VOICE OF ASIA 1
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FRIDAY, August 22, 2014
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nderstanding Different Types of Annuities. Read on Page 18 Or Call: 713-771-2900.
Vol. 27 No. 34 Friday, August 22, 2014 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 24Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com
India’s 68th Independence Day Celebrated in Houston
India Culture Center celebrates I-Fest 2014 and I-Day Consul General of India, Houston hoists India’s Tricolor Report on Pages 6 & 8
Report on Page 3
Janmashtami at ISKCON of Houston draws record crowd
ISKCON of Houston celebrated the most anticipated festival of year, the appearance of Lord Krishna, also referred to as Krishna Janmashtami on Sunday, August 17th. An estimated 8,000 visitors attended this event at the recently completed state of the art spiritual center in Houston.
An ancient tradition to commemorate the divine appearance of Lord Krishna, whom the Vedic literatures profess to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. ISKCON of Houston has been observing this festival for over 35 years to date and the newly constructed spectacular “blue palace” attracted thousands of visitors throughout the day. A multitude of flower garlands, made of fresh marigolds and roses heightened the charm of the sparkling marble decor of the temple room. Iskcon is renowned for high standards in deity worship and this year’s Janmashtami in Houston was no exception. The temple is home to the beautiful deities Continued on Page 8
Thousands of devotees seen rejoicing in the celebration of Lord Krishna’s birthday - Janmashtami at the ISKCON Houston new temple. Photo by Thejas Rajaram
OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS
VOICE OF ASIA 2
Indian Cultural Values Versus American Democratic System
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by Chandra K. Mittal, M.S., Ph.D., FCP
Columnists: Legal: Richard M. Alderman Legal: Sharlene Sharmila Richards Medical: Kesavan Shan, MD Research: Prof. Meenakshi Bhattacharjee Health Insurance: Sudhir Mathuria Astrology: Hardik Vyas
When living in America, hardly a day goes by when one does not hear of an incidence, event or a situation in the Indo-American community that is either not in conict or incompatible with the principles of American democracy based on rule of law. This is true with both individuals as well as in public organizations controlled by Indo-Americans. Most of these instances involve feudal, corrupt practices and prejudices that are integral to Indian cultural value system as reected by their exclusionary practices. Traditional Indian culture is not inclusionary in nature. Although these are not declared policies, but these are practiced nevertheless in subtle ways since many Indo-Americans feel at home with them.
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Shobana Muratee
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
United States came into existence as an independent country in 1776 for the exceptional purpose of guaranteeing and protecting equality, freedom and individual’s rights in order to achieve the basic objectives of “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness� as enshrined in the Declaration of Independence - the founding document of America. This document also characterizes individual freedom and liberty as the God given “inalienable rights� which could not be taken away by anybody including the government.
Voice of Asia (USPS 010-215) (ISSN#10705058) is published every Friday (for a subscription rate of $30 per year) by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713774-5143. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Voice of Asia, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074 Advertising Disclaimer 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.
It is the “individual freedomâ€? and the national resolve to defend it that forms the core conscience of the American constitution. American democratic principles put the human being at the “centerâ€? of the governance as President Abraham Lincoln emphasized it in his Gettysburg speech stating â€œâ€Śâ€Ś.that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall never perish‌..â€?. Feudalism is patently alien to the American democracy, and has absolutely no place here in public life.
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 conďŹ rmation 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. - The Publisher
The Indian cultural values, on the other hand, which evolved over several millennia under feudal system of societal governance through amalgamation of different religions, philosophies, social customs, and poli-
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tics represent a stark contrast. These do not accord individual freedom or equality among citizens of a society. Indeed, the prejudice, discrimination and repression are institutionalized in traditional Indian culture. Take the example of the present caste system of India where people belonging to certain sections of the society are strictly forbidden and excluded from some social activities. Many such practices are even justiďŹ ed by religious scriptures and epics. In the past, the feudal monarchies ruled the India where citizens (subjects) were subservient to the ruling class and were only meant to serve the interests of a few. Individual freedoms and identities were actively crushed as a matter of state policy. Assertions to the contrary were violation of the law punishable by barbaric means. Thus, democracy – a governing system based on the “free will of the peopleâ€? is not intrinsic to traditional Indian
cultural milieu. The two diagonally opposite governing philosophies and practices, therefore, present a dilemma for the migrant IndoAmericans community. While its members admire and enjoy the fruits of American freedom, dynamism and vibrant democratic system, many of them want to also continue to hang on to the feudal, corrupt, and repressive ways of India in the name of pursuing “Indian cultureâ€?. This is somewhat of a paradox and is observed both in individual lives as well as in the conduct of public organizations and institutions headed by Indo-Americans. This is often observed, for instance, in IndoAmerican organizations that there is no difference between the individuals and the organization, and the two become synonymous, causing conicts and violation of the law. Indo-American community, mostly comprising of highly educated professional class, is
Friends: Freedom is a celebration; independence is a challenge. In the 68thyear of freedom, we have reafďŹ rmed the power of our individual and collective liberties by electing through a remarkably peaceful electoral process, a stable government with a clear majority for a single party, after three decades. Good governance is critically dependent on rule of law, participatory decision-making, transparency, responsiveness, accountability, equity and inclusiveness. It calls for wider involvement of the civil society in the political process. In last six decades, the poverty ratio has declined from over 60 per cent to less than 30 per cent. Even then, nearly one-third of our population still lives below the poverty line. Poverty is not a mere statistic. Poverty has a face, which becomesunbearable when it scars the visage of
India’s President Pranab Mukherjee a child. Though an ancient civilization, India is a modern nation with modern dreams. Intolerance and violence is a betrayal of the letter and spirit of democracy In the last decade, our economy grew at an average rate of 7.6 per cent per year. Though the growth rate was subdued at below 5 per cent during the last two years, I sense renewed vigour and optimism in the air. Signs of revival are visible. Our external sector has strength-
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ened. Fiscal consolidation measures are beginning to show results. A nation is very young at 68. India has the will, energy, intellect, values and unity to claim the 21stcentury. The vision to win the battle of freedom from poverty is set; the journey will seemformidable only to those without conviction. As an old saying goes, “Sidhir Bhavati Karmaja�, which means, “success is born of action�. Now is the time for action!
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Chandra Mittal, Ph.D. is Professor of Biotechnology at Houston Community College, and Co-Founder of Indo-American Association, Houston. He can be contacted at drckmittal@yahoo.com or at www.facebook.com/chandra.mittal.
NEW DELHI: On Thursday, President Pranab Mukherjee addressed the nation on the eve of India’s Independence Day
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a role model for progressivity among various migrant groups in America. It is a peaceful, law abiding community inherently not inclined to engage in law violation. But feudal psyche and repressive behavioral tendencies that are intrinsic to Indian culture can come in the way and present a serious challenge for this community. As a result, individuals or organization (perhaps subconsciously) do get caught up in the two conicting value-systems with potentially adverse legal consequences. It is, therefore, desirable for the Indo-Americans to be conscious of American democratic system of governance, avoid cultural conicts and follow the rule of law of the adopted land.
President Pranab Mukherjee’s Address to the Nation on the Eve of 68th Independence Day: Excerpts
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VOICE OF ASIA 3
FRIDAY, August 22, 2014
Second Front Page
Friday, August 22, 2014 • www.voiceofasiaonline.com • Page 3 • Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com • Tel: 713-774-5140
Indian Americans celebrate India’s 68th Independence Day with Consul General P. Harish
in his address: “Freedom is a celebration; Independence is a challenge.”
Performers from Anjali Schools of Performing Arts are: Amani Parvathaneni, Rachna Penmethsa, Ravali Bhavaraju and Milinda Nutalapati. Photos by Bijay Dixit, Unique Images Studio. by Shobana Muratee
H
OUSTON - On the morning of Friday, August 15 was unfurled the Tricolor by Hon. Consul General of India, Houston, Parvathaneni Harish at his residence here marking India’s 68th Independence Day. He was joined by special guests and elected officials Hon. Congressman Pete Olson, (R-TX 22nd District), Mr. William Miller, Office of US Senator Ted Cruz and representatives: Ms. Johnna Carlson, Office of Congressman Ted Poe, Mr. Sam Merchant, Office of Con-
gressman Al Green who presented a Congressional Recognition. Consul General and Mrs. Nandita Harish along with Consulate staff received community leaders, friends of India and a large gathering of Indian Americans on the occasion. On the front lawns was done the formal flag hoisting followed by singing of the Indian National Anthem after which the guests proceeded to the back lawns for the rest of the day’s celebrations. P. Harish read India’s President Pranab Mukherjee’s ad-
dress to the nation (India) on the Eve of India’s 68th Independence Day on 14th August 2014. The address was read in entirety partly in Hindi and mostly in English to the gathering present on the occasion. The elaborate address conveyed India’s zeal for development and the initiatives planned for the purpose (Excerpts of the address are on page 2). Today, India’s global presence is more critical as it grows under a new government led by its dynamic leader Narendra Modi who resonates most of what President Mukherjee said
Hon. Congressman Pete Olson, who is member of the India Caucus in Congress is well known in the Indian community circles. In his message he mentioned that the U.S.–India relationship is a special partnership between the world’s two largest democracies. This bond encompasses shared values, commercial trade and mutual security. “As a member of the India Caucus in Congress, I am committed to improving the relationship between these two great nations,” he said. Patriotic songs were sung by young children and budding artist like Kruthi Bhat and Keerthana Bhat trained by their mother, an accomplished vocalist Consul General P. Harish seen hoisting the Tricolor at his residence in Houston Mrs. Vidushi Raja- Hon. Congressman Pete Olson, Mrs. Nandita Harish and guest pay their tribute. rajeswary Bhat. The Bhat girls were joined strumental rendition of Vande Mataram Parvathaneni. And another by Ramya Elangovan,, by Sraavani Poluri song Bharat Bhagya Vidhata by Raaj Swastika, RajVichakshan Maturu, Saanvi Maturu, Kruthi Bhat concluded the culmohan, Kavin Elan- Hannah Sanosa, Roy Anderson, Kyle tural segment of the program. govan, Dev Thosani, Anderson, Sylas Anderson, Eric Chao Consul General presented Thriyambaka Rajmo- directed by Dr. Elangovan Krishnan. A han, Rishabh Thosani, delightful dance item Swarajathi was a book on Himalayas to Conand Fenny Chandresh presented by the students of Dr. Rathna gressman Pete Olson on the Thakker in the song Kuma: Ravali Bhavaraju, Milinda Nuta- occasion. The guests were also Maitrim Bhajata. This lapati, Rachna Penmethsa, and Amani treaty to refreshment at the end of the program. was followed by in-
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VOICE OF ASIA 4
FRIDAY, August 22, 2014
India’s 68th Independence Day Celebrations held at the India House Community Center
The People’s Lawyer www.peopleslawyer.net Richard M. Alderman Interim Dean of the Law Center
You don’t need a lawyer in Justice Court Q. I am owed $2,000 for a loan that has not been paid back. I have finally decided that I need to go to court to try and force the person to pay. I know I can sue in Justice Court for up to $10,000. Should I hire an attorney or can I represent myself? A. As you know, Justice Court is the new name for small claims court in Texas. As far as the law is concerned, you may always represent yourself in any court. The real question is whether you should. Generally, a court proceeding can be complicated, governed by rules with which you probably are not familiar. Without an attorney, you are at a disadvantage in a formal legal proceeding. But Justice Court is different. It is a much less formal proceeding, designed to be a real people’s court. Most judges presiding over Justice Court are not lawyers, and all take steps to make the participants feel at ease. As far as I am concerned, if you are comfortable presenting your side of the story to the judge, you can represent yourself. Be sure to bring any evidence you have, such as proof you gave the person the money and a signed promissory note or any other document agreeing to pay you back. You want to be able to prove the money was a loan and not a gift.
