. He is widely liked by the populous of the country for his dedication, sincerity and honesty. Most importantly, people have unquestionable confidence in his personal character and are willing to give him every chance to build India of their dreams.

Dr. Chandra Mittal is Professor at Houston Community College and Co-Founder of Indo-American Association, Houston. He can be contact on drckmittal@yahoo.com or followed on twitter @drchandramittal.

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STORY OF MAHATMA GANDHI Gandhi invites untouchable family in ashram Part X Gandhi went to Rajkot and Porbandar to meet his relatives and then went on to Shantiniketan. There Gandhi met poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore for the first time, as well as C. F. Andrews.

Andrews, who came to India as an Anglican priest in 1904, was one of the very few people respected both within Indian nationalist circles and official British ones. A close friend of Gandhi, Tagore and other eminent Indians of the time, Andrews never ceased to champion the Indian cause for independence and, in a broader sense, the cause of all downtrodden peoples against oppression. Now read on.

“And then Gandhi came. He was like a powerful current of fresh air that made us stretch ourselves and take deep breaths, like a beam of light that pierced the darkness and removed the scales from our eyes, like a whirlwind that upset many things, but most of all the working of people’s minds.’ - Jawaharlal Nehru.

During his short stay at Santiniketan Gandhi heard the sad news that Gokhale had passed away. He immediately left for Poona, C. F. Andrews accompanying him as far as Burdwan.

ceremonies of Gokhale, Gandhi met the leaders of the Servants of India Society. Out of respect for Gokhale he would have joined the Society, but there was opposition from a certain sections of the members.

“Do you think,� Andrews asked Gandhi, “that a time will come for satyagraha in India?

If so, how soon will it be?�

Gandhi visited Rangoon, in Burma, for a short period and on his return he went to Hardwar during the time of the Kumbha Mela. About 1.7 million people attended the mela.

Volunteer corps from different organizations had gone to Hardwar to be of service to the big crowds that was flowing in.

Gandhi was invited to go there with the Phoenix party with the Phoenix party to help the volunteers. The Phoenix group went there and Gandhi joined them. Gandhi was pained at the many happenings and short-

“It is difficult to say,� replied Gandhi. “For one year I am to do nothing. Gokhale made me promise that I would travel in India for one year to gain experience, and that I would express no opinion until I had finished this period of probation. So I do not think there will be any occasion for satyagraha for five years.�

After attending the shraddha

comings at the great religious fair. There was corruption; there was cheating and many other unsocial activities. Scant care was taken about sanitary arrangements.

All this made Gandhi, feel very sad. He thought a great deal about the problem of how to improve the Indian character.

In May 1915 an ashram was established in a village near Ahmedabad. The city was an ancient center of handloom weaving and Gandhi thought the place was suited for the revival of the cottage industry of hand-spinning. Gandhi named the new institution Satyagraha Ashram. “Our creed is devotion to truth, and our business is the search for and insistence on truth,� he said.

A simple uniform style of clothing was worn by all who were there. They took their food together in a common kitchen and strove to live as one family.

Gandhi told the members: “If you want to serve the people, it is essential to observe the vows of truth, ahimsa, celibacy, nonstealing, non-possession, and control of the palate.�

One day Gandhi said to members of the ashram, “I have received an application from an untouchable family who want to join us here. I am replying to them that they are welcome.�

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An untouchable family in our midst!! Even Kasturbai had her misgivings. Gandhi’s mind was made up, however, and there could be no objection from anyone in the ashram. But the patrons of the ashram did not like the idea and they stopped funding the ashram.

The ashram was suddenly faced with an acute financial crisis, but help came unexpectedly. A rich man came to the ashram and gave Gandhi Rs. 13,000 and urged him to continue running the ashram.

In February 1916, Gandhi was invited to speak at the laying of the foundation-stone of the Banaras Hindu University.

The Viceroy and many of the most important people of India were there.

Gandhi, clad in a Kathiawadi long coat and a turban, rose to speak. The police arrangements, and also the pomp and luxury around him, hurt him deeply. Turning to the audience he said, “I want to think audibly and speak without reserve.

His first words froze the audience. “It is a matter of deep humiliation and shame for us,� he said, “that I am compelled this evening under the shadow of this great college, in this sacred city, to address my countrymen in a language that is foreign to me.�

It was a bombshell. Nobody had ever dared to speak against the English language. The British officers, then friends, and

the important Indians who had gathered there were seething in anger.

But Gandhi went on, “His Highness the Maharaja who presided yesterday over our deliberations spoke about the poverty of India. But what did we witness? A most gorgeous show, an exhibition of jewelry...

There is no salvation for India unless you strip yourselves of this jewelry and hold it in trust for your countrymen in India.�

Gandhi gave a long speech, covering many topics. His speech was full of outspoken criticism.

Mrs. Annie Besant, who was one of the organizers of the function, was horrified and urged Gandhi to sit down. But Gandhi went on. Some people went red with rage, but others listened to Gandhi with great interest. “Here at last is a man telling the truth,� they thought. “He is the man to raise India from the mire.� They applauded him and shouted joyfully. Gandhi turned to them and said, “No amount of speeches will ever make us fit for self-government. It is only our conduct that will make us deserve it.

Gandhi told them that they should all be the kind of people able to take up the work of selfgovernment.

Finally, Gandhi, the man who three times had supported the British in their war efforts,

said, “If I found it necessary for the salvation of India that the English should retire, that they should be driven out, I would not hesitate to declare that they would have to go, and I hope I would be prepared to die in defense of that belief.�

The people were amazed at Gandhi’s frankness. It was Gandhi’s first great political speech in India.

Years later, Jawaharlal Nehru described what the coming of Gandhi meant to the Indian people. He said, “We seemed to be helpless in the grip of some all-powerful monster; our limbs were paralyzed, our minds deadened. What could we do? How could we pull India out of this quagmire of poverty and defeatism which sucked her in... “And then Gandhi came.

He was like a powerful current of fresh air that made us stretch ourselves and take deep breaths, like a beam of light that pierced the darkness and removed the scales from our eyes, like a whirlwind that upset many things, but most of all the working of people’s minds.’ Several conferences demanding home rule were held in India during the latter half of 1916. They marked a new wave of political life under the leadership of Tilak, Mrs. Besant, and Jinnah. — To be Continued

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FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

Second Front Page

Friday, July 24, 2015 • www.voiceofasiaonline.com • Page 3 • Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com • Tel: 713-774-5140

Historic moment in Indian spirituality: Guruji Shri Chandra Bhanu Satpathy becomes the first Indian to address the US House of Representatives as a guest chaplain

Guruji, Dr. Satpathy present in US House of Representatives Guruji, Dr. Satpathy addressing the US House of Representatives as guest chaplain) 24th of June 2015 at 12:00 EST (9:30 pm IST).

W

ASHINGTON, DC, 24th June, 2015 This is a rare honor, having been bestowed on an Indian ever. The tradition of a Guest Chaplain promotes a wonderful opportunity to affirm pastoral leaders from many different backgrounds. In the glorious tradition of Chaplaincy of 228 years, which dates as far back as the 18th Century, Dr. Satpathyji’s address to the House Of Representatives as Guest Chaplain was a remarkable moment for all Indians.

The event will be etched in the history of Indian spirituality...the growing renown of Dr. Satpathyji and the ideals of Global Sai Movement have obviously gained prominence and recognition across the world.

Way back in 1893, Swami Vivekananda had carried the soil of Indian religions and their philosophies to the Western World when he addressed a huge gathering at Chicago and left everybody enthralled by his historic speech. 122 years later, Revered Dr. Chandra Bhanu Satpathyji prayed for the people

of the same foreign land, standing in their own country. This incident can indeed be regarded as a step more towards BUILDING BRIDGES ACROSS NATIONS. The pride of thousands of Indians who watched and heard the devotee of Shri Sai Baba, dressed in pristine white Indian attire of kurta pyajama, topped with a divine sky blue half jacket, shall always prevail as a moment of prestige and honor!

ka malik ek” ... Meaning, God is the master of all. Inspire us, as your trustees, to nourish and protect the world around us, to sustain all life. Guide us along the ethical and holistic path of self-control, purity of purpose and dedication, enshrined in the Shrimad Bhagawat Geeta. O Lord, bless this august assembly and this nation in performing its national and global responsibilities towards furthering the cause of humanity. Om...”

Dr. Satpathyji’s prayer read thus:

The one minute prayer was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance by the senators. Then Congressman Jim McDermott accorded a formal welcome to Dr. Satpathyji and extended his gratitude towards Revered Guruji for his presence at the House.

“Om... O lord, by your will we are born in different nations, speak different languages and follow different religions and cultures. Yet we are all your children and ever grateful for your love and protection.

Evoke in us pious thoughts and feelings, to shun all hatred and violence and become worthy of your services. Bless our future generations. Bring by the spirit of love, sacrifice and cooperation. Guide us in following saints like Shirdi Sai Baba who proclaimed in Hindi, “sab

He said: “It’s my privilege this morning to welcome our guest chaplain, Dr. Chandra Bhanu Satpathy. Dr. Satpathy deserves a great credit for his earnest and humble leadership of the global Sai movement which celebrates

Mr Jim McDermott, Representative of the House of Common of Seattle, State of Washington, thanking Dr. Satpathy. the teachings and ideals of Shirdi Sai Bba, the most respected of the ancient perfect masters and renowned for his teachings of compassion and acceptance. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the movement and I can’t think of a time when the values of peace, respect, and compassion are

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needed more here in our own country and in other parts of the world. Dr. Satpathy’s moving invocation this morning serves as a motivation to each of us gathered here to always remember what ultimately unites us, far outweighs what divides us, regardless of language, culture, or creed. So thank you Dr. Satpathy for being here today.

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FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER

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Answers to your Immigration Questions

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

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RETURN OF THREE YEAR EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION DOCUMENT ISSUED UNDER DACA

Richard M. Alderman Interim Dean of the Law Center

Sharlene Sharmila Richards

Wages may not be garnished, a bank account may Q. A credit card company sued me and has a judgment against me. Now it has garnished my bank account, and all the money in the account has been taken. I thought there was no garnishment in Texas?

A. With the exception of obligations for child support and student loans, Texas law prohibits wage garnishment. In other words, a creditor who sues for a credit card debt cannot garnish your wages through your employer. Creditors, however, can garnish a bank checking or savings account.

If you have been sued, the best thing to do is work with out a payment plan you can afford with the creditor, and protect your bank account. If the creditor will not work with you, you must be careful to not leave a large balance in the account.

Q. I have an inquiry about a lawsuit against a tire store. I purchased two new tires about two weeks ago. The other day I was driving and my left front tire became loose, and had I not pulled off to the side of the road my wheel probably would have come off. I called a tow truck and they promptly fixed it. I was wondering how much of a case I have against the store for almost causing a serious accident.

A. You don’t have a case for “almost causing an accident.” To maintain a successful lawsuit you need two things. First, you must show the person did something for which the law allows you compensation. In your case, it sounds like the store was “negligent,” and did not properly install the tire. That would be the legal basis for your claim. The second thing you must show, however, is damages. Fortunately, the wheel did not come off and you prevented any serious damages. In other words, you could sue to collect the cost of the tow, but you did not suffer any compensable damages when you “almost” had an accident.

Q. I was gone from my apartment for two days and during that time the water heater shorted out and tripped the breakers, turning off my refrigerator. All of my food in my freezer and refrigerator went bad. Is the Landlord responsible for the cost of the food I lost?

A. The landlord is not responsible simply because he owns the apartments. For the landlord to be liable he would have to be “negligent.” This means he did not act reasonably in caring for the property, and that is why the water heater broke. For example, if he knew the water heater had problems and did not fix them, he could be liable. He also could be liable if after discovering the problem he did not take reasonable steps to promptly have it repaired.

On the other hand, if this was just something that just happened, it was not the landlord’s fault and he promptly repaired it, he has no liability.

Q. I have an expired lease with a tenant. The tenant gave me proper notice she will be moving out in a month. I want to show the house to some prospective new tenants. The current tenant refuses to allow me to show the house, saying that the lease ended four month’s ago and she is now a month-to-month tenant. The lease she signed makes it clear that she must allow me to show the house at reasonable times. The tenant says the lease has expired and no longer applies. She also told me that if I went on her property she would file trespassing charges against me.

A. When you lease property you give the tenant exclusive control over the property. This means the landlord generally does not have the right to go on the property. The big exception to this rule is the lease. The landlord’s right to enter the property is based on the terms of the lease. As you state, your lease, like most, makes it clear you have the right to enter the property and show it to prospective tenants. Read your lease carefully. My guess is that it also says that when the lease ends, your agreement is for a month-to-month tenancy, under the same terms. If it says that, show it to the tenant and make it clear you expect she will honor the terms of the lease she signed.

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If you are a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and you currently hold a three year Employment Authorization Document (three-year EAD), you will need to be aware that you may need to return your EAD to USCIS. Not all three-year EAD’s must be returned to USCIS. This request to return the three-year EADs only affects those EADs issued or mailed after February 16th, 2015.

On February 16th, 2015, the U.S District Court for the Southern District of Texas in the case of Texas v United States, issued an injunction to temporarily stop the implementation of President Obama’s deferred action programs announced on November 21st, 2014, namely the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In order to be in compliance with the injunction, USCIS is retrieving all DACA EADs with a validity period of more than 2 years which were issued or mailed after February 16th, 2015. USCIS had already sent out letters to those affected EAD recipients with instructions to return their EADs to USCIS. If you currently have a three-year EAD or an EAD with a validity period exceeding two years and issued on or after February 16th, 2015 or mailed after that date, USCIS is requesting that you mail the document back to them together with the associated approval notice via certified mail by July 30th, 2015 to the following address: DHS USCIS Attn.: ACD DACA P.O Box 87730 Lincoln, NE 68501-7730 Alternatively, affected EAD recipients may physically surrender the EAD at the Houston USCIS Field Office located at 126 Northpoint Drive, Houston, TX 77060. Those who have received a Notice of Intent to Terminate their Deferred Action status are also required to physically surrender the EAD at the Houston Field Office. USCIS is making every effort possible to retrieve all the three- year EADs that were issued or mailed after the February 16th, 2015 injunction including making home visits, if necessary. Home visits in the Houston area have been scheduled to begin on July 16th, 2015. USCIS will first attempt to contact the individual concerned by phone before making the home visit.

If you do have a three year EAD that was issued or mailed to you after February 16th, 2015, please make sure that it is returned to USCIS by July 30th, 2015. Failure to return within that deadline will result in termination of your Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status. USCIS has also warned that those individuals whose deferred action status has been terminated as a result of failure to return their 3 year EADs will have no recourse for reinstating their Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals at this time. If you are unsure whether your EAD is included in the recall, you may contact USCIS at 1-800-375-5283 (TDD: 1-800-7671833) and select Option 8.

