E paper Voice of Asia August 14 2015

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Vol. 28 No. 33 Friday, August 14, 2015 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 24 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

India’s PM Narendra Modi congratulates Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Twitter, others join in new chief as “a brilliant guy, clear thinker, gets things done and a wonderful person at that”.

Sundar Pichai: the little-known new chief of Google

In a lighter vein, he tweeted: “Now I feel cheated :).”

Arora had quit Google last year, where he was serving as the Chief Business Officer to join Japan’s SoftBank Corp.

Bret Taylor, co-creator of Google Maps, ex-CTO of Facebook and co-founder of technology Quip, also congratulated Pichai.

Congratulating Pichai, industry body Nasscom said he will be “instrumental in infusing a new sense of enthusiasm and innovation in the sector globally”.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photo credit Reuters.

N

EW DELHI - Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday joined a big Twitter rush to congratulate India-born Sundar Pichai on his appointment as the CEO of the newly restructured Google.

“Congratulations @sundarpichai.

My best wishes for the new role at @google,” Modi tweeted after the announcement.

Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad too tweeted

S

his greetings, saying: “Really proud to note that #India born @ sundarpichai has been appointed as CEO of @google”.

Microsoft Chairman Satya Nadella and Pichai’s former colleague and SoftBank President Nikesh Arora conveyed their best wishes.

Nadella tweeted: “Congrats @ sundarpichai, well deserved.”

Arora, who was Pichai’s colleague at Google, described the

“Sundar Pichai is a new-age leader and with his immense experience in the field of software products, he will be a valuable asset for Google and the industry in its next phase of evolution and growth,” it said.

Pichai, 43, who was previously in-charge of product and engineering for Google’s Internet businesses, will be the CEO of the “slightly slimmed down” Google.

Pichai, 43, was named CEO of the newly organised Google, becoming the third chief executive of the company, after Google’s Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt and co-founder Larry Page.

US media described him as softspoken, little-known, and a long-time right-hand man to mentor Page.

Pichai is a B Tech from IITKharagpur, an MS from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania.

Read on Page 19, Section II

Houston Methodist opens new family medicine facility near Sienna Plantation

UGAR LAND— (August 12, 2015) — Houston Methodist Primary Care Group is opening a new location near Sienna Plantation and Lake Olympia to better serve residents of Missouri City and surrounding areas.

The new facility – located at 8330 Highway 6 just west of Sienna Parkway – opens September 14, 2015, with three family medicine physicians: Adelola Ashaye, M.D., Kerry Laursen, M.D., and Jessen Rajan, M.D. “This new facility will enable us to provide convenient, compassionate care for the entire family in a comfortable setting that is close to home,” said Dr. Ashaye. “The clinic was designed and constructed to make the patient’s experience as pleasant and stress-free as possible. We are all looking

the Primary Care building by therapists from Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital.

The new location will feature a unique treadmill that uses antigravity technology – pioneered

by NASA – to reduce weight on the lower extremities, providing faster rehabilitation and safer conditioning.

Left to Right: Adelola Ashaye, M.D., Kerry Laursen, M.D., and Jessen Rajan, M.D. Photo Houston Methodist forward to seeing patients in our new facility and bringing Houston Methodist quality to the Sienna Plantation area.”

The state-of-the-art facility will offer patients of all ages a wide range of medical services in a convenient location, in-

cluding: • Same day primary care appointments •

Online scheduling

• On-site laboratory for quick and accurate test results

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On-site physical ther-

• Patient portal for secure communication with your care team Physical therapy will be provided on the second floor of

This November, Luis Rodriguez, Primary Care Sports Medicine physician, will also begin to see patients at this new location. “Dr. Rodriguez brings a unique background and skill set to Houston Methodist Orthopedics and Sports Medicine,” said Dr. Braunreiter, director of the primary care sports medicine fellowship program in Sugar Land. “We are pleased to have him join us and extend our ability to serve patients in Missouri City, especially those with orthopedic and medical issues related to exercise and

sports.”

Houston Methodist Primary Care Group is committed to enhancing our patients’ wellbeing by providing the right care in convenient locations throughout the Greater Houston area. Our primary care doctors are specially trained to promote health and wellness in addition to treating a variety of medical problems for patients of all ages.

To make an appointment with Dr. Ashaye, Dr. Laursen or Dr. Rajan, call 281.276.0653 or go to houstonmethodist.org/pcg.

Open house on Thursday, November 5, 5 – 7 pm, to tour the new facility and meet the physicians and staff. There will be refreshments, door prizes and a free gift for attendees.

To RSVP, call 281.275.0751 or visit houstonmethodist.org/ events.

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by Chandra Mittal, Ph.D. he American political rhetoric and posturing aside, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the so called Iran Nuclear Agreement signed on July 14, 2015 in Vienna between Iran and the United Nations Security Council - Russia, China, United States, France & United Kingdom plus Germany and the European Union (EU) represents the best that could have been achieved. The deal is by no means ideal (as nothing is in the real world) but it could have not gone any other way if there was to be a deal at this juncture despite arguments to the contrary.

The events and the negotiations over the past two years between Iran and the West proved yet again that international relationship are all fundamentally about political pragmatism, economic benefits and playing for the time. These were never meant to adhere to any moral principle or charity. It was all business. After all it was politics which by definition is about practicality. These reasons compelled the UN Security Council to speedily and unanimously approved the JCPOA and set in motion steps to lift the economic sanctions against Iran.

The intention and priority of economic benefit from JCPOA is most apparent from quick resumption of trade dialogue between Iran and the Europeans Union countries. For example, France, Germany, Serbia and Italy took immediate steps to forge economic ties with Iran.

Their government officials and ministerial delegations have already visited Iran and are engaged in trade talks as if all provisions of the Agreement have fully implemented.

Some of the European countries are already looking at investment opportunities in Iran.

For example, Italy is considering car manufacturing in Iran for both export and domestic market. Of course, such transactions will require United States unfreezing the Iranian assets that range between 100 to 150 Billion Dollars.

The United States is now engaged in the review of the deal under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, which gives US Congress 60 days to approve, disapprove or take no action on the Agreement.

But this is an essential step because economic sanctions were originally imposed on Iran by the US Congress and only this body can lift those sanctions

T

STORY OF MAHATMA GANDHI

Anti-Rowlatt stir and Jalianwala Bagh carnage Part XIII

A

separate institution named Satyagraha Sabha was formed with headquarters in Bombay.

There were agitations everywhere against the Rowlatt Committee’s report. But the government was determined to implement the Rowlatt recommendations and in 1919, the Rowlatt Bill was introduced.

When the bill was debated in India’s Legislative Chamber, Gandhi attended as a visitor.

Now read on In spite of the well entrenched opposition from nationalists, the Rowlatt bill became law. At this time, Gandhi got an invitation from activists in Madras to visit the city. He went there, though still weak, along with Mahadev Desai.

That was Gandhi’s first meeting with another stalwart of India’s freedom struggle, C. Rajagopalachari. A small conference of leaders was held and Gandhi explained to them the implications of the Rowalatt act. While these talks were being held news was received that the Rowlatt Bill had been published as an act.

It was also in Madras that Gandhi first conceived the idea of an all-India hartaal (strike) as the beginning of the satyagraha movement. The leaders at once took up the suggestion and gave much publicity to the forthcoming action. The date was first fixed for March 30,

low free movement to the demonstrators and firing by police caused a number of casualties.

Gandhi was requested to go to Delhi and he replied that he would do so after the hartaal in Bombay on April 6.

Mahatma Gandhi Week in Houston from Sept. 27 to Oct 3, 2004.

Call 713-785-3900 or visit www.mahatmagandhilibrary.org 1919, but was later changed to April 6. The masses had received only short notice for the hartaal, but it turned out to be most successful.

That was the first great awakening of India in her struggle towards independence.

Gandhi left Madras and went to Bombay to join in the hartaal there on April 6.

Meanwhile in Delhi, Lahore, and Amritsar, the hartaal had been observed on March 30.

In Delhi the police did not al-

In Bombay the hartaal was a great success. Not a wheel turned in any factory. Not one shop was open. All over India the hartaal was observed. Gandhi had asked the people again and again to be peaceful and not to be provoked to violence by the Government’s actions.

In spite of this, violence broke out in many places. There were disturbances in Ahmedabad and also in the Punjab and he decided to go to these places to propagate nonviolence.

On the way to the Punjab he was arrested at a wayside station called Palwal and sent back to Bombay. The news of his arrest inflamed the entire population of Bombay. There was an enormous crowd awaiting his arrival there. When he reached Bombay he was set free.

The crowd was getting impatient. “Only you can control the crowds,” said a friend to Gandhi. “Come, I shall take you to the spot.”

The crowd greeted Gandhi with frenzied joy. A huge procession started but the police barred its progress. A company of mounted police was ordered to charge the crowds. Piercing

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Iranian Nuclear Agreement: An Exercise in Global Economic Pragmatism and unfreeze Iranian assets.

The debate is contentious with US lawmakers divided along the party lines. Both sides are making their arguments for and against the Agreement but for no clear cut direction is emerging on horizon for now.

In his recent testimony before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mr. John Kerry, US Secretary of State asked his critics and inquisitors somewhat angrily and cynically if they had a better proposal to solve the Iranian nuclear problem. Of course, nothing ever came from any the opposing Senators reflecting the complexity of the proposition.

Many Americans argue if we could live with a nuclear Russia, or China or North Korea who are all not allies of the US, then why can’t we live with nuclear Iran as well as. People remember well the hot rhetoric of President Ronal Reagan during the Cold War days when he called Soviet Union the “evil empire”. Similarly, the 1983 ABC television movie “The Day After” portraying a fictional nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union with serious post-war consequences raised anxiousness of the Americans. But Cold War ended in the 1990s rather peacefully.

Fact of the matter is that as practical matter the nuclear weapons are weapons of politics rather than real war. It is unthinkable today that any country will dare initiate a nuclear attack against its enemy unless one is sure of its survival afterwards. It was this doctrine of guaranteed “mutual destruction” by nuclear warheads that kept peace between United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War. One of the principal reasons given in favor of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear device is because it could be the mortal threat to Israel. But such argument defies logic because any attack by Iran would trigger a massive retaliatory nuclear strike against Iran, which would devastate the country making such a venture an absolute suicide. And no Iranian leadership will ever attempt striking Israel or any Western nation without suffering serious consequences.

One of the important questions being asked is why Iran needs a nuclear weapon. Mr. Bob Corker, Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee recently surmised that he could not find any reason or rationale for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Hence, the suspicion Iran must have some destructive intent. But this logic

Mayuram M.C. Bhattar

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is over simplified and not convincing as explained above.

Historically, Iran is a country with rich cultural tradition and one of the advanced civilizations in the Middle East. For the past three decades, it has been suffering from low oil revenues, sluggish economy, social unrest and low global esteem.

The astute reasoning for Iran to develop nuclear weapons could be to regain regional influence, relevance and respect that come from military “might” to ultimately boost its economy. Developing nuclear program has certainly attracted Western interest and attention.

While, through this maneuver, Iran might have for now managed to achieve its current principal objective – the economic revival, its lasting success will be judged by Iran’s overall conduct in the international arena with peaceful coexistence with all its neighbors, integrating into the world economy, and ceasing its actions and inflammatory rhetoric against the West and its interests.

Dr. Chandra Mittal is Professor at Houston Community College and Co-Founder of IndoAmerican Association, Houston.

He can be contact on drckmittal@yahoo.com or followed on twitter @drchandramittal.

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Email: mmcbhattar@gmail.com www.nithyavibhuthi.com Great Summer Project For children! Enter Mahatma Gandhi Week 2015 Essay, I-Tribute, Poster and Speech contests. Visit gandhilibrary.org for registration and more information.

All school going children can participate! These contests are being organized to create higher awareness of the inspiring life and work of Mahatma Gandhi to promote universal values of Truth, Non-Violence, Love and Service. screams and cries from women and children filled the air as the horsemen plunged forward with lowered lances. People ran to escape the fury of the police.

Commissioner. This commissioner too was in a rage. Gandhi expressed his regret for the disturbances and promised complete cooperation in restoring peace.

Gandhi was shocked by the police brutality. He went and met the Commissioner. The official was boiling with rage.

“We, the police, know better than you the effect of your preaching on the people. If we had not taken drastic measures the situation would have gone out of our hands. I have no doubt about your intentions, but the people do not understand them. They only follow their natural instincts.”

Gandhi then asked for permission to hold a public meeting on the grounds of the Sabarmati Ashram. The officer liked the idea.

“The people are not violent by nature; they are peaceful,” said Gandhi.

“You wanted to go to the Punjab,” said the Commissioner.

“Do you know what is happening in Ahmedabad, the Punjab, and Delhi? You are responsible for all these disturbances.”

Gandhi was pained to hear of the disturbances and said that he would certainly take the responsibility upon himself if he was convinced that it was his.

Gandhi went to Ahmedabad.

On the way he learned in detail about the happenings there.

Ahmedabad was under martial law. A police officer was waiting for him at the railway station to escort him to the

At the meeting Gandhi announced with great sorrow the suspension of civil disobedience. He said he would fast for three days as a penance and he appealed to all the people to fast for one day. He asked those who were guilty of violence to confess their guilt. He expressed his regret at having started civil disobedience too early without giving sufficient training to the people.

“I have made a Himalayan miscalculation,” he said. Many people jeered at Gandhi for saying that. Many of his friends and followers were furious at his stopping satyagraha. Gandhi then started teaching people the true meaning of satyagraha and how it should be conducted.

Through writing and speeches he wanted to drive home to the people the essence of his new creed.

In the Punjab the situation was very critical. It was true that there were disturbances on the part of the people, but the measures adopted by the

Government to check the disturbances were too severe. The leaders were trying to keep the people peaceful, but the stem measures of repression taken by the authorities had few parallels in history.

In Amritsar the people were not allowed to move about freely. A proclamation was issued forbidding all gatherings and meetings. Only a few had the chance to know about the proclamation, however, because it was not announced widely, and it was made only in English.

It was announced that a meeting was to be held in a garden called Jallianwala Bagh, to protest against the Government’s actions. General Dyer took no measures to prevent the meeting. He reached the place soon after the meeting began and he took with him armored cars and troops. Without giving any warning he ordered, “Fire till the bullets are finished.”

The garden was surrounded by walls and buildings and had only one exit. At the first shot the exit was jammed and there was no hope of escape for the crowd. There were between eight and ten thousand people attending the meeting. The soldiers fired 1600 rounds into that unarmed mass of people.

