Voice of Asia E-Paper November 3, 2017

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Vol. 30 No. 43 Friday, November 3, 2017 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 24 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

Indian Americans join Consul General in paying tribute to Iron Man Sardar Patel

By Shobana Muratee

H

OUSTON (Oct. 31, 2017) Indian Americans gathered at the Indian Consulate Office here on Tuesday, October 31, 2017 to celebrate the 142 Birth Anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

by discussing his role in shaping post independent India as its first Deputy Prime Minister. Patel was born on October 31, 1875 in Nadiad, a small village in Gujarat. He died on December 15, 1950.

Continued on Page 5

Multiple casualties in shooting at Colorado Walmart store: police

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ASHINGTON, | AFP | 11/1/2017 -A shooting at a Walmart store in Colorado on Wednesday evening has resulted in multiple casualties, police said.

“Multiple parties down. Please stay away from the area,” police in Thorn-

ton, north of Denver, said in their initial post on Twitter.

citing law enforcement sources.

About an hour later they said it was “NOT an active shooter” situation.

A spokesman for the Thornton Police Department could not be immediately reached by AFP.

One person was killed and another was wounded in the shooting, local television station KMGH reported,

Last month, a gunman in Las Vegas killed 58 people in the country’s worst mass shooting in recent history.

Houston Diwali and Dussehra Festival 2017: A Show Par Excellence

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Consul General of India in Houston, Dr. Anupam Ray seen speaking on the occasion of the 42nd Birth Anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on Oct. 31.

2014 at the Indian Consulate Office in Houston. Photo credit: CG Facebook.

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Fireworks marking the finale of the Diwali- Dussehra celebrations at Skeeter’s Stadium in Sugar Land. Read on Page 7

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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS

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Guest editorial by HL Rodgers

VOICE OF ASIA Publisher:

Associate Publisher: Editor-in-Chief:

Austin Correspondent: Print & Media Marketing: Marketing Director: Office Manager:

I

’ve been following the unfolding Harvey Weinstein sexual assault and harassment story, like much of the rest of the country — and world — with a mix of horror and dread. The destroyed lives, the Hollywood enablers, the long trail of an open secret. I recoil in disgust and I celebrate the strength of the women who have come forward — especially those who came forward first.

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

But I have also been drawn into the fevered political debate it has ignited. Pundits, left and right, professional and amateur, on social media and in the news, have pointed fingers across the political aisle.

Twitter and mainstream media outlets are full of stories that begin with Weinstein and end with denunciations of President Donald Trump: Weinstein is bad, but Trump is so much worse. How can you decry Weinstein if you voted for Trump?

Columnists: Legal: Richard M. Alderman Legal: Sharlene Sharmila Richards Research: Prof. Meenakshi Bhattacharjee Health Insurance: Sudhir Mathuria Astrology: Hardik Vyas Medical: Drs. Surya and Manjula Raguthu

VoiceofAsiaOnline.com Editor Online:

Shobana Muratee

On the other side, pundits argue that the Weinstein story lays bare the hypocrisies of Hollywood and the liberal politicians it supports. Hollywood loves to preach the cause of women and female empowerment, pushing federal legislation and regulation that criminalizes those accused of sexual assault without any due process, while at the same time enabling and protecting the powerful sexual predator in its midst. People in Hollywood are happy to speak truth to power, as long as that power can’t hurt them. It’s easy to decry Trump from within a liberal cocoon, but when it is one of your own, you meekly walk out of the hotel meeting and leave the young starlet in the clutches of the beast.

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

Voice of Asia assumes no liability resulting from action taken based on the information included herein. Published weekly by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713-7745143. Email for editorial submissions: voiceasia@aol. com; Email for advertising inquiries and submissions: ads@voiceofasiagroup.com

It is the policy of Voice of Asia to publish letters to the editor which evidence a variety of viewpoints. The opinions expressed in any particular letter to the editor are not necessarily those of the management.

Voice of Asia welcomes letters in reply to issues raised in letters to editor. In as much letters to the editor are not articles written or researched by members of Voice of Asia, it is not the policy of the Voice of Asia to perform any investigation or confirmation of any facts or allegations contained in letters to the editor.

Moreover, Voice of Asia reserves the right to edit letters to the editor as necessary to correct errors of fact, punctuation, spelling and to comply with space constraints.

This latest crisis has highlighted one of the forces driving the growing fractures and fault lines in the body politic.

The force is eminently human and apolitical — it’s exhibited on both sides. Liberals look at the religious right and see nothing but power-hungry hypocrites. How else to explain the overwhelming majority of evangelicals who voted

Although paid advertisements may appear in Voice of Asia Group Publications in print, online, or in other electronic formats, the Voice of Asia Group does not endorse the advertised product, service, or company, nor any of the claims made by the advertisement.

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

We are in a national moment that calls for unity and grace for a man who bragged about committing sexual assault and gloried in rank immorality?

The right, in turn, looks at progressives with their feminist ideals. In the face of developing Hollywood storylines — what started with Weinstein has bled over to Ben Affleck and the head of Amazon Studios, with surely more to come — they see nothing but power-hungry hypocrites. Progressives don’t really care about empowering women; they just care about empowering themselves and

are so obviously wrong and evil. Trump perhaps plays this game better than most. He rails against NFL players at a rally, and the collective mind of the country is lost for 10 days with media and social media whipping up a storm on both sides.

By the time the dust settles, no problems have been solved and the two sides are further apart than when they started — both convinced of their virtue.

I believe we are in a national moment that calls for humility and grace. We should look

his excellent podcast “Conversations.”

If you haven’t yet, listen to his conversation with Lawrence Summers, former president of Harvard, treasury secretary to President Bill Clinton and economic adviser to President Barack Obama. The two intellectual heavyweights are deeply committed to their respective ideologies on the right and left. Their conversation is full of grace and humility. It’s clear they are learning from each other — exchanging ideas and listening.

Or listen to a debate a couple of years ago between Sally Kohn, a committed progressive, and Ben Shapiro, the conservative firebrand who can be found on YouTube. It gets heated, to be sure. But they are engaging each other’s arguments honestly — neither reads bad motives into the other’s position.

And on the more ceremonial side, consider the annual congressional baseball game this past June. Democrats and Republicans battle at Nationals Park each year for baseball supremacy. This year, the game began in a joint prayer for House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who had been shot the day before while practicing for the game. It included politicians on both sides engaging each other in a meaningful bipartisan way. It didn’t last long.

altering the American landscape in their image and at the cost of a conservative’s way of life.

As the recriminations and accusations bounce back and forth from right to left and left to right, the schism widens. We stop listening to each other, if we ever really did, and we simply step into MSNBC- and Fox News-constructed echo chambers that fill us with the comforting glow of self-righteousness and virtue. We are so clearly right and good, and they

to our political rivals and take their claims at face value. If they passionately argue that they care about family values or about feminism, we should follow the age-old practice of assuming they are sincere and engage in conversation that begins on that foundation. Next, we should entertain the thought that we might be wrong — our self-righteousness a false comfort. If that’s the case, maybe I have something to learn from my enemy. Bill Kristol has recently modeled this behavior in

More than a political right marching into extremism or a political left marching into totalitarianism, our biggest national danger at this moment is that the bonds that have connected us as a nation and a people might fray and forever break. This shouldn’t be the generation that sees the end of the great American experiment; it should be the generation that renews it. And that renewal can only come through humility and grace. I hope all of our leaders and pundits and tweeters can find just a little of both.

(-Deseret News)

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Dear Editor, This is in response to the news item in your digital edition dated 10/25/17 about Mr. Sunil Thakkar, host of Masala Radio, pleading guilty to the charges of sexual abuse of a teenage girl two years ago.

Lately, sexual harassment,

sexual abuse and rape charges against movie producers, television personalities and a past president have been making headline news. More women including celebrities are coming forward with their tales of abuse by these men resulting in a social media campaign, #MeToo, through which we

are learning of the extent of the sexual abuse of ordinary women in workplaces, at home and elsewhere. In this particular incident involving Mr. Thakkar, what is more troubling is the fact that his victim was an under-aged girl. I am sure I am not alone in feeling outraged by this incident.

In order to stop sexual harassment from happening, we can begin by educating and empowering our young sons and daughters to protect themselves from predators. There are several domestic violence and sexual assault organizations in Houston that can provide the information and resources that the parents need to help their children in this regard.

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Those who care for and about children have to be pro-active considering sexual predators have no specific profile. A predator can be anybody that the child may consider to be seemingly nice and powerful - a neighbor, relative, mentor or coach. Knowing the South Asian community as I do, I understand the reluctance

we have in acknowledging that these problems exist among us too and that we are not immune to it. The victim and her family in the Thakkar case should shine as an example. They had the courage to come forward and seek justice on behalf of their daughter. Sexual abuse and assault thrive on silence and secrecy. For every victim that speaks up, there are nine others who choose to stay silent. It’s time our community breaks the silence surrounding sexual abuse of women and girls and help break the generational cycle of abuse.

Sincerely, Lakshmy Parameswaran, MA LPC Lakshmy Parameswaran is a licensed counselor specializing in domestic violence, sexual assault and women’s issues for twenty-five years. She is a founder and board member of Daya Inc., an organization serving South Asian survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Houston: www. dayahouston.org.

COMMUNITY VOICE OF ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 5

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

Second Front Page

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Indian Americans join Consul General in paying tribute to Iron Man ...Patel

University of Houston students who attended the event seen with Dr. Anupam Ray

dar Patel’s moral ethics, his risktaking ability especially in handling the princely states and above all his statesmanship, qualities that inspired him personally.

Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray addressing the gathering. Also seen are speakers Sunanda and Ramesh Shah. Photos by Shobana Muratee.

Continued from Page 3

A couple of select video clips on the Vallabhbhai Patel were screened before introducing the guest speakers; Dr. Kavita Vachaknavee, Director, DAV Sanskriti School, Sunanda Vashisht CEO - ‎MyIndMakers Inc and Ramesh Shah, Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award recipient 2017 and global coordinator for Ekal Vidyalaya who spoke on the various facets of the Vallabhbhai Patel, illustrating why he was referred to as the ‘Iron Man.’ In his opening remarks, Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray quoted Winston Churchil who said that if United Kingdom left India it would be broken into what he called as Hindustan, Pakistan and Princestan. Further, the ‘Hindu Congress’ would never be able to govern India with their lack of statesmanship and experience. “And we have proven him wrong”, said Dr. Ray, “and large of that was possible because of Sardar Patel.” Dr. Ray spoke of Sar-

Dr. Vachaknavee, (who spoke in Hindi), elaborated on Patel’s challenges to his vision of a unified India. Despite winning 5 times to the position of prime minister ship, he was asked to withdraw due to Nehru’s demand to be the first Prime Minister of India she said. Gujarat, is never known to have Naxalites,

Dr. Vachaknavee, said because of Sardar Patel whose focuses for the state was on education, she said.

Sunanda Vashisht, gave a very informative talk on Patel and his odyssey in preserving India from ‘Kashmir to Kanyakumari’. Sardar Patel truly defined the geography of India by integrating the 152 states particularly the Princely states. She pointed out a few traps that commentators should avoid: Pitting Patel against his contemporaries, and to associate him to one party, because he was an institution by himself, she said.

Ramesh Shah touched on what we can do to preserve Patel’s legacy which is to keep everyone together in a peaceful manner.

On the birth anniversary of Patel, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off ‘run for unity’ to commemorate National Integration Day in India. Currently, a 597 ft.

Statue of Unity is a monument dedicated to the visionary leader, Sardar Vallabhbhai and is under construction in the Indian state of Gujarat.

A section of the audience.

Speaker Dr. Kavita Vachaknavee.

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FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

FORT BE

Sugar Land, Katy, Stafford, Missouri City, R

Free advice on home repair available in Brazoria, Galveston, Harris and Nueces counties

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USTIN – As Texans repair or rebuild their homes damaged by Hurricane Harvey and subsequent flooding, FEMA and

home-improvement stores in Brazoria, Galveston, Harris and Nueces counties are teaming up to provide free information, tips and literature on making homes stronger and safer.

FEMA mitigation specialists will be on hand to answer questions and offer home-improvement tips along with proven methods to prevent or reduce damage from future disasters as well as offer tips and techniques to build hazard-resistant homes. Most of the information and the free publications provided are geared to do-it-yourself work and general contractors.

Recovery topics covered include flood insurance, elevating utilities and rebuilding flooded homes.

Free reference booklets with information on protecting a home from flood damage will be available.

FEMA advisers will be available at these stores: For Texas disaster mitigation information, visit www.fema.gov/texasdisaster-mitigation.

For other information about mitigation, visit www.fema.gov/whatmitigation.

More information about strengthening properties can be found at www. fema.gov/protect-your-property.

For more information on Hurricane Harvey and Texas recovery, visit the Hurricane Harvey disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4332, the FEMA Harvey Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FEMAharvey,

the FEMA Region VI Twitter account at twitter.com/FEMARegion6 or the Texas Division of Emergency Management website at www.dps.texas.

gov/dem/.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362 (voice, 711/VRS - Video Relay Service) (TTY: 800-462-7585). Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish).

Fort Bend ISD to host wellness event focusing on social media safety and gaming addiction

F

ORT BEND ISD (November 1, 2017) - Fort Bend ISD’s Counseling and Postsecondary Readiness Department will be hosting a wellness event focusing on social media safety and gaming addiction. The event will take place on Tuesday, November 14 in the Commons of First Colony Middle School (3225 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land 77479 ) at 6 p.m.

Nathan Driskell will be the evening’s guest speaker. His presentation will focus on social media safety and gaming addiction, touching on topics such as: Social Media is Everywhere Social Media is Addicting

Most Popular Social Media Applications Texting Sexting Online Predators Steps and Guidelines Parents Can Use to Protect Their Children Parents, teachers, counselors and anyone who works with children are encouraged to attend. The presentation will last an hour and will include a question and answer period.

Driskell is a graduate of Houston Baptist University, with a background in Psychology and Computer Information Systems Manage-

ment. He is a licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor and is currently providing therapy services out of H.O.P.E Psychotherapy of Houston, PLLC. Driskell focuses on the treatment of internet addiction and Asperger’s Disorder.

This presentation is part of FBISD’s Counseling and Postsecondary Readiness Department’s new initiative this year – FBISD Speak Up – which is focused on promoting mental health awareness and suicide prevention by reducing the stigma and fear associated with being an upstander and reaching out for support, either for yourself, a friend or family member.

For more information on the event, contact your child’s school counselor.

FBISD hosting Parent University sessions to provide parents with college information Sessions to be held in November and December

F

ORT BEND ISD (October 27, 2017) – Fort Bend ISD’s Counseling and Postsecondary Readiness Department is hosting Parent University sessions this fall in order to provide parents with the necessary information and tools to help plan for their child’s postsecondary education.

The first session will be on Wednesday, November 8 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Austin High School (3434 Pheasant Creek Drive, Sugar Land 77498).

The second session will be on Wednesday, December 6 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Hightower High School (3333 Hurricane Lane, Missouri City 77459).

Each Parent University will have four, 25-minute sessions on the following topics: Funding a College Education – Financial Aid and Scholarships Using the Naviance Platform Testing – PSAT, SAT, ACT, TSI, and Khan Academy Dual Credit and AP – How to Save Money on College The Parent University sessions are open to all FBISD parents. For more information, contact your child’s high school counselor or advisor.