Many individuals affected by this have voiced concerns that they are now left without an EAD and that would lead to the question as to whether they are now engaging in unauthorized employment since they no longer have a valid EAD. USCIS has assured that those affected will be reissued 2 year EADs as a replacement. Their employers can in turn amend their I-9s records to reflect that those individuals have two years validity for employment authorization. As such, their present employment should not be jeopardized in anyway.

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VOICE OF ASIA 5

FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

8th Houston Rath Yatra – A Grand Celebration

Devotees offer prayers.

Devotees carry Lord Baladev to the chariot.

Young performers of Odishi dance schools in Houston.

Devotees carry Devi Subhdra to the chariot.

Ladies dance before the chariots as it is being pulled. Photo by Shobana.

Padma Bibhusan Pt. Jasraj Ji accompanied by other local artists including Pt Suman Ghosh presented devotional songs.

Continued from Page 1

The Nandighosh – A Yearly Publication

Temple. These foods were offered to the deities and then were distributed as prasadam among all assembled devotees. The spread of all fifty six types of prasadam in the dining hall was quite a beautiful sight.

The Devotional Singing In this session, many other religious organizations participated in singing of bhajans, name chanting of Lords and Bhagvat Gita chanting. Many organizations such as the Namadwara, Gayatri Paribara, OCC, and Sri Gauddiya Matha participated in this session.

The Odishi Dance In accordance with the age old tradition of Odishi dance in front of Lord

Jagannatha, several students of Odishi dance schools in Houston performed beautiful Odishi classical dance before the deities.

Pt. Jasraj Concert Sangeet martand, Padma Bibhusan Pt. Jasraj Ji along with accompanying artists presented a vocal devotional concert to a packed audience. The concert started with a beautiful rendition of the famous Jayadev sloka “Jagannatha Swami Nayana Patha Gami, Bhaba Tu Me.” Pt. Jasraj Ji was accompanied by his senior disciples Pt. Suman Ghosh, Pta. Tripti Mukherjee and Pt. Ratan Mohan Sharma. On Tabla was Pt. Shantilal Shah and on flute was Sri Jay Gandhi. The two hour concert left the audience mesmerized and immersed in total devotion.

OCC publishes a yearly magazine called The Nandighosh covering different aspects of the Lord Jagannatha Philosophy, facts, mythological stories, historical events, arts and literature surrounding the Lord Jaganatha of Puri. This magazine was distributed free of cost to all devotees who came to celebrate the festival.

The Evening Programs The Pahandi and The Chariot Pulling This is the main and the most attractive segment of this yearly festival.

The pahandi is a ritual in which the assembled devotees carry their beloved deities to the chariot in different steps.

After the deities go onto the beautifully decorated chariot, the priests of different religious organizations offer worship to the Lord. This is followed by the chariot pulling by the thousands of devotees. Of special attraction is the nama sankirtana and ecstatic dancing of the devotees from ISKON all along the route of the chariot pulling until the final destination at the VPSS temple. This segment of the festival shows the inclusiveness and demonstrates the universal brotherhood of Jagannath Philosophy where all people irrespective of caste, creed and belief system get immersed in the devotion of the supreme being we call the God. The Maha Arati and The Dinner Prasadam After the chariot is brought back at

the temple, all devotees are allowed to offer fruits and sweets to their beloved deities on the chariot. The Maha Arati is performed by the heads or representatives from different religious organizations. Finally all devotees, thousands in number, are offered Maha Prasadm as dinner.

The success of this yearly festival lies in the propagation of Lord Jagannatha Philosophy of universal brotherhood that tries to bind all humanity with the one Supreme Being that is the creator and destroyer of the entire cosmos.

Orissa Culture Center and Sri Sitaram Foundation http://orissaculturecenter.org/ http://www.shrisitaram.org/

VOICE OF ASIA 6

COMMUNITY

FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

‘Kalyana Srinivasam’ - Kuchipudi Ballet Raises $850,000 For Ashtalakshmi Temple Expansion Plans

by Shobana Muratee

‘

Kalyana Srinivasam’ - the divine love story of Lord Srinivasa and Princess Padmavati was depicted in the kuchipudi dance ballet by the Vedanta Kalakshetram under the auspices of Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple on July 18 at the Stafford Civic Center, Stafford, Texas. The high powered drama had the packed audience riveted till the grand finale that culminates in a glorious wedding.

A classical masterpiece originally choreographed by Padmasree Dr. Sobha Naidu, is in three main Acts spread over 17 scenes introducing interesting characters like sage Narada, sage Bhrugu, King Chola, gollabama and sakhis that take you through the twists and turns while gradually building up the tempo for the ultimate union.

Nearly 60 performers were involved in the elaborate program spread over three hours which also included an impressive rendition of the Suprahbhatam, similar to the one heard in the seven hills of Tirumala, by more than over 70 students and teachers of Prajna, a learning division of Astalatshmi Temple (ALT).

‘Kalyana Srinivasam’ was the first fundraising effort of the ALT that has plans to expand into full scale temple in the next two years and is expected to complete the three main sannidhis for Lord Venkateswara, Sri Sita Rama and Sri Lakshmi Narayana along with eight Ashtalakshmi Ammaavarulu, Alwar and Acharya sannidis (shrines). The significance of all the shrines was explicitly described by Dr. Srinivasa Chari Tamirisa, founding member and temple Trustee on the occasion.

Bangar Reddy Aloori, Founding Member and Trustee of ALT updated on the funds collected.

Acknowledging generous pledges of $100,000+ each from Platinum

Lord Vishnu portrayed by Raghava, Vedantam, Padmaja Vedantam as Lakshmi devi and Pranav Kashibatla as Garuda. Photos by Murli Santhana.

donors Dr. Ravi and wife Padma Tamirisa (founder member of ALT) and Mr. Jugal Malani and wife Raj Mala, a total of $850,000 was raised (against the goal set for 1.5m) he said which included an anonymous donation amounting to $300,000

plus $150,000 of separate pledges that were made. Reddy expressed thanks to longtime supporters Dr. Ranga and Aprna for $10,000 and Dr. Arun Verma and wife Vinni Verma, founders, Sri Sita Ram Foundation for $2000 donation. “One cause, many hands, thousands of

ALT Trustee Bangar Reddy Aloori announcing the pledges made to the temple as other Trustee, Dr. Chari Tamirisa, Dr. Renu Tamirisa and Temple president Shoba Gadiraju look on. Photo by Shobana

TOP: The dance troupe of Vedanta Kalakhestram. BELOW: Stdents and teachers of Prajna.

prayers - Yes, Lord Venkateswara landed in Houston to stay in the heart of every devotee! Join us in this journey of ALT a place to be for His Glory,” Reddy expressed.

The project is estimated to cost $6 million that spans over the six acre land that now exists. Stapathi Prasad is the official architect of the upcoming expansion plan.

Consul General of India, Houston, Parvathaneni Harish in his message said, “I’m confident that the temple will not only expand but its circle of humanitarian activities and causes would also expand likewise, both with the community here and in India as it brings the peoples and countries closer.”

Vedic scholar Sriman Srinivasa Ventaesa Iyengar conveyed the blessings of HH Sri Sri Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami, and resonated His Holiness’s desire for building such a temple in Houston especially for its citizen’s progress and wellbeing.

Some of the dignitaries who graced the occasion included: Councilman Harish Jajoo, Councilman Ken Mathew, Acharya Gaurang Nanavaty of Chinmaya Mission, Houston. Charlie Patel, President, India Culture Center, Jugal Malani, past President, India House, and Dr. Arun Verma, President and Founder, Sri Sita Ram Foundation.

Dr. Ranga, an ardent supporter of ATL emceed the program efficiently. There is no maximum donation and every ones contribution counts he said. “Small donations are for the bricks of the temple and large tickets are for the Gopurams, one cannot sustain apart from the other,” he said.

‘Kalyana Srinivasam’ proved to be an auspicious start for the temple which is scheduled to complete by 2017 aspiring to commemorative the 1000th Birth Anniversary of Acharya Ramanuja, (1017). The efforts of

Vedanta Kalakshetram and guru Vedanta Raghava was greatly appreciated especially considering the large numbers of dancers, the mammoth props and backdrops, elaborate costumes that were involved in accomplishing the splendid effect. Guru Raghava who hails from linage of kuchipudi dancers, was very graceful yet maintained the characteristic kingly aura of Lord Vishnu in the forms that he portrayed. He was especially delightful in portraying the mischievous Srinivasa who charms Padmavati to fall incessantly in love with him. Padmaja Vedantam was equally powerful in her portrayal of Goddess Lakshmi especially when she witnesses Sage Bhrugu’s anger as he kicks Lord Vishu on his chest, a place which rightly belongs to her.

In a contracting role as golla bhama she amused the audience. The dances of the cow and the calf in Raja Chola’s Durbar were a clever jab that thrilled the audience. Even the menacing elephant was a welcome performance. Sage Narada portrayed by Sandhya Muchimilli deserves special mention for her dance and dramatics that were befitting of the shrewd sage also known as the sutradhari (the puppet master). Every dancer portraying the celestial beings: Shiv, Brahma, Sarawati, Garuda, Varaha were immaculate in their performance and get up. The many beautiful sakhis (companions) who preserved the high energy throughout the program were flawless in their expressions and style.

Overall, the ballet was entertaining, engaging and enriching in some aspects of the Vedas. Host organizers of ALT concluded on the note that they would continue to bring many more such events for their fundraising efforts that just got started. Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple is located on 10098 Synott Road, Suage Land, Texas. For more information on donations and other details visit www. ashtalakashmi.org

A typical scene in Vaikuntam, the abode of Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi devi.

DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 7

Indian-American Killer Extradited, Starts 23-Year Prison Term

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OUSTON | JUL 17, 2015 - A decade after pleading guilty to killing his ex-lover in the US, a fugitive Indian-American medical billing specialist has started serving his 23-year prison term in a Texas jail after being extradited from India.

Amit Livingston, 47, fled to India in 2007 after he pleaded guilty to killing his 31-year-old former lover Hermila Hernandez in 2005.

Hernandez, a married mother of three children, was shot in the back of the head and her body was left on a South Padre Island in Texas after she reportedly told Livingston she wanted to end their relationship, KGBT-TV reported.

After announcing the sentence for 23 years in 2007, Judge Abel Limas had strangely allowed Livingston 60 days to put his affairs in order before reporting to prison, the report said.

When Livingston’s date for reporting to prison arrived, he disappeared.

Limas and Armando Villalobos, the district attorney at the time, were both later convicted in a bribery conspiracy and the scheme that allowed Livingston to escape, the report said.

Livingston was arrested in India in 2014 and jailed in Hyderabad before being extradited to the US, under the terms of a 1997 India-US extradition treaty.

On Monday, Diplomatic Se-

curity Service agents boarded a flight with Livingston out of India. Upon arriving at Newark International Airport in New Jersey, they handed him over to US Marshals, who escorted him to Texas where he will serve his 23-year prison term.

Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz made finding Livingston and extraditing him to the United States a priority since he took office in January 2013, Brownsville Herald reported.

The Livingston case and subsequent monetary settlements were key in the Cameron County corruption cases of the past few years that led to the conviction of high-ranking public officials, including Limas and Villalobos, it said.

Texas Police fear burglars targeting Indian homes

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OUSTON, Jul 21, 2015 - After a burglary at the home of an Indian-American in the US state of Texas, police fear that a notorious crime syndicate that primarily targeted people of Indian descent have resurfaced in the area.

On July 17, two persons broke into the house in Plano, a city in Texas, through the back door - and in full view of a surveillance camera perched just above the back patio, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Police fear that the home invasion past week could be the handiwork of a group of burglars notorious for targeting Indian-Americans last year.

“These suspects might possibly be the Asian/Indian residential burglars that have hit in the past,” said David Tilley, spokesman for the Plano police.

He, however, stresses that this is just a hunch, but one based on reliable intel.

In December several people were arrested in connection with home invasions and a carjacking, where the victims were of Indian descent.

The suspects in last year’s robberies were from Houston and Colombia.

Tilley said that “Houston has had repeated problems with this

group” in the past.

Tilley said last week Irving Police reported “having a similar incident where the victim was [of] Asian/Indian decent (just as ours was).”

“We have asked Irving police for further information and will update when they respond.”

“We want to get the word out early even though this is our first suspected incident,” Tilley said.

“Again, this is just suspected at this time, and we have nothing to prove they are in fact this group, but we want to warn those who might be affected to stay alert.” , (PTI).

TANA Award of Excellence to Dr. M.S. Reddy

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ETROIT (July 18, 2015). Telugu Association of North America (TANA) has honored Dr. M.S. Reddy (Dr. Malireddy Srinivasulu Reddy) with the prestigious TANA Award of Excellence for his exceptional contributions to the Scientific Business Entrepreneurship. The award was presented

by TANA president Mohan Nannapaneni and Chief Guest Hon’ble C.H.Ayyannapatrudu, AP Minister of Panchayat Raj & Rural Water Supply, at the 2015 TANA Convention held on July 2, 2015 in Detroit, USA. Several thousand people attended the biannual meeting of TANA, which is the oldest parent Telugu organization in North America established in 1977.

Dr. M.S. Reddy, popularly known as the “Billionaire Scientist”, “Cheese Reddy”, and “Cheese King”, has published over 80 scientific papers on lactic cultures and Probiotics, and hold over 150 US and International patents. He is widely recognized as an outstanding scientist and leading authority in lactic cultures & Probiotics.

Dr. M.S. Reddy is a wellknown philanthropist and donates generously to various organizations, including various Telugu associations.

He is a major donor of Hindu temple of Denver and the Indian-American Friendship Council in Washington DC for improving the India—US relationship. He also generously supports various schools and community activities in several rural US communities. In addition, he has spent $12 million on R&D to upgrade the Indian Ayurveda System using Probiotics (Proyurveda) to cure chronic diseases without side effects.

Dr. Reddy serves as the Chairman and President of the American Dairy and Food Consulting laboratories (ADFAC) and International Media And Cultures (IMAC), Inc., head quartered at Denver, Colorado, USA with various manufacturing divisions in 10 States.

Dr. M.S. Reddy was born in 1947 in Uppalapadu, Kovur Taluk, Nellore district to Hon’ble Malireddy Jala Reddy Garu (a vivid promoter of education)

Two Indian Americans raise $100,000 each for Hillary Clinton’s campaign

W

ASHINGTON: Two prominent Indian Americans have joined the club of 120 volunteers who have raised more than $100,000 for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, media reported.

Maryland Democrat Mahinder Tak and New York technology investor Deven J. Parekh are the first Indian Americans to have raised $100,000 each for the campaign, americanbazaaronline.com reported.

The two are being hailed as “Hillblazers”, or “individuals who have helped raise $100,000 or more in primary election contributions” by the campaign website.