Once a park, Jallianwala Bagh was now a scene of the most brutal massacre of hundreds. — To be continued

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VOICE OF ASIA 3

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

Second Front Page

Friday, August 14, 2015 • www.voiceofasiaonline.com • Page 3 • Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com • Tel: 713-774-5140

Anjali Center For Performing Arts Turns 40!

1

975 was a hallmark year for the Houston arts scene - Rathna Kumar arrived in the city and founded the Anjali Center for Performing Arts, thereby forever changing the cultural

Arangetrams / Rangapravesams in their own cities – Chicago (ILL), Toledo (OH), Rochester (NY), Washington (DC), Charleston (NC), Denver (CO), and even India, with Rathna ‘conducting’ for them.

thing else in the twenty-first century, technology plays an important role.

Anjali dancers have been featured in more than 25 of their Guru’s productions, all of them originals, such as

the silent strength behind the Center’s success.

Anjali’s students from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 00’s, and up to 2015, are converging upon Houston from all over the

country for a happy dancing reunion, proving to the world the strength of the gurusishya bond, and that age cannot wither nor custom stale the beauty of classical dance.

Most appropriately, the Chief

Guests for this event are the Consul General of India, Hon. Shri Harish Parvathaneni and Smt. Nandita Parvathaneni, who are themselves great lovers and patrons of classical arts.

Students of Anjali Center for Performing Arts over 4 decades will be performing, on Aug. 15, 2015.

map of Texas. Dr. Rathna is a professional dancer trained in two styles of Indian classical dance – Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi – by renowned gurus Kalaimanani K. J. Sarasa and Padma Bhushan Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam, and her Anjali Center is the first Indian dance institute not only in Texas, but the entire Southwest of the United States, and one of the first in the country.

Starting with just two students in the first class, Anjali has grown in size, stature, and reputation over these past four decades. Rathna was the first to establish a Gurukul system in the US, providing board and lodge to students who came from all over the country to learn from her. Some of the more serious and dedicated ones went on to have their

Over 150 students have completed their prescribed training, given their successful debut performances, and continued to learn, perform, and even teach and choreograph.

Still others have brought their children to learn from their guru, thereby giving a continuum to the activities of imparting and receiving artistic knowledge. Anjali dancers have won dance competitions at state, national and international levels, have won Texas Young Masters scholarships in dance and become Finalists at the National Foundation for the Arts’ Young Arts scholarships.

At Anjali traditions are safely preserved and classical arts venerated, but there is modernity in outlook and presentation and, as in every-

Ram Katha and Shivoham (both presented under the aegis of the Chinmaya Mission, Houston Chapter), Poornam, Pratyaksha: The Power of Myth, Colors of Life: Navarasa, The Story of Rama (a children’s dance theater production), Talking Drums, , Ekta ki Awaaz: The Voice of Unity, Distinct Drums, Indian Express(ion), Dashavatar, Om Namah Shivaya, Jaya Jaya Ganesha and Nivedana (for the Sri Meenakshi Temple).

On Feb 13, 2015, Anjali lost its greatest motivator, the much loved and respected Anil Kumar.

On Saturday, August 15, 2015, the Staff and Students of the Anjali Center will present LAYA-LAASYA, dedicated to Anil Kumar,

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FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

The People’s Lawyer www.peopleslawyer.net Richard M. Alderman Interim Dean of the Law Center

Anyone may be liable under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act Q. I bought a three year-old car car from a private individual. He told me it was in great condition and he had no problems. By coincidence, I brought it into his mechanic and was told he had numerous problems and that is why he sold it. Turns out it is a lemon that needs almost $3,000 in repairs. Do I have any legal rights? Will the lemon law help?

A. First, the bad news. The Texas Lemon Law applies to only new cars. Now the good news, the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, our state’s consumer protection law, applies to anyone selling anything. In other words, when it comes to buying a used car you have the same legal rights, whether you are suing a dealer or an individual.

Under the Deceptive Trade Practices, commonly called the DTPA, a seller is responsible if he misleads or deceives you, or fails to make material disclosures. In my opinion, if the seller told you the car was in “great condition,” and it needs serious repairs, he has made a misrepresentation under this law. He also would be liable because he knew that the car needed major repair work and did not tell you.

If you are successful under the DTPA, you are entitled to your economic damages, either the difference in value between what you paid and what it is worth or the cost of repair. You also could get up to three times your damages if you show that the seller acted “knowingly.” I suggest you speak with the seller and try to work something out. Perhaps he will give you the money for repairs or a refund. If he refuses, let him know you know about this law. If that still doesn’t work, try small claims court or speak with a consumer attorney.

Q. If a debt collector sues me for a hospital bill, can he take my furniture and clothing?

The debt collector said he can and will.

A. First, if you are sued for any type of debt, the creditor or collector’s remedies generally are the same. Whether you owe money to a hospital, a car dealer, a department store or a credit card company, enforcement laws do not change. Many people think a hospital bill is different, but, with the exception of child support, taxes and student loans, the law does not differentiate between types of debts.

Under Texas law, until the court enters a judgment against you the creditor or the collector has no right to do anything to enforce the debt. Even if you are sued and a judgment is entered, you get to keep what is called “exempt” property. In Texas, most of your clothing and furniture is exempt. For a single person up to $30,000 of personal property is exempt, for a family up to $60,000. In other words, the debt collector probably has no legal right to take your furniture or clothing.

I also should point out that the threat by the debt collector to take exempt property violates both state and federal debt collection laws. I suggest you let him know you know your legal rights and that you believe his threats violate the law. My guess is you will be able to work out an acceptable payment plan. If the debt collector continues to harass you, consider small claims court. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act allows you to get up to $1,000 in punitive damages for this kind of wrongful conduct. To learn more about these laws, check out my website below.

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W

here the mind is without fear and the head is held high

Where knowledge is free Where the world has not been broken up into fragments By narrow domestic walls Where words come out from the depth of truth Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit Where the mind is led forward by thee Into ever-widening thought and action Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake. - Tagore Rabindranath Tagore [1861-1941] was the greatest writer in modern Indian literature. A Bengali poet, novelist, educator, Nobel Laureate for Literature [1913]. Tagore was awarded a knighthood in 1915, but he surrendered it in 1919 in protest against the Massacre of Amritsar, where British troops killed some 400 Indian demonstrators. Tagore’s reputation in the West as a mystic has perhaps mislead his Western readers to ignore his role as a reformer and critic of colonialism.

Happy Independence Day!

Jugal & Raj Malani Pradeep & Kiran Gupta

Pankaj & Avnie Malani Atman & Nikita Shukla

12600 Cardinal Meadow • Sugar Land, TX 77498 • 888-999-3588 • Fax: 281-275-3995

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FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

SPECIAL

VOICE OF ASIA 6

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

India’s 69th Independence Day

VOICE OF ASIA News Group English translation

wishes all our readers

a Happy India’s Independence Day

Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people, Dispenser of India’s destiny.

Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha, Of the Dravida and Odisha and Bengal; It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, Mingles in the music of Yamuna and Ganges and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea. They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.

The saving of all people waits in thy hand, Thou dispenser of India’s destiny.

Victory, victory, victory to thee.

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VOICE OF ASIA 7

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

India’s 69th Independence Day

BOOK EXCERPT

APJ Abdul Kalam: How I became President of India Former Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a scientist who was known as the father of the country’s military missile program, died July 27 after collapsing while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management in Shillong. He was 83.

jpayeeji, I consider this to be a very important mission and I would like to be an all-party candidate.’

He said, ‘Yes, we will work for it, thank you.’

The news travelled very fast indeed. Within 15 minutes, the news of my choice as presidential candidate was known throughout the country. Immediately, I was bombarded with an unmanageable number of telephone calls, my security was intensified and a large number of visitors gathered in my room.

I

n this extract from Turning Points: A Journey through Challenges, he describes the events leading up to his becoming the 11th President of India The morning of 10 June 2002 was like any other day in the beautiful environment of Anna University, where I had been working since December 2001. I had been enjoying my time in the large, tranquil campus, working with professors and inquisitive students on research projects and teaching. The authorized strength of my class was sixty students, but during every lecture, the classroom had more than 350 students and there was no way one could control the number of participants. My purpose was to understand the aspirations of the youth, to share my experiences from my many national missions and to evolve approaches for the application of technology for societal transformation through a specially designed course of ten lectures for postgraduate students.

What do I mean by national mission? I am referring to the space launch vehicle, SLV-3, the IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme), the 1998 nuclear tests, and the India 2020 report prepared by TIFAC (Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council).

All in all, these had a measurable impact on development and setting the growth trajectory of the nation. The objective of the SLV-3 programme was to launch a satellite indigenously for placing the 40 kg Rohini satellite in near-earth orbit. The satellite was intended for making ionospheric measurements. The IGMDP was intended to fulfil the need for force multiplier missile systems for national security, both tactical and strategic. The Agni V missile is its latest success. The nuclear tests were held on 11 and 13 May 1998.

With these, India became a nuclear weapon state. TIFAC resulted in generating the road map for India to transform it into an economically developed nation by 2020.

It was my ninth lecture, entitled ‘Vision to Mission’, and it included several case studies.

When I finished, I had to answer numerous questions and my class extended from a one-hour teaching session to two hours. After the lecture, I returned to my office, as on any other day, and had lunch with a group of research students.

Prasangam, the cook, served us delicious food with a lot of smiles.

After lunch, I prepared for my next class, and in the evening, I returned to my rooms.

As I was walking back, Prof A Kalanidhi, the vice chancellor of Anna University, joined me. He said that my office had received many telephone calls during the day and someone was frantically trying to get in touch with me.

As soon as I reached my rooms, I found the telephone was ringing.

When I answered, a voice on the other end said, ‘The prime minister wants to talk to you.’

While I was waiting to be connected to the PM, Chandrababu Naidu, who was the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, called me on my cellphone. He told me to expect an important call from the prime minister, adding, ‘Please do not say no.’

While I was talking to Naidu, the call from Atal Bihari Vajpayee materialized.

He said, ‘Kalam, how is your academic life?’

‘It is fantastic,’ I answered. Vajpayee continued, ‘We have some very important news for you. Just

now, I am coming from a special meeting attended by leaders of all the coalition parties. We have decided unanimously that the nation needs you as its Rashtrapati. I have to announce this tonight. I would like to have your concurrence.

I need only a “Yes”, not a “No”.’ Vajpayee, I might mention, was heading the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), a coalition of almost two dozen parties, and it was not always easy getting unanimity.

I hadn’t even had time to sit down after entering the room. Different images of the future appeared before me. One was that of being always surrounded by students and teachers. In the other, I was addressing Parliament with a vision for the nation. A decision matrix was evolving in my

mind. I said, ‘Vajpayeeji (as I normally addressed him), can you give me two hours’ time to decide? It is also necessary that there be a consensus among all political parties on my nomination as presidential candidate.’

Vajpayee said, ‘After you agree, we will work for a consensus.’

Over the next two hours, I must have made thirty telephone calls to my close friends.

Among them were people in academia and friends in the civil services and in politics too. One view that came across was that I was enjoying an academic life, which is my passion and love, and I shouldn’t disturb it. The second view was that this was an opportunity to put forth the India 2020 vision in front of the nation and Parliament, and that I must jump at it. Exactly after two hours, I was connected to the prime minister. I said, ‘Va-

The same day, Vajpayee consulted with Mrs Sonia Gandhi, the opposition leader, about the choice of candidate. When Mrs Gandhi asked whether the NDA’s choice was final, the prime minister responded in the affirmative. After due consultation with her party members and coalition partners, Mrs Gandhi announced the support of the Indian National Congress (INC) to my candidature on 17 June 2002. I would have loved to get the support of the Left parties also but they decided to nominate their own candidate.

As soon as I agreed to be a candidate for the presidency, a huge number of write-ups began to appear about me. Many questions were raised by the media.

In essence, they were asking, how could a non-political person, particularly a scientist, become president of the nation? *** On 18 June, at my first press conference after filing the nomination papers for my candidacy as president, journalists asked many questions regarding the Gujarat issue (the state had been racked by riots and there were concerns about how these were

handled), Ayodhya (the Ram Janambhoomi issue was always in the news), the nuclear tests and about my plans in Rashtrapati Bhavan. I mentioned that India needed an educated political class with compassion as the cornerstone of decision making. On the Ayodhya issue, I mentioned that what was needed was education, economic development and respect for human beings. With economic development, societal differences would also reduce. I also pledged that I would maintain simplicity amid-st the pomp and glory of Rashtrapati Bhavan. As president, on any complex issue, I would consult the country’s leading constitutional experts. Decisions on issues such as President’s Rule would be made on the basis of what people needed, rather than on what a few people wanted.

When I returned from Chennai to my flat in Asiad Village in Delhi on 10 July the preparations were in full swing. Pramod Mahajan of the Bharatiya Janata Party was my election agent. I set up a camp office at the flat. It was not a large flat but it had a certain flexibility. I set up a visitors’ room, the conference hall was made functional, and later even an electronic camp office was set up. All data from then on was transmitted electronically. A letter was drafted for MPs – Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha, so close to 800 in all – giving them my vision as president and asking them to vote for me. This was based on Mahajan’s suggestion that I could send the letters without personally meeting the members of the electoral college from each state. As it turned out, I was declared elected on 18 July with a handsome margin.

There were appointments with

visitors, of whom there was a stream all through the day, and interviews with media besides my own correspondence and travel. I enjoyed interacting with children and when there was time I would listen to their responses on various issues.

Flat No. 833 in Asiad Village became a beehive of activity.

Just drawing up the guest list for the swearing-in ceremony on 25 July was an exercise in itself. The Central Hall of Parliament can only accommodate 1,000 people. Aside from the MPs, office-bearers of the two Houses, bureaucrats from the home and other ministries, and guests of the outgoing president, KR Narayanan, there would be room only for a 100 guests.

This we expanded to 150 or so.

Who all would be in this 150 posed a problem. Family guests alone numbered thirty-seven.

My old physics teacher, Prof Chinnadurai, was there, as was Prof KV Pandalai of the Madras Institute of Technology, Pakshi Venkatasubramaniam Sastrigal, chief priest of the Rameswaram temple, Imam Nurul Khuda, of the Rameswaram mosque, Rev AG Leonard, priest of the Rameswaram church, and the famous eye specialist, Dr G Venkataswamy, who started the Aravind Eye Institute. Also among the guests was the dancer Sonal Mansingh, as were industrialists, journalists, personal friends. In the guest list, uniquely, there were 100 children from all the states of the country, for whom there was a separate enclosure. They were put under the care of a senior aide. It was a hot day but everybody came formally dressed to attend the ceremony in the historic Central Hall.