Read Your Community News at: www. voiceofasiaonline.com

017 Charter Election - FAQ

W

hy is the City having an election on changes to the Charter?

The City Council voted to hold a special election on proposed changes to the City Charter after receiving a report from the City’s Charter Review Commission. The purpose of the City Charter Review Commission is to review the Charter of the City of Missouri City (the “Charter”) in accordance with Section 11.13 of the Charter to determine if any changes to the Charter are merited.

On July 18, 2016, the City Council appointed the following five City residents to serve as the 2016 Charter Review Commission (the “Commission”) members: Robin Elackatt, Scott Moseley, Eunice Reiter, Cheryl Sterling, and Joe Workman.

The Commission held several meetings, all of which, were open to the public, and reviewed various issues related to the Charter. The Commission met on August 8, 2016, August 22, 2016, September 12, 2016, October 10, 2016, November 14, 2016, and December 12, 2016.

What notice has been provided for this special election on Charter propositions?

The City Council received the Commission’s report, which contained Propositions A (mayor pro tem election), C (city manager authority), F (Finance Department name), and G (October fiscal year), on December 19, 2016. After the Commission submitted its report to the City Council, notice of the Commission’s proposed amendments was published in the Fort Bend Independent on December 28, 2016.

The City Council discussed proposed Charter amendments at open City Council meetings on January 3, 2017, July 3, 2017, July 17, 2017, and August 7, 2017. Notice of the special charter election was published in the Fort Bend Independent on October 18, 2017, and October 25, 2017. Notice of the special election is also posted on the City’s website.

What is Proposition A? Proposition A clarifies that the mayor pro tem of the City Council may be elected at the first regular city council meeting following a general election to elect councilmembers, or, if there is a runoff decided by a special election, after the special election.

What is Proposition B? Proposition B removes the requirement that the city manager must be bonded at city expense in an amount not less than $25,000.

What is Proposition C?

Proposition C allows the city manager to administratively appoint, suspend and remove City department directors.

What is Proposition D? Proposition D allows the city manager to administratively establish, combine, discontinue, or combine City departments.

What is Proposition E? Proposition E changes the words in the Charter to make them consistent with City Council Resolution No. R-16-32, which changed the election date from May to November.

Will the City go back to a May election date if voters decide not to change the election date in the Charter?

No. State law allows a home-rule municipality to change its election date from May to November by resolution no later than December 31, 2016. The City Council of the City of Missouri City did so in 2016.

State law also provides that the election date change in a resolution such as the one passed by the City Council in 2016 supersedes a city charter provision that requires a different election date. Therefore, if Proposition E fails, the City will continue to have November elections.

What is Proposition F? Proposition F changes the name of the city’s finance department from the “Finance Department” to the “Financial Services Department.”

What is Proposition G? Proposition G changes the City’s fiscal year from July 1 through June 30 to October 1 through September 30.

On what fiscal year cycle are most cities?

It varies. Most of the City’s benchmark cities, including Pearland, Rosenberg, Sugar Land, and League City, are on October 1 through September 30 fiscal year cycles.

When is the election?

Now! Registered voters can vote early by personal appearance from October 23, 2017, through November 3, 2017. Election Day is November 7, 2017 from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

For more information about Missouri City, please watch the City website: www.missouricitytx.gov, like us on Facebook—fb/MissouriCityTX, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat—@MissouriCityTX and watch Missouri City Television (Ch. 16 on Comcast and Ch. 99 on AT&T U-verse).

VOICE OF ASIA 7

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

END VIEW

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Houston Diwali & Dussehra Festival 2017: A Show Par Excellence

Local temple priests offer aarti and were joined by attendees gatthered at Skeeter’s Stadium in Sugar Land

S

UGAR LAND - Once again Shri Sita Ram Foundation presented par excellence spiritual aspects of our rich and proud culture and showcased it to all Houstonians here and to the world via internet .

another $10,000 for the same cause .

The energy of the evening kept the celebration going into the evening with no end in sight.

People were inebriated with joy and happiness. A never ending variety of food, beverages and ‘Prasadam’ ensured everyone was taken care of to the fullest extent. Beautifully decorated and glittering shops/stalls with fabulous jewelry, clothes, toys and the jostling crowd reminded one of the famous Chandni Chowk of Delhi.

On October 28, in spite of the cold, people gathered from near and far once again to witness the spectacular victory of Good over Evil to a capacity crowd at Skeeter’s Stadium in Sugar Land, TX. The celebration of this victory created an air of euphoric energy that took over the stadium. Even the moon and the stars shined bright with their fullest power along with the million plus lights inside & outside the stadium as Lord Rama battled and defeated the demon. In the battle reenactment, Directed by Kiron Kumar with added fire effects the demon Ravan cowered when he faced the stern and powerful Lord Rama and eventually fell to His arrows.

Indeed the newly created Meena Bazar was a hit with the shoppers . It was more crowded

Dr. Arun Verma and Judge Ed Emmett

The festival entrance featured an elaborate Rangoli decoration, greeting attendees The play on Ashtalaxmi presented by Ashirwad school was equally enchanting and mesmerizing and was brought to life by Director Geetha Ravula.

Eyes filled with tears of joy and hearts swelled when we saw our Lord Rama’s Crowning Ceremony. Seeing him on the throne, wearing the king’s crown, gave everyone the biggest goose bumps of their life! We prayed, we laughed, we cried and we thanked Him for being there for us! Spirits were high and every soul danced blissfully.

A festival of lights ensued and the victory was marked with Ravan Dahan followed by a spectacular fireworks display never seen before in Houston. What an exhilarating feeling to see the sky light up in beautiful showers of color! Everyone was in awe and thoroughly enjoyed this amazing display of fire in the sky. Joyous emotions escalated with every burst of fire with continuous chants of Jai Shri Ram The mighty Lord Ganesha

(Top) A spectacular float in the parade. (Above) Joseph Emmett of the Vedanta Society, Judge Ed Emmett, Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray, Dr. Arun Verma.

took position at the entrance of the stadium, making sure that no obstacle entered the grounds where his children gathered on this evening. The chanting of God’s glory at the temple built inside the stadium and at the field level for this event spread the aroma of bhakti and faith throughout the venue. The chanting of Mantra Pushpam and the Aarti led by priests of different temples was truly divine.

The rangoli of Sangeeta Bhutada was breathtaking.

Out on the field, a gigantic Hanumanji overlooking the magnificent stage, stood strong in front of the demons Ravan , his brother & son .

Dancing little children in Hanumanjis costumes celebrating Rama and the defeat of Ravan were spotted everywhere, jubilantly winding their way through and around the crowds of people that had came to celebrate from all over Texas and some from neighboring states. Dressed head to toe in flashy red and gold, the dancing Hanumanjis spread smiles infectiously throughout the stadium.

The stadium reverbrated with Folk music and dancers from different parts of India.

The magnificent parade of over 45 floats painstakingly decorated, depicting historical and mythological characters wearing era costumes was breathtaking . The efforts of Ravi Puri ji were evident in the creativity he brought to the several floats along with those brought by several area temples and organizations. Included for the first time were floats from the City of San Antonio, the Sikh Community, US Desi Gals and many more.

Houston Mayor Turner had made a commitment to be at the festival. The Dussehra parade was lead by Indian Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray , Vedanta Scholar & teacher Joseph Emmett and Judge Ed Emmett of Harris County, who were the parade Marshals for this year. Dr. Anupam Ray presented a check for $5,000 to Sewa International and a $10,000 check to Judge Emmett on behalf of the Foundation to assist the victims of Hurricane Harvey. The Foundation had earlier donated

than even Chandni Chowk.

Children’s face painting , petting Zoo, free balloons , moon walk , play area and an active Fire truck and a police cruiser from the City of Sugarland kept them entertained throughout the evening. The free photo booth, the Meet & Greet booth and the Ram Sita Booth were crowded venues for every camera in the crowd.

The food, shopping, the stage program, the parade and much more entertained the crowd throughout the evening.

Festival including Ravan Dahan, Maha Aarti with more than four thousand candles, fireworks, entertainment, an abundance of food and beverages, and immense joy & happiness. The attendees looked forward to next year’s event which is expected to bring a still more spectacular Diwali & Dussehra Festival; since the Foundation keeps on raising the bar for itself to showcase our proud culture with an ever increasing intensity & extravagancy.

The celebration of this significant cultural event was successfully executed with all elements of a great Diwali

The Foundation wishes to thank all sponsors, volunteers, participating and supporting temples and organizations.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 8

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

Diwali celebrations at Arya Samaj Houston

DAV Montessori Children Singing Bhajan.

Children performing a Diwali dance.

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rya Samaj Houston celebrated Diwali Mela on Sunday 22nd Oct this year from 5 pm onwards. Diwali is one of the most important festival of Hindus celebrating return of Bhagwan Ram to Ayodhya.

We celebrate victory of good over evil and light over darkness. We also pay tribute to our founder Maharshi Dayanand Sarasvati who breathed his last on Diwali. Arya Samaj main lobby and hall were very nicely decorated and children Pizza Stall at Diwali Mela. welcomed all the guests with a tilak. The evening began with a Vedic Havan with program by children of followed by a brief message DAV Montessori School and from Acharya Surya Nanda on the Sunday School (DAV Diwali. He narrated the histori- Sanskriti School) presenting cal perspective behind Diwali. a tribute to Rishi Dayanand.

He also talked about the contri- DAV Montessori School is an butions of Maharshi Dayanand integral part of Arya Samaj. It that led to the modern renais- provides Montessori education sance of India, including its in- to young children from 3 years to 10 years of age. A short viddependence. eo on DAV Montessori school The cultural evening started showed the accomplishments

DAV Montessori Children Reciting Shlokas

of the young children. The highlight of the evening was recitation of mantras by the 3-5 years old. It was eye catching to see the entire stage filled up with the children singing in unison. Parents saw and heard their children beaming with sense of confidence on the stage. The teachers of both the schools worked very hard with the children to perform

on the stage. DAV Sanskriti school children presented a very colorful dance number.

One enthusiastic parent of the DAV Montessori School came forward to speak about her 10 years of experience with the school it in glowing terms.

DAV Sanskriti school children and some parents presented another very nice melodious bhajan on Rishi Dayanand. It was followed by Arti by everybody in the hall.

Everybody moved outside of the main hall for another hour of fun-filled Diwali Mela in open air with food stalls, play area, raffle, and games. We had a mehndi artist and a very nice photo booth inside Montessori school. All food items were prepared by the volunteers of Arya Samaj and its schools. Our volunteers worked very hard and served hot chole bhature. Overall decoration was eye catching, courtesy Decor1. Tasty food

and excellent weather conditions seemed to compete with one another. A very nice fireworks show was organized to delight everybody in the crowd, especially young children. Our young AYM volunteers helped in planning for Mela and selling raffle tickets. to witness the bright spectacle of fireworks.

We had a record attendance in the Mela. Everybody enjoyed the Diwali Mela and it was concluded around 9 PM.

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COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 9

A Chinmaya spiritual voice offers new Study Groups

by Padmashree Rao HOUSTON. The human quest for happiness is fascinating. Each of us searches for what we think makes us complete – wealth, power, physical comforts, academic achievements, worldly fame, significant relationships, and so on.

Often, we wonder why our efforts do not yield that lasting sense of happiness.

In her pravachan in Chinmaya Smriti on Oct.29th, Brahmacarini Shweta Chaitanya of Chinmaya Mission Houston reflected, “We spend so much time catering to the needs of our body, mind, and intellect.

Can any of those three be a dependable, secure, constant source of joy? We live with a compromised idea of happiness. Let us make an effort to become close to that great goal of complete happiness. Let us learn to trust, love, and be close to God; let us give time to study and reflect on scriptures; let us develop an intimate relationship with the Supreme.

May our efforts become pure seva, and may we lose ourselves in the love for the highest Knowledge that brings true happiness.”

Her clear logic kept the audience very attentive, and her apt, relatable examples from

Br. Shweta Chaitanya. Photo by Jayesh Mistry. everyday life juxtaposed with ideals showcased by saints and devotees resonated with everyone. She engaged the audience from the beginning of her pravachan with an amusing anecdote about the challenge of cutting a jackfruit with unoiled hands and made all think again as she concluded with the deeper significance behind that metaphor.

The young Brahmacarini who completed her university studies with a post-graduate degree from Columbia University has also the ability to appeal to youth with her secular

exposure and contemporary approach. Thorough yet gentle in her analysis, the young brahmacarini has a strong background having started young at Chinmaya Balavihar Houston. Maturing through a rigorous two-year Chinmaya Vedanta Course at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Mumbai, she is equally at home with older adults and their perspectives.

Equipped with her practical understanding and the depth of her spiritual self-study, Brahmacarini Shwetaji now offers a valuable forum to delve into Vedantic wisdom.

ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN FOR NEW STUDENTS Open to Children above the age of 5 and Adults.

Offering a Study Group format in two new locations in the greater Houston area – Clear Lake and Katy, Texas, the brahmacarini will initiate study with Tattva Bodha, a text authored by Bhagavan Adi Sankaracarya. The text, which is composed in an interactive question- answer format, addresses the fundamentals of Vedanta, and explores questions about human life and freedom, diversity in creation, and the concept of God. The multidimensional personality analysis and a very scientific logic presented in this text make for an interesting and compelling study.

Trained by the Chinmaya Guru Parampara, Br. Shweta Chaitanya will guide the new Study Groups every week at the two locations: On Mondays from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM in Katy (please contact shweta@chinmayamission. org for details about location) and on Thursdays from 7:30 PM to 9 PM in Clear Lake at Ansh Labs, 445 Medical Center Blvd, Webster, TX 77856. Seekers of all faiths are welcome to benefit from this opportunity.

For more information on Chinmaya Mission Houston and its activities visit www. chinmayahouston.org or call Jay Deshmukh 832-5410059 or Bharati Sutaria 281933-0233

www. voiceofasiaonline.com

Registration is on Saturday Nov 4th, 2017 between 7:15 - 8:15PM. Venue: 12240 Murphy Road, Suite J, Stafford, TX 77477 http://shivanginiclasses.com • https://www.facebook.com/shivanginiclasses

Contact through website for more details!

More on Community!!

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

Getting back to basics: Why a financial game plan is so important.

Protect your home and family—Most of us have people who depend on us to keep a roof over their heads and food on their plates. That’s a big responsibility, but it’s one life insurance can help you meet—even if something tragic takes you away. You can start with an affordable term life plan at first, and then add more coverage as your needs and budget grow.

Ina C. Patel, LUTCF®, CLTC® Agent, New York Life Insurance Company.

M

any of us are familiar with the expression, “failing to plan is planning to fail.” As an Agent with New York Life, I can assure you that—when it comes to financial goals and objectives—this old adage still rings true.

In fact, it may be more relevant than ever.

It isn’t always easy for some Americans to make financial headway. With pensions in decline and interest rates only just starting to inch up near historic lows, it usually takes persistence and sound planning in order to get ahead.

Not sure how to begin?

That’s okay—it’s easy to become overwhelmed if you think about all your needs at once. Instead, try taking it one step at a time, starting with the basics: Build an emergency fund—No matter where you are in life, it’s important to set aside 8-10 months of living expenses.

You don’t have to do it all at once, but every dollar you save today is a dollar you won’t have to borrow if something unexpected happens.

Prepare for major expenses like college—As a parent or grandparent, you naturally want the best for your loved ones. Now’s the time to start a college or wedding fund so they won’t have to go into debt to make their dreams for the future come true.