Tak is an Indian-American radiation oncologist and retired US Army colonel. She was co-chair of the Democratic National Committee’s Indo-

Dr. Reddy’s talk on “How to Become a Billionaire Businessman” is a popular 50-minute presentation on YouTube and it is highly recommended to be viewed by every Telugu and all entrepreneurial Indians living in India and abroad. He gives a highly motivational message and says that ideas, strategies and spirituality are the essence of success in business as well as personal life.

He narrated this eloquently using the Hindu Philosophy depicted by Lord Krishna (GITA) and Lord Ganesha. Dr. Reddy gave a live presentation on this topic at the TANA Convention in Detroit, USA, that received great applause and was televised all over the world by TV5.

Dr. Reddy has received over 140 honors and awards from all over the world for his scientific achievements and for his contributions to the humanity, including Richard Hoyt award, Outstanding Young Alumnus award, Sigma‐Xi Research award, Outstanding Scientist award from IAFC, Outstanding Businessman award, prestigious U.S. President Ronald

In 2012, Dr. Reddy received the most prestigious presidential award from the president of India Hon’ble Pranab Mukherji for being selected as one of the 12 most influential Telugus in the world, brining immense recognition to the State of Andhra Pradesh and India at world level.

In 2014, Dr. Reddy was felicitated and honored with the Pride of India Award --conferred in recognition of his outstanding services and contributions to the scientific, business, entrepreneurial, community welfare, and philanthropic activities in the USA, India and worldwide, which have had profound impact in bringing laurels to India.

He has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize for lifetime achievements in food and pollution mitigating technology.

Dr. Reddy and his wife Syama Reddy, who are admired as Ideal Couple of the Millennium, are among the most admirable couple in the NRI community for contributing extensively to several charity and philanthropic organizations.

“America needs a woman now, she is the best candidate for Democrats,” Tak was quoted as saying, praising Clinton’s record in espousing the cause of children and women early on in her career.

Parekh, managing director at the New York-based Insight Venture Partners, also serves as treasurer of the National Academy Museum.

Parekh is member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Economic Club of New York. He had raised at least $200,000 for the re-election

A Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) graduate in Economics, Parekh gave more than $161,000 in individual contributions to the Obama campaign and various Democratic Party organisations in 2012.

Parekh, who has backed US tech pioneers Twitter, Tumblr and Flipboard and Chinese Alibaba and JD.com at Insight, was ranked 57th in Forbes’ annual Midas List of “The World’s Smartest Tech Investors of 2015”.

In 2010, he was part of a US delegation of several investors, government representatives and technology companies that visited Russia to explore investment and technology collaboration opportunities between the US and Russia. (PTI).

W

Working with women’s and human rights organisations for almost three decades, Sunita is co-founder and active board member of the 14-year-old front-line women’s human rights organisation, Women for Afghan Women.

Born in Chennai, Viswanath says her childhood was steeped in ritualistic practice of Hinduism.

Reagan Gold Medal award, and Lifetime Achievement Award from NATA & ATA for his outstanding contributions to business and technology.

Tak plans to raise around $325,000 for Clinton during the primary.

campaign of President Barack Obama in 2012.

ASHINGTON: An Indian American woman is among 12 faith leaders to be honoured as “Champions of Change” by the White House for their efforts in protecting environment and communities from the effects of climate change.

Sunita Viswanath, the only Indian American to figure in the list, has been selected for her work to encourage Hindus to take care of the environment.

“Sunita is being honoured for her work with Sadhana to encourage Hindus to live out these principles by taking care of the environment,” it added.

and Sankaramma Garu. He is married to Syama Reddy and they have two children, daughter Deepa and son Sridhar.

Deepa lives in India with her husband Dodla Sunil Reddy, and Sridhar and his wife Kiran live in Chicago, USA.

American Council during the 2008 Obama campaign. She is also one of the largest private collectors of Indian art in the US.

Indian-American Sunita Viswanath to be honoured as ‘Champions of Change’

“Sunita is also co-founder and board member of Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, living and building a Hinduism that prioritises social justice, and upholding the Hindu principles of ekatva (oneness), ahimsa (non-violence) and sadhana (faith in action),” the White House said.

(Dr. Malireddy Srinivasulu Reddy

FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

Sunita Viswanath “I have always been secure in my identity as a Hindu. Growing up, I thought a lot about faith and religion, but I also had a very strong sense of social justice--what was fair,” Sunita said.

“I imbibed profound lessons of love and justice from my religious upbringing, from the stories we were told, the prayers we learned, the texts we read. I went on as an adult to devote my life to advancing social justice causes, particularly women’s human rights,” she said.

“If Hinduism cares deeply about all people and all living

beings, then there must be an active, vocal Hindu movement for social justice and human rights today,” she said, adding that a small group of like-minded individuals got together to explore this question and Sadhana was born.

One of the project of Sadhana is Project Prithvi - a grassroots green project, which mobilise Hindus, especially the youth, to live out the principle of ahimsa by taking care of the environment.

Currently, they are working on a project to clean up specific beaches in Jamaica Bay where Hindus worship and litter the place. (PTI).

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 8

What you learn might save a life: Free stroke awareness seminar provides info on warning signs, risk factors and prevention

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UGAR LAND – (July 6, 2015) – Driving home from dinner, you glance at your husband and know something isn’t right.

His right arm appears limp— paralyzed even. His speech is slurred. And his mouth is drooping. What is happening?

If you speculated that he might be having a stroke, you’re right. Unfortunately, not everyone can correctly answer that question. And in the event of a stroke, recognizing the symptoms – and reacting quickly – are critical.

Although stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. – and the leading cause of disability – many Americans cannot identify the symptoms or risk factors for stroke. To help educate the community, Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is hosting a free seminar on September 10 at 6 p.m.

James Ling, M.D., board-certified neurologist and medical director of the Stroke Program at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital will discuss what happens during a stroke, the different types of strokes and what you can do to lower your risk.

“A stroke is the end result of cardiovascular disease, which over the years slowly narrows and weakens the arteries,” explains Ling. “Untreated hypertension, smoking, diabetes, bad cholesterol and obesity all increase the odds for stroke.”

Additional risk factors include advancing age, family history, poor diet, lack of exercise, being male, being of African American descent and having other heart problems like atrial fibrillation or congestive heart failure.

When blood flow to the brain stops, the symptoms appear suddenly. An easy way to remember the common signs of a stroke – and how to react – is with the acronym FAST: F: Facial drooping A: Arm weakness S: Speech difficulty T: Time. If any of the previous three signs is present, call 911.

FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

Fort Bend ISD provides Educational Opportunities and Programs for Homeless Youth

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ORT BEND ISD - Fort Bend ISD has a policy to ensure that each homeless youth has access to the same free public education and related services as every other school-age student who attends a school in FBISD.

Fort Bend ISD’s Special Programs Department and campuses work together to improve the educational outcomes for homeless students by addressing areas of enrollment, transportation, academic, social and psychological needs.

Amanda Hartley, Assistant Director in Special Programs, serves as the District’s Homeless Liaison. For information on services provided to our homeless youth, please contact Amanda at (281) 634-1357.

Library E.S.L. Classes Teach Computer Skills While Improving Language Learning James Ling, M.D., Neurologist “Some strokes are preceded by transient ischemic attacks, or TIAs,” adds Ling. “They are very fast, milder versions of a full stroke and are a warning sign of a potential major stroke in the future. TIAs require immediate medical attention.”

Fortunately, lowering risk factors can prevent about 80 percent of strokes, according to the National Stroke Association. In addition, risk factors for stroke are often intertwined, so treating one of them can often positively affect another. For example, quitting smoking can bring down blood pressure.

If you think someone may be having a stroke, don’t wait to see if the symptoms go away on their own. The longer you wait, the greater the risk of permanent brain damage and death. It might be tempting to drive your loved one to the hospital, but calling 9-1-1 is a better option. Emergency medical responders will begin tests en route to the hospital.

Residents of Fort Bend and surrounding areas can count on Houston Methodist Sugar Land

for a prompt, skilled response to stroke. In honor of its commitment and success in implementing outstanding care to stroke patients, Houston Methodist Sugar Land received the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® — Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.

Learn more at houstonmethodist.org/sugarland, or visit our Facebook page at fb.com/methodistsugarland for the latest news, events and information.

FREE STROKE AWARENESS SEMINAR

Join neurologist James Ling, M.D. on Thursday, September 10, to learn more about the signs and symptoms of a stroke that could potentially save your life or that of a loved one.

The presentation starts at 6 p.m. and will be held at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s Conference Center. Call 281-274-7500 or register online at houstonmethodist.org/events to reserve a seat.

Visit : AsiAmericaDigest.com

Whether you are a newcomer, a longtime resident or a visitor planning a trip to New York City and/or Houston, Texas, you need the guidance of the trusted AsiAmericaDigest to make your stay comfortable. To make it better, it’s FREE! Please visit www.AsiamericaDigest.com and click on Greater Houston Region Desi Visitor Guide or New York - New Jersey & Texas Desi Resource Guide. You can explore many day-to-day topics that offer invaluable information to make your day easier and your life blissful. Share this information with your family and friends, at home or abroad, and enjoy their gratitude forever.

Proof

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ORT BEND - The Literacy Services department at Fort Bend County Libraries will have introductory ESL (English-asa-Second-Language) computer classes in August for adults who would like to learn how to speak English and improve their computer skills. Presented in English, each class is designed to improve Englishspeaking, reading and writing abilities while teaching basic computer skills. The classes will take place from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, in the Computer Lab at George Memorial Library, 1001 Golfview in Richmond. lows:

The schedule is as fol-

· August 7 – Introduction to Computers and the Internet for English-Language Learners.

The class provides a basic introduction to using computers and the World Wide Web. · August 21 – Introduction to Microsoft Excel for EnglishLanguage Learners.

This class provides an intro-

duction to using this spreadsheet software program.

The classes are free and open to the public. Seating is limited, however, and reservations are required. To register online at the library’s website (www. fortbend.lib.tx.us),

click on “Calendar,” select “George Memorial,” and find the program. Participants may also register by calling the library’s Literacy Services Department at 281-341-2652, or by visiting the department at the library.

Catch up on What’s Happening in your part of town!

Visit: www.voiceofasiaonline. com

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VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

Sri Lanka Explores Sebi busts billion-dollar ‘tax evasion Partnership With shops’ in stock market U.S. Millennium M Challenge Corporation (MCC) UMBAI, Jul 22 Suspecting tax evasion of at least Rs 5,000-6,000 crore, regulator Sebi has clamped down on a large number of organised syndicates who had set up ‘shops’ to convert black money into legitimate-looking funds through the stock market platform.

While more than 900 entities have been banned from capital markets by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), it has also referred these cases to the Income Tax Department for further investigations.

“We have banned more than 900 entities and my guess is that the tax avoidance that has happened in these cases is more than Rs 5000-6,000 crore,” Sebi Chairman U K Sinha said.

“We have given all the details to the CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) and we have told them that they should probe them,” Sinha told PTI in an interview here.

Talking about the menace of money laundering and other market-related manipulations,

Sinha said the regulator is trying to curb such cases one-byone very successfully.

“As far as markets are concerned, one by one we are trying to curb the manipulation very successfully -- be it IPO markets, GDR markets or secondary markets. But I must also say that this is an ongoing battle and I cannot say that we have controlled every thing,” he said.

Giving a “complete picture” on this menace, the Sebi chief said, “In any country or in any market, there are always people who are trying to find loopholes and take advantage.

“These are the people who have criminal intent. They are not here to help in the growth of the country. They work with a desire to corner money with criminal intentions.”

Giving example of the IPO market, Sinha said Sebi found “some people had virtually set up shops” there.

“If you want to raise Rs 200 crore, come to me, I will provide you the buyers, I will provide you the platform and I

Sebi Chairman U K Sinha will provide you with a mechanism on how to go for the listing. They were manipulating

the market after listing,” Sinha said, while adding that Sebi was able to crack this. (PTI).

B’wood music for new show on India’s wildlife Dana J. Hyde, Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) with Sri Lanka’s Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam. Photo credit Embassy of Sri Lanka, Washington DC

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ASHINGTON DC: In a meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Dana J. Hyde, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam emphasized the desire of the Government to establish a partnership with the United States under the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

Created by the U.S. Congress in January 2004, with strong bipartisan support, MCC is an innovative foreign aid agency that operates on the principle of delivering U.S. grant assistance to select countries on the basis of a long-term consultative partnership, with the objective of reducing global poverty through sustainable economic growth.

MCC grants to partner countries can reach the tune of US$ 500 million over a five-year partnership. To date, MCC has approved over $10 billion in assistance worldwide that support country-determined projects in such sectors as agriculture and

irrigation, infrastructure, water supply and sanitation, access to health, finance and enterprise development, anti-corruption initiatives, land rights and access to education. MCC selects eligible countries based on their performance in the areas of good governance, economic freedom and investment in their citizens.

Ambassador Kariyawasam briefed Ms. Hyde on the reform process in Sri Lanka and the significant progress that has been achieved by the government since its election to office in January. Sri Lanka now seeks to expand cooperation with the international community including through new partnerships with donor agencies, such as MCC to provide a tangible peace dividend to its people. Acknowledging the progressive developments taking place in Sri Lanka, Ms. Hyde said that MCC was encouraged by the reform process and would continue to closely follow developments in the coming months. She invited the Ambassador to continue interaction with MCC.

Sukhbir has no right to question credentials of NRIs: Bajwa

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HANDIGARH, India July 21, 2015 - Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa today slammed Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal for dubbing the NRIs protesting the visit of Akali Ministers in the USA and Canada as “anti-national”, asserting that he has no moral authority to question their loyalty.

“It is ironic that you have come to this level to attack those questioning the open loot of Punjab by you and your family members, and non-governance and mismanagement as antinational rather than satisfying their queries,” Bajwa said.

“The hostile reception your ministers are getting in these countries is a mirror reflection of the anti-Akali sentiment in Punjab,” he said.

Bajwa said that he and his

party were with all the Punjabis who were staging demonstrations and questioning the performance of the Badal government, adding that they were loyal to their native land.

The problem with Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was that he had been selling dreams to the people and the balloon had now burst, he said in a statement here.

“No proof of the failure of his government was now needed than the move to raise Rs 10,000 crore from the banks in the name of carrying out development to buy victory in 2017 Assembly Election,” Bajwa said.

Sukhbir should tell the people as to which projects would be completed now when the functional time with the government was not more than a year, he said. (PTI).

Get more South Asian stories. Visit: www.voiceofasiaonline.com

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EW DELHI, Jul 21 (PTI) A new multilingual song by Bollywood music composers Meet Brothers extolling India’s dazzling array of fauna is set to premiere on Animal Planet’s new show that gives an overview of the country’s wildlife.

Neha Bhasin has been directed

by Vishal Punjabi.

of mind of today’s youth,” he says.

Commemorating the 69th year of India’s Independence, the month-long show seeks to take viewers on an exotic journey to explore some rarely seen and endangered wildlife of the country.

The show itself is billed as bringing “a realistic and hopeful picture amongst the complex human-wildlife interactions.”