Excerpted from Turning Points: A Journey through Challenges, APJ Abdul Kalam HarperCollins India.

SPECIAL

VOICE OF ASIA 8

India’s 69th Independence Day

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

Amritsar kite maker’s Independence Day collection includes freedom fighters, messages the I-Day will also be soaring through the air in the colours of the Tricolour.

“This time I have made 68 different kinds of kites to celebrate the Independence Day. I have been making kites for about two months for the occasion,” he said.

He said that a few kites in his collection are also dedicated to his late father, who was born on August 15, 1938 in Lahore and passed away in 1989.

C

HANDIGARH: A 50year-old kite maker from Amritsar has made special kites with images of freedom fighters and messages to remember their sacrifices to mark the69th Independence Day. Jagmohan Kanojia, who is well known for his vast collection, has designed special kites with images of freedom fighters likeBhagat Singh, Rani Lakshmibai, Subhas Chandra Bose besides all Presidents and Prime Ministers till date.

The kites this year will also bear pictures of President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The kites would dot the skyline this Independence Day with inspiring messages in tow.

While some of the kites are as small as four inches and are showpieces, others will be as big as six feet.

“I have also made a special five-corner kite which is sixinch long while another fishshaped kite is six feet long and carries the picture of Jawaharlal Nehru. Another six feet kite carries the message--’Maa Tujhe Salaam’ and has pictures of freedom fighters including Bhagat Singh,” Kanojia told PTI today.

Some of his collections for

“Most of my kites carry pictures of freedom fighters and national leaders. They also carry small messages that we should always remember the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters and value the freedom we attained after long struggle...messages like countrymen should remain united to take India forward have also been pasted on the kites,” he said.

He said that a few kites in his collection are also dedicated to his late father, who was born on August 15, 1938 in Lahore and passed away in 1989.

“Several of my kites are beautifully decorated with pictures of former Presidents and former Prime Ministers,” he said.

For Kanojia, it all began as a hobby in early 1990s after watching a kite-flying competition on TV. He claims that he has already entered record books in the country, also earning a record of being the only person in India to have made 10,000 different designs of kites.

A poem on the birth of independent India portrayed in classical dance - A must watch!

1800 223 7776

I was born in 1947, made out of hand-spun cotton on a charkha, dyed in the three colours of courage, peace and the earth. I symbolize independence.

This beautiful poem called ‘The Tiranga’ by ‘Being Indian’, narrated over the visual of classical dance, is not only a story of our freedom, but also tells us what we can do with what we have.

If every decade was counted as an hour, from the stroke of midnight when we first awoke to life and freedom, we are now embracing the sunrise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCal0w8do5U

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

Silver Jubilee Arya Maha Sammelan in Houston

The Arya Samaj Youth: The event marked the silver jubilee for Arya Pratinidhi Sabha America,

by Roma Nayyar

O

n Thursday, July 30th 2015, Arya Samajis from all over the world descended on Houston, Texas to celebrate and attend the 25th Arya Mahasammelan.

The event marked the silver jubilee for Arya Pratinidhi Sabha America, which was established in 1991 as a Congress of Arya Samajs in North America. This was the second time for Arya Samaj of Greater Houston (“ASGH”) to host the Arya Mahasammelan, having previously hosted it in 2006.

Next year’s Mahasammelan will be held in Florida.

The theme for this year’s Mahasammelan was “Arya Samaj Movement in North America”, with separate streams for the Youth. Over the last ten years, the number of Youth delegates has consistently grown – from about 10 in 2006, when Houston last hosted the event to over 50 Youth delegates this year.

Attendees came from all over the United States, Canada, Britain, and India. Each day’s events kicked off on the

healthy foot with yoga and meditation sessions followed

by Yajnya held at ASGH. The primary stream had a jam packed day filled with lectures by learned scholars on Arya Samaj movement, it’s context and meaning in the present day environment, Ayurveda, Yoga, and the Vedas, ending on a fun filled note with dinner followed by a cultural program featuring some of the Youth delegates, children of DAV Montessori & Sanskriti Schools from Houston.

This was my second time as a Youth delegate, and on Friday, while my parents and grandmother stayed in the main hall of ASGH, I headed over to the DAV School building where we got to meet and interact with youth from other cities. We were then treated to a series of thought provoking lectures from many scholars, on a broad array of topics, including the Principles of Arya Samaj, Vedic philosophy and concepts, the 16 sacraments, and the science behind Yoga, among others. The best part was the Q&A session after

each lecture with the speaker, so we could more fully understand the topic. Throughout the day and between lectures, we got to talk with our peers, make new friends, and play fun icebreakers- during which we ruined 4 rolls of paper streamers, balanced 5 dice on a stick, and proceeded to play every game imaginable with plastic cups. Lots of cheering was involved.

The day culminated with an outstanding cultural program including a wonderful performance by DAV Schools’ children, a hilarious skit by Arya Yuva Mandal Houston, and a beautiful rendition of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha Hindustan Hamara’ by an orchestra conducted by Mrs. Vinita Arora.

The next day proved to only get better with a tour of the world famous NASA Space center, and an excursion to Kemah where we ate, went on roller coaster rides, and took a walk along the boardwalk. We made it back just back in time for a gala dinner, followed by another cultural program with some great performances. At the gala

Young men and women dressed as famous Arya Samaj leaders

Musical performance by some the youth

dinner, which was attended by the Consulate General of India, Arya Pratinidhi Sabha honored visionaries and leaders of the Arya Samaj Movement who had helped make Arya Samaj into what it is

today. It was inspiring to see so many great people share the same stage that day. Sunday, sadly, was the last day of Mahasammelan, and after the last Yajnya, and some closing remarks, all the fun was

over, waiting to be repeated next year, in Florida. In the meanwhile, I made some great friends I hope to keep in touch with, and can’t wait to attend next year’s Mahasammelan.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 10

by Manu Shah

H

OUSTON: For 25 years, the biggest Janmashtami celebrations in Houston has been synonymous with the George Brown Convention Center drawing bigger crowds every year. Organized by the Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH), the event, over the years, featured actors Nitish Bharadwaj and Saurabh Jain, Anup Jalota, the unique concept of Phoolon Ki Holi, a spectacular Rangoli decoration, Dandiya Raas and a delightful costume contest.

Despite its success, the question that arose is whether Janmashtami should be celebrated every year considering the resources needed in terms of money, time and effort.

The answer was a resounding yes and it came not just from the leaders of various Hindu organizations and temples in the city but from youngsters like Reshmi who believe that this community celebration “helps the younger generation understand its rich culture, connect with other Indo Americans, preserve our religion and provide a better understanding of our culture to the broader community.”

Such an appeal could not be

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

JANMASHTAMI - Leaders gearing up for grand Hindu Festival ignored. About 30 organizations gathered at the Guruvayurappan Temple in Houston on August 8th to discuss and plan the September 12th Janmashtami Annual celebrations at the George Brown Convention center.

Emcee Girish Naik, Past President of HGH invited Deepa and Reshmi Surendran to begin the meeting with an invocation prayer followed by the lighting of the lamp.

HGH President Anshuman Desai welcomed the gathering and outlined HGH’s major accomplishments in the year. He also pointed out the vital need to energize and involve the youth in HGH activities and to encourage and create commerce between Hindus as “prosperity is strength.” Finally, he stated that HGH would like to meet every organization’s Executive committee to see how “they can help each other, work together and be a collective voice.”

Dr. Hansa Medley, Outreach Director at ISKCON and HGH

Board Advisor, described 201516 as a milestone year for the organization as it was celebrating 50 years of Swami Prabhupada’s arrival and the ISKCON foundation in the US. She stated that ISKCON will arrange for the Chief Guest – Ambarish Prabhu, the great grandson of Henry Ford, at the event.

Describing the VP of HGH, Partha Krishnaswamy as “one who has taken the Janmashtami celebrations to a new level,” Girish Naik invited him to highlight some of the attractions of this year’s celebrations.

According to Partha, attractions like celebrities, Phoolon Ki Holi (Holi with flowers) and Dandiya Raas clearly determine the number of people who turn up to participate in the celebrations. This year’s celebrations will also have all the regular attractions with Phoolon Ki Holi being bought back on popular demand. He also appealed to the gathering to contribute with “health, wealth and wisdom” to achieve their goal of bringing more than 8000 people to the

Picture taken at Guruvayurappan Temple Aug 8, 2015 of Houston’s Hindu leaders praying together.

celebrations this year.

Rishi Bhutada, Director of HAF, an advocacy group that represents the Hindu American viewpoint in Washington spoke of HAF’s recent accomplishments which include correcting over 100 inaccuracies about Hinduism in Texas textbooks, introducing a resolution in Congress to highlight the war crimes committed against the Hindu community in Bangladesh and organizing teacher training programs to help teachers in the School District better understand Hinduism so they can, in turn, teach it correctly.

Rishi Bhutada also initiated an ambitious proposal of building a Hindu campsite which can be used by every organization in the city to conduct their events and camps.

Vijay Pallod, who is described as “the backbone of HGH” and was the convener of the meeting invited all the organizations present to state how they could contribute towards the celebra-

tions. He also urged the gathering to help make the UH Hindu Students Association sustainable and strong.

Encouraging responses poured in. Prasad from the Meenakshi Temple stated that the temple’s priests would purify the venue with a special puja. The temple would also promote and publicize the event through their extensive database. Ashwin Dave from BAPS said that their organization would organize the prasad.

ICC’s President Charlie Patel will take up the responsibility for the allocation of the booths, Dr. Surya from the Char Dham Hindu Temple stated that they would support HGH as required, Vishnuji from the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir offered to provide the traditional music while Dr. Nik Nikam promised to publicize the event through his radio station.

Raunak Maheshwari of the Graduate Indian Student Organization (GISO) at the University of Houston promised

35 active volunteers, Durga Bari Temple’s representative Deep stated that their organization would publicize the event through its newsletters and Kantibhai Patel of the Sanatan Hindu Center promised to take care of the arathi arrangements.

Several other organizations promised volunteers.

Past President of HGH, Sharad Amin, stated that his organization would “serve and empower any Hindu organization and synergize them into the bigger Hindu family.”

Dharmender Dargan invited all the organizations to post their upcoming events on HGH’s website as it’s a comprehensive guide to activities and events in the Hindu community.

In a concluding message, HGH Advisor Dr. Venugopal Menon emphasized that “despite all our perceived differences, we must transcend our organizations and stand as one, otherwise the next generation is lost.”

The gathering also visited the beautiful temple and prayed together after which a delicious lunch was served by the volunteers of the temple. VP Anil Kumar graciously invited the gathering to use the temple premises for their future meetings too.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 11

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Offers FREE FLU SHOTS to benefit Santa’s Exchange

S

UGAR LAND—(August 5, 2015)—With fall around the corner and the holiday season not far behind, Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is once again offering Fort Bend residents the opportunity to “give a gift and beat the flu.”

and Toys for Tots once again to provide this community offering,” said Chris Siebenaler, CEO of Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. “This is a great way for the community to stay healthy while also putting smiles on children’s faces during the holiday season.”

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, in collaboration with the Exchange Club of Sugar Land, Fort Bend Exchange Club, Rotary Club of Sugar Land, Rotary Club of Fort Bend and Toys for Tots Fort Bend, is offering free flu shots on Saturday, October 24 to community members who participate in Santa’s Gift Exchange. Fort Bend and surrounding area residents can bring a new, unwrapped toy or clothing item to Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital from 8 a.m. to noon in exchange for a free flu shot. The toys and clothing will benefit local children in the Fort Bend area.

In 2014, Santa’s Gift Exchange provided toys and clothing to more than 4,000 economically disadvantaged children in Fort Bend County. “Everyone’s help is needed to meet the challenge of providing toys for our children who will not have toys this year without our help,” said Jim Kij, co-chairman of Santa’s Exchange 2015.

“We are proud to partner with the local exchange clubs

“We are looking forward to partnering with Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital for a sixth year. This is a great collaboration; get a flu shot and in return you are able to give back to the children in this community,” said Kij, a 14 year member of the Exchange Club of Sugar Land and Past President.

“Our community is well known for its philanthropic values so we encourage you to participate by dropping off toys or clothing even if you have already had your flu shot,” Siebenaler said.

If you would like to participate in this community event, please bring an unwrapped, new toy or clothing item to the main lobby of Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital between the times of 8:00 a.m. and noon on Saturday, October 24.

The flu vaccine is formulated to provide protection against three different flu viruses – H1N1, H3N2 and influenza B. Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital will be distributing a limited supply of the influenza vaccine to persons age 18 and over with no history of egg and/ or latex allergy. If you are pregnant, please visit your OB/GYN or primary care physician to have your vaccine administered.

For more information please call 281.274.7972.

Applications Now Open for Citizens Police Academy Class 56 Sugar Land, TX – Want to discover firsthand what it takes to be a police officer, get to know your beat officer and learn more about criminal investigation? Find out by signing up for the Sugar Land Police Department’s Citizens Police Academy and learn about traffic laws, crime scene investigation and how to respond during an active shooter situation.

The 10-week course begins Sept. 10 and runs through Nov. 19. Students meet once a week at the police department at 1200 State Highway 6 from 7-10 p.m., including weekend courses that include mock building searches and simulated traffic stops.

While learning about the challenges faced by police officers, laws affecting citizens, the judicial system and emergency

management, participants personally interact with officers, detectives and other personnel in a nontraditional law enforcement setting.

The training program consists of classroom and “hands-on” instruction designed to provide interested Sugar Land citizens with a working knowledge of the Sugar Land Police Department, its personnel and emergency management operations.

Topics taught during the academy include the following: • USE OF FORCE / WEAPONS/ SWAT: Students are given instruction concerning the legal use of weapons.

Students view various types of weapons used by police officers and learn common language and phrases used by police.

• Citizens’ Response to Active Shooter Events: Learn

what to do in the event you are present during an active shooter situation, how to survive, how to get away and how to save others.

• TRAFFIC LAWS AND DWI INVESTIGATIONS: Traffic laws and procedures are discussed with an emphasis on the most common traffic offenses. The course also covers drunk-driving enforcement and accident investigations. Students receive specialized instruction concerning the procedures for initiating traffic stops and officer safety.