India House president Jugal Malani, (in orange jacket), Trustee Dr. Virendra Mathur, (far rt), seen leaving with community leaders after the flag (s) honoring (US, Indian and Texas) ceremony. Photo by Jacob David.
H
ouston, TX: India House held the flag hoisting ceremony and celebrations at 11 am on August 15th,2014 to a grand and diverse crowd that included Americans and IndoAmericans. Three flags were hoisted, the US, Texan, and Indian flags were raised. The US flag was hoisted by Dr. Virendra Mathur, the Indian flag by Jugal Malani and Texan flag by Mrs. Nalini Mathur. As the US flag was hoisted, Eriel Gorrell, sang the American National Anthem. Eriel is one of the many talented students in India House’s After school program. As the Indian flag was hoisted the crowd sang the Indian National Anthem in chorus and later chanted “Vande Matram” thrice after Jugal Malani’s lead. Pride and patriotism were revealed in the crowd, mixed with emotions, as people missed India, their homeland. Once the flag hoisting ceremony was over, the crowd moved inside to the banquet hall, where Jugal Malani thanked the crowd for attending this great occasion. He then read Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s speech. He then invited Ms Rachel David, Deputy Regional Director-Southeast Texas, to the stage who read a message from Senator John Cornyn’s office. The crowd then dispersed to the hallway where Indian snacks, sweets and refreshments were served by Udipi Restaurant. For more information visit www.indiahouseinc.org
Q. Is it possible to live with someone for as long as twenty years and not have a common law marriage? A. There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding about common law marriage. To have a common law marriage, you must do more than just live together. If a couple wants to live together and not be married, they may live together for as long as they want. To have a common law marriage, the couple must agree to be married, hold themselves out as married, and live together as married. Without all three elements, there is not a common law marriage. Q. I have a smoke detector in my apartment and it needs new batteries. I asked my landlord to replace them and he said it is my obligation. It is his apartment and his smoke detector, why should I have to replace the batteries? A. Under the law, a landlord must provide a tenant with a working smoke detector when he or she moves in, and must repair any defective detectors. The landlord is not, however, required to replace the batteries after the tenant has taken possession. That is the obligation of the tenant. Q. I have a durable power of attorney, given to me by my recently deceased mother. Can I use this instead of her will to wind up her affairs? A. I am often asked this question, and the answer is no. The authority granted by a power of attorney ends upon the death or incompetence of the grantor. Because this power of attorney was “durable” it would continue even if your mother became incompetent. But even a durable power of attorney terminates at death. The deceased person’s will controls the distribution of property after death.
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VOICE OF ASIA 5
COMMUNITY
FRIDAY, August 22, 2014
Janmashtami at ISKCON of Houston draws record crowd Continued from Page 1 of Sri Sri Radha Nilamadhava. On either side of the Divine couple are Gaura Nitai and Giriraj with recently installed Sri Radha Giridhari. The altar looked magnificent with rich colors of the Deities’ outfits and hand-made ornaments. Fruits like pomegranates and watermelons were artistically sculptured and presented on the altar to add to the vibrancy. Lord Krishna chose to appear on earth in Mathura as an extraordinary child to King Vasudev and Mother Devaki in the confines of a prison cell, even though His form is unlimited and He is one without a beginning, anadi. He explains the reason for his appearance in His own words in the Bhagavad Gita (verse 8.4) - “In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium”.
Consul General of India, Houston P. Harish and wife Nandita being presented with a relief plaque of the temple by Advaita Chandra das and Kalasudha Devi dasi.
Festivities at the temple began early at 4:30 AM in the morning to greet the Deities on this occasion. This was followed by chanting session, which is deep reflective meditation on Lord’s names. A discourse on Srimad Bhagavatam completed the morning program. The evening celebrations saw thousands of Houstonians streaming in to offer their heartfelt devotion and to attend kirtan, a form of call and response chanting of the Holy names of the Lord. As a main attraction to the festivities this year, Iskcon of Houston hosted internationally renowned musicians. Pandit Suman Ghosh, an esteemed disciple of Pandit Jasraj performed masterfully with classical devotional melodies to a captive audience. Accomplished tabla maestro Pandit Shantilal Shah accompanied him. His soulful rendition of Govinda Damodara Madhaveti set the mood for the evening and soul bhajans by well-known vocalist Saci Devi (also known as Shashika Mooruth in Bollywood) further saturated the evening’s divine atmosphere. Sacidevi captured everyone’s hearts with the texture of her voice and great selections of bhajans and Krishna kirtan. Honorary Consul General Mr. P. Harish graced the occasion with his wife as the chief guests and enjoyed the devotional concert. He spoke eloquently in praise of the transcendence one could experience at the ISKCON of Houston and the positive experience the temple offers. The temple grounds offered devotees the opportunity to perform abhishek, a sacred ceremonial bathing of the deity form of Gopal. Jhulan ceremony was also a chance for guests to meditate on the Lord’s form as a child, as they gently rocked baby Krishna in a cradle decorated with fragrant flowers. Devotees from all over the world tuned in and watched the celebrations online. The temple provides live video and audio streaming to you, no matter where you are. Please visit the website: www.iskconhouston.org for more details and to see the live streams. In his talk on the Bhagavad Gita, the temple president Shyam Sundar Das discussed the power of the Holy names and emphasized the importance of taking shelter in Krishna. The show stealer, as with every Janmashtami was the midnight kirtan and arati. The congregational chanting build up in the evening towards the one moment at midnight when the gathering of hundreds greet their beloved Lordships with ardent devotion as Dwarakanath Das shook the walls with “Nand Gher Anand Bhayo”. Krishna Janmashtami Mahotsav ki Jai! Srimati Radharani’s Appearance Day festival is scheduled for September 2, 2014. The program will start at 7 PM. ISKCON of Houston is located at 1320 West 34th St, Houston. Connect and follow Iskcon of Houston via social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr. Check their YouTube page to watch a few videos, which will be posted soon. ISKCON of Houston invites you to join them every Sunday at 5:30 PM for the Sunday Feast program.
Sacidevi sang a number of lively bhajans and Krishna kirtan.
Top:The decorated alter of Sri Sri Radha Nilamadhava and devotees at ISKCON of Houston.
Abhishek being done as part of the celebrations.
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ISKCON of Houston temple president Shyam Sundar das honoring two renowned artists Pandit Shantilal Shah , tabla maestro and Pt. Suman Ghoash (rt). Photos by Thejas Rajaram
VOICE OF ASIA 6
COMMUNITY
FRIDAY, August 22, 2014
ICC dedicates India’s 68th Independence Day celebrations to children at I-Fest 2014 Awards scholarships, showcases talents, hosts Little Champs contest and Live concert!
ICC Board of Directors and Trustees. by Shobana Muratee Charlie thanked his Board of Directors The annual I-Fest, a signature event and Trustees and partnering organizaif the India Culture Center (ICC) is dis- tions and the sponsors for their support tinctive of its celebration of India’s In- in making the event a grand success. dependence Day here in Houston. The An indoor parade was conducted ICC that marked its 40th anniversary with a host of participating organizalast year is an umbrella organization tions: HGH, TCA, ISCA, TCF, IHA that encompasses the Indian Diaspora led by ICC and led by Stafford Mayconnecting people of Indian origin or Leonard Scarcella & HCC Trustee with their culture. Over the years it has Neeta Sane and the Guard of Honor by served as a viable platform to show- a team from Sheriff’s Department. case artistic and academic talents of Flag honoring and formal segment young Indian Americans. This year’s commenced at 2.45pm with the Guard celebrations held on Saturday, Au- of Honor in attendance. Indian National gust 16th at the Stafford Center was a Anthem was sung by 19 kids and parphenomenal show of multi-talent cap- ents from Kingwood Indian Commuturing the theme: Colors of Freedom- nity group. The US National Anthem “Azadike Rang Apnoke Sang.” Expats was presented by Chloe Chaudhury, a got a bonanza of fun with dances, skits, 6th grader talented FBISD student patriotic songs, fashion show, competiHon. Consul General of India, Houstions, awards, and a Live concert by the ton, Parvathaneni Harish in his key Mumbai Masti group from India. note address commended the efforts Welcoming a gathering of over 3000 of ICC members in promoting the culpeople, Event Chair, Rajiv Bhavsar, tural bonds between India and the US. former ICC president touched on orga- “ICC has been a pillar of strength to the nization’s achievements over the years: community by providing a platform for In 2003 ICC has been instrumental in outreach and interaction,” he said. He installing the statue of Mahatma Gan- specially thanked them for supporting dhi in the Hermann Park and in 1999, children’s varied interests in art and it put in its efforts in establishing the culture. office of Consulate General in HousCongresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee ton. “ICC’s past presidents were instrumental in establishing community center, India House in 2006 and ICC was key player in establishing the name Mahatma Gandhi District in 2010 around Hillcroft-Harwin area,” Bhavsar said in his remarks. ICC President Chandrakant (Charlie) Patel in his message said how such events brought back his childhood memories of Independence Day celebrations in India. About ICC he said, “Serving Fashion Show where couples displayed trendy ethnic wear. the community of Greater Houston as a coordinating link among all major Indian Organizations is the mission of India Culture Center. To build bridges between Greater Houston diversified communities in the area of common interest on Indian culture, tradition health and education is the vision of ICC.” This was the first time that the event commenced from 2pm on as compared A vibrant Bollywood style dance to 11am from the previous years.
spoke passionately about the contribution of Indian Americans in Houston. She presented the Proclamation to ICC President and Event Gold Sponsor Viral Amin. A Certificate of Congressional Recognition from Congressman Al Green was represented by Sam Merchant to Event Chair Rajiv Bhavsar. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, a steadfast Continued on Page 8
Jasmeeta Singh performing to a patriotic song Photo by Michele Wambaugh
Outstanding students who were honored on the ocassion seen with Consul General P. Harish
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VOICE OF ASIA 7
Indian-origin Manjul Bhargava wins Fields Medal for Mathematics
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ANGALORE: Early in the morning on Wednesday, despite recuperating from an eye surgery, NR Narayana Murthy took the unusual step of writing to the editors of major newspapers and TV channels. Murthy was excited about a young mathematician he had known, Manjul Bhargava of Princeton University, who had won the Fields Medal for mathematics on Tuesday.
Bhargava loves Sanskrit poetry, especially the mathematics of its rhythms. But as a mathematician, he was a star, one of the best among the best. “This award is a tremendous inspiration for Indian students and teachers of mathematics,” says Vasudevan Srinivas, senior professor at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai. Bhargava is a regular visitor to India, and speaks often at conferences in the country. “His clarity of thought when he gives lectures is impressive,” says Ramesh Srikantan, a professor at the Indian Statistical Institute in Bangalore, who was a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton while Bhargava was a graduate student there. Those who know him say that what he explains always seem simple. “We feel why didn’t we think of it?” says Srikantan. Bhargava’s Indian connections are deep even in mathematics. His first major work, actually his PhD thesis, cited the work of only a few mathematicians, one of which was Srinivas Ramanujan. The other was Friedrich Gauss, the greatest mathematician who ever lived. It is rare for a mathematical paper to mention so few authors, and it was because so few people had succeeded in what he did. Gauss lived 200 years ago. Bhargava was the first to im-
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“We are delighted that Dev will be leading the next leg of our amazing growth,” MongoDB Chairman and CoFounder Dwight Merriman said in a statement.