The melodious and peppy three-minute song in Tamil, Bangla and Hindi with passionate lyrics, vibrant choreography and mesmerising performances introduces the show “Yeh Mera India”, which debuts on the channel from August 15 this year.

Manmeet Singh of Meet Brothers’ says of the song, “...

It’s a musical tribute to the independence of animals.”

Choreographed by Feroz Khan, the anthem sung by Meet Brothers, Shibani Kashyap and

The Party in the Jungle theme for the anthem described by fellow Meet Brother composer Harmeet Singh as both sensational and celebratory.

“The soundtrack is designed to match the progressive state

Wildlife and pristine natural beauty of India through Himalayan Mountains down to the Ganga river to the rain forests of Shola and Western Ghats are showcased in the programme.

It provides insights into how some of the endangered animals like the elephant, the guar (Indian bison), the Nilgiri Tahr, the sambhar (the largest of Indian deer), abound in the lush forests are vulnerable

owing to urban development, habitat destruction and poaching.

Works of renowned conservationists and experts like Valmik Thapar, Ullas Karanth, Jeremy Wade, Steve Backshall, and Niall McCann who have been exploring and supporting the conservation of wildlife in the country have been projected in the show.

Rahul Johri, EVP and GM - South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific says, “Yeh Mera India is an initiative to build viewers’ interest and pride in the wildlife of India. The programming will reveal the magnificent natural heritage and will inspire audience to preserve it for future generations

Pak PM Nawaz Sharif sends mangoes to Modi on Eid NEW DELHI, Jul 22 - Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has sent a box of mangoes to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Eid even as his forces along the border gave a miss to the customary exchange of sweets with BSF on the occasion.

“Prime Minister Sharif has sent a box of mangoes to Prime

Minister Modi through official channels,” sources said.

Sharif’s mango diplomacy comes in the backdrop of a row between two countries over ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and International Border in which both sides have suffered casualties. India had warned Pakistan of “effective

and forceful” response to unprovoked firing and cross-border terrorism.

Following the row, Pakistani Rangers refused to accept the sweets offered by the BSF on the occasion of Eid last week. Border guarding forces of the two countries have been practising a tradition of exchanging sweets

on festivals at the International Border in Jammu and along the Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar in Punjab.

Last year also Sharif had sent mangoes to Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee which were delivered soon after India withdrew from foreign secretary talks.(PTI).

Myanmar jails Chinese nationals for illegal logging: report

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EIJING, China Myanmar has sentenced an unspecified number of Chinese nationals to more than a decade in jail for illegal logging, China’s state media reported Thursday, with Beijing’s foreign ministry saying it was “highly concerned”.

The loggers were arrested following a January crackdown on illegal forestry activities in Myanmar’s northern Kachin state and sentenced to “more than 10 years in prison”, state news agency Xinhua said.

An unnamed Myanmar court official in Kachin state told AFP on Wednesday that 153 Chinese loggers had been jailed for life for illegal logging. Xinhua’s report did not specify the number of people imprisoned nor the exact sentences.

“Right after the Myanmar side arrested and detained some Chinese engaged in illegal logging in Myanmar early this year, the Chinese side has lodged multiple representations on different levels and through various channels,” foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement on the ministry’s website.

China had made representations over the sentences and asked Myanmar to “deal with this case in a lawful, reasonable and justified manner so as to conclude the case properly and return those people to China as soon as possible”, he added.

Logging in Myanmar ex-

ploded under the former junta -- when China was a close ally -- as the generals tossed aside sustainable forestry practices in a rush to cash in on the country’s vast natural resources.

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But the quasi-civilian government that replaced outright military rule in 2011 has sought to stem the flood of timber from the country with a ban on the export of raw logs that came

into effect in April last year.

At the same time relations with the West have improved markedly, while ties with Beijing have declined.

Sonia blasts Tharoor

EW DELHI, July 22 - Congress President Sonia Gandhi today pulled up former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor over the leak of his views against party’s stalling tactics in Parliament in the media.

“Gandhi, who generally does not get angry, literally blasted Tharoor” sources said adding that the party chief was in no mood to listen to any explanation from him.

Her anger was directed at him over the fact that his opposition to disruption tactics at a strategy meeting made its way to the media.

There has been a sizeable section in the Congress, especially young MPs, who want the party to make the most of the situation caused by the Lalit Modi controversy and the Vyapam scam to put the government in the dock.

Reports quoting unnamed sources had it that at yesterday’s strategy committee meeting, Tharoor had expressed himself against “stalling tactics”.

He had said the disruption tactics ? a repeat of what the BJP did when it was in the opposi-

Union Minister Shashi Tharoor tion ? may not be effective. He had given three reasons for this.

First, the strength of the Congress is just 44, while the BJP had 110-plus members when it was in the opposition during the last Lok Sabha.

Second, it is not clear whether the rest of the opposition will join the Congress, and it remains to be seen if the government can get them on its side.

Third, Tharoor is learnt to have argued that the government will, in all likelihood, brazen out the opposition attack.

Tharoor had argued that the Congress should instead engage

in discussion on all issues ? be it Vyapam or the Lalit Modi episode ? and use facts and figures to drive home its point.

Sonia’s reprimand of Tharoor came amid a belligerent Congress leaving no stone unturned to corner the Narendra Modi government over the various scams involving top BJP leaders.

The Congress has been demanding the resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and the chief ministers of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh over Lalitgate and Vyapam. (PTI).

WORLD/US

VOICE OF ASIA 10

FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

US indicts accused Charleston gunman for hate crimes

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ASHINGTON - A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted suspected white supremacist Dylann Roof on hate crime and other charges over the June 17 massacre of nine black parishioners in a church in Charleston, South Carolina.

The 33-count indictment is in addition to South Carolina state

Man with gun held ahead of Biden LA event

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OS ANGELES - Police detained a man allegedly carrying a weapon near Vice President Joe Biden’s speaking venue in Los Angeles just hours before his address on Wednesday, a spokesman said.

The man was held in North Hollywood, near a business where Biden was to speak about raising the national minimum wage, said Los Angeles police spokesman Marlon Marrache.

The man “breached a zone” set up by police for Biden’s visit and was found to be in possession of a weapon, Marrache said, giving no further details.

Security is routinely tight around visits by Biden and President Barack Obama, with regular incidents involving small aircraft encroaching into sealed airspace around the dignitaries’ location.

Islamic group fundraiser faces US terror charges

W

ASHINGTON - An alleged fundraiser for a violent extremist group that supports the so-called Islamic State faced terrorism charges in US court Monday.

Irfan Demirtas, also known as Nasrullah, was arrested in January and extradited from Germany on Friday. He faces up to 70 years in prison on four separate charges.

According to a December 2011 US federal indictment that had been previously sealed, Dutch-Turkish national Demirtas served as the Europeanbased fundraiser for the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan while living in the Netherlands.

Formed in the 1990s for the purpose of overthrowing the government of that Central Asian nation and replacing it with an Islamic state, the IMU has been mainly based in Pakistan’s tribal region since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

The group backs Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Andrew McCabe stressed that the IMU is a “designated terrorist organization that directly worked against US forces and our allies.”

Demirtas was said to have been responsible for recruiting fighters for the IMU as well, with his activities taking place in Afghanistan, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Pakistan and Turkey, among others.

He was arrested in Germany in January.

The four-count indictment charges him with providing material support to terrorists, providing material support and resources to a designated foreign terror group, receiving military training from such an organization and using or carrying a firearm during or linked to a violent crime.

The charges are associated with conduct that took place between January 2006 and May 2008.

“His extradition to the United States is an important step forward in holding him accountable for his alleged role in fomenting terror across Europe and the Middle East,” said Acting US Attorney Vincent Cohen.

murder and attempted murder charges against the 21-yearold suspect, who could face the death penalty if convicted.

“For these crimes, Roof faces federal penalties of up to life imprisonment or the death penalty,” Lynch said.

“Racially-motivated violence such as this is the original domestic terrorism,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch in announcing the indictments at a Washington press conference.

Roof was arrested in North Carolina a day after he alleged joined an evening bible study class at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, then shot nine participants with a .45-caliber Glock handgun.

The victims included Emanuel’s chief pastor Clementa Pinckney, who was also a South Carolina state senator. Three people survived the shooting.

A website attributed to him was later found to contain racist views towards African Americans, as well as photographs of Roof brandishing guns and the

Confederate battle flag.

Lynch said the US government was charging Roof with nine murders and three attempted murders under a hate crime law that prohibits the use of force to harm an individual on the basis of race or color.

He is also charged under a second hate crime law that bans

Muslim cemetery sparks row in Texas town of Farmersville

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ALLAS - Residents in a small town in Texas are seeking to block plans to build an Islamic cemetery over fears it is part of a wider Muslim “takeover”.

The proposed site in Farmersville, 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Dallas, was put forward by a local Islamic group.

Critics say they have concerns over Muslim burial procedures and fear it could lead to a mosque being built.

A spokesman for the Islamic Association of Collin County said misinformation and confusion is behind the opposition.

Farmersville already has a Buddhist centre and a Mor-

mon church but residents turned up in force at a recent town meeting to oppose the Muslim cemetery.

The town is about 25 miles (40 km) away from where two Islamic extremists were shot dead after attacking an exhibition of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in May. ‘They will expand’ “The concern for us is the radical element of Islam,” David Meeks, pastor at the Bethlehem Baptist Church, told The Dallas Morning News.

“They will expand. How can we stop a mosque or madrassa training centre from going in there?” he asked, referring to a type of Islamic

school.

One resident told local TV network KTVT said he had health concerns over the burial practices, saying: “You don’t know whether they were shot, diseased or anything else.”

“All they do is wrap them in a sheet, throw them in the grave and bury them,” Troy Gosnell told the news channel.

Some opponents had even threatened to cover the area in blood from pigs in a bid to stop the group from purchasing the land, according to local news site CBS DFW. But officials said the sale of the land was completed last week.

Khalil Abdur-Rashid, a

spokesman for the Islamic group, said they had been surprised by the opposition.

“We didn’t think there would be this much concern about burying the dead,” he said, explaining that bodies would be placed in caskets.

The cemetery was more to do with “human dignity” than religion, he added.

Mayor Joe Helmberger has insisted that residents’ fears are unwarranted, saying: “There’s just a basic concern or distrust about the cemetery coming into town.”

He said the cemetery would be approved as long as the town’s development standards are met, adding that the US was founded on religious freedom.

the use of force to prohibit the free exercise of religious belief, the attorney general said.

“Finally, Roof has been charged with the act of using a firearm in these racially motivated murders and attempted murders,” she said.

No decision has been taken on whether to seek the death penalty, Lynch said, adding that consultation with the victims’ families would be “an important part of this decisionmaking process.”

South Carolina has no hate crime laws on its books, but the murder charges it is pressing against Roof carry the possibility of the death penalty.

READ Global News Visit: www.voiceofasiaonline.com

Lifestyle VOICE OF ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 11

ONLINE .COM voiceofasiaonline.com

Vol. 28 No. 30 Friday, July 24, 2015 Section 2 Page 11

FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com Tel: 713-774-5140

Kartik Trivedi: An Artist’s connection to the White House and the World

Kartik Trivedi

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OUSTON - It took eight long years to get the attention of the White House and then, early this year, it was finally here a letter from President Barack Obama thanking the artist for his ’kind gift’ and ‘thoughtfulness’. President Obama has selected one of Kartik Trivedi’s paintings (of size 30”x40”) titled “Hope” for the White House, Washington, DC, Art Collection. In all humility, Trivedi accepts it as an act of divine intervention, blessings from ‘Ma’ (Divine Mother).

Although this was not his first letter from US President nor his paintings to deck the White House walls, Trivedi is as excited as he was when he sent his earlier seven painting as gifts to the White House.

His special painting to Ronald Regan was called “Welcome Home’ depicting the time when the 52 hostages returned from Iran which was greatly appreciated by the then President and his wife Nancy Regan. The one he presented Clinton was called “Autum in Chicago” and to George Bush was titled, “The Inauguration Day.” Trivedi’s impressionist paintings hang in other high places around the globe like the Buckingham Palace, through his momentous gifts to Prince Charles, President François Mitterrand and Late Prime Ministers Mrs. Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

Trivedi is a multi-faceted artist who is equally acclaimed for

One of the many paintings of the artist. his talent as a pianist. Trivedi has received M.A. degree in World Music from San Jose State University, San Jose, California (1979), MFA (Master of Fine Arts) degree in Paintings from Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, (1975). In all, he has four Master Degrees, three of which are from the US. Amazon.Com has published a Piano CD of Kartik’s Piano Music Title, “The Raga-Impressions.”

Kartik Trivedi at his work. Pic taken from his brochure.

During the month of January-February, 2016 Trivedi will work on a film titled, “Jab Savan Barse” He has been appointed as the Music and Art director for this film. Kartik has written the title song,”Ghir ghir aayi ye kari badaria”, He has composed this song in raga: Malhar.

Trivedi was born in 1937 in a small village in Ahmedabad.

He came to the U. S. in 1967 and currently lives in Houston.

Trivedi was in Ahmedabad city, Gujarat State of India during, April, May, June, 2015. His paintings were in an Art Show at the Lalit Kala Art Gallery that was attended by The Education Minister, Honorable, Shri Bhupendrasinh Chudasama from Gandhinagar. About 40 Journalists covered the event.

The special feature director of Durdarshan TV-Mumbai and Ahmedabad stations, Shri Bindu Trivedi is in a process of producing a major film, titled “And Beyond” and has appointed Trivedi as the leading team member for this production. Trivedi enjoys visiting

friends and families around Houston City area and all it takes is a piano in your house to get him to play for you and your guests. He will also bring a few of his painting and play from his collection Raga at your home.

Trivedi has been invited by the prestigious Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso University, Indiana State for a ‘One Man Art Show’ of his paintings from April 13, 2016 to May 8, 2016.

In his honor, a grand reception will be held on April 17, 2016 and a special brochure printed on him will be and distributed to the guests.

Spanish museums invite blind to touch masterpieces

by Daniel SILVA

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ADRID, Spain Staff at the Prado, Spain’s top art museum, usually prevent visitors from touching its priceless treasures.

But on a recent morning, with their blessing, Jose Pedro Gonzalez, 56, slowly ran his fingers over a copy of one of 15th century master Diego de Velazquez’s most famous paintings, “Apollo in the Forge of Vulcan”.

other person,” said Gonzalez, who has visited the “Touching the Prado” show several times since it opened in January.

The Prado plans to take the paintings on tour to other Spanish cities once its Madrid run ends on October 18.

- Small enough to feel all over -

The exhibition is part of a growing effort by Spanish museums to make their collections accessible to the visually impaired with help from Spain’s powerful national organisation for the blind, known by its acronym ONCE.

Museums in other nations have used the same technique to reproduce works for the blind but their copies were smaller and only in black-andwhite, said the curator of the Prado exhibition, Fernando Perez Suescun.