Get ready for retirement— There are plenty of ways to set aside money for retirement: 401(k)s, IRAs, and fixed deferred annuities* just to name a few. But they all have one thing in common—the sooner you start, the better off you’ll be in the long run. Try to increase your contributions over time—perhaps 1% with each raise—or, if you are age 50 or older, look into some of the ‘catch-up’ provisions that may allow you to contribute even more.

While the economy is starting to grow, it still makes sense to stay focused on the things that really matter. A sound financial game plan can help us accomplish many things—but perhaps the most important is making sure we never lose sight of them again.

This educational, thirdparty article is provided as a courtesy by Ina Patel, Agent, New York Life Insurance Company. To learn more about the information or topics discussed, please contact Ina Patel at (713) 591-4130.

SMRU #1752894

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 10

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

GOPIO interacts with members of Indian parliament in New York

Kerala Center Announces 2017 Honorees and Silver Jubilee Year Life Time Achievers

Discusses on aadhaar card for NRIs and demonitization issues

Kerala Center 2017 awardees: Clockwise from top left: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Attorney Appen Menon, Dr. Sheela N.P., Dr. A.K.B. Pillai. Sheela Sreekumar and Ginsmon Zacharia

GOPIO officials including GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, International Coordinator for North America Dr. Rajeev Mehta and GOPIO Intl. Chamber of Commerce (GICC) Co-Chairman Prakash Shah were in attendance at a one-to-one Interactive Meeting hosted by the Indian Consulate in New York on Friday, October 27th. Organized by Indian Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, the following members of Indian Parliament were present: Mr. T.K.S. Elangovan, Mr. Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Mr. Raghav Lakhanpal, Mr. Bhatruhari Mahtab, Mr. Hiterndra Reddy Amdayala Paddu, Mr. Anil Gulabrao Shirole, Mr. Harshvarsh Narayan Singh, r. Kodikunnel Suresh, Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty welcomed the guest and Deputy Consul General Paramita Tripathi made a presentation of the history and role played by the Indian Consulate in New York, Govt, of India’s subcontractor Cox and Kings also made a presentation. In the interactive session, GO-

PIO brought some of the current issues faced by the Diaspora Indians as follows: NRI AND PIO ISSUES Presented by Global Organization of People of Indian Origin to Members of Indian Parliament 1. Demonetization Issue - Millions of OCI card holders and Diaspora Indians with foreign citizenship are still holding demonetized currencies (between 7,500 to 10,000 crores) since they were not allowed to deposit them during the extended period of Jan. 1st to June 30th. GOPIO officials raised the question, what to do with these currencies?

2. On October 21st, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a clarification, saying that the linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts is mandatory under prevention of moneylaundering rules. The central bank was responding to news reports that quoted an RTI reply on linking Aadhaar by Dec. 31st, 2017. However, Govt, of India, Ministry of Finance had issued a press release on April

5th. 2017 saying that Aadhaar Card needs to be linked for income tax filing only for those who are eligible to obtain the card. However, no statement has been issued whether NRIs need to link bank accounts with Aadhaar card.

NRIs are not currently eligible to get an Aadhaar Card.

GOPIO suggests that all Indian citizens irrespective of staying in India or outside must be given Aadhaar card similar to the Social Security Number issued to all American citizens living in the US or outside.

3. Real estate issues – Many NRIs have not been able to get hold off the apartment/house for which they have paid, especially in places like Noida and Gurgaon. Their inherited properties are also being taken over by unsuspecting relatives and others in connivance with local officials.

The members of the parliament interacted with GOPIO officials sand others present a the meeting and promised to take up the issue with appropriate authorities in India.

Kerala Center Life Time Achievers: From l. to r. Dr. Abraham George, Dr. Muhammed Majeed, Sreedhar Menon, Prof. P. Somasundaran, Dilip Varghese The Indian American Kerala Cultural and Civic Center (http://keralacenterny.com) will honor six Indian American Malayalees for their outstanding achievements in their field of specialization or for their service to the society at its 25th Anniversary (Silver Jubilee) Awards Banquet to be held on November 4th. The Center is also honoring five of its pioneers with Silver Jubilee Year Life Time Achievement

Awards.

This year’s honorees are: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, the U.S. Representative for Washington state’s seventh congressional district, Attorney Appen Menon, a partner at Wormser, Kiely, Galef & Jacobs LLP law firm in New York, writer Dr. Sheela N.P. for Literature; Dr. A.K.B. Pillai for Humanities; Community volunteer Sheela Sreekumar for Community Ser-

vice; and Ginsmon Zacharia, for achievement in Media.

The 25th Jubilee Year Life Time Achievers are Shanti Bhavan Founder Dr. Abraham George, Industrialist and Founder & Chairman of SamiSabinsa Group Dr. Muhammed Majeed; Philanthropist Sreedhar Menon; Columbia University Professor P. Somasundaran and Entrepreneur Dilip Varghese.

Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, International Coordinator for North America Dr. Rajeev Mehta and GOPIO Intl. Chamber of Commerce, CoChairman Prakash Shah with the attendees.

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DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 11

Local mother’s gift of vision to street people of India

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

ITServe celebrated Diwali in the White House

of 10 surgeries) were collected and few more promised to donate to the cause.

Bhatia stated.

He also mentioned that he was expecting another $2000 to be collected which will help support 40+ surgeries. The event, he said was successful. The crowdfunding page is located at https://www.gofundme.com/Gift-AVision Yogesh can be contacted through his e-mail yogivancouver@gmail.com.

Sudarshan Bhatia

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s. Sudarshan Bhatia, a Houston mother and widow sort a noble way of remembering her son an Indian Army pilot who died seven years ago in a fatal crash, by providing cataract surgeries for the poor and underprivileged in India.

ITServe Alliance members with President Trump celebrating Diwali

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Ms. Bhatia along with her elder son Yogesh Bhatia who lives in Vancouver, started Gift of Sight with the help of family in Canada and US to help poor people in India.

On Sunday, October 22, Yogesh Bhatia gave a lecture in Houston at the Govindaji Gaudiaya Matha Temple as part of the fundraiser for the project. About 100 people attended the event where he spoke for 15 minutes about Gift of Sight Project. This was followed by a Q & A session.

Donations up to $500 (cost

Yogesh Bhatia speaking at the Govindaji Gaudiaya Matha Temple.

Sexual Abuse in our Community

H

OUSTON - October 31, 2017- In light of recent news both nationally and here in Houston, Daya is taking this critical moment to speak out against the pervasiveness and silence around sexual violence in our community. Perpetrators and victims come from all ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds. Daya is outraged over these incidents, we offer our support to all who are or have been victims of sexual predators, and we reaffirm our mission to end domestic and sexual violence in the Houston community.

Sexual assault is any type of sexual behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. This not only includes sex but also touching, grabbing, attempts at sex and lewd remarks and gestures.

The abuser may be a family member, a co-worker or a community member who, in most cases, is seen as a person of authority. Like in domestic violence, maintaining power and control over the victim is

at the center of sexual assault.

In cases involving children under the age of 18, consent is not possible and, therefore, any sexual act between an adult and a minor is, without a doubt, considered sexual assault.

Sexual abuse and assault thrive on secrecy and silence.

Societal stigma and victim blaming silence victims and drive them to keep their experience a secret. Instead of blaming and shaming the victims, we must hold abusers accountable, regardless of their position in the community, their fame, or their wealth. The blame for sexual assault should solely lie on the perpetrator.

As reports of powerful individuals abusing others flood our newsfeeds, we want to channel our outrage into awareness and action. Daya stands with the brave survivors who are sharing their stories within their families, in courtrooms, and on social media. We also stand with the

countless survivors who have been silenced but are yet to come forward.

Every day we work with survivors by providing support and advocacy to help them find justice and peace in their lives. We speak openly in the community about sexual assault, knowing that spreading awareness will equip our community to support survivors, hold abusers accountable, and one day prevent these horrendous acts from happening.

We ask you to join us in taking a stand against sexual assault against women and men and especially against children and teenagers in our community. Together, we can empower families break the silence and secrecy surrounding sexual abuse and help stop the generational cycle of abuse.

If you or anyone you know needs resources or support, call our confidential helpline at 713-981-7645 or explore the resources on dayahouston. org.

TServe Alliance is working with a purported objective to promote and protect the interests of its member companies to encourage growth. With access to over 777+ ITServe Alliance Member network, it is the best platform for Innovative ideas and development of the same at all levels. ITServe Alliance is the most capable platform to collaborate and initiates measures delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce trust that inspire us, to see challenges as opportunities to transform, thrive, support to lead the way towards a stronger economy in the direction of protecting common interests and ensuring collective success.

The White House turned colorful with Diwali Celebrations with ITServe Alliance Team and other Indian Community Leaders ‘Diwali,’ the festival of lights, came early at the White House as President Donald Trump lit the ‘diya’ (traditional Indian lamp) in the Oval Office on a crisp afternoon in early Fall.

Diwali is considered as a most powerful festival in India which signifies the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance. It is a tradition that

is held by more than 1 billion people worldwide and more than 2 million people in the United States.

Trump is the second president to light the Diwali Diya in the Oval Office following Obama in 2016.

“We wish all of America’s Hindus and everyone who celebrates Diwali a joyous holiday and blessings of light, goodness, and prosperity throughout the New Year. Today, I was deeply honored to be joined by so many administration officials and leaders of the IndianAmerican community to celebrate Diwali. As we do so, we especially remember the People of India, the home of the Hindu faith, who have built the world’s largest democracy. I greatly value my very strong relationship with Prime Minister Modi,” said President Trump.

Sudhir Venkat Chakka a member of ITServe Alliance, who took part in this event said “It’s been an honour to be a part of President Trump’s White House Diwali celebrations, I am pleased to be part of this team as an ITServe liaison to Republican Hindu Coalition(RHC).

RHC is working closely with ITServe to help communicate the issues of small and medium companies to Trump’s administration. ITServe is working very hard to keep American jobs in America and asking Trump’s Admin-

istration to support us in this effort” Satish Nannapaneni, President of ITServe thanked Sudhir Venkat Chakka and Ramakrishna Bobba who volunteered to be members of RHC in support of ITServe Policy Advocacy efforts. He invited all IT Business Executives across nation to attend biggest ever IT conference in Houston, TX on November 30th & December 1st.

ITServe Synergy 2017 Biggest IT Conference ITSERVE SYNERGY 2017 CONFERENCE is an information-rich event which provides owners and executives with strategies and solutions that addresses the unique needs of IT Solution & Services Industry.

This year, ITServe Synergy 2017 Conference is scheduled at Houston, TX on Nov 30th and Dec 1st 2017. Conference Registration is now open.

Please visit our Synergy Portal www.itservesynergy. org for registration, conference schedule, speakers, and sessions.

Visit synergy2017@itserve.org for details.

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SOUTH ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 12

Prince Charles begins Asia tour in Singapore

India’s top court to hear woman in ‘love jihad’ case

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EW DEHLI | AFP - India’s Supreme Court has ordered a 24-year-old woman whose marriage to a Muslim man was annulled at her Hindu father’s request to give evidence in person, saying only she could decide her own fate.

she had been forced into it and made to convert to Islam.

The decision to annul the marriage and force the woman, Akhila Ashokan, to return to live with her parents has caused outrage among women’s rights campaigners in India.

It questioned whether the lower court had the legal right to annul a marriage between two adults.

She has not been allowed to leave her father’s house since the marriage was annulled in May.

Inter-religious relationships are still a taboo in India, particularly in rural areas.

India’s federal investigations agency has said it is looking into her husband Shafin Jahan’s links to extremist groups.

Earlier this year Ashokan’s father asked the high court in the southern state of Kerala to annul the marriage, claiming

Britain’s Prince Charles and Camilla met Singapore athletes who were taking part in the Queen’s Baton Relay, which travels around the world ahead of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (Photo: AFP)

S

INGAPORE, Singapore | AFP - Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife Camilla arrived in Singapore Monday to kick off an Asian tour aimed at cementing relations ahead of a meeting of Commonwealth states next year.

The heir to the British throne and Camilla are undertaking an 11-day trip that will also include stops in Malaysia and India.

British media had said the Foreign Office was originally considering including Myanmar on the tour, despite a military crackdown against the Muslim Rohingya minority, but in the end it was omitted from the couple’s itinerary.

After arriving, Charles, wearing a suit in the tropical heat, and Camilla met Singapore athletes who were taking part in the Queen’s Baton Relay, which travels around the world ahead of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

On Tuesday Charles and Camilla will receive a ceremonial welcome at the presidential palace, and meet President

Bangladesh arrests pilot accused of plot to hijack plane

D

HAKA, Bangladesh | AFP - Bangladesh on Tuesday arrested a pilot from the national airline accused of plotting with Islamist militants to hijack or crash a plane in a spectacular attack, police said.

Sabbir Emam, a pilot with state-run Biman Bangladesh Airlines, was detained in Dhaka with three others suspected of links to a militant group blamed for a cafe siege last year that left 22 people dead, including 18 foreigners.

The Rapid Action Battalion police unit said Sabbir plotted with senior extremists from Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh to crash a plane into the homes of politicians or to take passengers hostage.

“He is a dangerous person and is working at a sensitive place like Bangladesh Biman, which the country’s important individuals use,” the battalion said in a statement.

Sabbir, a pilot since 2014, flew a Boeing 737 passenger jet as recently as Monday for Bangladesh’s flag carrier, the battalion said.

Neither Sabbir’s family or lawyers could be immediately reached for comment.

Sabbir allegedly had ties to senior militants including Sarwar Jahan, the head of a new JMB faction, before he was killed in a police raid.

Police say Sabbir and Sarwar plotted a plane attack with another man, Abdullah, who was killed in a raid in September along with six others, including his wife and children, in an apartment building in Dhaka.

The homegrown JMB group has been blamed for a string of deadly attacks on foreigners, atheist bloggers, rights activists and religious minorities in Bangladesh.

Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

They will lay a wreath at the city’s Cenotaph, which honours soldiers who died during World War I and II, and will have an orchid named after them -- an honour typically bestowed on dignitaries visiting the city-state.

In the evening the couple will be honoured with a state banquet.

Singapore’s foreign ministry said the visit “reaffirms the historic and long-standing relationship between Singapore and the United Kingdom” -- the city-state was a British colonial trading post for over a century and formed part of the Straits Settlements with Ma-

lacca and Penang.

It won full independence in 1965.

After ending their trip to Singapore on Thursday, the couple will kick off a weeklong trip to Malaysia. They will visit Kuala Lumpur, meet with tribespeople on Borneo island before heading to historic George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Charles and Camilla will end their tour with a visit to India, where they will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Commonwealth Summit will take place in Britain in April, with leaders from more than 50 countries expected to attend.

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

The high court agreed, but her former husband challenged the decision in the Supreme Court, which on Monday ruled that Ashokan should appear in person to give evidence on November 27.

The issue has become a flashpoint for nationalists in recent years, with Hindu extrem-

ists raising fears of “love jihad” -- claims that young Muslim men were attempting to seduce Hindu women in order to convert them.

Ashokan married in December last year after converting to Islam and changing her name to Hadiya.

But he has not been convicted of any crime.

Pakistan bride charged over ‘poisoned milk’ killings

L

AHORE - A newlywed woman in Pakistan has been arrested on suspicion of killing her husband and at least 14 of his relatives with poisoned milk.

Police claim Asiya Bibi had intended the deadly substance for her husband, and mixed it with his milk last week - but he failed to drink it.