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye, center, at an awards ceremony for the Fields Medals with Manjul Bhargava, right, of Princeton University during the International Congress of Mathematicians 2014 in Seoul. Agence France-Presse/Getty Images prove upon on what Gauss did. The work was on an area called binary quadratic forms, or squares in simple terms. Gauss gave a method to compose a quadratic form in terms of two other quadratic forms. While Bhargava was reading this work —very few people apparently read it — he was stuck by his incompleteness and thought he could improve it. According to the Fields Medal citation, Bhargava got the idea while playing with a Rubik’s cube, one of his favorite toys. He extended Gauss’ composition law to higher degree polynomials. “It was an amazing (find) after 200 years,” says CS Rajan, professor at TIFR. The work was so original that he became an instant star in the mathematical world. He became a professor at Princeton University soon after finishing his PhD. He continued to make fundamental contributions to mathematics, even supporting people with money. For example, he gave good contributions to the Ramanujan Society in India a few years ago. “His financial support helped us in our conferences,” says Alladi Sitaram, emeritus professor at the Indian Statistical Institute. One of his recent contributions was to an area called elliptic curves, which he made along with an Indian graduate student of his, called Arul Shankar. Shankar is now a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University.
India-headed Nigerian Dies Showing Ebola Symptoms ABU DHABI: A 35-year-old Nigerian woman, travelling from Nigeria to India for cancer treatment, has died in the UAE after showing symptoms similar to those of deadly Ebola virus, health authorities said here Sunday. During her transit phase at Abu Dhabi international airport, the patient’s health deteriorated and despite prompt medical assistance she could not be successfully resuscitated, Xinhua quoted the health authorities as saying in a WAM report. The woman showed signs “that may be consistent with Ebola virus infection”, although her existing medical condition provided an adequate medical explanation, it added. All contacts of the patient, including her husband who was
MongoDB appoints Indian origin Dev Ittycheria as President, CEO EW DELHI: USbased IT company MongoDB has selected Indian origin Dev Ittycheria to take charge as its global President and chief executive officer from September 3.
His aim was to sensitise editors to the importance of this event, and to tell young Indians what to strive for. “A Fields Medal is harder to get than a Nobel Prize,” Murthy told ET later. “We knew he was extraordinary.” Bhargava is the first Indian-origin mathematician to get the prize. He is not always known through his Indian origins, and is often called a Canadian-American mathematician. But although Bhargava did not grow up in India, his Indian roots are deep. He learned tabla with Zakir Hussain and is an accomplished player.
FRIDAY, August 22, 2014
the only person sitting next to her on the plane and five medical professionals who treated her, are in isolation pending the result of Ebola testing on the patient. Those people are, as of now, all well and have showed no symptoms, the authority said. The ministry’s statement comes amid a growing international scare as the Ebola outbreak continues to spread following a slow response from the international community to aid affected West African countries. Earlier this month, Dubai’s state-owned carrier Emirates Airline, the biggest airline in the Middle East, cancelled flights to Guinea amid Ebola concerns until further notice. (IANS)
He studied at the Chennai Mathematical IInstitute, where his father Shiva Sankar is a professor. “Manjul is pleasant and gentle person,” says Shankar. “People who operate at this level often have huge egos or are abrasive.”
In the end, it is this humility that impresses all those who meet him. In the morning, Murthy wrote to the editors. “He is as unassuming and friendly as he is brilliant. I hope the government of India will award him the Bharat Ratna.”
MongoDB is open source software company and specialises in data base management-a segment which is dominated by IT majors SAP and Oracle. The firm has come up with new technology of using a documents based approach to handle data management instead of traditional method in which data sets are analysed sequential basis. MongoDB has seen major interest among software developer community in India to use its application. “I’m thrilled by the opportunity to help create the next great database company,” Ittycheria said.
Ittycheria was the co-founder and CEO of BladeLogic, one of the fastest growing enterprise software companies of the last decade. After co-founding the business in 2001, he went on to take the company public in 2007, and then sold it to BMC Software in 2008 for approximately $ 900 million. After the acquisition, Dev became President of the Enterprise Service Management business at BMC Software, a business with $ 1.4 billion in annual revenue and over 4,000 employees. MongoDB has e-commerce company Snapdeal and mobile messaging application Hike as its clients in India. In recent past, some of major IT and Telecom companies have been choosing Indian origin people to lead their business. To name some, US IT major Microsoft this year appointed Indian origin Satya Nadella as its CEO, Finnish telecom major Nokia appointed Rajeev Suri as CEO while imaging software leader Adobe has Shantanu Narayen as its CEO.
UK police find 15 immigrants in truck in latest incident
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ONDON, (AFP) - Fifteen distressed immigrants were found in a truck in Britain on Tuesday, as a man was arrested on suspicion for manslaughter for the death of a stowaway in a similar incident three days earlier. The 15 foreign nationals in the truck, who told police they were from Kashmir and Eritrea, were discovered after other road users heard shouts and banging coming from inside. The truck was stopped at a service station. On Saturday, staff at a port heard screaming and banging coming from inside a shipping container, and found 34 Afghan Sikhs alive inside suffering from severe dehydration, hypothermia and lack of air. One man was found dead, having passed away during the sea crossing from Belgium, and on Tuesday police in Northern Ireland said they had arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter. The cases have raised questions about Britain’s border security and the desperate measures taken by immigrants to reach Britain’s shores illegally. Police arrested the German truck driver after 12 men and three women were found in the back of his vehicle as it travelled near Taunton, south west England on Tuesday. The people found in the truck were treated by paramedics for possible dehydration but were all in a healthy condition, according to police. “A total of 15 people were found in quite a state of distress, including men, women and a 15-year-old boy. They have stated they are from Eritrea and Kashmir,” an Avon and Somerset Constabulary spokesman
said. “They were quite distressed, it had got very hot inside the vehicle,” he added. “A man, who is from Germany, has been arrested on suspicion of facilitating the unlawful entry of people into the UK. “He was quite shocked to find people in his vehicle and he is assisting us with our inquiries,” explained the spokesman. The lorry, which originated in mainland Europe, has been seized as part of the police investigation. - Man arrested over death Police in Northern Ireland on Tuesday said they had arrested a 34-year-old man on suspicion of manslaughter over the death of the Afghan Sikh immigrant whose body was found in a shipping container in south east England on Saturday. The suspect was detained in the province and is in custody pending transfer to mainland Britain for questioning. Fleeing alleged religious persecution in Kabul, the Sikhs aged between one and 72 were found suffering severe dehydration and hypothermia in a shipping container at Tilbury Docks east of London. But one man -- identified by police as 40-year-old Meet Singh Kapoor -- did not survive the North Sea crossing from Zeebrugge port in Belgium. His children, aged nine and 12, were in the container with him.
British authorities are looking after the survivors.
are considered,” said Britain’s interior ministry.
“All 34 are now in the process of claiming asylum in the UK and we are providing accommodation and support to those who require it while their cases
“The UK takes its international obligations extremely seriously and has a proud history of offering protection to those who need it.”
Indian gets research grant under Obama initiative The grant will help him to develop a “virtual neuroanatomist”, an artificial-intelligence system that can identify cell types and neural structures in microscopic images of brain slices. The two researchers at the National Science Foundation, Partha Mitra and Florin Albeanu, have been awarded Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) under President Barack Obama’s multi-year Brain Initiative, a statement released by the laboratory said. The award provides $300,000 over two years for the development of innovative conceptual and physical tools to advance neuroscience. The awards are intended to fund short-term, proof-of-concept projects with the prospect of high-payoffs. Mitra is working to develop an integrative picture of brain function, incorporating theory and experimental work, it said.
He is also the founder of the Mouse Brain Architecture Project, an experimental effort to develop a brain-wide connectivity map of the mouse brain, the statement said. Mitra’s work extends to the interface of physics, engineering, and biology, where he is developing theories that will allow researchers to extract meaningful information about neural circuit function. “Florin Albeanu and Partha Mitra are working at the edge of the technology limit in neuroscience, and are actively expanding the limits of what we can do to understand the ultimate mysteries of the mammalian brain’s structure and operations,” said CSHL president and CEO Dr Bruce Stillman. “On behalf of the faculty I congratulate them on winning EAGER awards, through which the National Science Foundation (NSF) enables them to continue to innovate,” Stillman said. (PTI).
“Police in Northern Ireland have arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter and facilitating illegal entry into the United Kingdom,” Essex Police said.
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COMMUNITY
VOICE OF ASIA 8
FRIDAY, August 22, 2014
Srila Prabhupada Appearance Day Festival at ISKCON of Houston for Srila Prabhupada, as he is lovingly known. Several of his disciples are in Houston and they all spoke from their heart and shared their pastimes with Srila Prabhupada. Eva Sharma, an elementary school student also stood up and said – “I feel deeply connected to Srila Prabhupada” since she started to attend regular programs at the temple. Swami Prabhupada was born – Abhay Charan - in 1896 in Calcutta, India. He first met his spiritual master in Calcutta in 1922. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, a prominent devotional scholar and the founder of sixty-four branches of Gaudiya Mathas (Vedic institutes), liked this educated young man and convinced him to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge in the Western world. Srila Prabhupada became his student, and eleven years later (1933) at Allahabad, he became his formally initiated disciple. Swami Prabhupada was born - Abhay Charan - in 1896 in Calcutta, India.
H
is Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) is widely regarded as the foremost scholar, translator, and teacher of the modern era. He is especially respected as the world’s most prominent contemporary authority on bhakti-yoga, devotional service to the Supreme Person, Krishna, as taught by the ancient Vedic writings of India. He is also
the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Monday, August 18th was his appearance day. His appearance day is the day after Lord Krishna Janmashtami and ISKCON temples all over the world celebrate the day with great enthusiasm. Started with a special guru-puja in the morning and was followed by glorifications
ICC’s I-Fest.....