His hands ran back and forth over the depiction of the god Apollo wearing a laurel crown, tracing the edges of the garment.

The copies in the Prado exhibition have the same proportions as the originals but are smaller to allow blind guests to touch and feel their way through the entire surface.

“There are many things that you can discover and that you love discovering,” said Gonzalez, who has been blind since the age of 14.

Pictures by Gerard Julien. Video by Francois Lallemant

The museum selected works that are representative of its vast collection and whose details could be highlighted by adding volume.

The painting is one of six copies of works by masters such as El Greco and Francisco Goya specially created for the museum’s first ever exhibition for the blind.

They use a relief painting technique that adds volume and texture to allow the blind, or those with limited vision, a chance to create a mental im-

age of a painting by feeling it.

the paintings through touch.

Water bowls are ready for accompanying guide dogs and an audio guide advises blind visitors how to best explore

“This is a brilliant exhibition. The only way the blind have had to access paintings is through explanations from an-

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“It is hard for a blind person to build a mental image of what these works are like so we looked for paintings that provided information but were clear,” Suescun said.

- Taj Mahal, Kremlin replicas The nearby Reina Sofia modern art museum, home to Pablo Picasso’s masterpiece “Guernica”, too allows blind guests to touch some of its sculptures while Madrid’s Costume Museum has set up a permanent exhibition of original dresses, including an 18th century gown, that can be felt.

ONCE, which runs a popular daily lottery in Spain that employs over 20,000 blind or disabled lottery vendors, advises the museums on how to improve visits for the blind.

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LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 12

FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

Anger as Saudi king takes Want to speak Australian? over entire French beach Just abbreviate

© AFP/File | The key to speaking Aussie is to shorten words where possible -- a practice which means that even Australia itself is condensed to ‘Straya’ In this photo dated Friday July 17, 2015 a view of the public beach called “La Mirandole” located below a mansion owned by the Saudi royal family in Golfe Juan Vallauris, southern France. Last week, angry beachgoers won a temporary halt to unauthorized work ahead of the royal visit, notably a cement slab on the sand for an elevator allowing direct beach access from the mansion. Sign on beach reads : No to construction works. (AP Photo/Claude Paris).

by Vincent MORVAN

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ALLAURIS, France - Beach lovers on the French Riviera expressed their anger Sunday over the imminent arrival of the Saudi royal family, who have ordered a long stretch of beach to be closed off to the public.

“Looking after their security is fine, but they should at least let us go for a swim,” said Mohamed, a disgruntled fishing enthusiast.

Nestled in the rocks between the coastal railway and the translucent waters of the Mediterranean, the grounds of the royal family’s immense villa stretches across a kilometre of Riviera coastline between Antibes and Marseille.

Local authorities confirmed that King Salman is due to arrive at some point this week, and that access to the entire kilometre stretch will be cut off, including the public beach at Vallauris, which can only be reached through a tunnel under the railway line.

“Access to the coast will be prohibited by police officers for the duration of the king’s holi-

day,” said local official Philippe Castanet.

Coastguards will also stop anyone coming within 300 metres of the villa by sea.

Beach users swung between disappointment and anger over the news.

“They take the decision and there’s nothing we can say,” said Mohamed, rinsing off his fishing rod on the beachfront.

“It’s a good fishing spot and blocking access is not acceptable.”

- Beach-to-villa elevator Fatima, a local nurse, had come with her two daughters for a swim.

“Whether it’s him or another billionaire, they always have priority over ordinary people.

On the other hand, they are good for business, coming here with 400 people in their entourage. I heard they might even fix the roads.”

Her boyfriend Didier recalls a time when Salman’s predecessor King Fahd was visiting and the police had to forcibly remove swimmers who refused to clear out.

Workers hired by the Saudis had last week already started building the fence that will close off access to the beach, but were ordered to stop until the royal family arrives.

They had also generated a great deal of anger by starting work on an elevator from the beach to the villa, which involved pouring a huge slab of cement directly on to the sand.

The local authorities have allowed work on the elevator to continue on condition that it is dismantled when the family vacation ends.

The villa itself has become a hive of activity, with one local, Christian, saying there were dozens of people decking it out with rose bushes and other plants over the weekend.

“You can see they’ve replaced the balcony windows, no doubt to put in some bulletproof glass,” he said.

He also pointed out what appeared to be a golden throne, positioned to soak up the sun -- and a view unspoiled by the general public -- on the villa’s terrace.

Read more on

www.voiceofasiaonline.com

SeaWorld staffer allegedly spied on animal rights group

© Getty/AFP/File / by Michael Thurston | Killer whale “Tilikum” (back) appears during its performance in the show “Believe” at Sea World in Orlando, Florida on March 30, 2010

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OS ANGELES - US theme park SeaWorld has suspended an employee who allegedly infiltrated the animal rights group PETA -- but activists denounced the move as cosmetic and said they could unmask more spies.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has long clashed with the Miamibased marine tourist attraction, which it accuses of cruelty to animals notably over its treatment of killer whales.

Earlier this week the group alleged that SeaWorld planted an undercover agent in its ranks, who it said took part in PETA rallies and incited activists to commit violence.

In response SeaWorld said: “The allegations made...

against a SeaWorld employee are very concerning. These allegations, if true, are not consistent with the values of the SeaWorld organization and will not be tolerated.

“We have placed the employee in question on paid administrative leave pending the findings of the investigation,” it added in a statement.

But PETA said the move was not enough. “’Suspending’ your own agents is an old trick, which usually comes with a backroom deal of compensation and a promise to bring them back when things die down,” it said.

And it said it believes more undercover agents can be exposed. “We do not believe that SeaWorld has limited its espionage efforts to (the suspended

agent’s) activities.

“It has hired protesters to attend SeaWorld rallies, and PETA is currently looking at two more men who we believe were SeaWorld agents hired to infiltrate PETA as ‘volunteers,’ and the list may grow,” it said.

SeaWorld admitted last year that its income had fallen in part because of campaigns by activists against the use of the killer whales in its shows.

An acclaimed 2013 documentary “Blackfish” also spotlighted the impact of captivity on orcas in examining an attack in which an orca killed a trainer.

The company is building much larger tanks to hold its orcas, to be completed by 2018.

S

YDNEY, Australia Travelling to Australia and want to fit in? Or just trying to understand your mates from Down Under? The Sydney pastor behind a video that has gone viral explaining the local lingo might be able to help.

Josh Hawkins put the threeminute clip entitled “How to speak Australian: Abbreviate Everything” on YouTube a week ago and since then it has been viewed more than 130,000 times and even drawn praise from former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard.

Hawkins said Monday the key to speaking Aussie is to shorten words where possible -- a practice which means that even Australia itself is condensed to “Straya”.

“There wasn’t a lot of thought behind it to be honest,” he told AFP of the video.

“I just thought that it would be interesting to see how many abbreviations we could come up with ... that everyday Aussies use.”

Simple words such as football, biscuit and chocolate

become “footy”, “biccy” and “choccy” -- and the general response has been amazement at how many common words are shortened in everyday use.

“For anyone who’s visiting, an essential is ‘G’day, how ya going?’. You can have a full conversation with just that,” said Hawkins, a pastor who works with young adults.

Another essential would be understanding what Australians call a pub.

“There’s a few options: you can just call it ‘the local’. So, ‘Heading down to the local for a bevvy’ (that’s a beverage),” said Hawkins.

“But also you can call it the ‘tav’, that’s short for tavern, the ‘bowlo’, that’s short for bowling club, or the ‘arrie’, that’s short for the RSL,” he added in reference to the Returned and Services League of Australia, which has hundreds of establishments around the country that serve the country’s veterans.

There is less confusion with the word beer, but as he notes that “if you drink it out of the tin can, it’s a ‘tinny’”.

Hawkins said he had been surprised by the huge response to the video, which was retweeted

by Gillard who described it as “hilarious!”. However, she noted it omitted “chuck a sickie” which means to take a sick day off work.

“She’s probably the queen of Aussie slang actually,” he admitted.

“Some of the stuff that she comes out with is what we like to call a bit bogan (uncouth).

I think she’s said in the past...

‘Yeah, come down with the family, have a gawk, have a gander at what’s going on’.

“So that basically means have a look and enjoy whatever it was she was talking about.”

Hawkins said there were many words he had to leave out, and obviously swear words were not acceptable. But for their next video he’s considering names.

“We don’t call anyone by their actual name. It’s either a variation of their last name or something out of left field. So I would be known as ‘Hawko’ because my last name is Hawkins.”

HEALTH, SC & TECH

VOICE OF ASIA 13

FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

Mysterious icy plains New Brain Implant Delivers glimpsed on Pluto’s surface Drugs via Remote Control

This July 15, 2015 image from NASA shows a close-up image of a region near Pluto’s equator reveal a giant surprise: a range of youthful mountains rising as high as 11,000 feet above the surface of the icy body (AFP Photo/)

M

IAMI - Smooth, icy plains have been spotted on the surface of Pluto, in the latest images released Friday from a NASA spacecraft that flew by the dwarf planet this week.

The plains are located north of Pluto’s icy mountains, in the center-left of the heart shape that NASA has named “Tombaugh Regio,” or the Tombaugh Region after Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto in 1930.

The area is lined with troughs that resemble frozen mud cracks on Earth.

There are no apparent craters, despite Pluto being in the Kuiper Belt, which scientists have described as a shooting gallery of cosmic debris.

NASA says the plain is no more than 100 million years

old, and that Pluto is still being shaped by active geological processes.

But just what those processes are remains a mystery.

“These are the early days of a close encounter analysis,” said Moore.

“This terrain is not easy to explain,” said Jeff Moore, leader of the New Horizons Geology, Geophysics and Imaging Team at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California.

“As extraordinary and provocative as these images are, we are in the most preliminary stages of our investigations.

We are still entertaining the widest range of hypotheses. We are acutely aware that jumping to conclusions leads to great peril.”

There are two theories being considered. Perhaps the plains were shaped by the contraction of surface materials, similar to what happens when mud dries, said NASA.

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft zipped by Pluto on Tuesday, marking the first time in history that humankind has explored the distant dwarf planet.

Or, they could be formed by a process called convection, where by some kind of heat from Pluto’s interior reshapes the surface layer of frozen carbon monoxide, methane and nitrogen.

The nuclear-powered spaceship traveled for nearly 10 years and three billion (4.8 billion kilometers) to reach Pluto, and now it is moving deeper into the Kuiper Belt region of space.

Cheaters at risk after hack at dating website

Adultery website Ashley Madison has more than 33 million users. AFP/File Philippe Lopez

by Rob Lever

M

illions of people who used the “have an affair” website Ashley Madison faced exposure Monday after a breach by hackers seeking to shut it down.

The latest high-profile cyberattack hit the Canadian company known for making a business from adultery seekers, with the hackers threatening to leak private data.

Avid Life Media, which owns Ashley Madison, said that an “unauthorized party” was able to gain access to the data through various unauthorized points on the website.

A group calling itself “the Impact Team” claimed responsibility and said it was part of an effort to shut down Ashley Madison, known for its slogan, “Life is short. Have an affair.”

The hacker group, in statements posted online, said that Ashley Madison and a related site called Established Men “must shut down immediately permanently.”

“Shutting down AM and EM will cost you, but non-compliance will cost you more,” the statement said.

“We will release all customer

records, profiles with all the customers’ sexual fantasies, nude pictures and conversations and matching credit card transactions, real names and addresses.”

- Posts removed Avid Life said some personally identifiable information was posted online before being removed.

“Our team has now successfully removed the posts related to this incident... about our users published online,” Avid Life Media said.

“At this time, we have been able to secure our sites, and close the unauthorized access points,” the company said.

“We apologize for this unprovoked and criminal intrusion into our customers’ information.”

The company said it was now offering members a “full delete” of their profiles in light of the attack. Previously members had to pay to remove their profile data.

“The process involves a harddelete of a requesting user’s profile, including the removal of posted pictures and all messages sent to other system users’ email boxes,” the company said.

Ashley Madison, which boasts more than 33 million users, helps people who are in relationships cheat on their partners.

With its other dating services, Avid Life says it is Canada’s largest dot-com with some 40 million members.

It said it has “stringent security measures in place, including working with leading IT vendors from around the world.”

“These security measures have unfortunately not prevented this attack to our system,” Avid Life added.

The company said it was working with law enforcement over the breach and that those responsible for the “act of cyberterrorism will be held responsible.”

Users in more than 46 countries subscribe to the cheating website, which was founded in 2001.

The company said a new user joins every six seconds, and that it is “the world’s largest website for married men and women looking to have a discreet affair.”

The incident is the latest in a series of high-profile data breaches affecting companies as well as government data-

R

esearchers have developed a new wireless device the width of a human hair that can be implanted in the brain and activated by remote control to deliver drugs.

The technology, demonstrated for the first time in mice, one day may be used to treat pain, depression, epilepsy and other neurological disorders in people by targeting therapies to specific brain circuits, according to the researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“In the future, it should be possible to manufacture therapeutic drugs that could be activated with light,” said co-principal investigator Michael R Bruchas, associate professor of anesthesiology and neurobiology at Washington University.

“With one of these tiny devices implanted, we could theoretically deliver a drug to a specific brain region and activate that drug with light as needed. This approach potentially could deliver therapies that are much more targeted but have fewer

side effects,” Bruchas said.

Previous attempts to deliver drugs or other agents, such as enzymes or other compounds, to experimental animals have required the animals to be tethered to pumps and tubes that restricted their movement. But the new devices were built with four chambers to carry drugs directly into the brain. By activating brain cells with drugs and with light, the scientists are getting an unprecedented look at the inner workings of the brain.

The new devices ultimately may help people with neurological disorders and other problems, according to co-first authors Jae-Woong Jeong, a former postdoctoral researcher at the University of Illinois and now assistant professor of electrical, computer and energy engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Jordan G McCall, a graduate student in the Bruchas lab.

“Now, we literally can deliver drug therapy with the press of a button,” McCall said.

“We’ve designed it to exploit infrared technology, similar to that used in a TV remote. If we want to influence an animal’s behaviour with light or with a particular drug, we can simply point the remote at the animal and press a button,” he said.

“The device embeds microfluid channels and microscale pumps, but it is soft like brain tissue and can remain in the brain and function for a long time without causing inflammation or neural damage,” Jeong added. As part of the study, the researchers showed that by delivering a drug to one side of an animal’s brain, they could stimulate neurons involved in movement, which caused the mouse to move in a circle.

In other mice, shining a light directly onto brain cells expressing a light-sensitive protein prompted the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that rewarded the mice by making them feel good. The mice then returned to the same location in a maze to seek another reward.

The study will be published in the journal Cell. Press Trust of India, 17 July 2015

Astronomers catch dwarf star cannibalising its mate

© AFP/File | The binary star system named Gaia14aae was first spotted when it suddenly became five times brighter over the course of a single day

P

ARIS - A super-dense white dwarf star about 730 light years from Earth has been caught in the act of “cannibalising” its companion, astronomers said Friday.