• B U I L D I N G SEARCH/TRAFFIC STOPS: Students participate in exercises that simulate traffic stops and dangerous citizen interactions. Participants operate a fully equipped patrol vehicle under the supervision of a po-

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

Brian Dean Named CEO of Memorial HermannTexas Medical Center HOUSTON (August 11, 2015) – Memorial Hermann Health System recently announced the promotion of Brian Dean, MPH, MBA, to Chief Executive Officer of Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center (TMC), effective August 23. Previously Dean served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Memorial Hermann-TMC and has been serving as interim CEO since February when Craig Cordola, former CEO, was promoted to Senior Vice President and Regional President for the Central/West Region for Memorial Hermann.

academic medical centers over the course of my career, I can honestly say that the qualities this Campus possesses, through our partnership with UTHealth Medical School, are remarkably unique. With a shared sense of purpose and a culture of collaboration, the team here works tirelessly every day to provide our patients and families with the best, safest and most advanced care available, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of such an organization.”

As CFO for Memorial Hermann-TMC, a role he has held for the past two years, Dean optimized financial outcomes and improved overall productivity for the Campus. Under Dean’s leadership, the hospital has encouraged clinical innovation by investing in worldclass programs through the

“I am humbled and honored to have this opportunity to lead such a wonderful team of world-class clinicians and staff at Memorial Hermann-TMC that, for nearly a century, has set new standards of care in Texas and across the nation,” said Dean. “As I assume this new role, my focus will center on building upon the incredible foundation Craig established in his many years at the TMC. Having served at a number of

Prior to joining Memorial Hermann, Dean held leadership roles at healthcare systems across the South, including: Jackson Health System in Miami, where he was Senior Vice President of Finance and also served as CEO of their Health Plan; University Community Health in Tampa; and the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center in Lexington. He was named one of the South Florida Business Journal’s “Power Leaders in Health Care” in 2012, and he is currently a member of several organizations including the American College of Healthcare Executives. Dean earned his Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Public Health in Health Administration, both from the University of Kentucky, and later received his Master of Business Administration from the University of Miami.

lice instructor.

• CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS: Texas laws and penalties are discussed, with an emphasis on criteria for assaults, burglaries, robberies and thefts.

• TELECOMMUNICATIONS/EOC: A public safety dispatcher will explain radio procedures and the dispatchers’ role to support police, fire and emergency medical services.

Students tour the emergency communications center.

• CRIME SCENE

INVESTIGATION: A crime scene investigator discusses the collection and preservation of evidence. This unit also includes a tour of SLPD’s crime identification lab.

• TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE (TDCJ): The class tours the TDCJ Jester Prison Unit.

Students visit most areas and learn about how the Texas prison system works.

• CRIME VICTIM LIAISON/DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The police department’s

crime victim liaison discusses the process that victims go through and the programs available for victims.

The class is offered free of charge to Sugar Land residents and people who work in Sugar Land. Participants must be at least 18 years old. Applications will be accepted until Aug. 21.

For more information and admission criteria, visit http:// www.sugarlandtx.gov/policeacademy or register online at https://volunteer.sugarlandtx.gov.

“Brian is a strong leader who has a great passion for people and a special talent for directing operations, ensuring financial success and advancing the health of our community,” said Cordola. “We look forward to continuing to deliver the high quality care for which we are known to the patients and families of the Greater Houston area with Brian at the helm of our flagship facility.”

Brian Dean, MPH, MBA medical staff, nurses, support staff and facilities. And now, Dean will steer the ongoing strategic vision and plans for the Campus as it continues to grow, renovate, expand and improve through the $650 million Breaking New Ground project that launched in May.

WORLD/US

VOICE OF ASIA 12

Fears US ‘national interest’ hurt by partisan Iran row

by Andrew BEATTY

W

ASHINGTON The former White House official who resigned this week as head of a key US group lobbying against the Iran nuclear deal, warned Wednesday that the partisan row was hurting America’s national interest.

Gary Samore, who stepped down as president of United Against Nuclear Iran because he supports the agreement, said a political battle between Congress and the White House had crowded out the “pragmatic center.”

“This looks like it will be a straight-out political battle between Republicans and some Democrats against the White House and that’s very unfortunate,” Samore told AFP. His resignation Monday thrust him into the center of the fierce battle over the Iran deal, one fueled by multi-milliondollar lobbying budgets and the 2016 presidential election campaign.

Samore, a non-proliferation expert, advised Barack Obama during his first presidential term and received wide media attention this week as former White House colleagues hailed his decision as a victory for the “yes” camp.

United Against Nuclear Iran immediately announced he would be replaced by anti-deal former senator Joe Lieberman and unveiled a multi-million dollar campaign to highlight “key deficiencies and weaknesses” in the agreement.

The Republican-controlled Congress is expected in September to vote against the deal, but is unlikely to have enough support to overturn Obama’s veto.

“I don’t know that this agreement is really going to survive 15 years, in fact my guess is that it probably won’t,” Samore

said.

“But if the agreement collapses I have confidence in our ability to mobilize support for pressure against Iran or use military force if necessary.”

“It would be much better if the White House and Congress could come to an agreement on a resolution of support, with conditions that would strengthen the elements of the deal,” he added Samore insisted Congress could have strengthened Obama’s hand vis-a-vis Tehran by reinforcing the agreement with “conditions relating to the use of force if necessary, or responding to Iran’s regional policy, or keeping Congress adequately involved in implementation.”

“That would be, from a national interest standpoint, the best outcome,” he said. “Unfortunately I think the politics preclude that from happening.”

After the knock-down-dragout Washington fight ahead in the next month, “I don’t know how much political will be left for coming up with a compromise,” he added.

- ‘No basis to compromise’ While the White House has been frustrated by Republicans’ summary rejection of the deal -- in some instances before it was finalized. Obama has also been criticized for playing politics.

Critics roundly reject his suggestion that the only alternative to the deal is war.

The White House has “decided that there is no basis to compromise with the Republicans who are going to oppose this agreement no matter what,” said Samore.

“They have decided that the only strategy that is going to succeed is to appeal to enough

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

Former US president Carter reveals he has cancer

Democrats on the left to block a congressional override of the president’s veto.”

“The most effective political strategy is to make this an antiwar vote.”

Samore explained his thinking after reading over the deal.

“I really do think there are solid grounds for reasonable people to come to different conclusions on this agreement,” he said describing his decision.

“I think the strength of the agreement is that it limits Iran’s ability to produce fissile material at its declared facilities for 15 years at least and establishes a versification and enforcement mechanism that will improve our ability to catch them cheating.”

Former US President Jimmy Carter, pictured in New York on July 7, 2015, said that recent surgery had shown he has cancer and that it has spread from his liver (AFP Photo/Kena Betancur)

“On the negative side, the agreement allows Iran to retain a larger enrichment program than I am comfortable with and most of the critical limits expire in 15 years.”

ASHINGTON Former US president Jimmy Carter said Wednesday that recent liver surgery has shown he has cancer, and that it has spread.

rest of America, we are rooting for you,” he said in a statement.

The 39th president, now aged 90, underwent an initially successful operation earlier this month to remove a “small mass.”

He was flown back to Atlanta, where attended a public event the next day.

“That procedure revealed that I have cancer that now is in other parts of my body,” he said in a brief written statement.

His term in office is perhaps best known for the Iran hostage crisis, which saw more 52 Americans held in Tehran for 444 days following the Islamic Revolution.

“But when you look at those pros and cons against the available alternatives, my conclusion is that this agreement is the most effective way to prevent Iran from producing nuclear weapons, at least for the time being.”

Read Latest on NATIONAL, GLOBAL & LOCAL www.voiceofasiaonline.com

W

“I will be rearranging my schedule as necessary so I can undergo treatment.”

“A more complete public statement will be made when facts are known, possibly next week,” said the Nobel Peace Prize winner, whose two sisters, brother and father all died from pancreatic cancer.

The Georgia native will be treated at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

President Barack Obama was among those who voiced their support, wishing his predecessor a “fast and full recovery.”

“Jimmy, you’re as resilient as they come, and along with the

- Record reexamined In May, Carter cut short a trip to Guyana after he took ill.

Carter was in the White House from 1977 to 1981.

Carter’s failure to secure their release, compounded by a failed military rescue attempt, would dog his presidency and scuttle his bid for a second term.

The hostages were only released once Ronald Reagan came to office.

But Carter’s reputation is much stronger today than it was when he left office.

Reaching a peace deal between Israel and Egypt is now recognized as the zenith of his presidency and a major diplomatic achievement.

But his work after leaving

the White House has also been widely praised.

He has been an extremely active as an ex-president, working as an elections monitor and lobbying for health campaigns via the Carter Center, which he founded in 1982.

He has participated in election monitoring in Mexico, Peru, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and East Timor, and in 2003 traveled to Cuba for a historic face-to-face meeting with longtime communist leader Fidel Castro.

He was recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts to promote social and economic justice.

News of his illness prompted a groundswell of support from well-wishers.

“We hope for his full recovery and return to his inspiring work,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

“Dems across the country are pulling for you,” said Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

There are four living former US presidents: Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Lifestyle VOICE OF ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 13

ONLINE .COM voiceofasiaonline.com

Vol. 28 No. 33 Friday, August 14, 2015 Section 2 Page 13

Couples who sext have better sex: study

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

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

Can genes make us liberal or conservative?

by Marlowe HOOD

P

ARIS, France | AFP | Aristotle may have been more on the money than he realised in saying man is a political animal, according to research published Wednesday linking genes with liberal or conservative leanings.

Or, to be precise, a specific variant of one gene that would seem to exert greater sway over women than men.

Working with 1771 university students of Han Chinese origin in Singapore, researchers compared answers to surveys -- including one tailored to hot-button issues in the city-state -- with the presence of a permutation of the DRD4 gene.

American researchers found sexting is widespread and could actually help couples improve communication and increase intimacy

O

TTAWA, Canada Couples who send each other sexually suggestive or explicit images by phone, commonly known as “sexting,” have better sex, according to a study presented to a psychology convention in Toronto.

The practice is often portrayed as risky, yet American researchers found it is widespread and could actually help couples improve communication and increase intimacy.

“These findings show a robust relationship between sexting and sexual and relationship satisfaction,” said Emily Stasko of Philadelphia’s Drexel University.

She presented the results of an online survey of 870 Americans

aged 18 to 82 at the American Psychological Association’s 123rd Annual Convention in Toronto on Saturday.

More than eight out of 10 respondents said they have sexted. Three-quarters of them sent images to a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife, and associated sexting with better relationship satisfaction.

That increased gratification, however, did not carry over to singles surveyed, nor to respondents who said they were in a “very committed” relation.

Despite its potential to enhance communication between partners, past studies -- and recent headlines -- have focused almost exclusively on negative outcomes from sexting.

Some of the best known examples include news last year about phone hacks that led to the leak of nude photos of celebrities including actress Jennifer Lawrence, pop icon Rihanna and top model Kate Upton.

In another notorious sexting case, US lawmaker Anthony Weiner quit the House of Representatives after confessing that he used social media to send sexually explicit pictures of himself to a number of women.

But such highly publicized negative outcomes said Stasko, fail to take into account the upside of sexting, which, when used by a loving couple, can increase the “potential positive effects of open sexual communication with a partner.”

DRD4 is one of several genes that determines the way dopamine -- a crucial neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger -- is released in the brain.

What they found was a robust link between the presence (or not) of the variant and a split between liberals inclined to decry inequality, on the one hand, and die-hard conservative wary of change, on the other.

“The association between political attitude and DRD4 was highly significant for females,” and less so for men, said the study, led by Richard Ebstein of the National University of Singapore.

Women, it was also shown, tended to be more conservative in general.

The results are bolstered by earlier research based on people of European descent that found similar patterns around the same gene, according to

Aristotle may have been more on the money than he realised in saying man is a political animal, according to research linking genes with liberal or conservative leanings (AFP Photo/Spencer Platt) the study.

In the long-standing “Nature vs. Nurture” debate, it was long assumed that social values -- and especially political ones -- were rooted in family upbringing, education and class.

But a growing body of evidence suggests, in the words of the researchers, that “biology can’t be ignored.”

A landmark study published in 1999, for example, of twins separated at or near birth showed a marked strain of heritability for ‘conservatism’.

The brain is wired with several distinct dopamine pathways, including one related to the risk-taking -- arguably a parallel to the liberal-conservative dichotomy.

From an evolutionary standpoint, risk-taking is a complicated business: in some situations, it may enhance one’s chances of success or survival, and in others it may spell doom.

In the study, the researchers used standard questionnaires to rate conservative or liberal tendencies, making it easier to compare with earlier efforts to uncover links between genes and attitudes.

At the same time, to adjust for cultural variations from one country to another, they also devised a survey based on local issues known to divide opinion in Singapore along political lines.

One set of questions, for example, asked the students -- half men, half women with a mean age of 21 -- to take positions on sensitive environmental and animal rights issues.

The correlation with the genetic variations was especially strong on these points.

“Our results provide evidence,” Ebstein and colleagues conclude, “for a role of the DRD4 gene variants in contributing to individual differences in political attitude, particularly in females.”

Chasing fair skin, Ivorians ignore whitening cream ban “At least we know the composition.”

by Christophe KOFFI

A

BIDJAN, Ivory Coast - At just 26, Fatou’s skin is marbled from layer on layer of whitening cream. Some even call her a “salamander” woman after the little reptile with light spots and translucent skin.

Some women say that it’s societal pressure -- particularly from men -- that forces them to lighten their skin.

“It’s men that push women to become lighter,” said MarieGrace Amani, who has been whitening her skin for the past four years.

But nothing can stop the hairdresser in Ivory Coast’s commercial capital Abidjan from using the skin-lightening cream in her quest for a paler complexion.

Ivory Coast’s Health Minister Raymonde Goudou Coffie agrees.

Ivorian men “love women who shine in the night”, she told AFP.

“I love light skin,” Fatou said.

“I can’t stop.”

Many Ivorian women -- as well as more and more men -- are using creams with dangerous chemicals for depigmentation, despite government attempts to stop the practice.

In late April, Ivory Coast banned whitening creams because of the negative health effects associated with them, ranging from white spots and acne to cancer.

If applied liberally, the cosmetics can also cause high blood pressure and diabetes, according to Professor Elidje Ekra, a dermatologist at Abidjan’s Treichville university hospital.

The banned products include

“They bring light and glow in the bedroom.”

- Measure still an ‘empty shell’ Women, who use skin whitening cosmetics, pose for a photo in Abidjan, Ivory Coast (AFP Photo/ Sia Kambou) creams containing mercury, certain steroids, vitamin A, or with hydroquinone levels above two percent.

Hydroquinone is often used in black and white photography and is banned as a skin-lightening ingredient in Europe as it is considered a potential carcinogen.

The dangers don’t seem to de-

ter consumers, though.

- ‘Women who shine in the night’ While no official statistics are available, “tchatchos” -- or those with lightened skin, often recognisable by their darker knuckles and elbows -- are omnipresent in Abidjan.

Businesses continue to sell

the whitening products, because they know people will continue to buy them despite the risks.