Instead it was turned into a batch of lassi, a yogurt drink, and served to his extended family.

Police said the woman had been forced into an arranged marriage in September.

Such weddings are not uncommon in poorer and more rural areas of Pakistan, and are often pushed through by family members.

Police say the poisoned milk was turned into lassi, a yoghurt drink popular in South Asia In this case, which took place in central Muzaffargarh, local media say the bride had

tried unsuccessfully to flee her marital home and return to her parents. (-BBC News)

VOICE OF ASIA 13

VOICE OF ASIA

VOA

voiceofasiaonline.com

Section 2

BUSINESS

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Women’s Investment Club

T

here is a certain subtext associated with being a woman in business. She has to be strong and have an element of sacrifice with her existence to be able to thrive in business.

It is a lesser known fact that women control more than 11 trillion in investable assets in the U.S market only. There is an immediate need to empower women to make calculated investments. The whole idea of gender being the hindrance is a stereotype that firstly women have to ignore to gain that confidence as investors in the trade. The gender gap needs to be replaced with the investment opportunity. It is more important in today’s time to give women investing experience built specifically around them.

Women investors can operate from a very comfortable niche that benefits everyone involved.

Women’s Investment Club just attempts to build that culture of empowerment and give the right relationships with the right investment opportunity which by extension opens doors for several other avenues economically – being a woman brings in the story and changes the narrative in the right direction of women creating successful endeavors at better returns on investment because of their inner perseverance.

85% of the purchasing power in the consumer market place is driven by women.

Women love to make decisions. Women want to be valued more for their ability to keep the nucleus connected and nurture it with strategic plans, lucrative investments and a growth based approach that enables more women to join the band wagon.

Truth be told, women are as capable and financially sound; if not more – than men. In a study it was con-

Tel: 713-774-5140

TiE and HAN hosts panel discussion on Commercial Real Estate

cluded that 35% women passed the same literacy assessment as 39% of the men. American women are the most financially literate women in this world but the lack of growth culture is killing their entrepreneurial spirit.

The whole vision behind Women’s Investment Club is to make it okay to want to be more than what is okay to be – Women are makers and architects of society which is an art form that is above and beyond any other investment, the return of which is this thriving bustling energized world we live in and now want to be a part of carrying it forward.

Women’s Investment Club meeting will be held November 4th at 3 Sugar Creek Center #100 from 10:30 am – helmed by Ms. Sumi Rengaraj. Sumi can be contacted at: 832-5718505

advertorial

U.S. oil exports boom, putting infrastructure to the test

(From Left to Right) - Juliana Garaizar - Managing Director, Houston Angel Network, Howard Rambin - CEO & Founder, Moody Rambin, Leo Womack - President, Gulf Equities Realty Corp, Dr. Arun Pasrija - TiE Houston President, Ricardo Rivas - PrincipalJacob and Sanchez Chief Investment Officer, Allied Orion Group and Jiten Karnani - President, Deccan Development Company Diagnosed with autism (Photo: TiE).

T

iE Houston, in partnership with the Houston Angel Network (HAN), proudly presented a panel discussion on Commercial Real Estate on October 27, 2017 at the Hess Club. Moody Rambin company was the event sponsor.

The concept of bringing this panel together was to demystify Houston’s commercial and to hear from Houston’s own successful entrepreneurs and investors about various aspects of investing in real estate. Both TiE and HAN members had expressed interest in learning how to get involved with commercial real estate development projects,

options to be either an active or passive real estate investor and learn about trends in multifamily projects. Panelist were Leo Womack (President, Gulf Equities Realty Corp.), Ricardo Rivas (Principal and Chief Investment Officer, Allied Orion Group), and Howard Rambin (CEO & Founder, Moody Rambin). Moderating was TiE Houston Charter Member Jiten Karnani (President, Deccan Development Company).

The evening began with valuable networking. TiE Houston members, HAN members and guests took the opportunity to meet and greet with our panelists and mod-

erators as well as fellow entrepreneurs. This also gave those who are just starting out the chance to speak to and connect with those already involved in the real estate community.

In addition to bringing in experienced panelists and exciting topics, TiE strives to highlight the journeys, successes, and needs of its members at all of their events. Gary Katz of Katz Water shared that by taking advantage of the TiE network, he learned about the U.S. State Department sponsored Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in India.

His application was accepted Continued on Page 14

H

OUSTON, Oct 30 with shipments recently hitting a frastructure will probably need (Reuters) - Tankers record of 2 million barrels a day. further investment in coming carrying record levels But shippers and traders fear the years. Bottlenecks would hit not of crude are leaving in droves rising trend is not sustainable, only storage and loading capacfrom Texas and Louisiana ports, and if limits are hit, it could pres- ity, but also factors such as pipeand more growth in the fledg- sure the price of U.S. oil. line connectivity and shipping speech is a sign of autism. Learn the others at autismspeaks.org/signs. ling U.S. oilLack export of market may How much crude the United traffic. before long test the limits of in- States can export is a mystery.

Analysts believe operators frastructure like pipelines, dock Most terminal operators and will start to run into bottlenecks space and ship traffic. companies will not disclose ca- if exports rise to 3.5 million to 4 US crude exports have boomed since the decades-old ban was lifted less than two years ago,

pacity, and federal agencies like the U.S. Energy Department do not track it. Still, oil export in-

million barrels a day. RBC Capital analysts put the figure lower, around 3.2 million bpd.

L to R: A section of the audience. Dr. Arun Pasrija speaking and Roopa Gir with guests.

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LIFESTYLE / LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 14

Saudi Arabia to let women into sports stadiums

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

‘Shortest Asia-Europe rail link’ launched in Azerbaijan

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IYADH | AFP Saudi Arabia is starting to ease restrictions on women spectators in sports stadiums.

Starting in early 2018, women will be allowed into three arenas in major cities, according to a statement issued Sunday by the General Sport Authority, the country’s governing body for sports.

The previously male-only venues of King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, King Abdullah Sport City in Jeddah, and Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam will begin preparations to “accommodate families,” the statement said. Specific seating arrangements are unclear at the moment; Saudi men and women are customarily separated in places where they are both allowed.

Saudi women sit in a stadium for the first time to attend an event in the capital Riyadh on September 23, 2017 commemorating the anniversary of the founding of the kingdom (Photo: AFP)

The country has several stadiums ranging in size, but the government appears to have chosen the biggest and most important. The stadiums are home to six teams in the Saudi Professional League — the top division — and two of the three stadiums included have the highest seating capacity in the kingdom.

The change is the latest to give women more freedom following a historic decree in September allowing them to drive.

have elective surgery without permission from their male guardians. They cannot mix freely with members of the opposite sex, and must wear a full-length black abaya in public.

social organization and women’s empowerment. The kingdom wants to increase participation of women in the Saudi labor market and and other aspects of life.

Some of that is starting to change.

Also, for the first time ever in September, women were allowed to enter King Fahd Stadium for a celebration commemorating the kingdom’s 87th anniversary. They were seated in a specific section for families. Though welcomed by many, the move drew backlash from conservatives holding on to the country’s strict gender segregation rules.

The move to open stadiums is the latest of 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitious reforms, as laid out in his “vision for 2030” plan.

The conservative kingdom adheres to some of the strictest interpretations of Sunni Islam in the world. Under its guardianship system, women cannot marry, divorce, travel, get a job or

The plan for the country’s economic reinvention rests on a number of pillars, including youth empowerment,

‘Super Dark Times’: indie cinema takes on teen violence denly and traumatically when Josh accidentally kills their overbearing companion Daryl (Max Talisman) with a samurai sword in a tussle fueled by an argument over cannabis.

They hide the body and Zach goes back to his everyday life, trying to present a cool front but backing away from a budding relationship with high school crush Allison (Elizabeth Cappuccino).

Josh, apparently traumatized by guilt, retreats to his bedroom at first -only to return suddenly to school and his social life, acting like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

Owen Campbell, Sawyer Barth, Elizabeth Cappuccino, Kevin Phillips, Max Talisman, Charlie Tahan and Amy Hargreaves attend the “Super Dark Times” Premiere during the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival

by Frankie TAGGART

Part coming-of-age fable, part brutal teen slasher, Kevin Phillips’s feature directorial debut is not itself based on a King novel, but owes a clear debt to its “kids on bikes” predecessors.

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OS ANGELES, United States | AFP | Three decades after “Stand by Me” cast its long shadow over coming-of-age storytelling, Stephen King’s influence continues to resonate with theater-goers and TV audiences.

Based on King’s novella “The Body,” Rob Reiner’s 1986 cult hit spawned its own genre, typically featuring a group of wise-cracking, cursing kids, often on bikes, facing up to teenage trauma in Anytown, USA.

“The themes that were present in the script both enticed me and scared me,” Phillips said at a preview screening ahead of the film’s US release on Friday.

“It took me a while to truly come around to deciding this was the movie to make.”

- Blood-drenched violence -

Several Steven Spielberg movies fit the mold, as does J.J. Abrams’s “Super Eight,” but critics also point to small screen fare like the Duffer Brothers’ “Stranger Things” and the 1990 horror TV miniseries “It,” remade this year as a smash-hit theatrical film.

The events take place in a pleasant but prosaic suburb in upstate New York, where Zach (Owen Campbell) and his intense, mop-haired friend Josh (Charlie Tahan) are negotiating young adulthood in the mid-1990s.

It is the era before social media and smartphones but teenagers have never needed the internet to find their kicks in first loves and experimenting with drugs.

The latest example of the genre, indie movie “Super Dark Times,” is unlikely to reach anything like as wide an audience as “It,” but the critical plaudits are comparable.

The boys’ relationship changes sud-

But the nightmare of what has happened sets in motion an increasingly complex set of circumstances that spiral into dark paranoia and spectacular violence.

Phillips worked with cinematographer Eli Born to create something that “could harken back to films we loved growing up when we were kids in the 1990s,” he said.

- ‘Visceral and gripping’ Co-writer Ben Collins recalls how the idea for the movie came to him in his sleep.

“I don’t dream a lot or I don’t remember my dreams, but it was like I woke up and the fact that I even remembered it was striking,” he told the audience at the screening, part of the Downtown Los Angeles film festival.

“When I was taking a shower it was coming back, and it was basically just kids (messing) around with a samurai sword.”

Collins, whose dream featured Japanese children, assumed that he had been influenced by a real-life event in the news.

“In the dream the kid got decapitated, and I was like, ‘That sounds insane -- let me make sure that didn’t really happen.’ I spent the day Googling it, and it didn’t happen,” he said.

Japan teen forced to dye brown hair black sues school

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OKYO, Japan | A Japanese teenager is suing a local government over claims that teachers forced the student to dye her naturally brown hair black, an official said Friday.

The 18-year-old student dyed her hair several times to comply with school rules that ban hair colouring, but teachers said it was not enough and banned her from class, the Asahi newspaper said.

The girl has not attended school since September 2016 and claims that she suffered damage to her scalp from the dyeing process, local media reported.

The school reportedly told the girl that even a “blonde-haired foreign-exchange student would have to dye their The position requires: hair black” under Setting up tables and chairs in the school rules.

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An official with Osaka prefecture confirmed the first hearing of the case was held Friday and that the girl is seeking 2.2 million yen ($19,300) in compensation.

“But we cannot give more details because we’re in the middle of the trial,” he told AFP.

The link will help to reduce the journey time between China and Europe (Photo: AFP)

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LYAT, Azerbaijan | AFP | Monday 10/30/2017 - Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey on Monday launched a rail link between the countries aimed at cutting total journey times from China to Western Europe while bypassing Russia.

The 826-kilometre (500-mile) railroad runs from Azerbaijan’s capital Baku via the Georgian capital Tbilisi to the city of Kars in Turkey.

It will help to reduce the journey time between China and Europe, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said at the launch ceremony in the town of Alyat in the oil-rich Caucasus nation.

“The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad is the shortest and most reliable link between Asia and Europe,” Aliyev said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili also attended the

opening.

After departing China, trains will cross Central Asian country of Kazakhstan before being transported by ferry across the Caspian Sea towards Baku and then heading to Western Europe via Georgia and Turkey.

“The opening of the Baku-TbilisiKars railway is a major step in transport interconnections linking the European Union, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia ... along the ancient Silk Road,” the European Union said in a statement, referring to a historical trade route from China.

BTK’s initial capacity of five million tonnes of freight a year is expected to increase to 17 million tonnes within a year.

The railway line whose construction cost over $1 billion will also transport up to one million passengers annually.

TiE and HAN hosts panel discussion on Commercial Real...

Continued from page 13

and will be attending as part of their delegation at the end of November.

He says “I can now leverage this to tell oil companies they can get some amazing P.R. by funding testing and validating our technology which will be showcased at the global summit.”

He expressed his gratitude to TiE for sharing such a variety of opportunities. To learn more about Katz Water go to www.katzwatertech.com.

Juliana Garaizar (Managing Director, Houston Angel Network) shared HAN’s vision and mission in Houston and beyond. HAN is the oldest angel network in Texas and most active angel network in the USA. Its members have invested more than $73M in more than 235 deals since its inception in 2001. In addition to the importance of ongoing funding through their angel investors, she shared the importance of education to maintain the overall health of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. She was excited to share the upcoming Angel Capital Association (ACA) Angel 101 Workshop, which she will be participating in as a panelist along with other distinguished members of the angel investment community, happening on November 13, 2017.

The seminar will provide insights into angel investing as an asset class, with a focus on anticipated returns, portfolio strategy, valuation of earlystage companies, conducting due diligence, understanding term sheets and angel involvement in portfolio companies after the investment. To learn more about the workshop and summit go to http://houstonangelnetwork.org or www.angelcapitalassociation.org.

Just before the panel, Dr. Arun Pasrija (President, TiE Houston) then addressed the crowd with a little background of TiE. This year they are proud to celebrate their 25th anniversary. With the focus of being dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship TiE has grown to over 11,000 members and 2800 charter members throughout 58 countries. Charter Members, who are successful entrepreneurs and/or business executives, make the pillars of each chapters. They commit their time to help next generation of entrepreneurs - a “leveraged give back” which creates jobs, economic activities and wealth in the community. Houston chapter has a strong and vibrant charter member community helping meet’s TiE’s mission and making it a meaningful part of Houston’s start up eco system. Dr. Pasrija was also proud to announce the appointment of charter member Juan Arjona to TiE Houston board. Juan is currently the Senior Business Development and New Ventures Manager for TechnipFMC and the Vice President of The Colombia

Texas Chamber of Commerce. He will be hosting the next Charter Member lunch in November.

The highlight of the evening was the hour long panel discussion. With an open forum the audience was able to ask and receive the answers to a wide variety of topics revolving around Houston’s commercial real estate. Is investing in real estate as risky as people make it out to be? Did hurricane Harvey impact the market as heavily as some news stories would have you believe? Can retail space survive the boom of online marketplace? How does one even get started in investing in commercial real estate?

Howard Rambin of Moody Rambin answered the first question with an analogy that most of us could understand. He said “The security of real estate is that no one can toss it in the back of a pickup truck and steal it” but cautioned that in his decades long involvement in this space he’s seen the devastation the market can cause when investors are not prepared to ride inevitable rise and fall. His best piece of advice? Diversify. Leo Womack, Gulf Equities Realty Corp., echoed Howard’s advice and added the importance of being aware of the boom. Trends cause great excitement in any industry but it’s important to understand the actual potential long term sustainability. This allows any investor to understand how aggressive they should be prepared to get in and out before the bubble bursts.