The pair form a binary star system named Gaia14aae after the European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite which discovered it in August 2014.

The system was first spotted when it suddenly became five times brighter over the course of a single day.

Further observations have determined that the outburst was due to the white dwarf stealing gas from its larger companion, said the University of Cam-

bases.

It comes two months after a leak of stolen data from 3.9 million members of Adult FriendFinder, which claims to be “the world’s largest sex and swinger” community.

- ‘Attractive for blackmail’ Will Gragido, of the security firm Digital Shadows, said the breach “seems typical of today’s more extortion and ransom-focused attacks.”

“Certain types of data and online behavior are simply too

bridge, whose experts took part in the study.

The smaller of the two stars is so dense that a teaspoon of its material would weigh as much as an elephant.

“The gravitational effects from the hot and superdense white dwarf are so strong that it has forced the companion star to swell up like a massive balloon and move towards it,” said a university statement.

The companion star is about 125 times the volume of our Sun, and towers over the Earthsized dwarf -- about the size ratio of a hot air balloon to a marble.

attractive for blackmail purposes,” he added.

Gragido also worried it could be an “ominous” incident if others follow the same pattern.

“It takes us down a slippery slope: What type of business will adversaries deem ‘objectionable,’ next and demand its closure -- in addition to holding its customers hostage with their stolen, personal information?” he said.

Toronto-based Avid Life said recently it was considering a

“However, the companion star is lightweight, weighing in at only one percent of the white dwarf’s mass,” the statement said.

The two are in tight orbit around one another.

Astronomers do not know whether the dwarf will completely devour its companion, or whether the two will collide and cause a supernova explosion.

Studying such explosions may help scientists measure the expansion of the Universe.

The findings were published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

stock flotation to help grow the business, which also includes the website for women called Cougar Life, aimed at the “recently divorced, single mom or sexy single still on the prowl.”

Avid Life chief executive Noel Biderman told security blogger Brian Krebs the company was close to identifying the source of the breach.

“It was definitely a person here that was not an employee but certainly had touched our technical services,” he was quoted as saying.

Young Life

VOICE OF ASIA 14

Friday, July 24, 2015

Section 2

Page 14

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FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

Tel: 713-774-5140

Indian-origin students help Indian-American girl US win Math Olympiad Shreya Patel floors Obamas after 21 years with ‘garam masala’ burger

W

ASHINGTON: A 9-year-old IndianAmerican girl who floored the Obamas by serving them a Quinoa burger with raita, enhanced with ‘garam masala’, cumin and ginger, won a chance to attend the Kids’ State Dinner hosted by first lady Michelle.

Shreya Patel from Chicago was pleasantly surprised when US President Barack Obama came to her table during the Kids State Dinner hosted at the White House.

Accompanied by her mother Priti Patel, Shreya was the only Indian-American been invited by the First Lady for now what has become an annual event.

The 55 participants to the Kids State Dinner were selected from a national Healthy Lunchtime Challenge.

The U.S. International Mathematical Olympiad team at the victory ceremony in Chiang Mai, Thailand, July 14. (Mathematical Association of America photo)

W

ASHINGTON: Two Indian-origin students have helped the US win the prestigious International Mathematical Olympiad after more than two decades.

Shyam Narayanan, 17, and Yang Liu Patil, 18, were part of the six-member US team that won the renowned award after a gap of 21 years. India was ranked 37th in the competition.

“Go Team USA! America took first place in the International Mathematical Olympiad for the first time since 1994,” the White House tweeted, and attached a photo of a congratulatory letter from the US President Barack Obama.

Yang Liu Patil’s mother is from China and father from India.

In addition to Patil and Narayanan, three other US team members won gold medals: Ryan Alweiss, Allen Liu, and David Stoner.

A sixth member, Michael Kural, missed gold by one point, settling for silver.

In the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) held in Chang Mai, Thailand, the US defeated China by just four points, 185-181. South Korea took third place.

China has won the Olympiad the maximum number of 19 times.

“It’s been 21 years,” Team USA’s head coach, Po-Shen Loh, told The Washington Post.

“This is a huge deal. This is a matter of national pride,” he

said.

“One reason we are super excited is that for the past five years or so, we’ve been consistently second or third. It’s actually quite difficult to win. We are going up against a natural population disadvantage in the sense in the sense that China, which is the usual winner, has four times as many people,” Loh said.

born,” Shreya said.

“I have been helping them cook since I was three. I love to mix, measure, chop, and even clean up afterwards,” she said.

“My grandma and I came up with this recipe together because we both love sandwiches.

We make this recipe often to take to school for lunch or even on picnics with friends,” Shreya added.

Though the dinner is hosted by the First Lady, Obama has been making a surprise crash into the party every year.

“I particularly am impressed with the Barackamole. So I’m expecting people to save me a little sampling of the Barackamole,” he said amidst laughter.

He said broccoli is his favorite vegetable.

Nearly 1,000 kids had entered the competition this year.

“I eat it all the time,” Obama said.

“I have watched my mom and grandma make all sorts of delicious food in the kitchen with an Indian twist since I was

“You blew the judges away with your talent and creativity.

You included fruits and veggies from every colour of the rainbow in your recipes. You used

all kinds of ingredients -- flax seed -- do any of the adults even know what flax seed is? Cumin, and we have yellow miso paste that was included in one of the recipes -- pretty sophisticated,” the First lady said in her remarks.

One of the participants Dillon Andrews, 12, from Wyoming was invited for his Indian inspired food -- Indian tacos.

“When I was little, I lived in San Francisco, and was exposed to all sorts of culture and food,” he said.

“One of my favorites was Indian food, so I decided to make an Indian style dish. I would serve this dish with mango and chai,” Dillon said.

The Kids’ State Dinner is part of Michelle’s move to combat childhood obesity.

Her “Let’s Move” initiative is 5-plus years old. After lunch, the winners got a tour of the first lady’s White House Kitchen Garden -- to walk off the calories. (PTI).

Indian-American to represent U.S. in International Chemistry Olympiad

IMO is the World Championship Mathematics Competition for High School students and is held annually in a different country.

The first IMO was held in 1959 in Romania, with 7 countries participating.

Nowadays, over 100 countries from five continents participate in the contest.

Teen in remission from HIV 12 years after stopping meds

by Deborah Jones

V

ANCOUVER, Canada - A French teenager born with HIV has been in remission for 12 years after stopping her medication, a world first that renews hope for the prospect of early treatment, researchers said Monday.

The young woman, now 18, is not considered cured, but is doing perfectly well off treatment, said the research led by Asier Saez-Cirion of the HIV, Inflammation and Persistence Unit at the Institut Pasteur in Paris.

Never before have scientists known of a case in which an HIV-infected child goes into long-term remission, said the study presented at the International AIDS Society meeting in this western Canadian city.

“We can detect HIV in the cells, but what we cannot detect is viral replication in the plasma,” Saez-Cirion said in an interview.

“We don’t know yet why this girl was able to control the infection.”

The girl does not have the genetic factors associated with natural control of infection, which has been seen in a rare group of patients.

“Most likely, she has been in virological remission for so long because she received a combination of antiretrovirals very soon after infection,” said the report.

The young woman, whose identity was not revealed, was infected with HIV either in utero or during childbirth.

When she was five, her family dropped out of the treatment program for unknown reasons. When they returned her to medical care one year later, she “was found to have an undetectable viral load,” said the report.

Doctors decided not to resume antiretroviral treatment for the child, but monitored her.

Researchers said the unconventional case bolsters growing evidence in adults that starting treatment immediately after HIV infection is essential.

Her case “suggests that longterm remission after early treatment is possible in children infected by HIV,” said the report.

- Single case There was a previous case of a baby who was born with HIV in the US state of Mississippi and went into an extended remission, but her case lasted

only 27 months after antiretroviral therapy was stopped.

So researchers urged caution in interpreting the results, and said doctors do not recommend anyone stop their antiretroviral treatment.

“This case is going to be inspiring for people living with HIV and working in the field,” said scientist Sharon Lewin, who co-chaired a symposium earlier this week on finding a cure for HIV. The meeting has drawn more than 6,000 HIV professionals from around the world.

“My reservations are, it’s a single case,” Lewin told AFP. “It’s also uncertain whether the teen would have controlled (her HIV infection) without any treatment. We know one percent of people who become infected naturally control the virus and don’t require treatment.”

The girl’s case may not be unique, but it is the first identified by researchers, said SaezCirion.

“I’m sure there will be others in the future,” he said, noting there are still relatively few studies of children infected at birth who are now young adults and have been monitored for

Sooraj Boominathan, an OSSM student, far left, is joined by Deb Elam, Chief Diversity Officer and President of the GE Foundation, Jeff Immelt, Chairman and CEO, Michael Carolina, Executive Director, Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, Dr. Frank Wang, President, OSSM, Alice Pinney, another OSSM student, at an event launching a partnership between GE, OCAST, and OSSM to support STEM education in April 2015. They are standing in front of a MakerBot 3-D printer donated to the school by GE. Photo credit GE Global Research.

S

oorajnath Boominathan, a resident of Oklahoma State, has recently completed his graduation from the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics.

A 16-year-old India-born chemistry wizard will represent the United States along with three other students in the annual International Chemistry Olympiad beginning on Monday in Azerbaijan.

Soorajnath Boominathan, a resident of Oklahoma State, has recently completed his graduation from the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics.

“I think that is the most amazing part of this whole experience, representing my country. It is hard to put into words what this means,” Boominathan was quoted as saying by Oklahoma-based news website NewsOK.com.

High scores in exams He scored high enough on lo-

cal and national exams to earn an invitation last month to an Olympiad study camp at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

Boominathan said he was surprised to get as far as he did at last year’s study camp, where he “wanted to absorb as much info as I could learn and then go into my senior year with a better chance of making the Top 4.”

The competition consists of two exams that can last as long as five hours each and are given on separate days.

Subjects include organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry and biochemistry.

Lot of reading “There’s a lot of reading you have to do outside of collegelevel textbooks, so that makes it more challenging,” he said.

Boominathan is studying as much as eight hours a day.

Mentor’s praise His mentor Fazlur Rahman, a chemistry professor at Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics, called Boominathan one of the top chemistry students in the nation.

“Sooraj Boominathan has much to celebrate. I think he has all the elements and ingredients to be a great scientist,” Mr. Rahman said.

To enrol at MIT Boominathan was born in India and has been living in Oklahoma for 10 years. He will soon enrol at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The 47th annual Olympiad in Azerbaijan’s Baku will be held from July 20 to 29.

Keywords: Indian-American chemistry wizard, Soorajnath Bhoominathan, Azerbaijan International Chemistry Olympiad.

(PTI)

VOICE OF ASIA 15

Friday, July 24, 2015

Bollywood Masala

Section 2

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Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Want to be a Mother but Not for Next 2-3 Years: Kareena

FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

Tel: 713-774-5140

‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ enters 100 crore club in opening weekend

Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan pair in Bajrangi Bhaijaan”.

Kareena Kapoor Khan MUMBAI: Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor, who married Saif Ali Khan in October 2012, has expressed her desire to become a mother but not in the next two-three years.

commercial films. It is difficult to balance. It is important for an actress to do everything,” the “Jab We Met” star said.

“As of now there are no plans (to have children) and I am very clear about it. Of course I will be a mother someday but not for the next two three years. It is not even a thought,” Kareena, who is basking in the success of “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” told PTI.

Kareena, daughter of Randhir Kapoor and Babita, has been in the industry for 15-16 years. She said when she looks back at her career, she feels proud of her journey in filmdom.

After getting married to Saif, the 34year-old actress continued working in all kind of films. The duo tied the knot after a five-year courtship.

“Playing Anil Kapoor’s wife (in “Bewafa”) to Arjun Kapoor’s partner in director R Balki’s upcoming film, for me it is a journey. I am still working with all the Khans in the industry.

I was working from very young age,” she said.

“Despite being married, I chose to do good entertaining films including

According to Kareena, she thinks that she is the only actress. who bal-

ances commercial and off beat films and says she will continue to experiment.

After scaling heights in her career Kareena wants to set an example for others.

“I am not an insecure person. I am happy that after so many years I am still working, I am happy, I am independent, I am married. I would like to be an example for many young girls ...that they can be married and still flourish in their career,” Kareena said.

“I don’t have any fear apart from the fact that I have to lose my loved ones.

I don’t care about my position and all that but family does matter,” the actress added. (PTI).

Ilayaraja to pay musical tribute to MSV

“Eros International & SKF announces record breaking opening weekend collections of Rs 102.60 crore India NBOC for ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’” said the distributors.

After a considerable jump from the opening day where the movie collected Rs 27.25 crore, the film went on to make Rs 36.60 crore and Rs 38.75 crore on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

“102.60 crore Bajrangi Bhaijaan first weekend.

Outstanding!!” trade analyst Komal Nahata tweeted.

With the success of the film Salman, 49, has become an actor with maximum number of 100 crore hits in Hindi film industry.

Directed by Kabir Khan, the film also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and child actress Harshaali Malhotra in pivotal roles.

C

HENNAI, Jul 20 (PTI) Veteran musician Ilayaraja will pay a musical tribute to legendary composer M S Viswanathan, who passed away last week.

UP govt to make “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” tax free

Lucknow, Jul 20 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh government today decided to make Salman Khan starrer “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” tax free.

The director of the film, Kabir Khan met Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in this regard earlier in the day after which it was decided to make the film tax free, an official spokesman said.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister pointed out his government’s resolve to encourge film making facilities in the state for which he said that an attractive film policy has been drafted by the state government.

“The film policy has encouraged many producers in the past three years to shoot in the state and more poposals are being received for it,” he said, adding that work was on to set up two film cities in the state.

“Bajrangi Bhaijaan” is about a little Pakistani girl, who loses her way on the Indo-Pak border and finds herself in India.

ERRATUM:

In last week’s issue a report titled ‘Madan Mohan’s magical tunes are unforgettable” carried the wrong picture. This is the correct picture of the music composer and director Madan Mohan. who died recently.

“Elder brother Viswanathan’s musical skills and command are well-known.

None other than me is aware of the finer nuances of his music and to highlight this, I will play with a small orchestra on July 27,” the ‘Virumandi’ composer said.

“Viswanathan, fondly addressed as MSV, may have died but his legend lives on,” Ilayaraja said in a statement.

The musical event is being orgainsed

by Jeeva-Ilayaraja Educational Trust.

A composer with over 1,200 films under his kitty, 88-year -old Viswanathan breathed his last on July 14. He had worked with Ilayaraja in a couple of movies.

Mumbai, Jul 20 (PTI) Salman Khan’s Eid release “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” has collected Rs 102.6 crore in the opening weekend, making it his eighth film to end the coveted Rs 100 crore club, according to distributors.

