Voice of Asia e paper June 16 2017

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Vol. 30 No. 24 Friday, June 16, 2017 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 24 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

Consul General of India CRY Pledge hosts Iftar for Houston 2017 – A huge hit with Indian Muslims

Houstonians!

by Shobana Muratee

S

UGAR LAND –After four successful fundraisers in the United States, CRY (Child Rights and You) America held its Houston Chapter fundraisers at the Sweetwater Country Club in Sugar Land on Sunday, June 11 to a sold out crowd. This year, celebrity guest, BolContinued on Page 7

Bollywood actor and celebrity guest Arjun Rampal with CRY Houston Committee members Dharam Bali and Lipika during the fundraiser on June 11, 2017. Photo by Murali Santhana msanphoto.com

Surendra Adhana greeting the Indian Muslims in Houston at the Iftar dinner hosted in honor of the Holy Month of Ramadan. Lathafath Hassan, president Indian Muslims Association f Greater Houston (IMAGH) who also seen recognized dignitaries attending the event.

by Shobana Muratee

H

OUSTON - The Consul General of India in Houston hosted an Iftar Dinner office for the Indian Muslim community in Houston yesterday, Monday, June 12, 2017 at the Consulate at 7:00 pm at the Consulate office located at 4300 Scotland Street.

Acting Consul General, Surendra Adhana, delivered his message of

peace and friendship in observance of the Holy Month of Ramadan. “On behalf of 180 million Indian Muslims and over 1 million Indians of different faith, I convey my best wishes on Ramadan what we call Ramaza,” he said in his message. “And may this Holy moth enhance the spirit of holiness, peace and harmony across the world,” he added. “We are proud of Continued on Page 3

CRY fundraiser in Sugar Land. A Section of the audience. Photo creidt: Murali Santhana

Pearland City Runoff Elections: Mayor Tom Reid secures position

T

he City of Pearland, Brazoria County, Texas conducted a hotly contested runoff election on June 10th 2017.

Incumbent Mayor Tom Reid, a friend of Indian community for four decades, won the election with 59.3%. Former Councilman Woody Owens won the City Council seat number 7 with 58.3%

Former Mayor of Houston, Dr. Annise Parker with the guests at the Consul General’s Iftar Dinner on June 11, 2017. Photo by Shobana Muratee

Indian community under the leadership of Sam Kannappan assisted the Mayor’s election with the help of team of volunteers such as Dr. SG. Appan, Dr. Venu Menon, Ramani Row, Thangaraj, Somarajan Nair, Achalesh Amar and others. This election is a historical event in Pearland city’s election which received a lot of attention due to issues raised by opposing candidates.

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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS A shooting in Alexandria I VOICE OF ASIA

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t may take some time before we learn the motive behind this morning’s shooting at a Republican congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Va. We hope it wasn’t political — though early reports suggest the shooter might have been a Bernie Sanders supporter — and we hope that the gunshot victims survive with only minimal injuries. It was the fact that the victims included members of Congress and their aides, of course, that has driven the news coverage. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana was reported wounded in the hip.

The gunman’s weapon, according to some of the lawmakers who spoke with reporters, appeared to have been some sort of assault-style rifle, and he opened fire from or near a dugout on the third base side.

The Capitol police responded with pistols as the ballplayers — including Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama and Sens. Rand Paul and Jeff Flake — hit the ground. It was a terrifying scene, witnesses said; Brooks estimated that more than 50 shots were fired.

Because the details aren’t yet known, it’s premature to suggest a specific response. But the incident brought some of the most powerful members of Congress into intimate contact with what has become a common part of American life.

Meanwhile, it must be noted

brings gun violence directly to those best situated to act

that just 50 miles to the north, in Baltimore, six people were killed and two more wounded in shootings over Monday night and into Tuesday morning, a spasm of violence that led Police Commissioner Kevin Davis to order a special regimen of 12-hour shifts to deploy as many uniformed officers as possible on the streets to provide “a visible, overt presence.” There was very little media coverage of that — news is what’s different, not what’s achingly familiar.

The incident brought some of the most powerful members of Congress into intimate contact with what has become a common part of American life.