Finally, Ricardo Rivas, Allied Orion Group helped put a lot of rumors to rest. Being that Allied is the second largest property management company in Houston he’s learned a thing or two since joining them in 2001. He stressed the importance of strategy when making a decision as to how one chooses to enter into commercial real estate and being adequately prepared to stay in for the long haul.

Jiten Karnani wrapped up the evening’s event by sharing encouraging trends and newly formed resources for those looking to get into the market. He also put out a call to action from the audience to help create an even stronger support structure to put Houston on the map for its commercial real estate right along with oil & gas, medical, and technology. Having not been able to get to all of the questions the audience was prepared to ask, don’t be surprised if a follow up event is announced.

TiE Houston is an active chapter hosting a variety of events throughout the year covering a variety of topics that impact the entrepreneurial community. Their next event is a “How to pitch to investors” workshop in partnership with the Houston Technology Center (HTC). For more information please visit www.houston.tie.org

LEGAL

VOICE OF ASIA 15

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

The People’s Lawyer

Triple Net Lease: Things You Need to Know - II

www.peopleslawyer.net

Richard M. Alderman Interim Dean of the Law Center

Q. When my lease was up, my landlord asked me to sign a new lease. He told me I could sign now, but I had 30 days to decide after signing my lease if I wanted to stay or go. Shortly after signing the new lease my apartment was broken into.

Within 30 days I told the landlord I was moving. She told me I couldn’t because I had already signed a lease. I also reminded her that I had 30 days to decide whether I wanted to stay or go, but she said it didn’t matter. I moved well within the 30 days, and now she has reported to the credit bureau that I broke my lease. Help.

A. As you probably know, once you sign a lease both you and the landlord are bound by its terms. You cannot terminate it except for reasons stated in the lease.

But as far as the law is concerned, the lease does not stand-alone. There are other laws that may affect the parties to the lease.

Among these laws is the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA). This law protects you against false, deceptive and misleading acts and practices.

It specifically prohibits misrepresentations about legal rights. In my opinion,

Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act applies to landlords the landlord’s representation that you had 30 days to change your mind and move out violates the DTPA. The landlord represented you that you had 30 days after you signed the lease to move without liability, and then asserted you were bound by the lease. That makes her prior statement a misrepresentation. I should point out that this law protects you from oral or written misrepresentations.

Under the DTPA, you are entitled to recover your economic damages, and if you show the person acted “knowingly,” mental anguish damages and up to three times economic damages. To use this law you must give the landlord 60 days notice before filing a lawsuit.

I suggest you send the landlord written notice, by email and certified mail, letting her know you know about this law and that you relied on her misrepresentation. Explain that you expect she will remove the negative information from your credit report. If she refuses, you may want to speak with a consumer attorney because establishing damages in such cases can be difficult.

Q. My boyfriend of more than ten years has me as his beneficiary on his work life insurance policy. He and his ex-wife have been divorced for more than 15 years. His children are both 21

and over. His mother is telling him, that if something were to happen to him, his ex would receive the money from that policy, not me. Is this true?

A. First, in most cases, a beneficiary designation asks for an alternative beneficiary to be listed in case the named beneficiary pre-deceases the insured. In other words, his policy may determine who receives the money. In the event no one else was named, the money would be distributed according to Texas law and his children would inherit the proceeds of the policy.

Q. My husband does not have a will and has two kids by his first marriage. In the event that he passes would the house he owned prior to us getting married be left to me?

Tel: 713-774-5140

estimates and actual costs, and that can be expensive. As the old saying goes, time means money.

Surendran Koran Attorney & Counselor at Law, PKS Law Firm, PLLC Question: How can a tenant deal with the difference between estimates and actual costs in a Triple Net Lease?

Answer: When you approach a Triple Net Lease you may find a big gap between the estimates that were quoted to you and the actual costs that you are ultimately liable to pay. To be honest, it often turns out that the estimates were loose estimates at best, and the actual document can be full of jolting surprises. Furthermore, it can take some time for a landlord to reconcile

Still, as a tenant you do have some options, chief among them the right to audit. Before you pay a penny toward the difference between estimates and actual costs in a lease, ask in writing to have access to invoices. The objective is to see evidence supporting the basis for the landlord’s calculations -- be they figures regarding property taxes or maintenance costs -- as well as justification for the root causes of the increases. Remember: questionable costs can be the result of honest clerical error, but the result can be as costly as intentional inflationary tampering.

As a business person, you probably have a strong eye for detail and at least a basic level of accounting skills. But don’t forget that a Triple Net Lease is the sign of a landlord or property management company with genuine real estate know-

how. It is more than likely that they will have the staff and accounting infrastructure to manage and track all costs and estimates that they will present to you.

As a result, it is in your best interest to seek legal help to negotiate lease terms and minimize your exposure to risk and extra expense.

As you consider the terms of a Triple Net Lease, your legal adviser will assure that you keep looking beyond the base rent to those estimates that can result in your overall occupancy costs becoming overwhelming.

BIO: Surendran Koran is an Indian-born attorney in private practice in the Houston area. He is the founder of PKS Law Firm, PLLC. He is licensed to practice in Texas, United States District Court Southern District of Texas, and in India. To contact please email: adv.surendran@gmail.com

A. Based on what you say, without a will naming you as a beneficiary, the house will pass to his children. You will have the right to continue to live in the house, but the children will own it. If that is not the result he wants he must prepare a will.

Q. How long do I have to file a claim for damages from an automobile accident?

A. An automobile accident is what the law calls a “tort,” and you have two years to file suit.

Do you want to know more about your legal rights? Check out my website, www.peopleslawyer.net And if you have a question about a legal problem related to Hurricane Harvey, call 713-743-2165.

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VOICE OF ASIA 16

Young Life

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

Failure: Milestones in the Road to Success Teen governor? Kansas youths take on adults in a heartland US state

17-year-old Kansas governor candidate Tyler Ruzich speaks at a high school with three other teenage hopefuls for the state’s top elected position

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AWRENCE, United States | AFP | With loose khaki pants, a button-down shirt and a dark blue blazer, Tyler Ruzich looks a lot like any number of aspiring politicians before him.

But if the election Ruzich is running in were to be held today, he’d be too young to vote for himself.

YLDP batch of 2017 with Speaker Dr. Latha Ramchand at India House.

by Deepsikha Das

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his month at India House, the Youth Leadership Development Program (YLDP), the Houston based non-profit, invited Dr. Latha Ramchand to present an unusual but interesting topic on life experiences. We eagerly waited to hear what her presentation would be, but we were first approached with a rather daunting question: what were some of our failures? There was deafening silence in the room. No one wanted to admit that they had faced defeat before, especially in front of a totally unknown group of other students. However, as she started to discuss her own failures, our uneasiness died down. It took us a

while to realize that Dr. Latha Ramchand, the Dean and Professor of Finance at the C.T Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston and one whose work has been recognized through various awards, had also experienced failures and she was not at all hesitant to reveal this very publicly.

Dr. Ramchand eloquently narrated her story, stressing the need to learn from our experiences, particularly when we failed. Each failure can be traced to a distinct set of factors, many of which we could reflect on and try to avoid next time, helping us develop as resilient leaders. Something that really made an impression on me was when

she discussed the stigma surrounding rejection which makes us reluctant to share our failures. It is this kind of behavior that pre-empts opportunities for guidance and learning from our own mistakes.

Dr. Ramchand delivered a passionate argument that we should never give up because of our fear of failure.

Her reason based persuasion made us break the barriers and open up to others as we all relayed our past experiences and failures. This made us get closer to each other within the team.

We were all able to take away a valuable piece of wisdom about turning failures into opportunities as we strive to improve and eventually succeed.

Transgender teddy, girl pirate: authors tackle gender norms ine, but it has also stirred controversy.

A Kansas district last month decided not to purchase “George” for the area’s schools, deeming it inappropriate for young readers.

Gino, a selfdescribed “genderqueer” -someone who refuses to be defined by a genThe picture book, aimed at children aged four and older, der -- promptly was written by Australian Jessica Walton who was inspired started a Twitby her own father’s transition to a woman. (Photo: ter fundraising Kickstarter/ Jessica Walton) campaign to deliver copies to

by Michelle FITZPATRICK every school library in the district.

RANKFURT - Germany, In just half an hour the money (AFP) - From a transgender poured in. teddy bear to a fearless girl “Sharing stories of trans people with pirate, children’s authors are tackling gender norms like never before, as de- children is key to trans acceptance. bate rages about what it means to be a There is no age before which it is appropriate to be compassionate,” Gino boy or girl. told AFP. Visitors at this week’s Frankfurt In the young adult section, readbook fair, the world’s largest publishing event, will be faced with a string ers can find Meredith Russo’s “If I of books for young readers that defy Was Your Girl”, which chronicles an stereotypes and navigate today’s hot- American teen’s fresh start at a new button issues of transsexuality and school, burdened by the secret that she used to be a boy. gender fluidity.

F

Stories with transgender lead characters in particular have broken one of the last “taboos” left in children’s writing, said literary expert Nicola Bardola.?

“Some are watching this trend nervously, these kinds of books still make critics uncomfortable,” Swiss-born Bardola said, an author himself.

One of the most headline-grabbing recent titles has been “Introducing Tilly”, a tender story about Thomas the teddy bear who tells a friend: “I’ve always known that I’m a girl teddy, not a boy teddy.”

The picture book, aimed at children aged four and older, was written by Australian Jessica Walton who was inspired by her own father’s transition to a woman.

Translated into German last year as “Teddy Tilly”, Bardola called the book “a phenomenon”.

For a slightly older audience, there is US author Alex Gino’s award-winning “George”, which is about a transgender 10-year-old determined to play a female part in the school play.

- ‘Inappropriate’ The book has won widespread praise for its warm portrayal of a feisty hero-

Children’s book expert Bardola said the trailblazing tales had triggered much earnest hand-wringing from critics wondering whether it was “appropriate” or “dangerous” to introduce young readers to such complex themes.

He said it reminded him of the stir caused in the 1980s when gay characters started appearing in young adult books.

“The debate is nearly identical. You can tell literary critics are unsure about these (transgender) themes,” he said.

“I think we can be a little more relaxed about it,” he added.

“These books should be judged by their literary quality and children should be given a chance to decide whether or not they want to read these stories.”

German literature critic Ralf Schweikert was more sceptical.

“If you want to talk about what it feels like to live in the wrong body, you are asking for a lot of self-reflection from young readers,” Schweikert told AFP. For bookworms scouting for a more general take on the gender debate, there’s no shortage of new titles out

to smash the patriarchy, reflecting a wider cultural discussion about the traditional roles pushed upon boys and girls.

“There are increasingly books for very young readers out there that deliberately challenge these gender stereotypes,” Schweikert told AFP. He listed the German early-reading book series “Wild Wilma” as a standout example, about the buccaneering adventures of a girl sailing the high seas as captain of a pirate ship.

- ‘Ponies and princesses’ Bardola said stories that turned gender roles on their head had always been around but that such titles tended to peak every few years depending on the zeitgeist.

The 17-year-old is one of five teens throwing their hats in the crowded ring for next year’s governor’s race in Kansas, which has permissive rules about who can run for the state’s top elected post.

Speaking recently to a crowd of students at a high school gym in the city of Lawrence, Ruzich picked up a microphone and launched into his campaign speech.

“It’s pretty clear that our politicians have neglected us,” Ruzich said, competing to be heard over the clangs of a nearby weightlifting room.

Next to him were three other teen gubernatorial candidates.

In this geographical center of the continental United States -- affectionately called America’s Heartland -- the teenagers vying for the governor’s office are injecting youthful ambition into the 2018 election cycle.

Emboldened by the Trump era, where anything seems possible in American politics, the teens are challenging the status quo in a deeply Republican state.

“I view this as really an important opportunity to get younger people involved,” Ruzich, a Republican, told AFP. The teenage candidates are taking advantage of the fact that Kansas has no age restrictions on who can run for governor -- one candidate even jokingly suggested that a dog could get on the ballot.

The only other state with such permissive election laws, sparsely populated Vermont, in the northeast, has a 13-year-old gubernatorial candidate.

- People are ‘fed up’ Jack Bergeson, 16, was the first Kansas teen to file election papers in the spring of 2016. The novelty of it landed him on a national late-night

talk show and drew the attention of news media.

By this summer, 17-year-olds Ruzich and Ethan Randleas had joined the race; Dominic Scavuzzo announced his candidacy in the fall. And last week, 16-year-old Joseph Tutera Jr. became the latest teen to seek the state’s highest office.

“It’s an overall good thing. People are showing that the younger generation is here to make an impact,” Bergeson told AFP. The young men -- no girls have joined in -- are hoping to tap into the anti-establishment fervor coursing through American politics and roiling the Republican Party.

Incumbents are facing unexpected challenges in next year’s midterm elections from outsiders emboldened

by Donald Trump’s rhetoric and his surprise presidential victory.

“I’m not necessarily a supporter of the president, but he has showed that people are fed up with the establishment,” Bergeson said.

The teens hope to inspire younger people to register to vote.

Of the five, only Bergeson is a Democrat. The other four are Republicans in a state Trump won by more than 20 points.

And like Trump, the five are willing to buck their respective parties.

Ruzich would raise business taxes -- anathema to true-believer Republicans. Bergeson would raise taxes, too. And, all five teens would legalize marijuana.

- ‘Uncertain race’ The young candidates’ participation in the gubernatorial race has been a spectacle, but it could have real impact.

Students at the high school campaign event said they were inspired.

“It was really cool to see someone closer to my age actually up there talking about these political issues,” 17-year-old Josh Morris said.

More significantly, the teens’ presence on the ballot could affect adult candidates, said Burdett Loomis, professor of political science at the University of Kansas.

Me too: I was sexually harassed at 11 years of age Following the allegations against Harvey Weinstein, women have been sharing their stories of sexual harassment online using the hashtag #metoo. Here, Shaimaa Khalil writes about her first experience of harassment as a child growing up in Egypt.

T

here’s one particular day soon after I turned 11 - that I can’t forget.

I was at my grandparents’ house and for the first time I’d been allowed to go out with a cousin and her friend, without any adults - three girls on our own, out on our first adventure.

“Be careful. Don’t go too far and don’t spend your money on stupid things,” my grandma warned us. She meant ice cream - and yes, we were planning to spend our money on that.

I was excited, but nervous. This needed to go well if I was to stand a chance of ever going out on my own!

“OK Shaimaa,” I remember thinking. “No falling, no fighting, no losing your money.” I should have added: “No getting sexually harassed by teenage boys.” But how could I know?

In the busy summer streets of Alexandria, we hadn’t realised we were being followed. But three boys walking behind started bumping into us. Then one of them groped me.

Shaimaa Khalil as a teenager in Egypt. (Photo credit BBC) All I could do to escape our tormentors was walk ahead as fast as I could, with my cousin and her friend trying to catch up.

But they kept following us.

The three of us held hands and rushed back toward my grandparents’ house.

The boys were right behind. Now verbally harassing us.

I was frightened, but also angry.

These boys had ruined my big day.

I turned around and yelled: “Kifaya!

Enough!”

“Kifaya!” one of them echoed, mocking me.

Later on, my mother chastised me.

“You talked to them?” she fumed.

“You don’t talk to someone who’s ha-

rassing you … you just keep going.

That’s what they want - if you engage and make a scene, they win.”

My grandma chimed in. “Were you loud? Were you laughing and being silly for no reason? I know how you can get, Shaimaa.”