Little Champs winner singing. Continued from Page 6 friend of Indian American community in Houston spoke about the closeness of Indo American relations. He presented the Proclamation to ICC President and Silver Sponsor Fayyaz Other elected officials who spoke on the occasion included: Stafford City Mayor Leonard Scarcella, City of Sugar Land, Mayor Pro-tem Harish Jajoo joined by Councilmen Himesh Gandhi and Steve Porter. The other guests in attendance and recognized were Stafford City Councilman Ken Mathew, Fort Bend ISD Trustee K P George and FB County Judge John Healey. The City of Houston Proclamation was presented by Lachhman Das and the Proclamation from the Consul General of Sri Lanka was presented by Mahesh Wadhwa. Earlier Mrs. Nandita Parvathaneni lit the traditional lamp and the program was Emceed thereon by Abha Shah and Pooja Patel. A formal Awards ceremony followed and Awards for Outstanding Students from School and College category were given to five High School graduates: Perry Alagappan, Akhil Ganti, Alay Shah, Saiesh Kalva and Lekha Yesantharao. Three college graduates: Manasi Joshi, Archana Bhat & Nishitha Sharma. The ceremony was conducted by ICC’s Lachhman Das, Swapan Dhairyawan and Falguni Gandhi. On the occasion, ICC Board gave an “Outstanding Community Service Award’ to Swapan Dhairyawan, ICC Chief Trustee for his relentless service to ICC and Indo American community in Greater Houston. The vote of thanks was delivered by ICC Secretary Jasmeeta Singh concluding the formal segment of the event. A high energy, vibrant and spunky cultural program followed at 4pm and went on non-stop until 11pm that night. Jasmeeta Singh, ICC Secretary and the Cultural Director of the event kept the audience fully relaxed and entertained with a series of dance performances by dancers from: TYAGI group, Nritya Hari, Swarasudha, Kathak Nritya Kala Kendra, Sunanda Performing Arts Center, Infused
Performing Arts, Katy Kungfu Center, Bollywood Shake, Shingari School of Rhythm, Telugu Christian community, Punjabi Houston group and International Hindi Association (IHA) group. The captivating skit on Indi’s national heroes was presented by ICC team conceptualized by Dr Upadhyaya and choreographed by Jasmeeta who also participated. A glamorous Fashion show, displaying trendy apparels from Sari Sapne, jewelry from Highness Collection was presented by Jasmeeta Singh who delicately wove Patriotic theme into it. Sangeeta Dua of Apsara Beauty Salon helped he models with their makeup. From the Little Champs contest conducted earlier, winners were presented their prizes. In the 5-9yrs singing were Lasya Dhulipala, Sraavani Poluri, Aakruthi Srikanth, Alakananda Nuthalapati and Arunima Para. In the 10-13yrs singing were Shruthi Srivathson and Akaash Srikanth. The winners in Instrumental talent were Ramya and Kavin Elangovan. The ICC Performer Award was given to Karthik Kommineni for his on stage confidence and Bollywood style. All the winners performed on stage and were applauded thunderously by the audience. The highlight of the day was the Live concert by the Mumbai Masti group from India. Artist KK, Sankit, Alka and Sunny were an instant hit with the audience as they delivered choicest of India’s patriotic hits. Dance India Dance fame star Kamlesh, who stunned India with his dance on hands being paralyzed waist down, was the star attraction with his inspiration words self-styled dance. I-Fest was thoroughly entertaining and equally absorbing were the messages for the young and old. The spirit of the theme: Colors of Freedom was well presented and sustained throughout. The bazaar segment with 52 booths was in full swing for the entire day. ICC released their souvenir Tarang on the occasion. For more information visit www.icchouston.org or call 832-4237979
Srila Prabhupada boarded a steamship bound from Calcutta to New York City in 1965. At age sixty-nine, with forty rupees
Deities of Sri Sri Radha Nilamadhava at ISKCON of Houston. and a trunk of his Bhagavatam commentaries - the first ever in English - his aim was to introduce “India’s message of peace and goodwill” to the western world. During the last twelve years of his life, Srila Prabhupada would inspire thousands of Westerners and Indians to devote their lives to Krishna consciousness, launching one of the fastest-growing spiritual movements in the history of
the world. Srila Prabhupada’s most significant contribution is his books. Highly respected by the academic community for their authoritativeness, depth and clarity, they are used as standard textbooks in numerous college courses. His writings have been translated into more than 50 languages. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, established in 1972 exclusively to publish his works, has become
the world’s largest publisher of books in the field of Indian religion and philosophy. More than 250 devotees gathered to sing his glories and went home after enjoying super feast, prepared by devotees at the temple. ISKCON of Houston is located at 1320 West 34th Street. www.iskconhouston.org
COMMUNITY
VOICE OF ASIA 9
FRIDAY, August 22, 2014
Hindus of Greater Houston to Honor ASIE Celebrates 20th Members at Janmashtami Celebrations Anniversary Gala September 24, 2014
2. Rishi Bhutada is one of the Board of Directors of the Hindu American Foundation and Houston chapter coordinator for HAF. He served in many positions at the Hindu heritage Youth camp in Houston. Former South regional coordinator and Vice President of Public Relations and Outreach for Hindu Students Council. He believes that it is important to have an effective public voice through advocacy in public policy, and to make sure school textbooks have an accurate depiction of Hinduism. Rajkumar Saya
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ajkumar Sayal and Dr. S. G. Appan will receive the Lifetime Achievement Service Award presented by the Hindus of Greater Houston during the 25th annual community-wide Janmashtami celebration at George R. Brown Convention center in Houston on Saturday, Aug.23. Three others, Radha Dixit, Rishi Bhutada and Rahul Pandit will receive the Akhil Chopra Memorial Award in recognition of their selfless service to the Hindu community. A spectacular “rangoli with ice”, a 6-foot tall Lord Krishna with his cow and lotus flower in a very serene location, is bound to be the cynosure of all eyes at the Janmashtami festival. It may become an authentic picture spot as well. Entrance to the event is free. The program will begin at 6 p.m. and end at midnight. One of the most exciting attractions of the night will be the arrival of Saurabh Raj Jain, Lord Krishna from the recent TV serial Mahabharata, on a traditional life-sized chariot.
the community and Hindus of Greater Houston periodically takes his advice and guidance. Hindus of Greater Houston thanks him for the pioneering efforts and leadership on the 25th year of celebration. He is also a joint founder of India Culture Center and Hindu Worship Society.
1. Radha Dixit served as Secretary of Hindus of Greater Houston. Salutorian from Willowridge High School, gradu-
Everyone can look forward to an excellent Dashavatar costume contest with over 100 participants.
Raj Syal, a pillar of the Houston Hindu community for over 50 years, will be bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Lifetime Achievement Service Award Raj Kumar Syal has been in Houston in 1963. He conceived the idea of celebration of Janmashtami festival in 1989 celebrating Lord Krishna and foster unity and harmony among all. He is most highly respected by all in
Rishi Bhutada
Hindus of Greater Houston appreciates their selfless service to the Hindu community.
The youth will be entertained by an enthralling dandiya-raas with a special group flown in from India, Anita Pandit of X-Factor fame.
Radha Dixit ate from University of Houston. She grew with strong beliefs and Hindu organizations that came up in Houston in 1970s. Her father Dr. Sen Pathak, husband Bijay Dixit and children Vidha and Arman render their unstinted support in all she does and as a cancer survivor. Her message “do all your worldly duties to the best of your ability and that service to mankind is service to God”.
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by Dinesh Shah, MBA, PE SIE provides a forum to assist its members in career advancement by providing opportunities for networking through continuing educational seminars, workshops and field trips. Also supports engineering and science education in our communities by volunteering in Mathcounts competition sponsored by Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TBPE), volunteering as judges during Science & Engineering Fair of Houston and giving out Awards to students based on their projects. ASIE also awards scholarships every year to students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering programs from public universities in the Greater Houston Area. Since 1999, ASIE began the Young Engineer/Architect of the Year Award and from 2011 ASIE Engineer/Architect of the Year Award for the members, who have excelled in the field of engineering. From this year during the Engineer’s Week another award has been added – “Indian Engineers Engineering the Future”.
A
Akhil Chopra Memorial Service Award
The Mayapuris have been specially preparing for this exciting event to entice the audience with their dynamic drums, dancing, and kirtan.
Along with these amazing attractions will be the award ceremony.
ASIE President, Mr. Sekhar Ambadapudi, PE
Dr. S. G. Appan
Dr.S.G.Appan settled down in Houston in 1971 always ready to help and volunteer services to everyone for the last forty three years. His passion to promote growing herbs and for a number of years distributed for free Tulasi plants at the Grand Janmashtami festival in Houston. His beliefs are to value Hindu religion and utilize it to the betterment of mankind
the Chief Guest. Under the leadership of Event Chair Showri Nandagiri and assistance from event committee members, this will be a first time ever happened a magnificent celebration for technical professionals. The entire event will be a further evidence of a successful growth of the ASIE and its vision to reach out more and more professionals who work and practice in the Greater Houston Area.
Rahul T. Pandit 3. Rahul T. Pandit was born in Srinagar, Kashmir, grew up with a deep love for Hindu heritage. He was raised with firm roots on Sanathana Dharma. He completed undergraduate studies from Yale University, and pursued Ophthalmology degree from University of Iowa. He has specialized in Corneal Diseases and Advanced Cataract and Refractive Surgery and presently working at Houston Methodist Hospital. He was youth counselor at VHP camp in Chicago and actively participated in many Hindu organization activities. He and his wife, Lavanya raise their three children Suraj, Sanjna and Sanvi in Hindu tradition.
This year ASIE is celebrating 20 years by organizing a special Gala event honoring the Outstanding Service to the Greater Houston Engineering and Architectural Community by all engineers and architects. This historical event will be held on September 24, at Hilton Houston Post Oak. Hon. Judge Ed Emmett of Harris County will be the Keynote Speaker, and Jimmie Schindewolf, a General Manager of North Harris County Regional Water Authority (NHCRWA) will be
Mr. Hasmukh H. Doshi, PE, RPLS, one of the founders and a first President of ASIE in 1994 is very pleased to see ASIE is celebrating 20th anniversary. He said “Thanks to leaders and members who worked hard and brought ASIE at this level today. I would like to see this organization evolve to promote events across various engineering disciplines and architecture. I would like to see us as an organization that mentors the young generation who are the future for engineering and architecture profession.” Today, after 20 years of ASIE, a young engineer and current ASIE President Mr. Sekhar Ambadapudi, PE is cordially inviting all Indian origin engineers, architects, designers and technicians to join the celebration. “We will share the 20 years of history of professional engineers and architects for their illustrious careers, accomplishments, ingenuity, entrepreneurship and contributions. All these professionals come from different walks of the engineering and architectural fields, however they share one thing in common and that is their dedication to their disciplines. This enthusiasm and commitment has resulted in decades of creativity and thousands of projects not only in Houston, but all over the country. We the young generation, look up to senior professionals as our role models and inspiration as we move forward in our professional careers” said Mr. Ambadapudi. Please join others for celebrating and thanking all professionals for their many years of service in Houston. For further information about ASIE and Gala, please visit http://asiehouston.org/ or call 281235-9202.
SOUTH ASIA
VOICE OF ASIA 10
Squash: Pakistan mourns legend Hashim Khan KARACHI, August 19, 2014 (AFP) - Pakistan Tuesday mourned its first-ever world champion in any sport, squash star Hashim Khan who died in the United States, as former players paid tribute to an alltime great. Khan, who won the sport’s premier title the British Open seven times between 1951 and 1958, was aged 100 at the time of his death in Denver on Monday. Another squash legend, Jahangir Khan, said Khan had put Pakistan on the sporting map. “Khan was a great player and whatever Pakistan have won in squash was initiated by him,” Jahangir, himself a world record 10-times British Open champion, told AFP. “Barely three years after Pakistan’s independence in 1947, he became our first-ever sporting hero in 1951 and whatever tribute we can pay will not match his great contribution in inspiring a whole generation,” said Jahangir, who also won six world open crowns.
Hashim Khan, born in what was then British-ruled India in 1914, made his mark as a ball boy for British air force officers when they played squash. Khan surprised everyone by winning the All-India Squash Championship in 1944, before partition, and went on to win the first of his seven British titles in 1951. “To win seven titles at that time with few facilities in the nascent nation was remarkable,” said Jahangir, whose father Roshan beat Khan in the 1957 British open final. Khan won his last British title in 1958 and also won three US and as many Canadian titles. His success inspired a generation of players in his remote home village of Nawa-e-Kali, near the northwestern city of Peshawar, to emulate his feats. Jahangir and his contemporary Jansher Khan also hail from the same village.
Jansher won the British title six times and the world open a record eight times.
A day after India cancelled foreign secretary-level talks over Pakistani envoy’s meeting with Kashmiri separatists, Pakistan on Tuesday reacted strongly saying it was “not subservient” to New Delhi and was a “legitimate stakeholder” in the Kashmir dispute. Arguing that high commissioner Abdul Basit did not interfere in India’s internal affairs, Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam claimed that Kashmir was not part of India. “That is just a pretext. It was not the first time that meetings with Hurriyat leaders took place. It is been happening for
She was replying to foreign secretary Sujatha Singh telling Basit to not to go ahead with the meeting in New Delhi and to choose between dialogue with India or with the Kashmiri separatists. “The high commissioner of Pakistan did not interfere in India’s internal affairs. Pakistan is not subservient to India. It is a sovereign country, a legitimate stakeholder in the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” she said. Aslam, who has previously served in India, asserted that “Kashmir is not part of India”. “It is a disputed territory. There are numerous UN reso-
Hashim, Jahangir and Jansher were all distantly related. Another former British open winner Qamar Zaman said Khan was a true champion. “Pakistan owes him a great deal as he was the father of squash in Pakistan,” said Zaman, who won his only British title in 1975. “We spent a lot of time together and whatever I have achieved in the sport was through his guidance. He had great stamina and love for the game.” After years of world domination Pakistan lost its way in squash in recent years and now has no player in the top 10 global rankings.
lutions,” she said. Pakistan had on Monday described the cancellation of next week’s foreign secretary-level talks as a “setback” to IndoPak ties. The remarks came after India called off talks between foreign secretaries of the two countries scheduled to be held in Islamabad on August 25, telling Pakistan bluntly to choose between an Indo-Pak dialogue or hobnobbing with the separatists. India cancelled the talks, raising strong objections to consultations held with separatist Hurriyat leaders by Pakistan’s high commissioner.