Madan Mohan

Music Director and composer Ilayaraja. Credit: dna file photo

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Friday, July 24, 2015

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‘Turmeric may help treat diabetes’ Curcumin, a substance in turmeric, combined with an omega-3 fat may delay or prevent the onset of type-2 diabetes.

C

urcumin, a substance in turmeric, combined with an omega-3 fat may potentially delay or prevent the onset of type-2 diabetes, researchers, led by an Indian-origin scientist, say.

the recruitment group being segregated into four.

One will get curcumin only, the second will get omega-3 fat only, the third will receive both, and the fourth will serve as a control group.

Health scientists from the University of Newcastle’s Nutraceuticals Research Group, led by Professor Manohar Garg, are seeking 80 recruits for a new clinical study to find out whether the Indian spice combined with an omega-3 fat can delay the onset of type 2 diabetes or prevent it altogether.

“The root cause of type 2 diabetes is systemic inflammation, which impacts insulin secretion and function,” said Garg.

“We want to nip the inflammation in the bud,” he said.

“This study will use two bioactive compounds that we find in food — curcumin and omega—3 fat. Both are very important anti-inflammatory agents,” Garg said.

The capsules contain 200 mg of curcumin and one gm of omega-3 fat respectively.

People who are prone to develop diabetes because of impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose, and who are aged between 30 and 70, may be eligible.

Curcumin, derived from turmeric, is part of the ginger family.

Curcumin, derived from turmeric, is part of the ginger family and commonly used for food colouration. Its healing properties are well known in India.

“Turmeric has been used for centuries to promote healing of bruises, sprains, wounds and inflammation,” he said.

“Nowadays in India the level

of curcumin (turmeric) intake has dropped considerably as people switch to Westernised fast foods, and it parallels with a significant rise in type 2 diabetes cases. In fact the disease is now an epidemic in India and may soon be the number one health burden,” said Garg.

The randomised control trial will test both compounds, with

“The anti-inflammatory mechanisms surrounding curcumin and omega-3 fats are different, so we want to test if they complement each other and have treatment synergies beyond their individual effects,” Garg said.

“Our thinking is that the combination is safe, free of any sideeffects and may prove to be as effective as drugs used for management of diabetes,” he added.

Indian researchers cook up low-fat ghee

N

EW DELHI, India | AFP | 7/16/2015 - Scientists in India have developed a low-fat version of ghee that cuts the cholesterol content by 85 percent in a move that could give a much-needed boost to fitness levels, a senior researcher said Thursday.

Ghee, a form of clarified butter, is a staple of Indian cooking and also used in traditional medicines and as an offering during religious festivals.

But with studies showing three-quarters of Indians have high levels of bad cholesterol, or triglycerides, dairy scientists have been working on creating a healthier form of ghee without affecting the taste.

“Using a chemical process we have removed the cholesterol content by up to 85 percent,” R. K. Malik, a director at the National Dairy Research Institute, told AFP. “The taste, colour everything remains the same. It’s just that the cholesterol comes down,” Malik said by phone from Kurukshetra at the institute head-

Hindu devotees walk through a vat of ghee or clarified butter before it is poured onto a palli or fire in the village of Rupal, some 45 kms north of Ahmedabad, northern India, on October 21, 2007 (AFP Photo/Sam Panthaky). quarters in the northern state of Haryana.

Malik said the institute would sell the technology commercially on a non-exclusive basis

to interested businesses.

the low cholesterol ghee.

On Wednesday, the NDRI inked a deal with a leading dairy company based in the eastern Indian state of Bihar for

“We are happy that this ghee provides a healthy option to fitness conscious consumers,” said Malik.

Study claims stem cell advance for mitochondrial disease

S

cientists said Wednesday they had taken a key step towards stem cell therapy for rare mitochondrial disorders, passed on from mother to child.

They “corrected” harmful mitochondria in skin cells taken from patients to create healthy, pluripotent stem cells -- versatile cells which can differentiate into any tissue cells in the body, the team reported.

“This breakthrough... sets the stage for replacing diseased tissue in patients and opens the door to a world of regenerative medicine where doctors are able to treat human diseases that are currently incurable,” said a statement from the Oregon Health & Science University, whose scientists took part in the study.

Mitochondria are the tiny powerhouses found in most cells in the body, turning sugar and oxygen into energy.

But DNA mutations heritable through the maternal line can cause them to malfunction, affecting anything from vision or hearing to muscle, heart and brain function.

About 1,000 to 4,000 children are born with mitochondrial diseases every year in the United States alone, and there is no effective treatment.

“To families with a loved one born with a mitochondrial disease waiting for a cure, today we can say that a cure is on the horizon,” said Shoukhrat Mitalipov, who co-authored the study in the journal Nature.

- Healthy cell -

The team collected skin cells from people with mitochondrial DNA mutations and removed the nuclei, which they paired with cytoplasms taken from healthy donor eggs. Cytoplasm is the mitochondria-containing, gel-like substance inside the cell membrane, and around the nucleus.

“Through this technique, scientists created an embryonic stem cell with healthy mitochondria,” said the statement.

“Scientists aspire to use this technique to replace diseased tissue in the future by removing one cell, correcting the mutations, multiplying the cells and reinserting the genetically correct cells into the patient to replace diseased tissue.”

Experts who were not involved in the study hailed the lab achievement, but warned a practical application was likely far off.

“Going from a flask of cells in the lab to neurons or blood vessel cells in the brain is very difficult,” David Valle of The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine said in comments to Britain’s Science Media Centre (SMC).

Added Darren Griffin, a genetics professor at the University of Kent, it would be “some time before it can be applied clinically given the need for clinical trials.”

In 2010, British scientists created a lab-dish embryo whose mitochondrial DNA came from a donor, and the rest from its biological mother and father.

In February this year, Britain became the first country to allow the creation of so-called three-

parent babies using the method to prevent the transfer of mitochondrial flaws.

Two years ago, Mitalipov admitted mistakes in a study in which he and a team reported being the first to transform human skin cells into embryonic stem

cells, but stood by the results.

Their cloning technique, which involves transplanting an individual’s DNA into an egg cell stripped of genetic material, was hailed as a breakthrough for not destroying human embryos in stem cell creation.

Tel: 713-774-5140

Determining Family Life Insurance Needs

M

any American adults are underinsured, often relying on employer-provided group life insurance to meet their life insurance needs. Group life insurance coverage, however, is often insufficient to meet all of a covered individual’s needs, and coverage may not be in force when the individual dies. The risk of insufficient life insurance is clear: it places families and loved ones at great financial risk at the death of the primary wage earner. To sufficiently prepare clients for the circumstances that occur after they die, life insurance should be a primary consideration.

Let us explores the different factors involved in calculating individual and family life insurance needs.

Calculating the appropriate amount of life insurance requires that many factors be considered. Existing assets, current income, anticipated future income, and the financial needs of the family are all important factors to consider and evaluate in developing a comprehensive life insurance or financial plan. Establishing a good financial plan involves identifying financial goals and charting a course to reach them. Despite the importance of a financial plan, nearly 70 percent of Americans have no plan at all.

Life insurance policies are easy to understand and manage. The first level of management is the amount of the policy’s death benefit. As an insurance agent, you are in a unique position to assist in this planning.

If the policy-owner chooses a whole life insurance or a variable whole life insurance policy, the amount of premium required must be paid regularly, because these are fixed-premium policies. That required premium is based on the policy’s face amount, the plan, and the insured’s age, sex, smoking habits, and health.

A term life insurance policy probably requires the least amount of management on the part of the policy-owner. The policy-owner stipulates the policy’s face amount and duration of coverage on the application for coverage. Based on the insurance company’s determination of the risk involved, the policy-owner is required to pay a stated premium for a certain period. In the case of annual renewable term insurance, for example, the annual premium is sufficient to cover the mortality cost and expenses required by the policy for one year.

Various methods have been created to determine a family’s life insurance needs. The simplest but least reliable method involves rules of thumb to estimate either the amount of insurance that is needed or the amount one should allocate to insurance premiums.

One “rule of thumb” used to estimate the amount of insurance needed is six to eight

Sudhir Mathuria Contact: Sudhir Mathuria Licensed Professional Health Life 360 6650 Southwest Freeway Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900 www.MyMedicarePlanning.com times annual gross income.

Under such a rule of thumb, a principal breadwinner earning $50,000 per year should own between $300,000 and $400,000 of life insurance.

A similar rule of thumb that takes immediate cash needs at death into account is five times gross income plus mortgage, debts, final expenses, and any other special funding need.

Assume that a father earns $50,000 per year, but that the mortgage is $60,000, other personal debts are $10,000, final expenses are expected to be $15,000, and $35,000 is needed for the children’s college expenses. Using this rule, the father should be insured for 5 × $50,000 = $250,000 plus $120,000, or $370,000 total.

A second approach used to estimate life insurance needs is based on the human life value concept. The human life value concept has often been applied in wrongful death litigation and basically holds that the measure of the economic value of a life to those who depend on that person is the present value of his or her future earnings.

The income replacement approach to determining life insurance needs is based on the premise that the basic objective of life insurance is to replace some or all of the earnings lost at the death of an income-producing family member. In other words, the insurance should be equal to the value of that person’s future earnings potential to the surviving family members.

This method allows one to estimate a theoretical maximum based on the idea that a person should never be worth more to beneficiaries dead than alive.

This approach considers the factors of estate clearance costs, the income the family needs to readjust to a new lifestyle after the death of the primary wage earner, income for the family until the children leave the home, life income for the surviving spouse, and special needs of the family, such as college education for the children.

To plan, protect and purchase life insurance from any major company contact Sudhir Mathuria 713-771-2900.

Earth’s degradation threatens major health gains: study

by Marlowe HOOD

P

ARIS - The unprecedented degradation of Earth’s natural resources coupled with climate change could reverse major gains in human health over the last 150 years, according to a sweeping scientific review published Thursday.

“We have been mortgaging the health of future generations to realise economic and development gains in the present,” said the report, written by 15 leading academics and published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet.

“By unsustainably exploiting nature’s resources, human civilisation has flourished but now risks substantial health effects from the degradation of nature’s life support systems in the future.”

Climate change, ocean acidification, depleted water sources, polluted land, over-fishing, biodiversity loss –- all unintended by-products of humanity’s drive to develop and pros-

per –- “pose serious challenges to the global health gains of the past several decades”, especially in poorer nations, the 60-page report concludes.

The likely impacts on global health of climate change, ranging from expanded disease vectors to malnourishment, have been examined by the UN’s panel of top climate scientists.

But the new report, entitled Safeguarding Human Health in the Anthropocene Epoch, takes an even broader view.

The “Anthropocene” is the name given by many scientists to the period –- starting with mass industrialisation -– in which human activity has arguably reshaped Earth’s biochemical make-up.

“This is the first time that the global health community has come out in a concerted way to report that we are in real danger of undermining the core ecological systems that support human health,” said Samuel Myers, a scientist at Harvard University and one

the authors.

- Danger of bee decline A companion study on the worldwide decline of bees and other pollinators, led by Myers and also published in The Lancet, illustrates one way this might happen.

The dramatic decline of bees has already compromised the quantity and quality of many nutrient-rich crops that depend on the transfer of pollen to bear fruit.

Pollinators play a key role in 35 percent of global food production, and are directly responsible for up to 40 percent of the world’s supply of micronutrients such a vitamin A and folate, both essential for children and pregnant women.

The complete wipe-out of pollinating creatures, the study concludes, would push a quarter of a billion people in the redzone of vitamin A or folate deficiency, and cause an increase in heart disease, stroke and some cancers, leading to some 1.4

million additional deaths each year. A 50 loss of pollination would result in roughly half that impact, the researchers found.

Scientist are still debating exactly why pollinators are dying off, but there is no disagreement that all the possible causes -– pollution, insecticides, landloss –- are related to human activity.

A second companion study examines for the first time the impact of decreased zinc levels in staple crops such as wheat, rice, barley and soy caused by higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the main driver of global warming.

Already, nearly a fifth of the world’s population is at risk of zinc deficiency, which can cause pre-mature delivery, reduce growth and weight-gain in children, and compromise immune functions. By 2050, projected CO2 emissions could place an additional 150 million people at risk, according to the study published in Lancet Global Health.

ONLINE .COM voiceofasiaonline.com

Friday, July 24, 2015

Business VOICE OF ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 17

Section 2

Page 17 Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

Tel: 713-774-5140

New York mayor shuns Trump, vows to cut business ties New York’s right-wing tabloids, the New York Post and the Daily News, have been merciless in their response.

“G.I. Joke,” screamed the Daily News on its front page Tuesday, accusing him of using five deferments and a sore foot to dodge the Vietnam draft.

In an op-ed headlined “Donald ducks the draft,” it ridiculed Trump for telling America “he is a man of superlatives -- extraordinarily wealthy, wildly successful, the smartest dude in any room anywhere, the toughest on the world stage.

“But now he has to show

America the stuff he’s really made of. It ain’t gonna be pretty.”

On Sunday the Post put a caricature of Trump sitting on a raft drifting out to sea on the front page with the headline “Don Voyage” and calling Trump “toast” after his McCain insult.

It is not the first time Trump has been mauled.

He lost deals with a string of collaborators, including NBCUniversal and Macy’s, for insulting Mexicans.

As a result, Forbes said it downgraded its valuation of his

wealth from $4.1 to $4 billion since his campaign launch.

When he announced his campaign in New York in mid-June he lashed out at Mexican immigrants, calling them drug dealers, criminals and rapists.

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best,” he thundered. “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.

And some, I assume, are good people.”

Colombian singer Shakira called him a “racist” over the comments.

Apple profit jumps but shares slip New York Mayor Bill de Blasio

by Mariano Andrade

N

EW YORK, 7/21/2015 - White House hopeful Donald Trump may be ahead in the opinion polls, but his hometown of New York becomes the latest to shun the tycoon for insulting immigrants and war hero John McCain.

“Donald Trump doesn’t represent the views of the people of this city -– certainly not of the majority,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters on Monday.

Asked whether there was a campaign on the Democrat city council to cut any existing contracts with Trump’s business empire, de Blasio said he did not want to do business with the billionaire.

On any existing contracts, he said he was “not sure” whether it was possible to break them off.

“We’re certainly not looking

to do any business with him going forward,” he said.

De Blasio called Trump’s remarks about McCain, a Republican senator from Arizona and one of the country’s most respected politicians, “unacceptable.”

“Senator McCain is a war hero by any measure, and he really should apologize for that,” he said.

The latest opinion poll on Monday put Trump far into the lead in the race for the 2016 Republican nomination, the favorite at 24 percent of Republican and Republican-leaning independent voters.

He outpaced his rivals Scott Walker (13 percent) and Jeb Bush (12 percent) with the widest lead so far in the campaign, according to the Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The survey was conducted from Thursday to Sunday, and

the Post said most of the participants were interviewed before Trump laid into McCain on Saturday.