I tried to remember if I’d laughed. I probably had. I was having fun - until I got sexually harassed.

“And why that sleeveless shirt? It’s too short, your whole bottom is showing,” she went on.

I had no idea how the conversation turned from me complaining about three horrible boys and what they did to me, to my being blamed for their actions.

Source: BBC Middle East

VOICE OF ASIA 17

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

BOLLYWOOD - HOLLYWOOD

Section 2

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Spacey under fire over teen ‘sexual advance’ claim

Tel: 713-774-5140

Prabhas hikes his fee, but Bollywood cannot afford him! aving devoted five years for SS Rajamouli’s mega blockbuster Baahubali, Prabhas deservedly has hiked his price. However, it seems that Bollywood cannot afford to launch Prabhas with his desired price. “Prabhas had devoted five years of his life to the two Baahubali films and it was only fair that he would want to cash in on his new success,” told a source to a leading Indian daily.

H

Spacey under fire over teen ‘sexual advance’ claim

by Jennie MATTHEW

N

EW YORK, | AFP | Monday 10/30/2017 - Coming out as gay, Kevin Spacey sparked a furious backlash Monday over accusations, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, that he made sexual advances on a 14-year-old boy more than 30 years ago.

The 58-year-old stage and cinema actor, double Oscar winner and most recently star of the American version of “House of Cards” has been widely considered one of the finest actors of his generation with a glittering stable of career credits.

But on Monday he came under a torrent of fire on social media over claims from fellow actor Anthony Rapp that he tried to molest him at a party 31 years ago while Rapp was a teenager, and was accused of trying to deflect the story by finally confirming what has been an open secret in Hollywood for years -- that he is gay.

Rapp, 46, told Buzzfeed that in 1986, while both he and Spacey were performing on Broadway, Spacey invited the then 14-year-old to a party at his New York home. Spacey would have been 26 at the time.

Rapp said he was in Spacey’s bedroom watching TV when Spacey, “kind of swaying” and apparently drunk, came in after all the other guests had left, picked him up, put him on the bed and lay on top of him.

“He was trying to seduce me,” Rapp told Buzzfeed. “I don’t know if I would have used that language. But I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually.”

Rapp said he squirmed away after a brief period of time and went into the bathroom. Shortly after, he left Spacey’s apartment and went home.

Spacey responded within hours, posting on his Twitter account at midnight East Coast time that he was “beyond horrified” by Rapp’s account.

He claimed he did not remember the encounter but that “if I did behave...

as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.”

He went on to say that Rapp’s accusation “encouraged me to address other things about my life.”

“I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man.

I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behavior.”

- Bye, bye The online backlash was swift from celebrities, commentators and members of the LGBT community.

“Bye bye, Spacey goodbye, it’s your turn to cry, that’s why we’ve gotta say goodbye,” tweeted Rose McGowan, one of the first actresses to accuse disgraced Hollywood producer Weinstein of rape.

“No no no no no! You do not get to ‘choose’ to hide under the rainbow!” said comedian and actress Wanda Sykes, who came out as lesbian in 2008.

“Kevin Spacey has just invented something that has never existed before: a bad time to come out,” said comedian, actor and television host Billy Eichner, calling his statement “truly disgusting, irresponsible and dangerous.”

The lawyer, editor and activist Glenn Greenwald, best known for his reporting on US surveillance and whistleblower Edward Snowden, was also critical.

“Kevin Spacey has immense wealth (and) fame, and yet never came out as a gay man until he needed a distraction from this story - (and) sympathy,” said Greenwald, who is gay.

“Nope to Kevin Spacey’s statement.

Nope. There’s no amount of drunk or closeted that excuses or explains away assaulting a 14-year-old child,” tweeted advice columnist and LGBT activist Dan Savage.

Shah Rukh Khan on Akshaye Khanna, Ittefaq and meeting Karan Johar for the first time

M

UMBAI (NDTV) - Shah Rukh Khan was spotted at a promotional event of the movie on Tuesday evening and joining him on stage were the film’s cast - Sonakshi Sinha, Sidharth Malhotra and Akshaye Khanna, along with firsttime director Abhay Chopra. Karan Johar was also there hosting the event - he actually co-produces the movie with SRK’s Red Chillies Entertainment and B.R. Studios. Shah Rukh, who was being his usual witty self, spoke about his first meeting with the show host and his equation with Akshaye Khanna among other things.

But what particularly caught our attention is what he had to say about the 42-year-old actor.

“He’s extremely reticent and quiet and that’s why he comes across as strange,” is how Shah Rukh responded to Karan’s statement that he finds Akshaye somewhat “scary”. “You have a really scary tone Akshay - you don’t have a tone at all,” is what Karan added while mentioning Akshaye avoided being part of Ittefaq promotions in order to maintain his sleeping pattern.

“Why are you link this?” asked Karan.

“He’s always a little off beat. He’s got a different beat that he dances to and I find that interesting. He comes

once in a while and creates something unfathomable. I really, really appreciate you as an actor. Having said that, I can also ask you ‘Why the hell are you like this?’” Shah Rukh said addressing Akshaye, whose reaction was a bout of laughter.

Talking about the upcoming movie, Shah Rukh referred to the 1969 Ittefaq - not to draw similarities but only to highlight that the new one should not be considered as a remake. “What’s wrongly essayed is that it’s not a remake - the premise might be similar to the 1969 Ittefaq but the movie has taken a flight of its own,” said Shah Rukh, adding that the characters played by Sonakshi Sinha and Sidharth Malhotra have added their own charm to it.

Talking about ittefaq IRL, Shah Rukh also spoke about his chance encounter (first ever) with Karan Johar on the sets of 1995 movie Karan Arjun. Till then, Karan had no intentions of joining Bollywood but SRK says what’s been a matter of ittefaq: “Being in touch with me convinced him that ‘let’s make movies’ because my dad is a filmmaker.” 1998’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was Karan Johar’s debut movie as a director, starring Shah Rukh in the lead.

Furthermore, the source said, “But the price he asked for was staggering. While it was okay for him to ask and get his desired price — reportedly in the vicinity of Rs 20 crores — in Telugu cinema, it was unrealistic for Prabhas to expect that kind of remuneration in Bollywood. No South Indian actor, not even Rajinikanth, has that kind of commercial clout in Hindi cinema. Prabhas has clearly out-priced himself from Bollywood.”

Buzz is that filmmaker Karan Johar wanted to launch Prabhas in Dharma Productions new film, however, Karan backed out of the decision of launching Prabhas after being acquainted with Prabhas’s price. “After Baahubali and its sequel, Karan was keen to launch Prabhas in Hindi cinema.

But on seeing the price he was asking, Karan has decided to abandon the idea of launching him,” said a source.

As per the reports, Prabhas who is currently prepping up for his bilingual Saaho has demanded Rs 30 crore for the film. Moreover, Prabhas has more followers than all the big actors of Bollywood in total. Also, these Bollywood actors charge a bomb for a single movie irrespective of whether or not the movie does well at the box office.

By comparison, Salman Khan is the top earner at Rs 60 crore per film with Aamir Khan second at Rs 50 crore.

Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Hrithik Roshan ask in the Rs 40-50 crore range for a movie starring role.

Prabhas’s hike in fee comes as a no surprise.

Prabhas who is currently prepping up for his bilingual Saaho has demanded Rs 30 crore for the film (File photo) However, in the wake of the events, Karan earlier chose to sent out a cryptic tweet which is supposed to be a dig at Prabhas. Karan tweeted, “Dear Am-

bition…if you have to achieve your full potential stay away from your arch nemesis….Comparison!” (-Eastern Eye)

Bollywood’s new penchant for movies about men helping to empower women is a welcome trend

by Rob Cain

A

t a time when all of Hollywood is in an uproar about powerful men in the film and TV industries who abuse their positions to demean and violate women, it’s reassuring to see that in Bollywood, at least some powerful men are doing their part to send the message that men can choose decency over depravity, to choose to help women rather than hurt them.

In Aamir Khan’s Dangal—India’s most popular and financially successful movie ever—a frustrated wrestler makes the sacrifices necessary to ensure that his daughters reach their full potential and become world champions in the sport.

Khan’s Secret Superstar has him in a supporting role as a crass, boorish and mildly misogynistic music producer who nevertheless gives his time, his money and even his dignity, to help a young girl achieve her dream and, more importantly, to help the girl’s mother liberate herself from a dangerously abusive husband.

Zaira Wasim, Aamir Khan and Meher Vu star in Secret Superstar. himself to the massive problem of women’s hygiene in developing countries, overcoming India’s taboo of discussing

menstruation by testing sanitary pads on himself, losing his reputation and his family’s respect in the process. (-Fortune)

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And in the upcoming Padman, written and directed by R. Balki (Cheeni Kum, Paa), Akshay Kumar portrays the reallife social entrepreneur Arunachalam Muruganantham, the inventor who risked everything, including his own reputation, to introduce low-cost and easily accessible sanitary napkins to poor women in India and around the world. Over the course of many years, he dedicated

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Voice of Asia

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

Section 2

Alzheimer’s nutrient drink falters in clinical trial

HEALTHY Eat right to stay fit

5. Get More Whole Grains.

the other half received one with no added nutrients.

Getty images

L

ONDON - There is no good evidence that a nutrient drink being sold online in the UK to “help” people with early Alzheimer’s actually slows the disease, say experts.

Latest trial results in patients who took Souvenaid did not find it preserves memory and thinking.

The authors say in Lancet Neurology that bigger studies are needed to show if the product can work as hoped.

And consumers should be aware that the £3.49 per bottle drink “is not a cure”.

Manufacturer Nutricia says its drink should only be taken under the direction of a doctor, specialist nurse or pharmacist.

What is the drink?

Souvenaid comes in strawberry or vanilla flavour and contains a combination of fatty acids, vitamins and other nutrients.

Taken once daily, the idea is that the boost of nutrients it provides will help keep Alzheimer’s at bay in people with the earliest signs of this type of dementia.

But the latest phase two clinical trial results do not prove this.

What the trial found The study involved 311 patients with very early Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment. All of them were asked to take a daily drink, but only half were given Souvenaid -

After two years of participating, the patients were reassessed to see if there was any difference between the two groups in terms of dementia progression, measured by various memory and cognitive tests.

The treatment did not appear to offer an advantage, although patients in the Souvenaid group did have slightly less brain shrinkage on scans, which the researchers say is promising because shrinkage in brain regions controlling memory is seen with worsening dementia.

But experts remain cautious.

Prof Tara Spires-Jones, a dementia expert at the University of Edinburgh, said: “Some of the other tests of brain structure and function were promising, but overall this study indicates that a specific change in nutrition is unlikely to make a large difference to people with Alzheimer’s, even in the early stages.

“There is strong evidence that a healthy lifestyle including exercise and a healthy diet can help reduce risk for developing dementia, but once the brain damage starts, a dietary intervention is unlikely to stop the disease.”

Another expert, Dr Elizabeth Coulthard from University of Bristol, said people should think carefully before buying something that is, as yet, unproven.

Dr David Reynolds, from Alzheimer’s Research UK, advised: “If people are worried about their memory, or are considering buying and taking Souvenaid as a supplement to manage their diet, then it is important that they discuss this with their GP.” A spokeswoman from Nutricia said: “We are pleased that this adds to the body of evidence for Souvenaid and we remain committed to ongoing and further clinical research.” (-BBC)

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6. Limit Refined Grains, Added Sugar.

7. Enjoy More Fish and Nuts.

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Good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Combined with physical activity, your diet can help you to reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases (like heart disease and cancer), and promote your overall health.

The term eating habits (or food habits) refers to why and how people eat, which foods they eat, and with whom they eat, as well as the ways people obtain, store, use, and discard food.

1. Developing healthy eating habits isn’t as confusing or as restrictive as many people imagine.

2. Consume a Variety of Foods. Keep an Eye on Portions.

4. Eat Plenty of Produce.

Most adults need to lose weight, and need to eat fewer calories to do this. ... Eating a healthy, balanced diet will help: aim to cut down on foods that are high in saturated fat and sugar, and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Eating vegetables provides health benefits – people who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.

Some of the other factors that influence food choice include: • Biological determinants such as hunger, appetite, and taste.

• Economic determinants such as cost, income, availability.

• Physical determinants such as access, education, skills (e.g. cooking) and time.

Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods that give you the nutrients you need to maintain your health, feel good, and have energy. These nutrients include protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, vitamins, and minerals. Nutrition is important for everyone. ... No food or diet can prevent you from getting breast cancer.

A balanced diet means eating plenty of different foods from four main groups of foods and limiting the amount we eat from a smaller fifth group. Ultimately, it’s as simple as eating more fruit, veg, starchy, fibrerich foods and fresh products, and fewer fatty, sugary, salty and processed foods.

Simple food for super health • Spinach. Substitutes: Kale, bok choy, romaine lettuce. ...

• Yogurt. Substitutes: Kefir, soy yogurt. ...

• Tomatoes. Substitutes: Red watermelon, pink grapefruit, Japanese persimmon, papaya, guava. ...

• Carrots. ...

• Blueberries. ...

• Black Beans. ...

• Walnuts.

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Six Health Care Expenses Medicare Won’t Pay For Don’t be caught off guard by the services the program fails to fully cover.

Roughly 56 million Americans rely on Medicare to help cover the cost of their doctor visits, hospitalizations and prescription drugs. But like most forms of health insurance, the program won’t cover everything. The services Medicare won’t help pay for often come as a surprise and can leave people with hefty medical bills.

Here are six services Medicare doesn’t fully cover.

Long-Term Nursing Home Care Many beneficiaries are caught off guard by Medicare’s lack of coverage for long-term nursing care.

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In fact research shows that about half of all Medicare costs are paid by beneficiaries out of their own pocket – and a big portion is for longterm care. Medicare will pay for some shorterterm nursing home care, but only up to 100 days following a three-day inpatient hospital stay.

But beware: A common practice is to hospitalize patients for several nights in what’s called an observation unit, which is considered outpatient care. Unless you’re admitted as an inpatient, you won’t qualify for needed nursing home care following your hospital stay.

Once admitted to the hospital, it’s important to confirm directly with your medical care team that you are being cared for as an inpatient, rather than under observation.

Dental and Vision Care Traditional Medicare does not cover the cost of routine dental care, including dental cleanings, oral exams, fillings and extractions. Eye glasses and contact lenses aren’t covered either.

Medicare will help pay for some services, however, as long as they are considered medically necessary. For example, cataract surgery and one pair of glasses following the procedure are covered, although you must pay 20 percent of the cost, including a Part B deductible except in extreme medically necessary situation.

Many Medicare Advantage plans, which are Medicare policies administered by private insurers, may offer benefits to help cover the cost of routine dental and vision care.

Out-of-Area Care With traditional Medicare, you can get coverage for treatment if you’re hospitalized or need to see a doctor while you’re away from home inside the U.S. People covered by Medicare Advantage policies, however, generally need to see doctors within their plan’s network for full coverage. If your plan is a preferred provider organization, or PPO, you may get help from your insurer paying for services outside of its provider network, although at a lower rate. If your plan is an HMO, however, you could be on the hook for the entire bill, as these policies generally don’t pay for care delivered by health

Sudhir Mathuria Licensed Professional Health Life 360 6776 Southwest Freeway, Suite # 178 Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900 www.MyMedicarePlanning.com care providers who don’t participate in the network.