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Won’t tolerate corruption, tough steps will be taken: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
“He (Khan) started the Khan family tradition in the sport and was always kind to guide the youngsters,” said Jahangir, also a former president of World Squash Federation.
Pakistan says it is not ‘subservient’ to India decades,” Tasnim told PTI.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivering his Independence address at the Red Fort on August 15. KAITHAL: The culture of corruption will not be tolerated any longer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said, declaring that his government will initiate tough steps to deal with the menace while pushing for all-round development of the country. “It (corruption) is worse than even cancer and can destroy the country. The country is not willing to tolerate the evil any longer.... Should strong steps not be taken to remove corruption. We will take those steps,” he said addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Rs 1,393-crore national highway project linking Haryana with Rajasthan. On his first visit to pollbound Haryana after becoming Prime Minister, Modi said that development was the only way to take the country forward and address the various problems faced by the people, including that of unemployment. He countered the criticism from some that he had not mentioned corruption in his first Independence Day address at the Red Fort on August 15. “Some people said that I did not say anything about corruption in my address on Independence Day. Let me remind them, I had talked about the mera kya (What about me), mujhe kya (It does not concern me) culture of corruption which has ruined this country. This has to change now,” he asserted. “You tell me if we should take tough measures against it (corruption). I need your blessings. With your blessings, I will rid the country of this disease,” said Modi. He also warned those indulging in corruption. “Rains come and roads disappear. Nobody knows where the money goes...,’ he said while pointing to irregularities and asserted that the “earlier attitude” of paying bribes won’t be tolerated. In the run up to the last Lok Sabha elections, Modi had consistently attacked the preious UPA government on the various scams and had vowed to take steps to tackle corruption. Modi today emphasised on having latest infrastructure for
development of the nation. “A nation which has to follow the path of development gives priority to its infrastructure like railways, airports and roads,” he said. The Prime Minister said that it is important to connect the rural and urban India with optical fibre network, gas, water and power grids and provide better infrastructure to the people. The function was attended by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda who was left red faced as a hostile crowd hooted him in Modi’s presence. Later, the angry Congress leader said he would boycott such events with PM. As Hooda hurriedly continued to read out from his prepared speech, Modi waved to the crowds urging them to remain calm but the people did not relent and the chief minister’s speech was lost in the din. Holding that NDA’s “priority” was development, the Prime Minister said, “If there is all round development, the country will surge ahead.” He said that his government was keen to take the benefits of modern technology to the villages. Seeking to woo the people of Haryana where assembly election are due later this year, Modi said he has special affection for the state and he will return their “love with interest” by carrying out developmental works. “I know Haryana as much as I know Gujarat,” said Modi, who had worked for the party in the state earlier. He also talked about the connect between his state and Haryana, saying the lands of Dwarka and Kurukshetra are synonymous with Lord Krishna. BJP had bagged seven out of 10 seats in the state in the recent Lok Sabha elections and has mounted a strong challenge to dislodge Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in coming polls. Modi said his government
will resume the central developmental projects in the state, which have been delayed for years, and expedite them. Reaching out to farmers, he announced a new irrigation scheme, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichai Yojna, saying farmers fill up granaries and his government will ensure that their pockets are also filled, which is presently not the case. He said that agriculture had to be made profit oriented so that farmers are benefited by selling their produce. He said that the irrigation scheme will ensure each farmer’s land gets sufficient water to irrigate his fields. Highlighting the importance of national highways in the development of a state, he said areas around them in Haryana have developed but as one goes farther from them, the lack of progress is visible. He said there is need to have modernisation in agriculture sector and emphasis should be laid on livestock management. Also youths in villages must be benefited by long distance education through modern technology. Modi said that today common man of the country wants change and is striving for development of the nation that matches international standards. Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari announced projects worth Rs 10,000 crore for Haryana and promised that pending projects in the state will be completed. He said that state will be provided with maintenance free concrete roads and skill development centres to provide employment to the provide employment to the people. Gadkari also said that in the coming two years, it is targeted that various Departments under his Ministry will contribute 2 per cent to the country’s GDP. Union Minister of State for Transport and Highways Krishan Pal Gurjar, Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki and Haryana Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala were among others present on the occasion.
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VOICE OF ASIA 11
Obama Denounces James Foley’s Execution: ‘Today The Entire World Is Appalled’ by Mollie Reilly, The Huffington Post
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resident Barack Obama spoke Wednesday on the execution of American journalist James Foley at the hands of Islamic State militants, warning the group that they have “no place in the 21st century.” “Today the entire world is appalled by the brutal murder of Jim Foley by the terrorist group ISIL,” Obama said in a statement from Martha’s Vineyard, where he is on vacation. “James was taken from us in an act of violence that shocks the conscience of the entire world.” On Tuesday, the group formerly known as ISIS released a video of militants beheading Foley, claiming it was in retribution for U.S. airstrikes in Iraq. The Federal Bureau of Investigations said Wednesday they believe the video to be authentic. Obama said he spoke to Fo-
D
The group said it had “issued instructions” for 5.54 billion dirhams to be paid to lenders on Thursday, after a previous payment of 2.35 billion dirhams was made in February. Nakheel, which built highprofile projects including a palm-shaped island in the Gulf and a cluster of isles in the form of a world map, also said it
Hamas warns foreign airlines, declares truce talks over
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AZA CITY, August 20, 2014 (AFP) - The armed wing of Hamas warned foreign airlines on Wednesday against flying into Tel Aviv, threatening to step up its six-week conflict with Israel and declaring truce talks in Cairo over. “We are warning international airlines and press them to stop flying into Ben Gurion airport from 6 am (0300 GMT) Thursday,” said Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida in a televised speech. Dressed in military fatigues with his face wrapped in a red and white chequered headscarf, he said Hamas was abandoning efforts to negotiate a durable ceasefire with Israel at Egyptian-brokered talks.
US President Barack Obama. ley’s family earlier Wednesday to offer his condolences. “Jim Foley’s life stands in stark contrast to his killers,” Obama said. “Let’s be clear about ISIL. They have rampaged across cities and villages killing unarmed citizens in cowardly acts of violence. ... No faith teaches people
to massacre innocents. No just God would stand for what they did yesterday and what they do every single day.” “Their ideology is bankrupt,” he said. “People like this ultimately fail. They fail because the future is won by those who build and not destroy.”
Obama pledged to continue to “do what is necessary” to protect Americans and support the Iraqi forces fighting back the extremist group, despite their threats. “We will be vigilant and we will be relentless,” he said.
Dubai property giant repays debt four years early UBAI- Nakheel, the real estate giant at the heart of Dubai’s financial crisis, confirmed Wednesday that it would repay all of its 7.9 billion dirhams ($2.15 billion) bank debt almost four years ahead of schedule.
FRIDAY, August 22, 2014
would pay interest of 129 million dirhams owed. It will repay 31 banks -- 10 from the UAE and 21 from overseas. Nakheel’s final instalment had been due in March 2018 but in June chairman Ali Rashid Lootah said the entire sum would be paid this summer. He said then that the cash was being “generated from Nakheel’s own income, not from the support fund of the government”. The property behemoth had piled up a large mountain of
debt during five years of rapid growth in Dubai’s property sector, before the global financial crisis hit the Gulf emirate in 2009.
jected $9.5 billion that was converted into equity, separating the company from Dubai World and becoming fully owned by the government.
The company was part of government-linked Dubai World group, which sent jitters in global markets when it signalled in autumn 2009 that it was facing difficulties paying off debts that totalled around $24.9 billion.
Nakheel is benefiting from a strong rebound in Dubai, where economic growth has been steady thanks to the trade, transport and tourism sectors after contracting 2.9 percent in 2009.
The government intervened to rescue the group, bolstered by $20 billion in aid from neighbouring Abu Dhabi. As part of the restructuring of Nakheel, the government in-
SYDNEY / MELBOURNE
Last month, Nakheel said its profits surged 54 percent in the first half of 2014 to reach $502.7 million. In addition to property developments, Nakheel has been involved in retail and hospitality.
“We are calling on the Palestinian delegation to withdraw immediately from Cairo and not to return,” said Abu Obeida in a speech broadcast on Hamas’s Al-Aqsa TV channel.
“There will be no return to talks after today and any move in this direction will never achieve any result,” he added. “The enemy lost a golden chance to reach a ceasefire with limited demands, for which it will pay after today.” The wife and seven-monthold son of the Qassam Brigades’ commander Mohammed Deif were killed in an Israeli air strike on a building in Gaza City late Tuesday, but Hamas said Deif was still alive. “The Zionist enemy failed to assassinate general commander Abu Khaled,” said the spokesman, using Deif’s nom de guerre. The conflict between Israel and Hamas has killed 2,047 Palestinians and 67 on the Israeli side since July 8. Palestinian emergency services say more than 10,240 Palestinians have been wounded.
US accuses Israel of targeting kin of murdered Palestian teen
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ASHINGTON, August 21, 2014 (AFP) - The United States on Wednesday charged Israel had targeted members of a Palestinian family whose teenaged son was kidnapped and killed in July along with two cousins, who are US citizens. Tensions between Palestinians and Israelis in annexed east Jerusalem plunged to a new low on July 2 when 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khder was snatched from an east Jerusalem street and later found burned alive. Israeli police arrested six alleged Jewish extremists as suspects and on July 17 charged three, freeing the others.
The death of the Palestinian teen -- thought likely in retaliation for the abduction and killing of three Israeli Students in late June -- sparked rioting and helped unleash the conflict under way in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Three days after his death, on July 5, the United States slammed Israel’s arrest of a 15-year-old cousin, Tarek Abu Khder, 15, a US citizen. He was beaten in detention and has since been freed and returned to Florida. On July 28, another cousin of Abu Khder, also American, was arrested in Israel as well, the State Department said Wednesday.
VOICE OF ASIA 13
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Vol. 27 No. 34 Friday, August 22, 2014 Section 2 Page 13
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Bald ambition: Chinese county Study reveals antiperspirants exports human hair to Africa can make you smell worse by Tom HANCOCK
T
AIHE, (AFP) - Long, black and lucrative: sacks bulging with human hair spill onto the streets of a rural county whose farmers
($880) per kilogram for cuts of 20 inches. Taihe, in the eastern province of Anhui, is home to more than 400 companies processing human hair into an array of curly extensions, wigs and other
cornfields of Taihe generated $88 million of exports in 2012, nearly half the county’s total, according to the local government. It is one of many “industrial clusters” -- areas specialising in a single
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ASHINGTON: Antiperspirants can alter your armpit bacteria and actually make you smell worse, a new study has found. Researchers at the University of Ghent in Belgium asked eight test subjects to stop using deodorant or antiperspirantfor a month.
Representational image. AFP
Another subject who did not regularly use either was asked to use deodorant for a month. The timef rame was selected because it takes around 28 days for a new layer of skin cells to form. The armpit bacterial community of each subject was tested at the start and the end of the month, and the results showed that each armpit ecosystem had been altered, ‘Science Alert’ reported.