“We know that our lightening products are dangerous,” an executive for an Ivorian cosmetic company said, adding that a ban would be counterproductive.

“It would push consumers to make their own products, which would be even worse.

Three months after the new law was introduced -- which could entail a fine of 50,000 to 350,000 CFA francs (76 to 534 euros / US$83 to $585) for violators -- salons are still advertising their lightening products.

Whitening soaps with names like “Glow and White” and “Body White” leave little doubt as to their intended use.

“After raising awareness, we will move to the next phase of removing products from the market,” Coffie said.

A national evaluation and marketing authorisation committee has been set up to ensure implementation of the measures, but one of the biggest fights could be against cultural beauty standards.

Lightened faces continue to proliferate on billboards in Abidjan, with the featured models flaunting fair skin.

Ekra says that while it’s a great initiative, the text is still an “empty shell”.

“We see women on national television who use the corrosive products,” said Ekra.

“Do those that enforce the measure even respect it?”

If people want to lighten their skin, experts say they’ll always find a way to do it.

“We tell people it’s not good for their health, but if they find something good there... we cannot forbid someone to do what they wish,” said Paul Aristide Kadia, who sells the products.

The practice is not only present in Ivory Coast, but widespread elsewhere in Africa, as well as in large parts of Asia.

In nearby Senegal, people mobilised against skin lightening in 2013, but failed to get a ban on products.

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LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 14

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

World’s priciest wine is rare Burgundy at $15,195 a bottle

F

rance’s famous Burgundy region has a double reason to celebrate, with a rare vintage from the area emerging as the world’s most expensive wine just after the region was named a UN world heritage site.

from pinot noir and chardonnay grapes.

Richebourg Grand Cru sells at a whopping $15,195 (14,254 euro) a bottle, according to the Wine-Searcher website list of the 50 dearest vintages.

Jayer was opposed to using chemicals in the winemaking process and believed in smallscale production, turning out only about 3,500 bottles per year.

The website’s table of the priciest wines includes 40 Burgundies, with just five non-French wines making the cut -- one Californian and four from Germany.

The news comes just after Burgundy’s vineyards were crowned in July with the world heritage distinction by the United Nation’s cultural body.

UNESCO recognised the uniqueness of the vineyards of the Cote de Nuits and the Cote de Beaune south of the city Dijon which produce some of the finest red wines in the world made

The Richebourg Grand Cru was a Cote de Nuits created by Henri Jayer, a winemaker widely considered a visionary in the business, who died in 2006 aged 84.

In fact it is another Henri Jayer wine, his Cros-Parantoux VosneRomanee Premier Cru, which comes from a tiny 1.01 hectare (2.5 acre) parcel, that grabs third place on the list at $8,832 a bottle, according to Wine-Searcher, which updated its table earlier this month.

The website, founded in London in 1999, releases periodic updates to its 50 most expensive wines list, which is based on prices from nearly 55,000 wine merchants and producers around the world.

The analysis that produced the most recent update concerned more than seven million wines of all vintages, taking an average price per bottle.

Romanee-Conti, Burgundy’s most famous fine wine, came in second on the list at $13,314 and the vineyard has a total of six bottles on the table.

Other “grand crus” from Burgundy, such as Vosne-Romanee and Montrachet are also among the most expensive.

France’s Bordeaux wine region, for all its prestige, has only two wines on the list, both Pomerols: the Petrus and a Le Pin. Two German winemakers, Egon Mueller and Joh. Jos. Pruem, each have two wines on the list, including Mueller’s Scharzhofberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese demi-sec selling for $6,630 a bottle in fourth place.

The only other non-French wine is Californian Stanley Kroenke’s Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sau-

Richebourg Grand Cru sells at a whopping $15,195 vignon, coming in at 14th place with a $2,884 price tag.

Burgundy’s

inclusion

on

UNESCO’s vaunted list may bring further economic benefits for the region, because as well

as being a powerful tourist draw, world heritage sites are eligible for financial assistance towards preservation.

Study finds women few, far between in Hollywood films

L

OS ANGELES - Less than a third of the characters in top-grossing Hollywood films are female, and women directors are much rarer still, according to a study Thursday that bemoaned Tinseltown’s lack of diversity.

were female, the study said.

Researchers at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism examined 700 hit films released between 2007 and 2014 to measure the extent of gender and ethnic diversity.

It concluded that Hollywood remains very much a white male domain and called for greater activism to make the silver screen a more accurate reflection of American society.

Of the more than 30,000 speaking characters who appeared on screen between 2007 and 2014, only 30.2 percent

Less than a third of the characters in top-grossing Hollywood films are female, according to a study by researchers at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism (AFP Photo/Gabriel Bouys)

“Clearly, the norm in Hollywood is to exclude girls and women from the screen,” the 29-page study said.

Looking at race and ethnicity, the study found that 5.8 percent of directors between 2007 and 2014 were black or African-American and 2.4 percent were Asian.

Last year, only 28.1 percent of characters were female, and three-quarters of them appeared to be under the age of 40.

Seventeen of the 100 top films in 2014 had no black speaking characters and more than 40 had no Asian characters.

When female characters did appear, they were more likely than their male counterparts to be shown as caregivers and “in a committed romantic relationship.”

“After seven years and 700 films, it is clear that activism and advocacy are still required.

Reframing the requests made to writers and decision-makers may be one way forward,” the study said.

Moreover, only 28 women worked as directors on the 700 top films from 2007 to 2014, the study said. Only three of those female directors were black and one was Asian. Of the top 100 films of 2014, two were directed by women.

The study -- posted at www. annenberg.usc.edu -- included the top 100 films of each year from 2007 through 2014, except 2011 because “another researcher examined that year,” Katherine Pieper, one of its authors, told AFP by email.

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VOICE OF ASIA 15

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

Car hack reveals peril on the road to Internet of Things

by Glenn CHAPMAN

A

software glitch that allows hackers to commandeer a Jeep Cherokee while on the move is just a glimpse of dangers on the road ahead for the Internet of Things.

The ability to seize data from and take control of once-dumb devices that are now deemed “smart” with wireless Internet connections was a hot topic at the premier Black Hat cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas Wednesday.

Researchers described how they remotely took control of a moving car or re-aimed hightech sniper rifles, and many at the gathering warned the ramifications could be far more serious and wide-reaching.

For starters, many companies don’t even have teams tasked with making sure their smart devices are secure.

“Almost none of the Internet of Things device-makers have any real security teams, it is sort of a gold rush to market,” Black Hat founder Jeff Moss told AFP. He expects the problem to grow, with skilled hackers eager to push the boundaries.

“The Jeep hack is the beginning,” said Moss, who also founded the annual Def Con hacking conference that takes place later this week in Sin City.

“Criminals are geniuses at figuring out how to misuse this stuff.”

He theorized a scenario in which a connected home appliance, a toaster for example, is hacked and becomes an entry point for an attack that hops wirelessly to other online devices, such as entertainment systems. A hacker could then jump next door via wireless Internet to take over a neighbor’s home devices.

The possibilities for hackers are numerous -- and chilling.

Data from smart appliances or other devices can be used to learn about people’s lifestyles or daily routines. Cameras in smart gadgets could be activated to spy on intimate moments people would prefer to keep private.

Adding to the problem is the fact that smart appliances, such as ovens or washing machines, are designed to last but do not typically get software updates.

With time, hackers find vulnerabilities, and companies do not protect devices against attacks with new security software.

“You can see us racing toward a future where everything is connected, nothing is updatable, and it is going to last 10 years,” Moss said.

“Then, it is a numbers game.

A million of anything is trouble, a hundred million is a disaster.”

- Massive car recall Fiat Chrysler Automobiles issued a safety recall for 1.4 million US cars and trucks in July after hackers demonstrated that they could remotely control their systems while the vehicles are in operation.

The recall came after cybersecurity experts Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek remotely commandeered a Jeep Cherokee, made by Chrysler, to demonstrate the vulnerability of the vehicles’ electronic systems.

Working from laptop computers at home, the two men were able to enter the Jeep’s electronics via its online entertainment system, changing its speed and braking capability and manipulating the radio and windshield wipers.

The pair said it was a fairly easy job.

“We might be good at what we do, but this was a weekend project,” Miller said.

“What if we did this full time, or got paid to do it?”

Miller is a security researcher at Twitter and Valasek works at cybersecurity firm IOActive.

Miller and Valasek said they dug into automobile security because they wanted to make a point.

“Car companies spend millions of dollars on safety, and now this is a part of safety, whether they like it or not,” Valasek said.

After the report, Chrysler offered a free software patch for vulnerable vehicles, but said it had no first-hand knowledge of hacking incidents.

The recall involves a broad

Black Hat founder Jeff Moss told AFP he expects the problem of seizing data from and taking control of devices with wireless Internet connections to grow, with skilled hackers eager to push the boundaries (AFP Photo/Glenn Chapman). but could cause trouble on city grids, perhaps by toying with electric power in entire neighborhoods.

The ability to seize data from and take control of once-dumb devices that are now deemed “smart” with wireless Internet connections was a hot topic at the premier Black Hat cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas (AFP Photo/Glenn Chapman) range of Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Chrysler automobiles produced between 2013 and 2015 that have radios vulnerable to hacking.

The hack involved Harman hardware and the Sprint mobile network, but fixes have been put in place to block the tactic, according to Miller and Valasek.

Moss said the potential for hacking Internet-connected power meters was especially troubling. Hackers could not only target individual homes

The Internet of Things promises to thrust into the spotlight an issue of liability that software makers have managed to avoid, according to Jennifer Granick, director of civil liberties at the Center of Internet and Society at Stanford University law school.

Most people might not think to sue a software maker when a computer crashes, but the odds are high they will when a smart car crashes, Granick said.

“Something that now has software in it but didn’t before is going to blow up,” added Granick, who gave a keynote presentation at Black Hat. “Software liability is unavoidable, and it is necessary.”

Young Life

VOICE OF ASIA 16

Friday, August 14, 2015

Section 2

Page 16

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

USA National Taekwondo Champ, Rachana Sudhir

R

achana Sudhir, 12 years, won the Gold medal in the recently concluded USA Taekwondo (USAT) Nationals Competition held at Austin Convention Center, Austin, TX from July 4- 10, 2015.

Being the youngest in the 12-14 years category, Rachana struck gold in Board Breaking and bronze in the Poomsae (forms) competition in the her belt category for girls. To win this highly competitive timed event, Rachana executed various breaking techniques using her hands and legs rapidly to break 13 boards adopting various Taekwondo styles. She competed with several competitors who came from all over the country and took the honors to make Texas proud.

This achievement of hers comes after several months of hardwork and determination and long late weekend practice hours. Rachana’s focus and commitment to the sport worked well in her favor to win her the coveted medals. Rachana has been attending the White Tiger UMA Taekwondo in Spring, TX for the last 2 years and is coached by Master Kim. She lives with her father Sudhir Padmanabhan and mother Lakshmi Gopinath in the Country Lakes Estates subdivision in Spring, TX.

US teens tune into online friendships

S

AN FRANCISCO - The online world is where it’s at for teens looking to make friends.

“In many instances, these technologies make teens feel closer and more connected to their friends.”

Some 57 percent of teens aged 13 to 17 surveyed said they had made a friend online, with 29 percent claiming to have made five or more new friends that way.

Social media venues such as Facebook and Instagram were prime arenas for meeting new friends, with 64 percent of teens saying they found pals

US teens start school too early, need more sleep: study

W

ASHINGTON Most teenagers in the United States start the school day too early each morning, robbing them of the sleep they need to concentrate properly and remain healthy, according to a study published Thursday.

Fewer than one in five middle and high schools in the United States start at 8:30 am or later, as recommended, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has found that adolescents are biologically programmed to stay asleep longer than adults.

Depriving teens of that sleep could wreak havoc on their ac-

ademic performance, the CDC said in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

“Getting enough sleep is important for students’ health, safety, and academic performance,” said Anne Wheaton, lead author and epidemiologist in CDC’s Division of Population Health.

“Early school start times, however, are preventing many adolescents from getting the sleep they need.”

In 2014, the AAP urged secondary schools not to begin classes until 8:30 am to give teens the 8.5 to 9.5 hours of nightly sleep they need.

But only 17.7 percent of US high schools actually start at the recommended hour.

The effects are not limited to academic performance, and researchers warned students may also suffer outside the classroom.

“Insufficient sleep is common among high school students and is associated with several health risks such as being overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco and using drugs,” the CDC study found.

Many parents have urged schools to delay start times, but administrators often refused, arguing that after-school extracurricular activities would be too hard to organize.

An estimated two out of three US students are sleepdeprived, according to a 2013 CDC study.

Combating child trafficking through a mobile app

A study released Thursday found more than half of US teens have met new friends through social networks or video game forums.

“Mobile phones, social media, and for boys, online video gaming, have become deeply enmeshed in creating and maintaining teen friendships,” said Pew researcher Amanda Lenhart, lead author on the report.

Tel: 713-774-5140

Most teenagers in the United States start the school day too early each morning, robbing them of the sleep they need to concentrate properly and remain healthy, according to a study (AFP Photo/ Spencer Platt)

Rachana Sudhir

Friendships made on the Internet tend to remain virtual, however, with only 20 percent reporting they have met an online friend in the flesh, the Pew Research Center study found.

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

by Richa Banka

N

Some 57 percent of teens aged 13 to 17 surveyed said they had made a friend online. Photo by Indranil Mukherjee there.

Girls were more likely to make new friends on social networks, while boys were much more inclined to connect with new friends while playing video games online, according to the study.

Nearly three-quarters of teens surveyed said they have access to smartphones, and instant messaging was a preferred method of communicating with friends.

“Teenagers always spend a lot of time with their friends in person, especially in schools,” Lenhart said.

“But cellphones, social me-

dia, and for boys, online video games are becoming more deeply involved in the creation and maintenance of friendships.”

Seventy percent of socialmedia using teens said that it made them feel better connected to friends, but 88 percent of that group felt that people share too much information at those venues.

The online survey conducted by GfK Group received responses from 1,060 teens through a parent or guardian from September 25 to October 9, 2014 and February 10 to March 16, 2015. The margin of error was estimated at 3.7 percentage points.

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EW DELHI , India Struck by the horror of being kidnapped at the age of six, computer engineer Shashank Singh teamed up with a colleague to develop a mobile application that traces lost children and re-unites them with their families.

The initiative named ‘Helping Faceless’ uses technology such as ‘Face Recognition’ and data analytics to combat child trafficking and help a lost child connect with family.

“We want to help the vulnerable street children with the help of data and technology,” says Singh, founder of the initiative who holds a Bachelors in Technology in Computer Science.