McCain, a former Republican presidential nominee, was held for five years and tortured as a prisoner during the Vietnam war after his plane was shot down in 1967.

He was decorated for his service.

Trump appears to have lashed out at McCain, exasperated with the senator’s criticism of his anti-immigrant stance.

- ‘Ain’t gonna be pretty’ Trump dismissed his military record by saying that a serviceman who was captured could not be a real hero.

“He’s not a war hero,” Trump said. “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured, OK?”

S

AN FRANCISCO Apple on Tuesday reported that its quarterly profit leapt 38 percent to $10.7 billion on surging iPhone sales, but fell short of analysts’ expectations.

Apple shares fell sharply in after hours trading.

“We had an amazing quarter,” chief executive Tim Cook insisted, noting that iPhone revenue in the quarter that ended on June 27 was up 59 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Analysts had expected Apple to sell even more iPhones and were looking for a brighter forecast than was given for the current quarter.

Apple shares dropped more than six percent to $121.94 in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings figures.

Sales of iPhones have been powering Apple profits, and any hint of a plateau spooks

investors.

Apple sold 47.5 million iPhones in the quarter, with sales up 85 percent in Greater China where the company’s overall revenue more that doubled to $13 billion, accord to chief financial officer Luca Maestri.

Apple did not detail specifics on sales of its newly-launched smartwatch, instead folding the figure into an “other” category that rose 49 percent to $2.64 billion Cook said during an earnings call that sales of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Macintosh computers “topped internal expectations.”

Nearly three months after the launch of Apple’s fashionably smart wrist wear, some analysts say it’s not a mainstream hit.

But others see promise in its popularity with Internet-savvy younger people.

A recent study by research

firm Slice Intelligence suggested that, based on a large sampling of email receipts in the United States, orders for Apple Watch have plunged 90 percent since the week that the wearable computing gadget made its debut.

The estimate did not factor in data about Apple Watch sales at real-world stores.

However, Cantor Fitzgerald experts believe Apple Watch will be a “go-to gift” during the year-end holiday season and become the best selling new product in Apple’s history.

Apple Watch was the first new product line introduced by the culture-changing company behind iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Macintosh computers since 2010.

Global Equities Research managing director Trip Chowdhry has estimated Apple could sell 20 million to 25 million of the watches in the final three months of this year.

Citigroup to pay $770 mn for credit card abuses

N

EW YORK, 7/21/2015 - Citigroup must pay $700 million to customers and another $70 million in federal fines for misleading consumers on credit card add-on products, US regulators announced Tuesday.

The $700 million is intended to compensate nearly nine million account holders who were victims of dishonest marketing by Citigroup and affiliates when they ordered fraud alerts, credit monitoring and other services with their credit cards.

“We continue to uncover illegal credit card add-on prac-

tices that are costing unknowing consumers millions of dollars,” said Richard Cordray, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

“In our four years, this is the tenth action we’ve taken against companies in this space for deceiving consumers. We will remain on the lookout for similar conduct and will address it as we find it.”

In some cases, telemarketers took orders for add-on products without informing the consumer of the cost, or by promising “free” 30-day trials that were actually billed, the

CFPB said.

In other instances, Citigroup charged consumers for benefits they did not receive, or misrepresented the nature of fees.

In addition to the compensation for consumers, the fourthlargest US bank by assets must pay $35 million each in fines to the CFPB and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

The Citigroup penalties follow fines imposed by the CFPB on JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and others for illegal practices in credit card add-on programs.

Ford launches deluxe aluminum F-150 pickup

N

EWYORK - US automaker Ford rolled out a deluxe version of its F-150 aluminumbodied pickup truck Tuesday, betting on high-end touches as it ramps up production of its most popular vehicle.

sphilip@llppc-law.com

Dubbed the F-150 Limited, the lightduty truck is loaded with gadgets, including a 360-degree camera, masThe F-150 is Ford’s best-selling vehicle and accounts for almost half its earnsaging front seats ings (AFP Photo/Justin Sullivan) and luxury interior and exterior design touches. ups, Ford reported earlier this Pickup trucks and crossover month.

“The F-150 Limited sets a sport utility vehicles are enjoynew bar for what discerning ing a renaissance in the United Ford, the second-largest US customers should expect in a States as consumers take ad- automaker after GM, has been high-end truck,” said Raj Nair, vantage of a sharp drop in ramping up production of the Ford group vice president, gasoline prices and low interest brand-new version of the pickGlobal Product Development, rates on auto loans. Ford’s main up, built with an aluminum-alin a statement. truck rivals in the US market loy body that provides greater are General Motors’s Chev- fuel efficiency.

The F-150 Limited extends rolet Silverado and FCA US’s the current five-model F-150 (Chrysler) RAM. But in recent months Ford has portfolio, whose top-end is the encountered production delays Platinum, with a base price of The F-150 is Ford’s best- and was forced to recall certain $51,585. selling vehicle and accounts for 2015 model F-150s in May to almost half its earnings. fix a steering problem.

The 2016 Limited will go on sale in the winter, Ford said, In June, the F-150 was sellShares in Ford fell 0.5 percent without giving any price de- ing twice as fast than the indus- to $14.50 in morning trade on tails. try average for half-ton pick- the New York Stock Exchange

HOROSCOPE

VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

Your Horoscope for the Week of July 24, 2015 READ YOUR COMPLETE HOROSCOPE

by Hardik Vyas, Astrologer Cell : 832-298-9950

ONLINE WWW.VOICEOFASIAONLINE.COM

Libra (R,T) 23 Sept to 22 Oct

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 April Arrange the things into a clearer perspective. This is an ideal time to reunite a group that has been growing apart. Once you do, you’ll have a keener understanding of how things work. An official announcement will open a new connection. Look behind the scenes & understand all of our options. Focus your energy full force. Creative in search of better opportunities won’t have to look far. You will reach a very positive goal! Play your cards right & you may be celebrating true success. For you, physical attractions begin in the mind.

Discover the new powers you possess. You may have felt restrained lately, but you’ll soon feel like you could climb mountains. Patience will be required, but more important is focus. You’d much rather start something new than committing yourself to tired old business. This is the perfect time for you to find a new approach to use to gain needed support. Pursue new avenues of interest that spark your creative side. Fresh energy will enable you to figure out things more easily than before.

Scorpio (N,Y) 23 Oct to 21 Nov

Taurus (B,V,U) 21 April to 20 May Bide your time and get the past negative feelings you have about the current situation.

You may not have any control over the situation, but you can still get something from it. Strength begins with courage and you happen to have lots of that. Don’t allow others to press your emotional buttons. Promises may have been broken, but you need to conserve your energy for more positive use. You’ll feel frustrated by other’s neglect for your feelings.

Express yourself clearly & directly.

Listen to your intuitive feelings. You may need to experiment with different ways to achieve your goals. You’re all about big ideas and big events. Try your best to get you priorities straight. You need to find something to help you to relax & relieve the stress you feel. Things are temporary, not written in stone. You can generate ideas with the best of them, but you should know your limits. Utilize experts who can bridge the gaps in your knowledge. You are very much the peacemaker these days.

Sagittarius (BH,F,DH,TH) 22 Nov to 21 Dec

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June Organize and keep everybody on track. You may be faced with more details than you normally like to handle. Unless you are careful, miscommunications or misunderstandings may happen. Think deeper to find a way to make your job easier. There are so many things happening around you, that you may feel overwhelmed. Don’t allow others to put you in the middle of their problems. If someone wants your opinion, you can lend them an ear, but you can’t solve their problems for them. Be clear on that.

You are taking the time you need now to be able to look at things from a different perspective. Meet a challenge in your own time and on your own turf. Friends share a bond that will survive any miss-understandings that may occur. They will try to help you through your emotional difficulties. Allow them to teach you new ways to battle your foes & lift your spirits. Time together will help you to deal with emotional hurts. Try to plan a week-end getaway with family & friends.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July Accept the past and move forward towards the future. There may be too many things to decide on at once. Take your direction from honor and a sense of purpose. You’ll have to work step by step to achieve more realistic improvements in your life. Someone may be happy with the situation as it is but you are not. Take your time, read, write & express your thoughts in words. If you can open your mind & your heart to someone who shares your goals, you’ll find that there are no restrictions on you.

You can find a practical use for other’s talents. You know what’s best for others and more than likely you’ll be able to convince them of it. Instead of assuming that your system is perfect, allow others to test its flaws. Your source is pure even if the output is limited right now. Collect what you can find and use it wisely. Lately, you seem to have been taken off track from your personal interests & goals. Other situations have taken over & become a real priority for you.

Aquarius (G,S,SH) 21 Jan to 19 Feb

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August You are accepting your role and realizing that last minute changes are for the best.

You will need to plan your approach, carefully. Take the time you need to present yourself & your ideas. If you think more positively, you’ll be able to handle any situation thrown your way. Once you get started, you’ll be able to influence others greatly to your way of thinking. You’re understandable as well as interesting. By week’s end, make plans for a get together with friends & family. It’ll be just what you need.

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September You can excel in everything you do. Cash in on a fresh start by opening your mind and learning about people. Things will come more easily to you once you do. You won’t require any permission for the truly important things. Someone will offer your name to those in charge. Your confidence level will rise and others will be able to see things from your perspective. Be patient with those who still can’t see the view. You may be asked to express your ideas to a larger audience.

QR

The feeling that things have been going well, but you may feel as if something important is missing. You need to focus your energy into a new plan or project in order to reach your immediate goals. Don’t go searching for anything in particular, as your solution will present itself to you. Learn to try to let things come to you, rather than chasing rainbows.

Express your appreciation to those who have helped you. You’re on your own path this week, so prepare for the solitude. Authority will not be denied, so get back to your work.

Pisces (D,CH,Z) 20 Feb to 20 March Channel your energy through shortcuts. You’ve done it all before, so now all you have to do is re-call your magic and make it appear. Your every desire will peak the passion meter. Beware of a fair weathered friend who may be trying to pull the wool over your eyes. Ask for proof and insist on honesty. Base your decisions on what you know for sure. Putting things into a more positive perspective will help you to see things clearer.

Emotions rule and escalate to either ‘good excitement’ or ‘negative confrontation’ levels.

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CLASSIFIEDS

VOICE OF ASIA 19

Looking for M/WBE Subcontractors Lisle Violin Shop is bidding on Project RFP # 15-06-12 RFP/Musical Instruments Supplies & Accessories, Choral Music, Equipment & Accessories, Music Electronics & Accessories, Rental/Lease & Repair of Musical Instrument for the Houston Independent School District. We are looking for possible M/WBE subcontractors to provide the following services: 1. Violin/Viola/Cello and Bass Bow Repairs - Must have 1 year previous bow restoration/repair or rehair experience (Or completion of recognized bow rehair/repair school) 2. Lower Strings Repair/Setup - Cello/Bass - Must have 1 year previous cello/bass repair or setup experience (Or graduate from a known violin making or repair school) 3. Upper Strings Repair/Setup - Violin/Viola - Must have 1 year previous violin/viola repair or setup experience (Or graduate from a known violin making or repair school) If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Nehad at 713-526-4005 by July 31st, 2015.

Now You Know!

Amazing facts from all over the WORLD!

• Australia was originally called New Holland • In 1878 the first telephone book made contained only 50 names

MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY FROM HBR.ORG Don’t Mistake Cooperation for Collaboration Managers have to collaborate across functions. Yet despite being friendly and willing to share information, they often fail to do it. Priorities aren’t aligned, so miscommunications slow down projects.

This happens because managers mistake their cooperativeness for being collaborative.

To start truly collaborating, identify the goal, then map out the end-to-end work that’s needed. What will your team be responsible for? What will you need from other teams?

Sketch out the sequencing of activities. When people know what’s needed, in what form, and by when, they can then tell you whether it’s possible—and then you can have a real dialogue about what can be done. Instead of going from one department to the next and trying to cobble together an agreement, get all the managers in a room together to work through the plans, make adjustments, and find ways to share resources and align incentives.

Adapted from “There’s a Difference Between Cooperation and Collaboration,”

by Ron Ashkenas.

• The electric toothbrush was invented in 1939

FRIDAY, July 24, 2015

BID CLASSIFIED “J.W. Pepper & Son, Inc. is bidding on Project RFP #15-06-12 - Musical Instruments, Supplies & Accessories, Choral Music, Instruments & Accessories, Music Electronics & Accessories, Rental/Lease & Repair of Musical Instruments for the Houston Independent School District.

We are Looking for possible M/WBE subcontractors to provide accompanists, packet handlers, and school workshop/ in-service day presenters. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Luana Marler at 817-589-5980 by August 1.”

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Acetate-- A salt of acetic acid Bemoan--To lament

Cauterize--To burn or sear as with a heated iron

• The tea bag was invented in 1908 • The drinking straw was invented in 1886

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Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference at the Supermarket

F

rom price to quantity to flavor, consumers have always considered how products affect their families when deciding what goes in the shopping cart.

And shoppers these days are making purchasing decisions that take global factors into consideration too, thanks to available information about companies’ environmental and human rights track records.

Indeed, a new “2015 Carting Away the Oceans” report

by Greenpeace evaluates and ranks supermarkets on their efforts to protect oceans and seafood industry workers. It found that while some major grocery chains have made strides to source certain seafood products from environmentally-sustainable suppliers that treat workers fairly, much more needs to be done to address systemic problems in the industry.

“Investigations continue to reveal that human rights abuses are widespread prob-

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lems in the global seafood industry. Top retailers are in a position to be doing much more to protect both the oceans and the workers that provide seafood,” says Greenpeace senior oceans campaigner David Pinsky.

As a consumer, Pinsky notes that you also have a lot of power to affect change when it comes to seafood sustainability and human rights concerns. Be sure to read labels and ask questions.

Whether you shop at a mom and pop operation or a national chain, you can talk to your grocer about the products they carry and let them know whAat you would prefer to see on the shelf. If your grocery store doesn’t change their offerings, you can shop somewhere else.

“Your tuna sandwich may not currently represent anything to you beyond lunch, but if you don’t investigate where it actually came from, there is a large chance it was brought to yoAZur plate in

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ways that treated workers poorly and compromised the health of our oceans,” says Pinsky. “In addition to having ocean safe canned tuna on store shelves, supermarkets must put canned tuna policies in place to help guide sustainable, socially responsible practices.”

In this year’s report, 80 percent of retailers received passing scores overall, however all of the 25 retailers profiled have failed on their efforts to address human rights abuses and illegal operations in the seafood industry. To view the entire ranking and read the report, visit seafood.greenpeaceusa. org.

These days, eating “guiltfree” means something different to some people, rather than just avoiding sweets and treats. By learning more about how your seafood was caught, farmed, packaged and manufactured, you can feed your family foods you feel good about. (StatePoint)

5

A Shopper in Super Market. PHOTO SOURCE: (c) Nigel Marple - Greenpeace.

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