Women thread together hair extensions destined for export at a factory in Taihe County in China’s eastern Anhui Province on July 28.Aug 17, 2014 have helped make China the world’s biggest exporter of products made from the material. As dawn broke over the morning market in Taihe, vendors bringing hairy wares from across China haggled with dozens of buyers, and tempers frayed. “We have to bargain for hair,” said buyer Liu Yanwen, 35, who sported a buzzcut and arrived at the market at 5.30 am in search of deals. “We have a factory where we’ll turn it into products for export overseas,” he added, clutching a head’s worth of straight, thick black locks. Gao Pu, a vendor whose head was also shaved, opened a knapsack containing dozens of bunches of hair onto the ground and declared: “It comes from the heads of ordinary Chinese folks.” Prices can go as high as 5,400 yuan
products which end up on heads in the United States, Europe and Africa. Fu Quanguo, 64, pioneered the trade in the 1970s and now sports a crop of white hair. “We used to collect the human hair locally,” he said. “But now it comes from all kinds of countries, Myanmar, Vietnam, countries like that. “In the past making hair products was tough, and we did it all by hand... Now we’ve gone from small to big and are selling internationally.” China exported nearly 75 percent of the world’s “bird skin, feathers, artificial flowers, human hair” products, in 2012, according to the World Trade Organization’s International Trade Centre. The humble hair markets, ramshackle workshops and factories dotting the
kind of product, which have sprung up in recent decades as China’s export economy has boomed. They are especially common in the country’s east, where poverty-stricken farmers have pioneered small businesses since the 1980s, and now entire areas are dedicated to creating lightbulbs, socks, cigarette lighters or bra hooks. - Hair today, gold tomorrow Fu’s heir, his 36-year-old son Fu Qianwei, has a company with the English name Anna and export sales of $8 million a year, mostly to the US. “Each country has different demands on length, thickness and quality,” the closely-cropped Fu said, as workers sewed and curled clumps of hair destined for Africa -- often seen as primarily a source of raw materials for
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Researchers found that antiperspirant use was linked to an increase in Actinobacteria, the ‘bad’ type of armpit bacteria that instigate nox-
ious armpit odor. Lead author Chris Callewaert told ‘Real Clear Science’ that the aluminium compounds in antiperspirants, which can block pores to prevent sweating, may be to blame, by killing off “good” bacteria and allowing Actinobacteria to dominate. The study found that deodorants which lack these sweat-blocking antiperspirant compounds are actually linked to a slight decrease of stinky Actinobacteria. The results were published in the journal Archives of Dermatological Research. ( PTI).
China, but which also buys its finished goods.
rounded by piles of dyed red hair which she straightened with a large brush.
“As Africa’s economy grows, the market is growing and moving towards higher quality,” he said, standing beside boxes filled with “Afro Curly” extensions, featuring illustrations of smiling black female models.
Like most in the factory, she used to be a labourer in the fields. “If I wasn’t here I’d be working on the farm, but this work is less tiring and earns more money,” she said.
In the factory, the hair is first disinfected in two huge barrels, before workers use paddles to stir clumps of strands in vats of steaming water. It is dyed in colours from blonde to black -- via red and purple -- before being dried in ovens, brushed and sewn into hair extensions by the mostly female staff. “I thread parts together, in a day I can do 1,500,” said Zhang Qing, 23, as she fed bunches of hair into a clattering sewing machine. Zhang Hongmei’s low stool was sur-
Hair product manufacturing is “by far the biggest industry” in Taihe, says the younger Fu, and now local authorities plan to create a huge industrial park devoted entirely to the sector. Fu recalls growing up in the 1980s, “when we would be happy if we had rice rather than corn”. Now he employs more than 200 fulltime staff and escorts foreign clients to dinners at pricey local restaurants in an imported car. “I owe my income to the hair industry,” he said. “Because the value of hair is so high, people call it black gold.”
Young Life
VOICE OF ASIA 14
Friday, August 22, 2014
Section 2
Page 14
Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com
FRIDAY, August 22, 2014
Tel: 713-774-5140
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Now, app that prevents kids from ignoring parents’ calls WA S H I N G TON: A woman from Texas, US has created a app for her kids that won’t allow them to ignore her calls. The app known as ‘Ignore No More’ locks the phone if someone tends to ignore the call, CNet reported.
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Sharon Standifird’s website states that kids won’t be able to ignore the call from their parents and when the phone gets locked with ‘Ignore No More’ the child will have only two options i.e. to call back, or call for an emergency responder. The website further stated that kids
won’t be able to make call or text to their to their friends, until they call their parents back. Standifird’s son Bradley said that he thought it was a good idea but for other people, not for him. The app is currently only available on Android and costs 1.99dollars.
The classrooms and labs at TAU Campus are fully equipped for the preparation of Basic Sciences and Premedical subjects. Affiliation with 600+ bedded affiliated hospital located locally in Guyana provides a unique integrated learning experience to the students, where they get exposed to the clinical setting right from the beginning of their Doctor of Medicine program. Intakes and Admissions: TAU has two intakes in a year and the upcoming intakes would be in Sep 2014, Jan 2015 & May 2015. The admissions are currently open and the interested students can visit www.texila.us or call 1-866-780-0079. You can also visit the admission services office of TAU located at 517 US Highway 1 S, Suite 1190, Iselin, New Jersey to get a one to one counseling and advice on the admissions process.
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VOICE OF ASIA 16
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FRIDAY, August 22, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
Section 2 Page 16
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Tel: 713-774-5140
Hrithik Roshan to star in ‘Mohenjo Daro’
Commemorating 17th death anniversary of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Hrithik Roshan (L) and Ashutosh Gowariker to collaborate on ‘Mohenjo Daro’. – Photo courtesy boxofficeindia.co.in
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
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isney India and Ashutosh Gowariker Productions Pvt. Ltd (AGPPL) are to collaborate on Mohenjo Daro. Directed by Gowariker, the film will star Hrithik Roshan and new comer Pooja Hegde in an epic adventure love story set at the time of the Indus Valley Civilization. Mohenjo Daro, meaning Mound of the Dead in Sindhi, is a lost civilization that was abandoned in 19th century BCE. The city’s ruins lie in the Larkana district of Sindh, and are a designated Unesco World Heritage Site since 1980.
movies were critical and boxoffice hits. According to a press release, Disney India Producer Sunita Gowariker said, “There has always been a natural creative synergy between UTV and AGPPL in our previous movies. This time through our collaboration with Disney we’ll have an even greater focus on entertaining families.
“After Jodhaa Akbar, we are thrilled to work with Ashutosh and Hrithik again, and we are excited about bringing another wonderful Indian story to the big screen,” said Amrita Pandey, VP and Head of Marketing & Distribution, Disney Studios, India. Mohenjo Daro is set to go into production in South Africa from October 2014.
Given the settings, the movie is likely to be a sweeping historical extravaganza, along the lines of Jodhaa Akbar and Lagaan, the former also an association between UTV Motion Pictures (aka Disney India), while the latter an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film; both
M
usic lovers observed the 17th death anniversary of “Shahenshah-e-Qawwali”, meaning “The King of Kings of Qawwali,” Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan on Saturday. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was born on October 13, 1948 in Faisalabad. The legendary singer was not only popular in Pakistan but also in rest of the world. He sang predominantly in the Islamic devotional style known as Qawwali. He passed away at the age of 48 in the year of 1997, having become one of the
world’s most outstanding vocalists. Nusrat Fateh’s songs are still alive among his fans and also youngsters, and have defined the art-form of Qawwali for the generations to come. He had performed around Europe, India, Japan, USA and had also collaborated on several songs with Western musicians including the renowned Peter Gabriel and lead singer of Pearl Jam Eddie Vedder. Most of his songs including, “Allah Hoo Allah Hoo,” “Yeh Jo Halka Halka Suroor
Hai,” and “Haq Ali,” (his first song) continue to be resung countless times over, though his style has never been matched. Nusrat Fateh Ali holds the Guinness world record for producing the largest recorded output by a Qawwali artist — a total of 125 albums as of 2001. Though he hailed from the Sufi community, his music transcends all sectarian differences in a country that has never been able to leave them behind, not to mention national boundaries. (Courtesy: Dawn)
Salman Khan to launch his own single
Kareena restyles her wax statue in ‘Ra. One’ saree
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ondon, Aug 19 (PTI) Actress Kareena Kapoor’s wax statue at Madam Tussauds has undergone a style change with the actress donating her famous ‘Chammak Chalo’ red saree from ‘Ra.One’ for the replica.
The statue was earlier styled in the black tank top and ha-
rem pants that Kareena wore in ‘Mauja hi mauja’ song from ‘Jab We Met’.
Salman Khan.
M
UMBAI: Salman Khan’s foray into the musical world began with him singing the song Hangover in his new movie Kick – and he doesn’t intend to stop there. According to a reliable source, the actor is in the process of planning the launch of his own single, reported the Deccan Chronicle. “That song was never meant for the film. We, as actors get
invited to many places and are asked to sing,” said Salman, in a recent interview about Hangover. “Everything is usually lipsynced to someone else’s voice. But if we [actors] have our own song, then we can sing at such events. After [Hangover] was recorded, it turned out to be good and Sajid said, ‘Let’s put this in the film’. My voice was never meant for the film, it was
for me,” added Salman. “Salman is very serious about his singing plans. He will be associated with the best music label or do it completely on his own. It will be on a grand scale and the only hitch is that he isn’t clear if it should be a single or an entire album,” revealed a source, commenting on his plans of launching his own single.
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VOICE OF ASIA 18
Friday, August 22, 2014
Section 2
Page 18
Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com
Too Much Salt Intake is Linked to 1.65 Million Deaths per Year by Kerry Sheridan
W
ASHINGTON, August 13, 2014 (AFP) – People around the world eat twice as much salt as they should, and this behavior translates into 1.65 million heart-related deaths per year, researchers said Wednesday. Excess salt can cause high blood pressure, which is leading factor in heart disease and stroke, according to the study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Led by scientists at Harvard and Tufts University, the study combined data from 205 surveys of sodium intake in 66 countries around the world. “These 1.65 million deaths represent nearly one in 10 of all deaths from cardiovascular causes worldwide,” said lead researcher Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. “These new findings inform the need for strong policies to reduce dietary sodium in the United States and across the world.” The average level of global daily sodium intake in 2010
was 3.95 grams per day, nearly double the World Health Organization recommendation of two grams per day, the study found. - Acquired taste Although salt intake was higher than it should be in all world regions, the numbers varied. Regional averages ranged from 2.18 grams per day in subSaharan Africa to 5.51 grams per day in Central Asia. Americans’ average daily salt intake was 3.6 grams. The US government recommends limiting sodium to no more than 2,300 mg (2.3g) per day. “The majority of Americans have acquired a taste for a sodium consumption by a high salt diet,” said Kevin Marzo, chief of cardiology at WinthropUniversity Hospital in Mineola, New York, who was not involved in the study. “Health risks, particularly in its contribution to high blood pressure, may occur with the total daily consumption of more than a teaspoon of table salt.” - More study needed An accompanying editorial in the journal by doctor Suzanne
Oparil at the University of Alabama at Birmingham urged caution in interpreting the results “given the numerous assumptions necessitated by the lack of high-quality data.” Other research published in the same issue of the New England Journal of Medicine showed evidence that both high and low levels of sodium were linked to greater risk of death and cardiovascular disease. That further complicates the question of whether lower sodium diets might help or hurt public health, she said. “These provocative findings beg for a randomized, controlled outcome trial to compare reduced sodium intake with usual diet,” Oparil wrote. “In the absence of such a trial, the results argue against reduction of dietary sodium as an isolated public health recommendation,” said Oparil. The Institute of Medicine has convened experts to weigh in on the matter, and they reported last year that most evidence shows high sodium boosts the risk of heart disease. However, the IOM also said there is not enough research to
WHO sets up Ebola task force with global airline and travel sector
G
ENEVA, August 18, 2014 (AFP) - The World Health Organization said Monday that it had set up a task force with the global airline and tourism industry in an effort to contain the spread of Ebola. The UN agency said it was working hand in hand with the International Civil Aviation Organization, the World Tourism Organization, Airports Council International (ACI), the International Air Transport Association and the World Travel and Tourism Council. The goal, it said in a statement, was to “support the global efforts to contain the spread of the disease and provide a coordinated international response for the travel and tourism sector”. It added that the task force would “monitor the situation and provide timely information to the travel and tourism sector as well as to travellers”. The first closed-door session of the task force took place on August 13, the WHO told AFP. On August 8, the WHO declared a global public health emergency over the outbreak of
Ebola, a deadly and highly contagious virus which has spread since the beginning of the year from Guinea to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Concerns over air travel were heightened because the outbreak in Nigeria was traced back to an ill traveller who flew from Liberia and infected contacts in Lagos. In Monday’s statement, the WHO reiterated that it does not recommend any ban on international travel or trade due to the Ebola outbreak, which has infected more than 2,100 people so far and killed 1,145. The haemorrhagic disease is spread by direct contact with blood and other body fluids of infected living or dead persons or animals. “The risk of transmission of Ebola virus disease during air travel is low,” it said, underlining than unlike influenza or tuberculosis, Ebola is not spread by breathing airborne particles from an infected person”. “Travellers are, in any event, advised to avoid all such contacts and routinely practice careful hygiene, like hand washing,” it said.