The mobile app, availaible for download on the Google Play store and installed by volunteers aims to help vulnerable children by clicking a picture of them and guiding them to the nearest police station. The volunteers work on a short and long term basis to help the needy children.

The initiative had made it to the top 5 innovations recognised by CNN-IBN’s initiative “Networked India”, which aims to identify and felicitate clutterbreaking innovations in the field of connectivity and mobility.

“We have an android app installed in phones used by our volunteers and wherever they find the children who are lost or in need of help, they take a picture, says S Sai Meera cofounder of the initiative.

5901 Hillcroft Avenue, Ste E1-A, Houston, TX-77036 at Hillcroft Shopping Plaza.

There are two ways, explains Meera, through which the app can be of help to the children - the short term way or for the long term.

“We help children in two ways. One is the short term way of helping the kids in which we take the child to the nearest police station. The police conducts inquiries and takes the child to the children’s welfare committee or the observational home.

“In the long term way we run the photo of the lost child through our database, which sports an algorithm that is supposed to be 96 per cent accurate.

This is then manually verified and finally we reach the observational homes and help the child further,” says Meera. ingh says he was kidnapped from a lawyer’s office in Lucknow when he was a child and remained missing for 14 to 15 hours. He was traced through a network of rickshaw pullers operating in the city.

“The idea came from personal encounter when I was myself kidnapped at the age of 6 from an area in Lucknow when I had gone with my father. A network of rickshawallas operating in the city helped to rescue me.

“So I had an idea in my mind and met Meera at a lecture at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. We finally we came on board for an app to help the needy children,” says Shashank.

The initiative which is a selffunded one operates all throughout the country with a strong base in Mumbai. The founders say they owe their success in the financial capital to the vol-

unteers and the co-operation of the Mumbai police.

“This is a self funded endeavour though we are looking for funds to reach worldwide.

Our app works throughout the country but it is more active in Mumbai.

“This is because we have more volunteers there and Mumbai police is very co-operative. Infact the Navi Mumbai Police and the Thane police have also agreed to implement this,” says Meera.

The initiative has helped in rescuing three children one from Ludhiana and two others from Ghatkopar and Wadala in Mumbai.

The founders say they aim to expand their initiative internationally and help the children in every part of the world.

“We tend to go international in the next few years and inspite continental boundaries we want to help the children wherever its possible,” says Singh. (PTI).

VOICE OF ASIA 17

Bollywood Masala

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

Friday, August 14, 2015

Section 2

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Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

Govinda, Esha Deol promote Bollywood Grind in Houston

Actor, comedian Govinda with Neelofer Ali, sponsor and owner Kohinoor Diamonds in Houston. Photo credit Krishna Giri.

tient and very charming with his answers. Despite achieving his stardom with multiple hits over his career span of 16 years, Govinda was extremely humble about his success and kept bringing up his humble beginnings throughout his conversation. He also shared his devotion and love for his mother who is his inspiration. I was very content that I had work and never thought about becoming a ‘star’ or establish my own style he said. This year marks Govinda’s come back to films after a lull of nearly five years. “I feel this will be a great start from here at Kohinoor,” he said, recounting that the building he was born was also called

‘Kohinoor.’

Asked about how he felt about the outpouring of love he received from fans all over the world? Govinda, who spoke in Hindi for the most part, said that love in any form can never be bad and hate in any form can never be good, so I’m ready to receive love in whatever form it is given to me. Govinda is the designated No. 1 hero of Bollywood, the name got from his hits like ‘Hero No.1’, ‘Cooli No. 1’ and so on. But in his opinion, a hero is the one who has a good heart. Salman Khan, is a hero he said, because he had a good heart. He then spoke about his chance meeting with Khan and

‘Bollywood Grind’ promoter Moid Khan with actress Esha Doel at the press meet in Houston. Photo credit Krishna Giri.

by Shobana Muratee

how they together helped save a man life by taking him to the hospital.

H

OUSTON - At press meet held on Thursday, August 6, 2015 promoters of ‘Bollywood Grind’ introduced their star attraction, Bollywood super star and comedian, Govinda, along with silken beauty Esha Deol and a host of performers of the show to be held here on August 15, 2015. The event was held at the Kohinoor Diamonds on Hillcroft where hosts and premium sponsors Neelofer and Altaf Ali were gracious to open their exquisite show room to the media and a few diehard fans of Govinda as well.

Welcoming the press and artists, Meena Datt, popular RJ, Music of India (KXYZ 1320 AM) was ready with questions for the stars starting off with Govida. Surprisingly not under the duress of jet lag, Govinda was quick witted, pa-

Govinda, Esha, stars and sponsors of ‘Bollywood Grind’ during a press meet held at the Kohinoor Diamonds showroom in Houston on Aug. 6, 2015. Photo credit Krishna Giri.

Genelia gears up for Bollywood comeback

M

No one wanted to do “Udta Punjab”: Shahid

UMBAI- Actress Genelia Deshmukh has begun shooting for her upcoming project , which will mark her return to acting after a gap of three years.

to do the film and it is very brave on her part.

“There are very few actresses who like to step out of their skin and not worry about looking good and play the character. I was very proud of her that she said yes to the film. She has been making some brave choices,” he said.

The 28-year-old actress was last seen in the lead role in 2012 film “Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya” opposite husband Riteish Deshmukh.

Genelia, mother of one, took to Twitter to share her excitement about the first day of her shoot.

“On my way to shoot... Excited as hell... Been 3 years since I last shot but I have a feeling it’s going to be a Good Good Day...,” she tweeted.

Riteish wished her luck for her new venture. “It’s going to be a Greattttt Dayyy - you were born for this,” the actor tweeted to her.

Genelia Deshmukh.

Genelia was seen making guest appearances in superstar Salman Khan’s 2014 film “Jai Ho” and her Marathi production “Lai Bhaari”, which released last year. (PTI).

Esha Doel, the ‘DOOM’ girl looked stunning and was candid about her glow which she said was from being married. After her lead role in ‘Tell Me O Khudha’ (2011), Esha took a break and got married in 2012 to Bharat Takhtani. Esha will also be performing at the ‘Bollywood Grind’ along with actress Neha Dhupia, Rap and Sufi singer Rincy Singh, Comedian VIP and other great artists. Houston’s top promoter Moid Khan teams up with Irfan Moosa in bringing an all-time favorite like Govinda. Other major sponsors listed are Bollywood Shows 4U, Discount Power, Indi Film Stars Int., Anand and Dr. Ashima Chauhan. The ‘Bollywood Grind’ as Govinda says, will be full of Mauj, Masti!

Shahid Kapoor

M

UMBAI - Actor Shahid Kapoor reveals that nobody was ready to do his upcoming film “Udta Punjab” as it was a dark movie.

role which in my understanding is one of the finest roles for a female actor,” Shahid told reporters here last evening at an event.

Shahid, who is working with Alia Bhatt in “Shaandaar”, said it was he who convinced her to be part of the project.

It was within two days when Alia gave her nod to the project which also stars Shahid’s ex-girlfriend Kareena Kapoor Khan.

“We were trying to make ‘Udta Punjab’ for a year but no one wanted to do it as it is a dark film. I told Alia that there is a

“She (Alia) read the script and called me crying as she was moved by the film. She agreed

“Udta Punjab” is an upcoming thriller film, directed by Abhishek Chaubey and produced

by Phantom Films and Balaji Motion Pictures. It tells the story of substance abuse in the Indian state of Punjab.

Even director-producer Vikas Bahl was toying with the idea of narrating the script of “Udta Punjab” to Alia but it was Shahid who made the “Highway” actress read the script.

“Doing this film was a big deal for me. I am an adorer of him ever since I saw ‘Ishq Vishk’.

He has cute dimples, he is a very good dancer and an actor. He has a happy vibe,” she said. (PTI).

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VOICE OF ASIA 18

Friday, August 14, 2015

Section 2

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FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Thousands of womb cancers prevented by the pill: study

P

ARIS - The contraceptive pill has prevented some 200,000 cases of womb cancer over the last decade in rich nations alone, according to research published Wednesday.

A study in the medical journal The Lancet Oncology found that taking “the pill” over an extended period provided protection against endometrial cancer, which affects the womb.

The researchers estimated that in total, over the past 50 years, some 400,000 endometrial cancers were avoided in high-income countries.

The anti-cancer benefits persisted for decades after women stopped taking the pill, according to the study, which pooled data on 27,276 women with endometrial cancer in two dozen countries.

“Women who use it when they are in their 20s or even

younger continue to benefit into their 50s and older, when cancer becomes more common,” noted co-author Valerie Beral, from the University of Oxford.

“People used to worry that the pill might cause cancer, but in the long term the pill reduces the risk of getting cancer,” she said in a statement.

The study found that every five years of oral contraceptive use reduced the risk by about a quarter. Taking the pill for 10 years, for example, cut the odds of developing endometrial cancer before age 75 from 2.3 to 1.3 cases per 100 users.

This held true whether women used the pill in the 1960s, when oestrogen doses in contraceptives were high, or in the 1980s and later, when the doses decreased.

Women’s reproductive history and ethnicity did not change the results, which were

also substantially the same for women who were overweight, smoked or consumed alcohol.

But the researchers stopped short of suggesting that women start taking oral contraceptives as an anti-cancer measure.

“The finding is impressive and instructive,” Nicolas Wentzensen and Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, both from the US National Cancer Institute, wrote in a commentary also carried by the journal.

But it is too early, they say, to know “whether an overall health benefit of oral contraceptive use exists that warrants specific recommendations for chemoprevention.”

Previous research, they point out, has linked oestrogen intake to cardiovascular problems, including strokes and heart attacks due to blood clots.

Studies have also linked use of the pill to a slight increase in breast cancer risk.

Music in the operating theatre may not be safe: study

P

ARIS, France - A surgeon on the job is five times more likely to repeat a request when music is playing in the operating theatre, says a study casting doubt on the wisdom of this common practice.

“Music in the operating theatre can interfere with team communication, but is seldom recognized as a potential safety hazard,” said the study, published on Wednesday in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

More than 50 percent of surgical operations are performed against a backdrop of music overall, though the figure varies by country, the researchers reported. In Britain, the rate is 72 percent.

Music has a long history in the operating theatre. A hundred

years ago, a pioneering surgeon in England hired musicians to soothe the jangled nerves of patients undergoing anaesthesia before going under the knife.

Gradually, however, the intended audience shifted from the patients to health professionals.

Popular television series such as Scrubs and Nip & Tuck often showed doctors taking in tunes while wielded a scalpel.

Today, many theatre suites have in-built music systems.

Some surgeons say they play music to reduce stress, block out white noise, or enhance concentration during procedures.

But the efficacy, and possible drawbacks, of music in the operating bloc have rarely been challenged.

To investigate further, Sharon-Marie Weldon, a senior researcher at Imperial College London, and colleagues filmed 20 operations in Britain over a six month period, some with music and some without.

They identified more than 5,000 instances in which a request requiring a response was made by a doctor or other staff member.

The results showed that “repeated requests were five times more likely to occur in cases that played music than those that did not”.

“Regardless of whether music can increase surgeons’ concentration and mask extraneous noise, anything that might impair team communication might place patients safety in jeopardy,” the study concluded.

New drug offers hope in fight against mad cow disease: research

W

ASHINGTON - A new drug compound could lead to a breakthrough in the fight against bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the incurable brain-wasting disease also known as mad cow disease, researchers said Wednesday.

Scientists said the new antiprion drug, known as polythiophene, has proven highly effective in mice in blocking toxic, misfolded prions.

Prions have been linked to dementia, personality shifts and other disorders, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease -- the human equivalent of mad cow disease.

At present, no medication has proven effective in preventing or curing those neurodegenerative ailments.

But research in the American journal Science Translational Medicine said the new anti-prion

compound appears to be successful in locking infectious clumps of prions in place.

Researchers said infectious prions replicate by triggering normal forms of the protein to fold abnormally and cluster into long chains that are highly toxic to neurons.

Scientist Uli Herrmann and his research colleagues designed new polythiophenes with optimal ability to immobilize prions, the most promising of which prolonged survival of prion-infected mice and hamsters by more than 80 percent.

The mice and hamsters treated with the compound showed fewer prion clusters and less severe damage in the brain, the scientists said, suggesting that it stabilized small clusters of prions and locked them in place, preventing self-replication.

The encouraging results sug-

gest that polythiophene could prove to be a potent future treatment for prion diseases, according to the study.

Mad cow disease can be fatal to humans who eat an infected cow’s meat.

Scientists believe the disease, including a major outbreak in Britain in the 1990s, was caused by using infected parts of cow to make feed for other cattle.

Experts believe eating meat from infected animals can trigger the CJD, human variant of the fatal brain-wasting malady.

Hermann is affiliated with the Institute for Neurology at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.

Another key researcher on the study was Anja Boeckmann, at the Institute for Biology and Chemical Proteins at the University of Lyon in France.

More evidence that fried food raises heart attack risk

M

IAMI - People who eat lots of fried food and sugary drinks have a 56 percent higher risk of heart disease compared to those who eat healthier, US researchers said Monday.

The findings in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, were based on a six-year study of more than 17,000 people in the United States.

Researchers found that people who regularly ate what was described as a Southern style diet -- fried foods, eggs, processed meats like bacon and ham, and sugary drinks -- faced the highest risk of a heart attack or heart-related death during the next six years.

“Regardless of your gender, race, or where you live, if you frequently eat a Southernstyle diet you should be aware of your risk of heart disease and try to make some gradual changes to your diet,” said lead researcher James Shikany, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Division of Preventive Medicine.

“Try cutting down the number of times you eat fried foods or processed meats from every day to three days a week as a start, and try substituting baked or grilled chicken or vegetablebased foods.”

The study included both white and African-American men and women aged 45 or older, who did not have heart disease when they began the study.

Participants enrolled from 2003 to 2007. They were first screened by telephone, then given an in-home physical exam, then they answered a food frequency questionnaire.

“Every six months, the participants were interviewed via telephone about their general health status and hospitalizations for nearly six years,” said the study.

Participants fell into five different eating groups, including the Southern style eaters; those who favored convenience foods like pasta, Mexican food, Chinese food, mixed dishes and pizza; the “plant-based” pattern which was mostly vegetables and fruits; the “sweets” pattern; and the “alcohol/salads” group which tended toward by beer, wine, liquor, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes and salad dressings.

The Southern-style eaters were the only ones faced with a higher risk of heart disease.

P

Up to seven years after taking omega-3 supplements for 12 weeks, young people at “ultrahigh” risk were less likely to have suffered the debilitating condition than a control group given a placebo, reported the study.