When it comes to travel overseas, Medicare rarely covers the cost of medical services, except under special circumstances in Canada or for care delivered on a cruise ship within six hours of a U.S. port.

Many Medigap plans, supplemental insurance that helps cover the cost of care that Medicare doesn’t, will pay 80 percent of billed charges for emergency care that’s deemed to be medically necessary and is delivered within the first two months of a trip outside the U.S. You’ll first need to meet a $250 annual deductible. There’s also a lifetime limit of $50,000 for foreign travel emergency care.

And sometimes Medicare Advantage plans offer worldwide coverage for emergencies, but not all plans offer the same extra services or define emergency in the same way.

Hearing Aids Medicare will cover the cost of diagnostic hearing exams, as long as they’re ordered by your doctor to determine if medical treatment is needed. The program will also pay for cochlear implants to repair damage to the inner ear.

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LIVING

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

Children’s brain cells changed by internet porn: neurosurgeon

R I

OME, Italy | AFP | Friday 10/6/2017.

PLEASE NOTE sexual content throughout

FDA to revoke soy health claim

by Debra Goldschmidt and Jacqueline Howard

W

ASHINGTON - The US Food and Drug Administration called into question Monday the authorized health claim that soy protein reduces heart disease risk.

“We are proposing a rule to revoke a health claim for soy protein and heart disease,” said a statement from Susan Mayne, director of the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “For the first time, we have considered it necessary to propose a rule to revoke a health claim because numerous studies published since the claim was authorized in 1999 have presented inconsistent findings on the relationship between soy protein and heart disease.”

ly intake of soy protein may slightly lower “bad” LDL cholesterol, possibly leading to healthy-heart benefits.

“But we’ve since learned that not every way of lowering cholesterol has benefits, and some things that do lower cholesterol actually have shown harm, (and) what we know is that there was never any clinical trials ever that showed eating more soy improves heart health,” said Dr. Karol Watson, a cardiologist and director of the UCLA Women’s Cardiovascular Health Center.

Yet many Americans rely on highquality protein like soy, said John Erdman, professor emeritus in the division of nutritional sciences at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign and a scientific adviser to the Soy Nutrition Institute.

nternet pornography changes children’s brain cells”, says American neurosurgeon Donald Hilton.

At a world congress this week in Rome on the sexual dangers facing children in the digital world, Hilton warned against the devastating effects of violent pornographic web clips on young brains, in an interview with AFP. His concern is shared by Pope Francis, who on Friday received the 150 experts of the congress at the Vatican and urged the world to take action.

Following are three questions Hilton, from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, answered on the issue.

Q: What happens in a child’s brain when viewing large amounts of pornographic web films?

A: Our brain cells change with learning. Addictive learning sculpts the brain in a very damaging way and we can become very set in certain behaviours and tastes.

For consumers, the FDA’s move does not change the nature of soy or its potential role as a vegetarian alternative to animal protein, wrote Linda Van Horn, professor and chief of nutrition in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, in an email.

“If nothing else, it doesn’t contain cholesterol, and it’s not high in saturated fats, so if you’re replacing meat or dairy with soy, you’re automatically getting heart health benefits,” he said.

When there is a reward like pornography, that’s a specially powerful printing process. The brain doesn’t forget that. A 12- year-old who sees hardcore porn is going to say ‘Wow that was amazing’.

Erdman was disappointed but not surprised with the FDA’s announcement, he said.

Sometimes children may be frightened, but the fascination overcomes the fright eventually.

“Vegetarian diets can be nutritious and offer a way to lower LDLcholesterol when saturated fat intake from meats or other animal sources are substituted with vegetable protein and especially when accompanied by poly-unsaturated fat sources,” Van Horn said.

After all, he said, the FDA has been “under tremendous pressure” from anti-soy groups like the Weston A. Price Foundation to revoke the claim, despite some studies suggesting that soy has health benefits. The foundation is a nonprofit that works to restore what it calls nutrient-dense foods to the human diet, according to its website.

One thing our brain wants is novelty, change. It wants a different face, a different body shape. Boys, and increasingly girls, are struggling with porn.

They literally surf for hours looking for the perfect clip to masturbate to.

“Bottom line: the FDA decision does not condemn soy protein as a harmful ingredient when consumed within a healthy eating pattern,” she wrote. “It simply acknowledges the scientific evidence indicating no special benefit independently as an agent to reduce risk of CVD,” or cardiovascular disease.

Soy protein comes from soybeans, and some research suggests that a dai-

“There was a sufficient amount of data prior to 1999 to suggest that 25 grams of soy protein a day was sufficient to lower cholesterol, assuming you had an otherwise appropriate diet,” said Erdman, who authored a statement paper in the journal Circulation in 2000 that concluded “it is prudent to recommend including soy protein foods in a diet low in saturated

There is a lot of scientific evidence that sex can, and in particular internet porn, be addictive. It’s like a blackjack game, it’s a different set of cards every time.

Q: Will they necessarily want to

fat and cholesterol to promote heart health.”

Then, in 2008, the American Heart Association stated that there was not

This handout picture released by the Vatican press office shows Pope Francis (R) during a meeting with the participants to the congress “Child Dignity in the Digital World” on October 6, 2017 at the Vatican (AFP Photo/HO) imitate what they see?

A: Porn is destroying the ability to feel emotion. And the push for teen girls to allow boys to perform painful anal sex on them was described as coercion in a recent study of a British medical journal.

Ninety-three percent of boys and 62 percent of girls under the age of 18 have been exposed to internet pornography. And a review of the 250 most popular pornographic films found that 88 percent of the scenes contain physical aggression towards women.

Men also get to the point where real women are just bad porn and they are more interested in porn than having a relationship with a real woman.

And virtual-reality porn films are arriving with fantastic new technology used for simulators. It’s quite expensive but a lot of porn producers are really investing in this right now.

I believe the porno-fied culture is affecting everybody.

Q: Are young actors and actresses, growing up in this porn culture, also victims?

A: Pornography is a very exploitive industry. Young female performers are

enough evidence to claim a strong link between soy protein and the reduced risk of coronary heart disease.

Last year, the FDA denied a citi-

used up in two years. They call it “shot out” within two years. There are A, B and C girls. By the time they are a C girl, they have to do pretty violent stuff to still get the phone call. And there are so many new ones conditioned by their culture, coming to the set “porn ready”.

For so long porn has been relegated to the moral and religious realms.

Let’s leave religion out and talk from a public health perspective.

Can we really say that porn is good and that everyone should view it if the people that make it are being harmed?

Porn is filmed prostitution.

During Roman times thousands of people and animals were killed in the colosseum and spectators enjoyed it.

I think we have a neon colosseum of screens, where far more people are enjoying people getting harmed.

I think we are worse than the ancient Romans. At least they did it openly, but we hide behind our screens at night and tell us it’s OK. We must not allow pornographers to control the sexual education of our children. We call upon lawmakers to protect the children.

zen petition requesting that the health claims about soy protein and reduced risk of heart disease be revoked.

(-CNN)

Like Us www.indiacaregiversupport.com Brian Mertz, M.S. CEO “Helping India Caregivers Help Others” “We are a caregiver information and advocacy website that all Indian Americans could use”

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VOICE OF ASIA 21

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

LOCAL

ASTROS

Katy Premier League‘s ‘Charity Thru Sports’

“The Wow Series”

spirited yet an affable game of volleyball between friends with lot of laughter, fun and friendly banter was a weekly ritual.

The group was rocked when a shattering news broke out - a good friend and fellow player was fighting for his life due to cancer and was going through a challenging period. This devastating news brought them even closer and sowed seeds for the birth of KPL.

A

The first KPL was conducted in 2012 and the proceeds amounting to 50K+ dollars were collected for his treatment. Unfortunately, he couldn’t be saved but it ignited a never-ending fire. Since then, every year such causes are identified and the KPL tournament proceedings are donated towards the cause. Ever since, the motto of KPL has been “Charity thru Sports”.

In 2013, a total of 10K+ dollars, was donated to ‘SaveBhoopal’ campaign who suffered from a fatal accident. In 2014, 8K+ dollars, was donated to save a child in India suffering from terminal illness. In 2015, 9K+ dollars, was provided towards the treatment of a Texas A&M student involved in a serious road accident. In 2016, 20K+ dollars was donated to the family of Late Sri Udaykumar Gullapalli. In 2017, funds were raised for Pranay Sahay, Cancer patient and towards Harvey Relief fund. Through the last 6 years KPL was able raise and donate 140K+ dollars towards various causes.

The initial Kick-off and Captain’s meeting of KPL 2017 was conducted on Oct 1st, 2017 at Mayuri restaurant. After a quick foreword and commentary about beneficiaries of KPL 2017, the local restaurant owners were felicitated for their selfless and invaluable com-

Through the last 6 years, KPL have been able donate 140K+ dollars in charity, including this event which raised over $37,000 for Pranay Sahay and Harvey Relief Fund (Photo courtesy KPL)

munity service during Harvey.

Later, the sponsors unveiled team jerseys and presented it to the respective team captains.

KPL 2017 tournament was conducted on Oct 6th and Oct 7th, 2017 at Houston Sportsplex for various sporting activities like Volleyball for Men & Women (24 teams from all over Texas), Throwball for Women (5 teams) and fun activities for Kids.

KPL 2017 had 30 + Corporate Sponsors, primarily from ITServe Alliance of Companies sponsoring teams. The league level matches were conducted on Friday, Oct 6th, 2017 while the Playoffs were conducted on Saturday, Oct 7th,2017.

The final day was conducted as a Family Night where Kids were consistently engaged with lot of impromptu games, popquizzes, face painting, balloon making etc and lot of prizes to go with that. All KPL 2017 participants had whale of a time singing and dancing to the entertaining music. KPL 2017 concluded with a Grand Gala Dinner, arranged by KPL with the help of sponsorship from

local Restaurants, followed by a roaring Trophy presentation ceremony. Throughout the tournament, KPL arranged plenty of water, Gatorade, fruits and nuts for all participants. KPL 2017, a celebration of ‘Sports thru Charity’ was attended by 600+ People.

Both Volleyball and Throw ball tournaments saw excellent camaraderie along with fierce competition. For the volleyball tournament, Houston Knights were the Winners of Advanced level, while Houston Panthers came Runners-up. Katy Warriors were the Winners of the Intermediate level trophy while Telfair Titans lifted the runnersup trophy. Kings of Kingsville were Winners of Beginner’s level while Pepon Smashers were Runner’s up. Throwball, Katy Xenas were the Winners and Telfair Stars were Runner’s up.

Overall it was a fun and action-packed Weekend. KPL, with the help of Sponsors/ friends/participants who gave their share to show that they care, raised $37K+ for Pranay Sahay and Harvey Relief Fund.

FOOTBALL

Most Texans kneel during anthem after owner’s comments

S

EATTLE (AP) — All but 10 members of the Houston Texans took a knee during the national anthem Sunday, as the vast majority of the team protested the owner’s “inmates running the prison” comment.

The Texans had indicated there would be some type of protest following the comments by owner Bob McNair. It came prior to the Texans’ wild 41-38 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

“I’m never going to force anyone to do anything they don’t feel comfortable with. I think we all felt the same way on Friday,” said Houston left tackle Duane Brown. “As far as the demonstration went, some people didn’t feel quite comfortable (kneeling) and some people did, but we all supported each other. That was what was important. I don’t think that anyone looks at anyone differently for what they stood for or didn’t stand for.”

All of the team’s black players appeared to take a knee. At least one white player — Ben Heeney — also knelt.

Brown said McNair met with the players but that it went “not too well.” ”But we blocked out all distractions and came out here ready to play,” Brown said.

The entire team took the field about 10 minutes before kickoff. When the anthem started the majority of the active roster (approximately 36 players) took a knee. Houston coach Bill O’Brien said he had meetings with his leadership committee and was in support of his players actions. ”I love my players, I support them 100 percent,” O’Brien said.

DeAndre Hopkins was among the players kneeling on Sunday. Hopkins was excused from practice on Friday following the release of McNair’s comments. When asked about why he did not practice on Friday, Hopkins responded that the “Seahawks played a great game,” but later was more introspective about his decisions. ”I’ve been through a lot in

McNair issued two apologies attempting to explain his comments after a story in ESPN The Magazine revealed that he said “we can’t have the inmates running the prison” during a meeting of NFL owners about players protests.

Hopkins had the second-best game of his career on Sunday with 224 yards receiving. ”I play football for a living. I don’t get into political things,” he said. “So what I did there on the field, that’s what I do for a living.”

Rookie QB Deshaun Watson, who had the best game of his young career throwing for 402 yards and four TDs, declined to comment about McNair and said he was impressed by the mental toughness shown by his team this week. ”People have their own beliefs and for what they believe in and what they really feel like they care about,” Watson said. “People have their own decisions, we’re all grown men and once the ball is ready to be kicked, we’re ready to play.” #The majority of Seattle’s defensive line continued to sit as it has for most of the season.

PET of the WEEK

#The players that remained standing were: LB Brian Peters, P Shane Lechler, long snapper Jon Weeks, FB Jay Prosch, T Breno Giacomini, C Nick Martin, C Greg Mancz, TE Ryan Griffin, QB Tom Savage G and G Xavier Su’a-Filo, who is of Samoan decent.

I need a loving home

H

OUSTON - Here’s one moment out of many: This was the bottom of the seventh inning in Game 3, in Houston, back when the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros were tied at one game apiece in the World Series. The home team was up 5-3 and the bases were loaded when George Springer, Houston’s leadoff hitter, got a pitch to hit from Ross Stripling, the Dodgers’ sixth pitcher of the game.

He hit almost all of it, or just about as much of a ball as a bat can get, and a home crowd that was already rustling urgently naturally kicked up one of those swelling postseason roars that sounds more like weather than anything that any number of sufficiently motivated people

could create: low and raw and first bass-y and then trebled out in the red, all primal and fritzy and strange. Los Angeles center fielder Chris Taylor caught the ball on the warning track, about his body’s breadth from the wall; the sound changed, and Fox’s cameras caught fans processing what looked like dozens of individuated neardeath experiences. Stripling, grinning and barely vindicated, slapped his glove and mouthed the word “wow.”

In a World Series that has given us every type of enjoyable baseball experience over its first five games, Game 3 was The Pleasantly Boring One. Yu Darvish couldn’t get his pitches to do what he wanted them to do, the Astros got out to a healthy early lead, and the game just kind of kept work-

Then by the end of the weekend, the Astros had lost and won another game, in ways economic and protracted, shocking and inevitable, predictable and unprecedented. Game 5, which went 10 innings and ended 1312 and was more or less as long as a Godfather/Apocalypse Now double feature, included basically all of those attributes on its own. Since then, it has been that kind of series.

Small as it may have been in the grand scheme of things, Ross Stripling’s vanished moment of awe neatly sums up this series.

Baseball has needed “wow,” and that’s what this World Series has delivered best. (-Deadspin.com)

SOCCER

Local, national figures seek way forward for grassroots soccer

by Chris Lillstung

W

hen it comes to the dynamic of youth soccer, virtually all invested parties in the United States acknowledge something needs to change. The U.S. men’s national team not qualifying for the World Cup merely served to move the discussion to the forefront.

At the local levels, club coaches such as Mario Grgic and Zeljko Kalic from Croatia Juniors know it. Partners such as Andrews Osborne head of school Larry Goodman know it.

National figures such as U.S. Club Soccer CEO Kevin Payne get it as well. Where it all deviates is the how part — and that is a conundrum.