“The risk of getting infected on an aircraft is also small as sick persons usually feel so unwell that they cannot travel and infection requires direct contact with the body fluids of the infected person,” it added. To head off potential risks, the WHO reaffirmed that affected countries should “conduct exit screening of all persons at international airports, seaports and major land crossings, for unexplained febrile illness consistent with potential Ebola infection”. Anyone with an illness consistent with Ebola should not be allowed to travel, unless the journey was part of a medical evacuation, nor should people who have had contact with an Ebola case, it said. The WHO underlined that most infections occurred in communities battling the disease or in health centres. “The risk of a traveller becoming infected with the Ebola virus during a visit to the affected countries and developing disease after returning is very low, even if the visit includes travel to areas in which cases have been reported,” it said.
say for sure that lowering sodium to the recommended intake range of 1.5-2.3 grams per day would lower the risk of heart disease in the general population. Still, it probably wouldn’t hurt for most people to try and cut down on sodium, said David Friedman, chief of heart failure services at North ShoreLIJ’s Franklin Hospital in Valley Stream, New York. “Based on the available data, reducing our collective sodium intake to the daily range between 1,500 to 2,000 milligrams per day is probably the sweet spot for just enough but not too much oral sodium intake in most adults with known heart disease or those who are trying to prevent further personal cardiovascular trouble,” said Friedman, who was not involved in the study. Valentin Fuster, physicianin-chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, said eliminating processed foods is a good way to improve health. “Nearly 50 percent of daily sodium intake comes from consumption of bread, processed meats, pizza, soups, sandwiches, snacks, and cheese,” he said.
US hospital firm: Chinese hackers stole patient data
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EW YORK, August 18, 2014 (AFP) - Community Health Systems, a major US hospital operator, said Monday that hackers likely from China broke into its systems and stole identification data for some 4.5 million patients. Community Health said the hackers infiltrated its systems in April and June this year, using “highly sophisticated malware and technology” to bypass its data security protection. The company said that, working with computer security experts, it discovered information to conclude that the attackers were a group originating from China which works steadily to gain access to a target’s systems in order to steal data rather than cause damage to the systems. Operator of 206 hospitals across the country, Community Health said in a securities filing that the hackers took data on patients’ names, addresses, birthdates, phone numbers and Social Security numbers. But it said they did not obtain medical information on patients or any credit card data. It said it would offer patients affected by the breach identity theft-protection services.
‘Safer’ pesticide could create toxic mercury: study PARIS, August 19, 2014 (AFP) - A compound in pesticides that replaced another banned for its harmful effects, may threaten humans and wildlife by reacting with mercury in natural water to form a toxic chemical, researchers said Tuesday. Methyl iodide (CH3I) has been registered as a fumigant in several countries, “although its environmental impacts are not well understood,” a team from the United States and China reported in the journal Nature Communications.
It replaces methyl bromide, phased out under the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Earth-shielding ozone layer. For the latest study, researchers probed the behaviour of the new compound, which was approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency as a fumigant in 2008, and since registered in several countries including Japan and New Zealand. Compared with methyl bromide, methyl iodide degraded more slowly in soil and thus
FRIDAY, August 22, 2014
had a higher chance of ending up in natural water via runoff, the researchers said. Once there, it could interact under sunlight with mercury to form methylmercury, they showed in lab experiments using pond water. Methylmercury is the most dangerous and toxic form of mercury, and damages the brain and immune system. It can accumulate in fish. “Fumigants are widely applied in agricultural fields to control pests and weeds,” the
researchers wrote, adding that with the phase-out of methyl bromide, use of methyl iodide was expected to increase “dramatically”.
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What are the different types of annuities? The large number of annuity products on the market today can make understanding them difficult. But in fact, there are only a handful of different types of annuities, and we will help you find the best types to suit your needs. First, let’s discuss the three primary considerations when thinking about annuities: Timing of payout — immediate or deferred: The first thing to determine is if you need an immediate or deferred annuity. Read on to learn the difference. Immediate Annuities In an immediate annuity, the investor begins to receive payments immediately upon investing. This is for investors that need immediate income from their annuity. When you purchase an immediate annuity you can choose between payments for a certain period of time (typically five to twenty years “period certain”), payments for the rest of your life and/ or your spouse’s life, or any combination of the two. You can even choose between a fixed payment that doesn’t vary or a variable payment that is based on market performance. Deferred Annuities In a deferred annuity, you typically receive payments starting at some future date, usually at retirement. However, most deferred annuities allow for systematic withdrawal payments beginning thirty days after the purchase of your annuity, up to 10% per year, in most cases. With a deferred annuity you can invest either a lump sum all at once, or make periodic payments, either fixed or variable. Those funds grow taxdeferred until you’re ready to begin receiving payments. Deferred annuities make up a large majority of all annuity sales in the United States, and are the type of annuity that Annuity FYI generally recommends if you do not need immediate income from your annuity. Investment type — fixed or variable: The next decision to make is the investment type best suited to your needs: fixed or variable. Fixed Annuities Fixed annuities are invested primarily in government securities and high-grade corporate bonds. They offer a guaranteed rate of return, typically over a period of one to fifteen years. There are two basic types of fixed annuities: the Guaranteed Return Annuities (GRA) is a fixed annuity that offers a guarantee that you can never receive less than 100% of your investment — no penalties or fluctuations in the interest rate market can impact your principal should you surrender. The Market Value Adjustment annuity (MVA) works much like the GRA, but there is no guarantee of your prin“This study shows that CH3I could also indirectly threaten the health of humans and wildlife by forming a toxic chemi-
Sudhir Mathuria Contact: Sudhir Mathuria Licensed Professional Health Life 360 6650 Southwest Freeway Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900 www.MyMedicarePlanning.com cipal if rates rise and you surrender your contract. MVAs work like a bond and often pay more than a GRA due to the increased short-term risk of rising rates. It is important to note that, unlike a variable annuity, where your funds are held separately from the insurance company, with a fixed annuity your assets are part of the general accounts of the insurer, and are subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing company. For this reason it is important to understand the financial strength of the issuing insurance company before you buy a fixed annuity. See our section on financial strength ratings for more information. Variable Annuities A variable annuity is a contract between you and an issuer whereby you agree to give the issuer principal and in return the issuer guarantees you variable payments over time. While annuities are not insurance policies, they are issued by insurance companies. Variable annuities are different than their fixed annuity cousins, which are invested primarily in government securities and high-grade corporate bonds, and offer exclusively a guaranteed rate, typically over a period of one to ten years. There are several distinctive features of variable annuities: Invest Unlimited Funds, Tax-Deferred A variable annuity is similar to a retirement plan in that you can fund it in a lump sum or a little at a time, and all capital in an annuity grows and compounds tax-deferred until you begin making withdrawals. Unlike retirement plans, however, there is no limit as to how much you can invest in annuities! With a variable annuity you can invest unlimited funds, tax deferred (unlike IRA, 401ks, and other retirement vehicles, which have annual maximum contributions). Variable annuities can grow tax deferred until withdrawn. For understanding and planning for tax differed saving account such as IRA or 401 (K) contact Sudhir Mathuria for your Health and Wealth Planning at 713-771-2900. cal (methyl mercury), suggesting the necessity of a more comprehensive risk assessment of CH3I as a fumigant,” they said.
VOICE OF ASIA 19
HEALTH, TECH & SCIENCE
FRIDAY, August 22, 2014
Discover the Simple Natural 50 Cent, Intel team Solution to Lifelong Cogniup on heart-monitor tive Health: Is Turmeric it headphones the next miracle herb? Part I Other Incredible Health Benefits of Curcumin: Promotes healthy cardiovascular function
Prof. Meenakshi Bhattacharjee Rice University.
Heart disease is the biggest killer in the world. It has been studied for many decades and researchers have learned a lot about why it happens. Curcumin may help reverse many steps in the heart disease process.
by Prof. Meenakshi Bhattacharjee
A
re you concerned about maintaining the health of your brain as you age? You’re not alone. Losing one’s memory and mental abilities to cognitive decline is something we all fear, and the current statistics on the prevalence of cognitive decline in this country are not pretty. By age 65, sadly 1 in 8 Americans will suffer from severe cognitive decline, and by age 80, an astonishing 1 in 2 will. Researchers have been working for years to develop an effective treatment. But one “miracle” drug after another has failed to live up to its promises and it’s becoming more and more apparent that pharmaceuticals are not the solution. Unfortunately, the medical establishment is so narrowly focused on finding an elusive “cure” that scientifically proven prevention strategies are often ignored. You may be familiar with turmeric as the bright yellow spice that is commonly found in curry powder. Turmeric has a long history as a healing herb and culinary spice in India. Interestingly, India has the highest per capita consumption of turmeric AND the lowest incidence of cognitive decline worldwide. Curcumin, found in the root of the turmeric plant, is one of the most powerful natural brain protecting substances on Earth. Commonly called curcuminoids, the most important of which is Curcumin, is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful antiinflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant. Previously it was believed
Curcumin, found in the root of the turmeric plant, is one of the most powerful natural brain protecting substances on Earth. that neurons weren’t able to divide and multiply after early childhood. However, it is now known that this does happen. The neurons are capable of forming new connections, but in certain areas of the brain, they can also multiply and increase in number. One of the main drivers of this process is Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which is a type of growth hormone that functions in the brain. Many common brain disorders have been linked to decreased levels of this hormone. This includes depression and Alzheimer’s disease.Interestingly, curcumin can increase brain levels of BDNF. By doing this, it may be effective at delaying or even reversing many brain diseases and age-related decreases in brain function. There is also the possibility that it could help improve memory and make you smarter. The hallmark process associated with certain types of cognitive decline is the formation in the brain of abnormal protein structures. Normally when malformed proteins are formed within the brain, the immune system sends out cells known as macrophages, which engulf and destroy the proteins. If this ordinary function fails, defective proteins accumulate in the brain and cognitive de-
cline can follow and one key feature of Alzheimer’s disease is a buildup of protein tangles called amyloid plaques. This disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the world and a leading cause of dementia. Unfortunately, no good treatment is available for Alzheimer’s yet. Therefore, preventing it from showing up in the first place is of utmost importance. Recent research is showing that curcumin encourages the immune system to send macrophages to the brain. A landmark clinical trial involved people with severe cognitive decline that measured the effects of curcumin. Amazingly, the participants taking curcumin had significantly higher levels of dissolved abnormal proteins in their blood compared to those in the placebo group. This study showed that curcumin has the ability to effectively pass into the brain, bind to beta-amyloid plaques and assist the body in their breakdown. Curcumin is one of the only substances known to have such a profound protective effect on the brain. It is known that inflammation and oxidative damage also play a role in Alzheimer’s disease and we know curcumin has beneficial effects on both.