Schizophrenia is characterised by delusions and hallucinations, including hearing voices and seeing things that do not really exist.

It typically emerges during adolescence or early adulthood, either abruptly or gradually. There is no cure. Current treatment focuses on managing

symptoms.

Scientists have long known that patients with schizophrenia exhibit reduced levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid -- specifically, omega-3 and omega 6 -in cell membranes.

Nearly a decade ago, researchers led by Paul Amminger at the University of Melbourne showed in clinical trials that ingesting the fatty acid delayed a first episode of psychotic disorder in high-risk subjects by up to year.

In a follow up study, published in Nature Communication, Amminger and colleagues report that, nearly seven years later, only 10 percent of the omega-3 group developed psychosis compared to 40 percent in the placebo group.

“We show that omega-3 sig-

“Replication of the findings is needed,” Amminger said by email, noting the relatively small, 81 patient size of the trial. “Several replication trials are underway.”

Scientists still do not understand the underlying mechanism by which omega-3 might prevent the onset of schizophrenia, which has both genetic and environmental origins.

The illness occurs in ap-

T

hanks to rules passed late last year, longevity annuities may grow in popularity as a compelling way to plan for retirement — in particular, a long life in retirement.

Longevity annuities have been around for years offering retirees a way to hedge against “longevity risk,” or the possibility of outliving one’s savings. Until recently, there have been some barriers to using these types of annuities in retirement plans.

However, new rules from the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service are bound to boost interest in longevity annuities among more retirees this year and beyond.

Before getting into the rule changes, let’s first discuss what a longevity annuity is and how it can supplement your retirement portfolio.

What Are Longevity Annuities? How Are They Used for Retirement Planning?

If you are worried that you might outlive your money, a longevity annuity might interest you. A longevity annuity is an insurance product that helps you have monthly income for a long life.

A longevity annuity, also referred to as a deferred income annuity, is a contract between you and the insurance company where you deposit money into the insurance contract today. In exchange, you receive a guaranteed income stream for life beginning at a predetermined future date.

Longevity annuities usually require you to wait until age 80 or so to begin receiving payout. As with any deferred annuity, the money in your longevity annuity grows until you begin receiving payout funds from it. The later you choose to begin receiving payments, the larger your monthly payments will be.

The income stream you receive will be based on the premium you deposited, your age, life expectancy and the date/timeframe in which the income will be paid. Unlike with variable annuities, market fluctuations won’t impact the income payments you receive with a longevity annuity.

Pros and Cons of Longevity Annuities: “It’s a more efficient way hedge longevity risk,” says David Blanchett, head of retirement research for Morningstar Investment Management.

For a typical retiree, allocating 10% to 15% of retirement savings into a longevity annuity provides roughly the same spending benefits as putting 60% or more wealth toward an immediate annu-

Sudhir Mathuria Contact: Sudhir Mathuria Licensed Professional Health Life 360 6650 Southwest Freeway Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900 www.MyMedicarePlanning.com ity, according to a paper published in the Financial Analysis Journal by Jason S. Scott, retirement research director for Financial Engines of Palo Alto, Calif.

One concern regarding longevity annuities is that the income doesn’t transfer to your heirs if you die early in the contract, however, this can be overcome by purchasing an optional death benefit rider to ensure that your named beneficiaries receive a portion of your initial investment that hasn’t yet been paid out in benefits.

Longevity annuities are typically favorable among retirees who are afraid they might outlive their assets during retirement. Within the last few years, the government has made purchasing these products easier.

Rule Changes Make Longevity Annuities a More Attractive Product.

In the past, a retiree who wanted to buy a longevity annuity using qualified retirement savings still had to take required minimum distributions (RMD) based on the cost of the annuity.

RMDs are the amount the federal government requires you to withdraw — usually after age 70.5 — each year from your retirement accounts, including traditional IRAs. Roth IRAs, however, do not require withdrawals until after the death of the owner. For example, under the old rule, if you wanted to pay $100,000 to purchase a longevity annuity, you would have to take an RMD from the rest of your savings based on this amount.

This means you would be required to take money out of your account to cover RMDs on an asset that wouldn’t pay a cent until you hit at least 80 years old.

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nificantly reduced the risk of progression to psychotic disorder during the entire follow-up period,” the study concluded.

But the researchers stopped short of recommending that all at-risk individuals start taking the fatty acid, available as a non-prescription supplement and in many foods, including salmon, sardines and walnuts.

Longevity Annuities in Retirement Plans: What Are They? Why Buy Now?

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Omega-3 may block psychosis years later: study ARIS - Omega-3, a fatty acid found in oily fish, may prevent the onset of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders long after being consumed, according to a study released Tuesday.

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Fish oil rich in omega-3 “has no clinically relevant side effects, and thus is certainly a benign treatment option,” Am-

minger said.

“But patients need to be told that evidence (of its benefits) is limited.”

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Sundar Pichai: the little-known new chief of Google

S

AN FRANCISCO - His name may not ring a bell, but Google’s new CEO Sundar Pichai has worked on some of the company’s bestknown products -- from the Chrome browser to the Android mobile software.

US media described him as soft-spoken, little-known, and a long-time right-hand man to mentor Page.

In a 2014 interview with Forbes he said one of his main priorities was the transition to mobile.

Pichai, 43, was named chief executive officer of the Internet titan Monday, as Google unveiled a new corporate structure creating an umbrella company dubbed Alphabet.

He will oversee the biggest company under that umbrella, which will still be called Google and will continue to include some of its household products, including its search engine, ads, maps, apps, YouTube and the Android system.

Alphabet will be run by Google chief Larry Page, who showered praise upon Pichai, senior vice president of products.

“I feel very fortunate to have someone as talented as he is to run the slightly slimmed down Google and this frees up time for me to continue to scale our aspirations,” according to Page in a blog post.

“Is it an important shift for us?” he said.

“Yes. Are we doing it well?

There are many indications that yes we are. When you look at all our core products, they do well in mobile.”

Sundar Pichai, pictured on July 24, 2013, was named chief executive officer as Google unveiled a new corporate structure creating an umbrella company dubbed Alphabet Page said he was impressed with his “progress and dedication to the company” and promised to continue to groom Pichai, who has been at Google since 2004.

“I have been spending quite a bit of time with Sundar, helping him and the company in any way I can, and I will of course

continue to do that.”

In his role as SVP of products, Pichai oversees management, engineering and research for Google’s products and platforms, according to Google’s filing at the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Before that, he was SVP of Google Android, Chrome and

Apps, working on consumer products “used by millions of people,” the filing said.

Pichai was part of the team that launched the Chrome browser in 2008 and also worked on various search products, including Google Toolbar, Desktop Search, Gadgets and Google Gears, according to the company.

He also talked about expanding Google Play into China, which Google withdrew from in 2010 after a fallout with Beijing over censorship issues.

“If we can figure out a model by which we can serve those users, it would be a privilege to do so. So, I don’t think of China as a black hole,” he told the magazine.

“I see it as a huge opportunity in which we are playing as an enabling platform today and hopefully we have a chance to

offer other services in the future.”

- Pushing boundaries Before joining Google, Pichai worked as an engineer at manufacturer Applied Materials, followed by a stint in management consulting at McKinsey & Company.

Originally from Tamil Nadu state in southeast India, Pichai received a Bachelor of Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.

He also has a Master of Science from Stanford University and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Page said Pichai is the man to steer the Google ship in the coming years, as it continues to innovate and expand its product base.

“Google itself is also making all sorts of new products, and I know Sundar will always be focused on innovation—continuing to stretch boundaries,” he said.

U.S. Productivity Increases, US Internet giants join effort but Hints of Inflation Linger to curb child sex abuse

W

ASHINGTON American workers’ productivity rebounded in the second quarter, but a weak underlying trend suggested that inflation could pick up more quickly than economists have anticipated.

Nonfarm productivity increased at a 1.3 percent annual rate in the April-to-June period, the Labor Department said on Tuesday. But productivity, which measures hourly output per worker, rose only 0.3 percent from a year ago.

In line with annual revisions to gross domestic product, first-quarter productivity was revised to show a 1.1 percent rate of decline instead of the previously reported 3.1 percent pace of decline.

mark revisions. The faster you close the output gap, the faster you get to that threshold where you start to see inflationary pressures.”

But inflation remains benign for now. Unit labor costs, the price of labor per single unit of output, rose at only a 0.5 percent rate in the second quarter after advancing at a downwardly revised 2.3 percent pace in the first quarter.

They were previously reported to have increased at a 6.7 percent rate in the January-to-

W

ASHINGTON Microsoft’s Bill Gates was the unsurprising leader of the first Forbes list of the richest global tech billionaires, while Amazon founder Jeff Bezos saw his personal fortune surge.

A separate report from the Commerce Department showed that wholesale inventories increased 0.9 percent in June, higher than the 0.7 percent rise the government had forecast.

The Forbes survey released Wednesday found US-based tech magnates made up 51 of the 100 richest people in technology, with 33 from Asia and eight from Europe.

Productivity is one of the things the Federal Reserve is watching as it contemplates raising interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade.

Economists had forecast productivity rising at a 1.6 percent rate in the second quarter. The economy grew at a 2.3 percent annual pace in the period.

The net worth of the 100 people amounted to $842.9 billion, according to the magazine. The minimum net worth to make the top 100 was $2 billion.

The average annual rate of productivity growth from 2007 to 2014 was revised down to 1.3 percent a year, from 1.4 percent, well below the longterm rate of 2.2 percent a year from 1947 to 2014.

Growth in productivity is an important determinant of the economy’s noninflationary speed limit. The downward revisions suggested that the economy’s growth potential could be lower than the 1.5 percent to 2 percent pace that economists have been estimating.

That would imply that the spare capacity in the economy is being squeezed out more quickly than thought and that inflation pressures may take hold a bit faster than had been anticipated.

“We are growing much faster versus potential than we had previously thought,” said Jacob Oubina, senior United States economist at RBC Capital Markets in New York. “So the output gap over the more recent time frame looks like it is closing at a faster rate than we had thought prior to G.D.P. bench-

Compensation per hour increased at a 1.8 percent rate in the second quarter after rising at a downwardly revised 1.1 percent pace in the first quarter.

Compensation was previously reported to have increased at a 3.3 percent rate in the first quarter. It was up 2.4 percent compared to the second quarter of 2014.

Gates richest in tech, as Bezos rises

“What it means is that inflation could be more problematic down the road, but we haven’t seen it yet. It’s something to think about long term,” said Gennadiy Goldberg, an economist at TD Securities in New York.

Annual revisions showed that productivity was unchanged in 2013, the weakest annual reading since 1982. Productivity in 2013 was previously reported to have increased at a 1.2 percent rate.

March period. Unit labor costs rose 2.1 percent compared with the second quarter of 2014.

Gates, who has long been at or near the top of the world’s richest individuals, led the group with an estimated worth of $79.6 billion, trailed by Oracle founder Larry Ellison at $50 billion.

The surprising number three was Bezos, who saw a gain of some $13 billion in his fortune this year with the rise of Amazon shares, and is now worth $47.8 billion, Forbes said.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg snared the number four position with a net worth of $41.2 billion, followed by Google founders Larry Page ($33.4 billion) and Sergey Brin ($32.8 billion).

Pakistani rights activists stage a protest against a child sex abuse scandal in Islamabad on August 10, 2015 (AFP Photo/Aamir Qureshi)

W

ASHINGTON, Major US Internet firms have joined an effort to curb the spread of images of sex abuse of children, organizers said Monday.

The British-based group said in a statement that the system is based on a digital fingerprint, or “hash,” which its analysts assign to inappropriate images.

The Internet Watch Foundation said Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter and Yahoo had agreed to adopt a system to identify and block images of child sex abuse.

This enables websites participating in the project to filter and block the content.

The “hashes” will be created from images that have been analyzed and classified as abusive by analysts from the foundation.

The new system “could be a game-changer and really steps up the fight against child sexual abuse images online,” said Susie Hargreaves, chief executive of the IWF. “It means victims’ images can be identified and removed more quickly, and we can prevent known child sexual abuse images from being uploaded to the Internet in the first place.”

BUSINESS

VOICE OF ASIA 20

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

U.S. budget deficit widens to Fort Bend County ranks No. 1 for incoming investments in Texas $149.2 billion in July County also highly rated for GDP growth, new building permits and municipal bonds

F

ORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS (Aug. 6, 2015) – Fort Bend County ranked No. 1 in Texas and No. 5 in the United States as the area with the most incoming investments, according to a recent report by SmartAsset.

The data, aggregated from various sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, showed that the County ranked highly in several further categories, including Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, new building permits and municipal bonds.

A red traffic light stands in front of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington September 30, 2013.

REUTERS/JAMES LAWLER DUGGAN.

W

ASHINGTON, Reuters, Aug 12, 2015- The United States posted a budget deficit of $149.2 billion in July, up 58 percent from the same period last year, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Wednesday.

Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a $132 billion deficit for July. The government had a deficit of $94.6 billion in July of 2014, according to Treasury’s monthly budget statement.

The current fiscal year-to-date

deficit stood at $465.5 billion at the end of last month.

Receipts last month totaled $225.5 billion, a 5 percent increase from July 2014, while outlays stood at $374.7 billion, up 21 percent from the same period last year.

“We have always said the best way to predict the future is to create it. While we have not sought out national recognition, it is a byproduct of a dynamic growth story that has been in the making for close to three decades. Successful businesses that have invested in Fort Bend, for example Fluor Corporation, Schlumberger, Eco Labs\Nalco Champion, Texas Instruments, ALDI and Minute Maid, encourage people to seek work in the County and to live in an area that provides an exceptional standard of living and quality of life. This latest

Indians duped in million-dollar, ‘highcaste’ housing scam

N

“You can now chat on (and on) in a single Direct Message, and likely still have some characters left over,” said product manager Sachin Agarwal in a blog post.

“While Twitter is largely a public experience, Direct Messages let you have private conversations about the memes, news, movements and events that unfold on Twitter,” Agarwal added.

Segregation in urban residential areas also occurs, including in the form of informal caste-exclusive housing complexes.

Caste discrimination is illegal in India but many low-caste groups are still marginalised in society. Segregation in urban residential areas also occurs, including in the form of informal

caste-exclusive housing complexes.

Some 27 percent of Indians said they would not touch Dalits, at the bottom of the Hindu

India seeks $100m in damages from Nestle after noodle ban

Shopkeepers removed Maggi two-minute noodles from their stores after the ban earlier this year [AP]

N

The government said Wednesday it had filed a suit with the country’s top consumer court for 6,400 million rupees ($98.6 million) in damages from the Indian arm of the Swiss food giant.