In order to improve skill and have a showcase for college soccer and possibly beyond, families learn early the hard way it’s going to require the financial resources to get there.

It could involve thousands of dollars a year to play and train in club programs, attend skill camps and travel throughout the region and country to showcases. The model is known as “pay to play,” which can have unintended consequences.

“All sports are becoming expensive,” Kalic said. “There’s so many clubs, and I think that a majority of the clubs have found out that, ‘Hey, we can make money.’ And a lot of them are making livings on running soccer clubs. Of course, you bring in coaches — you’ve got to pay them well. “And that excludes a lot of people.”

Those without the financial means to improve themselves in the sport could, essentially, be priced out of the game.

“With the pay to play model, it’s becoming a white-collar sport,” Grgic said. “If you really want to better yourself, you have to have the resources

or you have to have the funds to deal with the travel — sometimes a couple hundred miles a couple times a week.

“There’s plenty of talent, and there’s plenty of local kids that are never going to get the exposure. I think that’s throughout the U.S.” Many experts, including former U.S. men’s national team striker and ESPN analyst Taylor Twellman, have argued for more investment into youth development.

“I note that if I were going to recruit basketball players, their expectation is that I’m going to pay,” Goodman said. “So the greatest basketball players in the country — everybody’s playing pickup games and it’s a very accessible game. But when it comes time to mature to that next level, the assumption is that the institution or the academy is going to pay for this basketball player.

“I’m learning that in soccer, that’s not the case. So it’s not a pure meritocracy.”

But, as Payne contends, the tab has to be picked up.

“People that talk about (youth soccer being underwritten by a single payer) are pretty naive and don’t have much understanding,” Payne said. “I keep saying this: Somebody pays.

Everywhere. Soccer is not free anywhere, unless it’s kids playing in the park by themselves with no adults. So somebody has to pay. If you’re talking about a soccer system the size of the United States, with the number of programs we have with kids playing, it’s impossible to think there’s going to be a single payer.

“That would require a couple billion dollars a year, and that’s just not going to get spent.”

Because of the financial burden soccer — and really most sports — can become, the concern is whether soccer is reach-

VOICE OF ASIA

ing all of the communities and potential players it needs to across America. Are the nation’s best teenagers choosing to carry on with soccer once a sport choice must be made?

“At the age of 5 or 6, it’s very crucial when these kids come in, if they don’t have a positive, good experience with good fundamentals with the coaching, those kids eventually get pushed into different sports,” Grgic said.

The incentive needs to be there in order to players to want to be involved in soccer longterm.

“Obviously, we need to ensure that we’re providing a great youth soccer experience to every kid so that we don’t drive anybody out of the game,” Payne said. “You’re talking about exceptional athletes who have the ability to raise to the very top of the game. It’s hard to identify who they are at an early age — it’s not hard. It’s impossible, pretty much.”

Especially when there isn’t an agreed-upon universal way forward from a technical standpoint.

“I don’t think we have a style,” Grgic said. “As a federation, we don’t have a style of soccer. You talk Italians, they’re really good technically.

Spaniards are good on the ball, and the movement off the ball is amazing. Germans are strong but very technical. I don’t know if we have a style.”

The U.S. Soccer Federation hopes to improve skill at the formative ages of 6 to 12 with its new player development initiatives. Among the desired changes are smaller-sided games — 4-on-4 with a field 35 yards long and 25 yards wide and a smaller ball and goal for 6- to 8-year-olds, for example, increasing to 7-on-7 and 9-on-9 on larger pitches for 9- to 12-year-olds. (- The News Herald)

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KIBA - ID#A007143

#It was the first time the Texans had participated in a protest this season that included players kneeling during the anthem.

The Texans stood with their arms locked before kickoff on Sept. 24 in New England, the weekend when 200 players around the league protested following President Donald Trump’s criticism.

life so nothing really, words, is going to stop me from going out and performing on the field,” Hopkins said.

by David Roth

ing itself out as it had otherwise been working itself out; the Dodgers got no closer, the Astros were never significantly more at risk, and so Houston went up in the series. That is all history, and not the interesting kind.

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HOROSCOPE

VOICE OF ASIA 22

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

Your Horoscope for the Week of November 3, 2017 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 You may attend social events. Take the time to meet others & express your views & your views will become crystal clear. Your universal appeal will help to make your dreams come true. If you go with the flow & you’ll gain recognition for your sensitivity & down to earth approach. Don’t be afraid to tell your story, you’ll find out who cares and who doesn’t. You need loyal allies now, the weak need not apply. You’ll be able to use these opportunities to further promote your interests in business.

Take your position, with confidence & others will show their support. Think positive & pieces will fall into place. Focus is on finding a perfect niche for your style. Your independent spirit should help you find the perfect place for you to enjoy what you do. An exciting person may push you to try something new, possibly even dangerous. A little risk-taking could be good for you. Open the doors & be yourself. Take pride in how you handle your time with organization & confidence.

Scorpio (N,Y) 23 Oct to 21 Nov

Taurus (B,V,U) 21 April to 20 May Feelings, of being overworked and undervalued. You and your partner can connect and tell each other your troubles. Even though you may feel unusually high-strung, don’t allow your tension to cause you to make a wrong move or a false start. Stick with what you know, both in things and in people. Someone you’ve known a long time may contact you from a long distance. If possible, you should plan a reunion along with mates and partners.

Try to reflect on positive influences rather than the negative ones. Your keen understanding of the direction you’re headed in will enhance your confidence & assist you in achieving your goals. High emotional & spiritual feelings are Your motives & could be challenged by those you love & trust. Focus your energy, exhibit your generous nature & understand other’s feelings. Your rewards will far outweigh the effort. You’ll be able to achieve success, if you trust your gut feelings & remain loyal to your friends & family.

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

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June Take a risk and reach out for new goals & targets. Get ready for some serious sit-down negotiations now. It’s vital that you know what you want before the discussion begins. You don’t want to be with some hardheaded person who is going to bully you. Your best protection is preparation. If possible, rehearse. This allows you to consider all the possibilities, rather than have to deal with them on the spot. Your interactions with the people around you should be free and easy. You should get plenty of cooperation, especially in romantic encounters.

You’ll feel a new energy that’s been building up inside you for some time. You need to change with the times, face the challenges at hand. If you aren’t already in control, you soon will be. An old schedule or budget may no longer be relevant. The world awaits your next move so don’t waste this rare opportunity. Luck is on your side as long as you are reasonable in what you ask for. Confidence and hard work are an excellent combination to get the job done right. Don’t compound things by being defensive.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July Your quick mind, calmness & memory will help you in any creative endeavors you try. Strong friendships that came about by is just you being yourself. It’s hard sometimes for you to be open about yourself, but this week you’ll find yourself feeling confident enough to confide in others. Travel could bring you cultural knowledge that can’t be learned in any other way. Be careful not to put too much trust in relatives who are incapable of comprehending your personal situation. Use your humor to put them in their place.

It’s Time for Spark in your personal and professional relationships. They will grow & blossom beyond your expectations. Utilize your energy to organize, re-build & prepare for upcoming events. Your personal magnetism & appeal will certainly give you an edge in everything you do. Be careful about miscommunication with others, be honest with your approach. Recent changes in your lifestyle could prove to be a positive influence on others.

You may be pleasantly surprised by comments made by higher ups.

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

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August The future is yours if you know what to do with it. First you need to find out how things work, then you will know how to repeat the conditions when necessary. You need to put more effort into achieving your goals. An almost finished project will get an extra creative push. You’ll be able to find exactly who you want on your team. Avoid any new developments that aren’t directly related to what you must do. You know where you belong because everyone there knows you too well. Family issues should be re-examined.

Your ability to win others over to your side & Your style alone will make you popular.

You’re at home with a full plate of tasks and a busy room to entertain. You may feel tired of being in the supporting role and be ready to quit. Hesitate on the quitting and focus on your message. Be open about your feelings. Take a bigger slice of the responsibility than usual. By boosting your confidence, you’ll raise the value of your work. A new you is beginning to emerge. With your resources, lucrative people will find you to be indispensable.

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

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September Listen to your heart, the sound of it may surprise you at first. Let your true feelings come to the surface, deal with little problems before they compound into larger ones.

Your positive approach in dealing with others’ problems will help them to heal emotionally, spiritually. You may also have the gift of being able to push others in the direction you want them to go. You understand how to use the energy of the team, and this enables you to stretch a dollar with great success. Lend support, but don’t allow others to take advantage of you.

Read your Weekly Horoscope Online

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Personal decisions which will make you feel more secure in who you are. Your energy has recently been weakened by others trying to pull you down. Don’t allow others to make you feel inferior, make your mark & stick to it. Family & friends will express their genuine gratitude for your honest efforts. Entertaining, attending social events will allow you to network your ideas. If you prepare properly, this could be a great adventure. You’ll have opportunities to meet interesting people that will help you to broaden your horizons.

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Auto Care & Sales

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visit us at : www.mdassociatescpas.com

B&J Auto Care & Sales Auto repair (Collision repair (all insurance), Mechanical (Brakes, Oil change, • Used Car Sales Engine and Transmission) • Used & New Tires Blessy 281-323-9315 • Great Service • 3242 5th St , Stafford TX - 77477

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Networking and computer Repair – Home & Business, on site, Microsoft MCSE & A+ certified, low flat rates, free estimates, pickup & delivery, www.PCNetworkGuru.com Call Amit at 832-971-6807

India’s Restaurant & Catering for special parties and corporate events. Preferred Wine list, Authentic vegetarian & non-vegetarian dishes, finest Indian cuisine with chef’s special dishes

Restaurants

Ph: 713-266-0131/ 0805

Place JOB CLASSIFIEDS for $30/weekly Find Qualified Candidates today for your company Call: 713-774-5140 www.voiceofasiaonline.com

We cater from 10 people to 800 people for all occasions.

We deliver to your venue.

Madhuram Mirch Masala 10758 FM 1960 West Houston, TX 77070 281.955.9878 216.338.3940 (cell)

Amazing Opportunity!

If you invest just $2 a day

Shiva Indian Restaurant & Catering Specializing in North Indian Cuisine, office & Corporate catering

• 2514 Times Blvd, Rice Village, Ph: 713-523-4753 Visit us online: www.shivarestaurant.com

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VOICE OF ASIA 23

Recovery Architectural & Engineering Services RFQ Houston First Corporation requests statements of qualification from experienced architectural firms and their sub-consultants able to develop design documents pertaining to the restoration of Wortham Theater Center and the Theater District Underground Parking Garages in downtown Houston, Texas.

The diversity goal for this RFQ is 30%. Please visit https://www.houstonfirst. com/do-business for full details.

Houston Community College Request for Proposals (RFP) Cisco Maintenance and Support Project No. 18-04 Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Tuesday, November 28, 2017.

Documents can be obtained at: www.hccs. edu/procurement.

Houston Community College Invitation for Bid (IFB) 18-10 Sale of Approx 0.717 Acres of Land (Delano) Project No. 18-10 Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Wednesday 29, 2017.

Documents can be obtained at: www.hccs. edu/procurement.

November is National Diabetes Month Talk to your doctor about your risk and how to lower your chances to get diabetes.

CLASSIFIEDS Home for Sale - Chennai

Independent south facing home, with 4 br, 6 baths, 3 kitchens, in west Mambalam, Chennai city. Ideal for NRI parents - 3750 sft Bldg on 2gr, 35 sft plot of land, with setup to rent out rear block possible, within 10 mins walking distance to banks, temples, schools, major shopping areas, railway station, with good metro/city & well water suppy and drainage.

Equipped rain water harvesting and garden with tulasi flowering plants plantain trees 3 coconut trees, Vilwa tree, Citrus tree and one Jack fruit tree. Sale value Eight crores, negotiable, contact owner, now on a visit to the U.S and Canada, by email: laks32vnst@gmail.com Tel: +1 470 257 8581 or +971-50-445 6169

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017

Job Posting – Director/Photojournalist – Multi-Platform Content KTRK-TV’s Programming Department has an immediate opening for a Director/Photojournalist…a Creative Genius who excels in all aspects of Compelling Visual Storytelling whether it’s a newscast or producing Short and Long Form Content.

Qualified candidates will work on a variety of multi-platform station projects from idea concept to execution. Must be a “passionate” consumer of multi-platform content with a strong understanding of how to generate content that engages audiences.

Excellent Directing, Shooting, Editing, Lighting, and Producing Skills as well as In-depth knowledge of Ross Overdrive, Panasonic AJ-PX5000G 2/3 ENG Style Camcorder and Final Cut Pro Edit System are required.

Must be a hard-working, high-energy team player and effective communicator with a “can do” attitude. Must also be organized, efficient, capable of juggling multiple projects, and able to work under tight deadlines.

Candidates should have at least 5 years major market experience as a Director/Photojournalist, a clean driving record and Must provide Samples of their Work.

All applicants must be willing to work any day or shift needed.

To be considered interested applicants must apply on-line at www.disneycareers.com by uploading a resume file, cover letter and list of references. Please reference Job Requisition # 497986BR Equal Opportunity Employer – Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/ Gender Identity. No Telephone Calls.

JOB POSTING – Executive Producer, Multi-Platform Content KTRK-TV’s Programming Department is looking for an Executive Producer with a proven track record in broadcast and digital content creation. Will work on a variety of multi-platform projects for the station including both short and long form, live and taped shows and stories.

Must be a “passionate” consumer of multi-platform content with a strong understanding of how to generate content that engages audiences.

This person must be a creative genius who can not only constantly come up with creative & relevant content ideas, but also possesses all key production knowledge necessary to produce, present & promote this content in a compelling manner. This is a Hands-On position requiring excellent writing and producing skills, in-depth shooting & editing knowledge, and the ability to be on camera when needed.

Must be a strong team leader and effective communicator with a “can do” attitude. Must be organized, efficient, and capable of juggling multiple projects and working under tight deadlines.

Candidates should have at least 5 years producing experience in a major market.

All applicants must be willing to work any day or shift needed.

To be considered interested applicants must apply on-line at www.disneycareers.com by uploading a resume file, cover letter and list of references. Please reference Job Requisition # 498657BR Equal Opportunity Employer – Female/Minority/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity. No Telephone Calls.

Civil Engineer/Assistant/Technician Needed

Civil Engineer/Assistant/ Technician needed Office Secretary - Data entry, must be proficient in Word and Excel.

(Both part-time and full time options) Fax resume to 281-407-6335 or email to info@texasgeotechnical.com

Name Change

I’d like to officially change my name.

My old name was: “ SULTANALI” My new name is: “ SULTANALI J. PANJWANI” I reside at 1020 Brand Ln, Apt # 1115 Stafford, Texas 77477

Full time and Part time employees Wanted Indian Caterer / Carry out store in Missouri City, TX, looking for full time and part-time employees. Tuesday to Sunday, 7am to 8pm.

Kitchen experience preferred.

Please contact: 713-505-4499

Name Change I MEERA NEEL MEHTA, daughter of Maheshkumar Mohanbhai Dave, holder of Indian Passport No G5346135 Issued at Ahmedabad on Oct. 13, 2007, permanent resident of, Mira Complex, Station Plot Dhari, Amereli Gujarat 36564, India and presently residing at 3715 Auburn Grove Circle, Missouri City77459 USA do hereby change my name from MIRABEN MAHESHKUMAR DAVE to MEERA NEEL MEHTA, with immediate effect.

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VOICE OF ASIA 24

FRIDAY, November 3, 2017