Perhaps the main benefit of curcumin when it comes to heart disease, is improving the function of the endothelium, which is the lining of the blood vessels. It is well known that endothelial dysfunction is a major driver of heart disease and involves an inability of the endothelium to regulate blood pressure, blood clotting and various other factors. Several studies suggest that curcumin leads to improvements in endothelial function. Curcumin also reduces inflammation and oxidation which are also important in heart disease. In one study, 121 patients who were undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery were randomized to either placebo or 4 grams of curcumin per day, a few days before and after the surgery. The curcumin group had a 65% decreased risk of experiencing a heart attack in the hospital. Supports joint and muscle health Arthritis is a common problem in Western countries. There is several different types, but most involve some sort of inflammation in the joints. Given that curcumin is a potent antiinflammatory, it makes sense that it could help with arthritis. Several studies show this to be true. In a study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, curcumin was even more effective than an anti-inflammatory drug. Many other studies have looked at the effects of curcumin on arthritis and noted improvements in various symptoms. Next Week read Part II
Robo-cook: android restaurant boots up in China
Rap star 50 Cent to team with Intel SAN FRANCISCO, August 15, 2014 (AFP) - Rap star 50 Cent and US computing giant Intel are teaming up on a new line of headphones that double as heart rate monitors. With the company SMS Audio backed by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Intel will produce the so-called fitness monitoring biometric in-ear headphones. The headphones will integrate biometric sensors to allow users to collect fitness data and “achieve peak physical performance,” according to an Intel statement Thursday. It noted that “an energy-harvesting audio jack” eliminates the need for extra batteries or chargers.
NEW DELHI, August 15, 2014 (AFP) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said a “digital India” could compete with the world and hailed its IT professionals for banishing the country’s image as a land of snake charmers and black magic. In an Independence Day speech, Modi said India had transformed itself through strides taken by its information technology outsourcing sector. But more still has to be done to get India digitally connected through the Internet and tap other technologies, he said. “Some 25 to 30 years ago, the world used to think we are a land of snake charmers and black magic. But our youth has surprised the world with its IT skills,” he said.
In February, Indian Satya Nadella was appointed Microsoft’s chief executive in an endorsement of home-grown talent that has risen to the top of the US corporate world. Modi, a tech-savvy politician who is immensely popular on Facebook and Twitter, said India must use Internet to reach out to each of its 1.2 billion people. “Digital India is not an elite concept anymore. We have to
K
UNSHAN, (AFP) It’s more teatime than Terminator -- a restaurant in China is electrifying customers by using more than a dozen robots to cook and deliver food. Mechanical staff greet customers, deliver dishes to tables and even stir-fry meat and vegetables at the eatery in Kunshan, which opened last week. “My daughter asked me to invent a robot because she doesn’t like doing housework,” the restaurant’s founder Song Yugang told AFP. Two robots are stationed by the door to cheerfully greet customers, while four short but humanoid machines carry trays of food to the tables. In the kitchen, two large blue robots with glowing red eyes specialise in frying, while an-
other is dedicated to making dumplings. Song told the local Modern Times newspaper that each robot costs around 40,000 yuan ($6,500) -- roughly equal to the annual salary of a human employee. “The robots can understand 40 everyday sentences. They can’t get sick or ask for vacation. After charging up for two hours they can work for five hours,” he added. The restaurant, in the eastern province of Jiangsu, follows in the tracks of another robotic eatery which opened in the northeastern city of Harbin in 2012. Rising labour costs in China have encouraged manufacturers to turn to automation, and the country last year surpassed Japan to become the world’s biggest consumer of industrial
robots.
Intel said the listening devices will “bring smart exercise capabilities to athletes of all levels later this year.” Michael Bell, corporate vice president at Intel, said the company “is focused on driving innovation in the wearable technology segment by partnering with lifestyle brands like SMS Audio that complement our technology and design expertise.”
IT-savvy India no longer land of ‘snake charmers’: Modi
“I dream of a digital India. It was once said railways connects India. Today I say IT connects India... I fully believe a digital India can compete with the world.”
A robot cooks vegetables in a kitchen of a restaurant in Kunshan on August 13, 2014 (AFP Photo/Johannes Eisele)
Brian Nohe, president of SMS Audio, said the new device means the company is “the first to provide this level of integrated, seamless and helpful biometric information to inspire customers to advance their fitness experiences.”
take broadband connectivity to every village. We have to use this idea to revolutionise health and education in India,” he said. Modi, known as zealous moderniser when chief minister of the prosperous Gujarat state, also appealed to global business to set up shop in India. “I tell the world - come, make in India. Sell anywhere, but manufacture here. We have the skill and talent,” he said. “Our dream should be to see the ‘Made in India’ signs in every corner of the world.” While known for its flagship outsourcing industry, India’s manufacturing sector is still nascent. The government is anxious to create manufacturing jobs to employ the millions of Indians who enter the employment market each year. Modi also called on Indians to do their bit to promote manufacturing, saying the country should become self-reliant. Modi tapped into the philosophy preached by India’s independence icon Mahatma Gandhi who urged Swadeshi -self-reliance in manufacturing of goods. “Each Indian must take a pledge so that the country does not have to import anything. Even if the youth start manufacturing one item each, it can make a huge difference,” he said.
Javed Akhtar, Sonu Nigam launch video for child healthcare
The cooking robots -- which have a fixed repertoire -- exhibit limited artificial intelligence, and are loaded with ingredients by human staff, who also help to make some dishes. But customers at the restaurant who tucked into fried tomatoes with egg, soup, and rice were thrilled with the experience. “My children are really excited by the robots,” said Yang Limei, a mother of three. The round-headed waiter robots can only move along fixed paths, and politely ask customers to move out of their way whenever their routes are blocked. “I’ve never seen a robot serving food before,” said Yuan Yuan, nine. “I’m really surprised.”
A
music video for child health awareness, featuring actors Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan, was launched here today.
The close to five-minute video, titled ‘Phool Khil Jayenge’, is written by noted lyricist Javed Akhtar and sung by Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik. It was launched by Akhtar, his wife Shabana Azmi, Nigam and musician Lalit Pandit at an event also attended by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. (PTI).
VOICE OF ASIA 20
ONLINE .COM voiceofasiaonline.com
Friday, August 22, 2014
BUSINESS
FRIDAY, August 22, 2014
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Steve Ballmer steps down World Bank arm to raise $2.5 bln in India bond sale from Microsoft board
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Brett Molina,August 19, 2014 (USA TODAY).
EW DELHI - The World Bank’s private sector financing arm said Wednesday it would raise $2.5 billion in Indian rupeedenominated bonds to fund much-needed infrastructure projects across the country.
F
ormer Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is leaving his seat on the tech giant’s board of directors, citing a “multitude of new commitments,” including ownership of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.
The debt sale by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the largest global development institution focused on the private sector, marks one of India’s biggest-ever financing offers.
In a letter address to current CEO Satya Nadella on Tuesday, Ballmer expressed his support for the company. His departure from the board is effective immediately. Ballmer’s exit from Microsoft’s board comes one year after he revealed he would step down as CEO following a 13year run. “I have confidence in our approach of mobile-first, cloudfirst, and in our primary innovation emphasis on platforms and productivity and the building of capability in devices and services as core business drivers,” said Ballmer. Nadella, who took over the CEO role in February, thanked Ballmer for his support during his transition. “Under your leadership, we created an in-
Steve Ballmer at a press conference credible foundation that we continue to build on — and Microsoft will thrive in the mobile-first, cloud-first world,” said Nadella. Last week, a Los Angeles judged cleared Ballmer’s acquisition of the Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion. “Given my confidence and the multitude of new commitments I am taking on now, I think it would be impractical for me to continue to serve on the board, and it is best for me to move off,” says
Standard Chartered fined $300 mn over laundering controls
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EW YORK, August 19, 2014 (AFP) New York state’s banking regulator hit Standard Chartered Bank with a $300 million fine and restrictions on its dollar-clearing business Tuesday for not detecting possible money laundering. The New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) said the British bank’s internal compliance systems had failed to detect or act on a large number of “potentially high-risk transactions” mostly originating from Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates. The new punishment came two years after the bank paid US regulators $667 million to settle charges it violated US sanctions by handling thousands of money transactions involving Iran, Myanmar, Libya and Sudan. A DFS monitor appointed in 2012 to keep an eye on the bank discovered that it had not detected the allegedly highrisk transactions from Hong Kong and the UAE and reported them as it should have, the department said. “If a bank fails to live up to its commitments, there should be consequences. That is particularly true in an area as serious as anti-money-laundering compliance, which is vital to helping prevent terrorism and vile human rights abuses,” said DFS head Benjamin Lawsky. The department did not give any information on the nature of the transactions, or whether they proved to involve laundering or not. In a settlement agreed with the bank, DFS ordered Standard Chartered to halt dollar-clearing operations for unnamed “high-risk retail business clients” of its Hong Kong unit.
The bank is already cutting business with high-risk clients in UAE, but will also not be able to process dollar funds through the United States for them. Its New York branch also is forbidden to take on any clearing or deposit accounts from new customers without the approval of Lawsky’s office. Standard Chartered is based in London but has traditionally done most of its business in Asia and the Middle East. It said it accepted responsibility and “regrets the deficiencies in the anti-money laundering transaction surveillance system at its New York branch.” It added that it would work with clients in Hong Kong and UAE affected by the DFS requirements “to minimize disruption.” “The group remains fully committed to Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates as key markets,” the bank said. The action taken against Standard Chartered is part of an ongoing crackdown by New York state and federal authorities on banks, particularly foreign banks with New York branches, for handling money transfers from countries and individuals blacklisted by Washington for political reasons or for their involvement in criminal activities. In the largest case, French bank BNP Paribas agreed to pay $8.9 billion in July to settle charges that for years it knowingly violated US sanctions on Iran and Sudan. BNP Paribas and other banks fined for similar reasons were ordered to implement stringent compliance regimes to ensure they do not break US rules in their dollar-clearing businesses.
Ballmer, a basketball junkie who wasn’t afraid to throw elbows in recreational leagues. Meanwhile, Ballmer’s successor continues to navigate a difficult transition for Microsoft, as it pursues more cloud and mobile endeavors. Last month, Nadella announced Microsoft would slash up to 18,000 jobs over the next year, many of which are connected to the company’s acquisition of Nokia for more than $7 billion.
The proceeds of the bond sale will be used to help finance India’s ambitious infrastructure programme to overhaul its shabby roads, ports and airports among other projects. India requires big investment to carry out the planned infrastructure programme, expected to cost around $1 trillion in the five years to 2017. But a shallow bond market and lack of other longterm financing have hampered efforts to raise the necessary money. Leading Indian financial daily, The Economic Times, called
Rupee notes of different denominations are seen in this picture illustration taken in Mumbai April 30, 2012. CREDIT: REUTERS/ VIVEK PRAKASH/FILES the bumper debt sale a “vote of confidence in the Indian economy” under the country’s new right-wing premier Narendra Modi. The IFC will use a combination of bonds and swaps -- a trade of one financial instrument for another -- to raise up to $2.5 billion (150 billion rupees) in local currency financing over the next five years. The offer “will deepen the bond market and also provide much-needed finance to in-
frastructure projects”, India’s Finance Secretary Arvind Mayaram said in a statement. Last year, the Washingtonbased IFC raised $1 billion through the issue of overseas rupee-linked bonds to fund infrastructure projects, drawing a broad range of international investors. Indian authorities have been working to ease regulations to make it simpler for multilateral agencies to issue bonds.
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HINDI PRARTHANA
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VOICE OF ASIA 24
FRIDAY, August 22, 2014