India’s food safety watchdog in June banned Nestle from making or selling noodles in the country after tests by some states found lead levels exceeded statutory limits.

Nestle has withdrawn the

product in India but continues to sell it elsewhere, and has always denied the charge.

“We filed the cmplaint with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) yesterday and have sought around 6,400 million rupees in damages,” G, Gurcharan, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, told AFP. “Our complaint is over their unfair trade practices and the court will now issue them notices to hear their response,” Gurcharan added.

A Nestle India spokesman told AFP that the company had not yet received official notice about the complaint with the NCDRC, a semi-judicial body

that has the power to fine companies.

But in a statement late Wednesday, the firm said it was “disappointed with the (government’s) unprecedented step of filing” the complaint, and reiterated that Maggi was safe to eat.

Nestle India is challenging the ban on Maggi noodles in the Mumbai high court, which is expected to deliver its verdict on Thursday.

It had been selling the brand for over three decades in India, and had 80 percent of the country’s instant noodle market before the ban.

Several celebrities have endorsed Maggi over the years, including Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan.

caste system, according to a 2014 study by India’s National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and the US-based University of Maryland.

and residential opportunities available in the County.

Fort Bend continues to place in the top 10 in employment growth rate among the largest counties in the nation. The County boasts a diverse workforce that continuously attracts a sizable share of major corporations and Fortune 500 companies. Both the economic diversity and growing workforce are direct contributors to the County’s success.

The full rankings list and methodology is available here: https://smartasset.com/investing/investment-calculator texas. For additional information about Fort Bend County, visit FortBendCounty.com or call 281-242-0000.

About Fort Bend County Fort Bend County is located in the Houston metropolitan area of southeast Texas. Its population is among the fastest growing in the United States and has been recognized as being among the most educated and diverse counties in the nation. For more info visit www.

FortBendCounty.com

Twitter lifts limits on direct messages between users

As a result, these private messages will no longer have the 140-character limit which applies to tweets.

Yellapragada Prabhakar pocketed more than 250 million rupees ($3.8 million) in the scam by selling plots over the last two years that only existed on paper, city police chief P. Viswa Prasad said.

EW DELHI, India India’s government is seeking damages of nearly $100 million from Nestle for “unfair trade practices” after the food safety watchdog banned its hugely popular Maggi noodles brand.

Municipal bonds continue to play a big role in Fort Bend County. From 2013 to 2014, the County had a municipal bonds index of 2.13, earning the No. 8 spot in Texas. These bonds preserve and enhance quality of life such as mobility, water and safety and are responses to the high growth in employment

AN FRANCISCO --Twitter lifted its character limit Wednesday for direct messages between users, saying it would help make the private side of Twitter “more powerful and fun.”

Police in the southern city of Mahabubnagar arrested an estate agent on Saturday who swindled some 1,000 investors on the promise that only Brahmins would live in the complex.

The fake complex promised a nursing home for elderly Brahmins, a Brahmin-only marriage hall, a religious school and no access to the complex for nonvegetarians.

The thriving economy in Fort Bend County continues to grow year after year, evident in the GDP increase. The County ranked No. 10 in Texas with a GDP growth of over $3.5 million from 2013 to 2014, demonstrating that incoming investments are producing jobs and driving the County’s increased employment rate of 5.5 percent. Fort Bend also ranked No. 1 in Texas and No. 2 in the United States for the highest number of new building permits granted per 1,000 homes.

S

EW DELHI, India Indian police have busted a million-dollar scam promising plots in a housing complex to be built exclusively for the highest caste in India’s social hierarchy system.

“He spent crores (millions of dollars) on TV and newspaper advertisements to target the Brahmins with the promise of developing a Brahmin housing project,” Prasad told AFP.

analysis simply reinforces how businesses are flourishing and that the future for new ventures in Fort Bend County is promising,” said Jeff Wiley, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council.

“Today’s change is another big step towards making the

private side of Twitter even more powerful and fun.”

For now, the changes apply to Twitter users with Android and Apple mobile devices, online at twitter.com or on the TweetDeck application, although Agarwal said the change “will continue to roll out worldwide over the next few weeks.” Limits will still apply to those sending messages over SMS. The move comes as the California company is seeing sluggish growth in its user base compared with other social networks and faces renewed pressure on its shares as it seeks a new chief executive.

Twitter shares were down 1.3 percent in midday trade, having recovered from last week, when they reached the lowest level since the company’s stock market debut in late 2013.

Read more on Business www.voiceofasiaonline.com

FEATURE

VOICE OF ASIA 21

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

Ganesha idols adorn Indian town before Hindu festival

by Peter HUTCHISON

points to a glass cabinet containing an elaborately-painted sculpture of the elephant god, unusually with a feather attached.

R

ecently married, Namrata Raut returned to her family home in rural western India to paint hundreds of Ganesha idols ahead of a major Hindu festival celebrating the elephant-headed deity.

“This one is going to Bangkok,” he says.

“My store has been in operation for 60 years. We make idols ranging in size from six inches to twelve feet, costing between 50 and 30,000 rupees,” Samel explains.

Pen, in Maharashtra state, is renowned for its exquisitely designed and beautifully coloured statues of the auspicious god, which are sold around the world providing the lifeblood of this small community.

This year’s Ganesh Chaturthi runs from September 17 to 27 and culminates with the idols being ritually immersed in water.

“There are about 350 workshops in the town and they all require many artists,” Raut tells AFP, putting the finishing touches on another brightly painted carving of Hinduism’s most recognisable god.

Mumbai, India’s commercial capital, traditionally hosts some of the largest gatherings with tens of thousands dipping idols in the Arabian Sea at beaches along the city’s coast.

“I got married a month ago and live in Mumbai now but I’ve returned to help out. The industry is key to people’s livelihoods here. It fills the stomachs of families,” the 28year-old adds.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a hugely popular 11-day religious celebration that honours Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and the goddess Parvati.

The festival is celebrated annually across India and is marked by Hindus in every corner of the globe.

In the weeks leading up to Ganesh Chaturthi around 250,000 idols are made in workshops lining the streets

In recent years there has been a drive by activists to raise awareness of the environmental damage that the immersion causes.

An artist gives finishing touches to idols of the elephant-headed Hindu God of prosperity, Lord Ganesha, at a workshop in Pen village, Maharashtra state, some 75 km east of Mumbai of Pen, a town of 30,000 people around 75 kilometres (50 miles) outside Mumbai.

The idols depict the onetusked, four-armed Ganesha sitting holding a sweet delicacy.

While some artisans operate all year round, the majority, like Raut, work part-time for the cottage industry, in seasonal employment that dominates the rural economy of India.

Her father’s workshop sells about 2,500 idols every sea-

son. The statues are made from clay or plaster and dipped in a white coating before being painted exactly to the customer’s specifications.

- Eco-friendly Ganeshas Sagar Pawar, the owner of one of Pen’s largest Ganesha idol-making factories, says his

workshop churns out 25,000 statues every year, some of which are sent abroad.

The workshops in Pen are taking note, increasingly making eco-friendly idols out of natural clay that dissolve in water rather than less biodegradable plaster.

“Just in this year we have sold our Ganesha idols in London and in America also,” Pawar tells AFP proudly.

They are also turning to nontoxic watercolours and natural products such as turmeric and multani mitti, a light clay popularly used in skin care, rather than chemical paints to colour the statues.

In another workshop just around the corner, Dipak Samel

“Customers want eco-friendly idols now,” says Pawar.

Largest Dussehra and Diwali celebrations soon in Sugar Land, TX

by Shobana Muratee

O

n October 17th, 2015, the Skeeters Stadium in Sugar Land, Texas will be the place to witness one of the glorious chapters of Ramayan, the Hindu mythology come to life with celebration of Lord Rama’s victory over the

evil Ravana!

Host organizations Shri Sita Ram Foundation in association with the Orissa Culture Center of Houston will once again collaborate on bringing the popular festivals Dussehra and Diwali to Houston’s multi-cultured, diverse communities.

The festivities involves floats of various Indian American organizations including temples of Houston, dances, fireworks and drama of the epic play Ramayan. In the end will be the dramatic burning of 15-20feet tall effigies of demons symbolizing the destruction of evil and

triumph of good.

Families have a wonderful field day enjoying the food, apparels and jewelry stalls, games for children and entertainment for all.

Each year the crowds have been growing and the program

showcases many interesting elements that promotes Indian culture.

The program starts at 4pm and goes on until 10 PM at the Skeeters Stadium with fireworks at the finale. Of the many festivals celebrated in Houston, Diwali (Festival of

Lights) has come to stay as the grandest particular because it appeals to many cultures because of the style in which it is celebrated.. It is an outdoor festival, very bright and colorful, and above all involves fireworks which is the thrill factor for all. For details. visit www. shrisitaram.org

HOROSCOPE

VOICE OF ASIA 22

FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

Your Horoscope for the Week of August 14, 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 Reconnect to your roots. You may have a certain person on your mind, perhaps someone who was in your life until recently. Whatever the status of your relationship, there appears to be a romantic, sensual glow in the atmosphere. You may have be the one to take the bull by the horns and make the date. It is highly possible that this reunion will prove something to both of you; you belong together, in every way. A sudden inspiration may hit. It may have to do with furthering your education levels. There is no question that information is power these days.

Sweet harmony in your professional & personal life. You and your partner will find yourselves getting along about everything. You are very much in favor and may even enjoy an encouraging talk with a superior. It should make you feel more confident about your future and much more secure about in your position, right where you are.

Store up the compliments and feed on them during any rough days in the future. You may lack cooperation from work associates.

Scorpio (N,Y) 23 Oct to 21 Nov

Taurus (B,V,U) 21 April to 20 May Great time for a fling, whatever kind suits you best. For some, it will be a romantic adventure, reaching a new and higher plateau in a relationship that has leveled off. For others, it may be a fling at the nearest salon for a totally new hairdo. Don’t you love the way people react to something as simple as a different styling? Relax, but do not let a mood of apathy keep you from progressing. It would be a shame to waste your effort. Others may react badly if you do. If your partner wants to have fun, participate!

Improvements and ideas about how they could be accomplished. The problem may be getting to the right people, with the right information, and you may be frustrated. Keep on digging and you will find what you are looking for. In the meantime, it is vital not to make any rash moves or uneducated guesses. Calm your tensions in one of two ways. Discuss the situation with a trustworthy friend or get a strenuous physical workout. If your present relationship is not working out, now is the time to re-examine what you expect from a person you get involved with.

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

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June Mood swings that may have you full of optimism one moment, but frustrated at unexpected setbacks the next. Even so, this is an excellent time to make plans for a better and more prosperous future. If you have something to sell, now is the time to put it on the market and get a positive response. It could just propel you on a course of extravagance. Don’t let loose with any temperamental words this week, they could come back to haunt you in the weeks to come. Actually, both your own private place and your relationship should experience a renewal.

High activity, You’ve got plenty of things you would like to do, but it is vital to be selective. If you attempt them all, you will scatter your forces. Take it one day at a time.

Your relationships should move forward into a more promising territory. You may want to take time to look at & appreciate others intentions. Make sure to include your financial partner, who will not be critical, even if you are the one who has fallen into a spending pattern that’s hurting the big picture. Excellent time to institute reforms and possibly even small cutbacks.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July Distractions & your need to concentrate on your goals and practical concerns. What needs to get done will get done, because you are in a frame of mind to deal directly.

Don’t fret about the fact that your personal independence may be a bit limited now.

The work you do now is money in the bank for future freedom, maybe even that longdesired trip you’ve wished for some time. Good time for a sit down planning chat. Get out those maps and schedules. It’s not too soon to start thinking about that trip of a lifetime.

An unhealthily focus on what you consider the inadequacies of your home environment.

Don’t despair, do something! Even small cosmetic changes could make a huge difference, especially in your attitude. If someone else has to approve, approach him or her with a positive outlook. Give good reasons why your plan will benefit everyone. Wherever you land at week’s end, you will find yourself surrounded by agreeable people who share your mood. Join in the revelry, but avoid excesses of any kind. If dinner is part of the plan, choose your dishes wisely.

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

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August The fact others find you, not only delightful company, but a great teammate as well.

You exude good feelings and you are sensitive to the needs of others. This general atmosphere spills over into your private life. Something you have in mind, perhaps an old idea about redoing your space, may be a snare and a delusion. For one thing, cash may not be flowing too freely. For another, your significant other may have plans for investing rather than spending what you have.

You can be a star and a standout at work. It’s not unusual for you to come up with new, more productive and easier ways to do things, but now you may just astonish higher-ups with your creativeness. The good stuff doesn’t stop at the office door, either. Moonlight and roses may be part of the menu. For some, it will involve a new romance. Look forward to the thrill of getting to know somebody mighty attractive who could become a mainstay in your social life. You may have to rethink how you react to authority figures.

Pisces (D,CH,Z) 20 Feb to 20 March

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September Feeling that others are not carrying their weight, do not react in an emotional manner. Simply ask for what you need without leaning on anyone. You should lean on the soft shoulder of a supportive spouse or live-in and pour your heart out. Don’t hesitate to treat yourself, as well as him or her, to something beautiful, expensive, and totally unexpected. Though money worries may be on your mind, they should not put you off your stride.

Your partner will offer their encouragement.

Keep many balls in the air at one time, but even you have a limit. There appears to be a conflict between your devotion to home and devotion to work. You need to cut down somewhere, and only you know where. The best advice is to throw career and money cautions to the wind and spend a spectacular time out and about with that very special person. Let your partner arrange the plans. You could have the greatest time, with or without that crowd of people you always love to have around you. For best results, make it just the two of you.

ERRATUM: This horoscope that ran last week was meant for this week (August 14, 2015). We sincerely apologize to our readers or the oversight - EDITOR

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FRIDAY, August 14, 2015

MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY FROM HBR.ORG Watch for Signs of an Emotional Outburst People have emotional outbursts every now and then.

But if you have a team member who’s particularly prone to them, you should anticipate behavior like crying or screaming to prevent these situations from stalling your team’s productivity. Watch for the telltale signs that something is causing concern. When you notice someone is withdrawing eye contact or getting red in the face, acknowledge what you see: “Steve, you’ve stopped midsentence a couple of times now.

What’s going on?” Listen carefully to the response, both to what is said and what you can infer from their body language.

Angry (leaning in, clenched jaw or fists) looks very different from discouraged (dropping eye contact, slumping) or dismissive (rolling eyes, turning away). Finally, ask questions to get to the root of their emotion: “I get the sense you’re frustrated. What’s behind your frustration?” Afterward, you should see some sort of relief.

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