It’s unlikely the attack on the Republican team was a chance encounter — the practice began in the early morning, before daily business on Capitol Hill gets underway. Neighbors talking to cable news channels said that the morning practices, in preparation for a charity match against Democratic lawmakers, are common knowledge. Usually there is no security presence, but Flake said the Capitol police officers were there as a

regular protection detail provided to Scalise, a member of the House leadership. In fact, had Scalise and his security officers not been present, Paul said, the gunman would have faced no resistance from the defenseless ballplayers, and the carnage could have been greater. Early reports say one of the wounded Capitol police officers finally shot and wounded the gunman, a remarkable feat of heroism.

The attack is the worst assault on a member of Congress since the attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (DAriz.) six years ago, a shooting in which she was critically wounded and six other people were killed. That sparked calls for more rigid gun control measures, and Giffords, who supports the right to own firearms, now devotes significant time and energy through Americans for Responsible Solutions to strengthening gun control laws and limiting access to firearms.

But little has been gained.

Since 2011, more than 100 bills seeking to control access to firearms — from tougher background checks to banning magazines holding more than

10 rounds to closing the “gun show loophole” sellers use to evade background checks — have failed to pass primarily because of the cozy relationship between the gun lobby and Republican lawmakers.

The battle over gun control will likely become energized after today’s shooting, the specifics no doubt tailored to the incident itself. Did the gunman procure his weapon or weapons legally?

If not, how did he get them?

Was he mentally ill? Should he have been eligible for a permit?

There’s a usual list of questions that arise in such shootings. That we have such a familiar de facto system for processing such violence should be a ringing signal that we have, as a nation, tolerated routine gun violence for far too long.

We hope, of course, that the victims of today’s shooting recover fully. But we also hope that the next time the NRA lobbyists visit congressional offices with their guns-for-everyone agenda, they are greeted by members of Congress who are far more skeptical and probing than they have been in the past.

(-Louisville Courier)

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

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

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THE STORY OF MAHATMA GANDHI

Gandhi suffers racial insults in South Africa

A

s the ship streamed into Bombay harbor, he saw his brother waiting to receive him. After exchanging pleasantries with the brother Gandhi noticed that his brother was very reticent.

“Something wrong? Any bad news?” he asked.

The brother nodded and told him of the death of their mother.

“It was during your exams a few weeks ago. We did not want to disturb you,” said the brother.

The news was a terrible shock for Gandhi who wanted to let Putlibai know of how he had kept his vows to not drink alcohol or eat meat.

Gandhi started practice as a lawyer in Rajkot, but he was deeply disgusted at the greed and honesty of many of his fellow professionals.

After some time, he got an offer to work in South Africa from Dada Abdulla & Co who owned big business concerns there. He was to be a legal adviser to the firm which had filed a lawsuit against another company seeking damages of 400,000 dollars. Gandhi was hired because he spoke Eng-

lish well and knew English law well. His services were required for one year and the company promised him a handsome salary and first class return fare.

The opportunity to see a new country and new people was indeed very exciting and Gandhi accepted the offer. It was painful to part from Kasturbai and Harilal, but he was keen to go. In April 1893 he left Bombay for South Africa.

He reached the port of Natal at the end of May 1893. In South Africa, he noticed that Indians were treated with little respect.

They were called ‘Coolies’.

Within a week of his arrival, he visited the court with Abdulla Seth of Dada Abdulla & Co. No sooner had he sat down that the magistrate pointed his plump finger at him. “You must remove your turban,” he said sternly. Gandhi was surprised.

He looked around. There were several Muslim and Parsi men wearing turbans. He could not understand why he was being singled out.

After a week in Durban, he left for Pretoria to attend to the case for which he was engaged. With a first class ticket, he boarded the train. At the next stop, an Englishman got into the compartment. He was travelling “Sir,” he replied. “I see no in a train to Pretoria, in a first reason why I should remove class compartment.

his bag and baggage. The train left. Gandhi spent the night shivering in the cold, but he did not touch his luggage.

This incident changed the whole course of his life. He decided to fight all such injustices. He sent a note of protest to the general manager of the railways, but the official only supported the rail employees.

More trouble was still in store for him. Next morning, he went to Charlestown by train. He had now to travel by a stagecoach to Johannesburg, but he was not allowed to sit inside the coach with white passengers.

To avoid confrontation Gandhi sat outside on the coach-box behind the coachman. After some time the conductor asked him to sit on a dirty sack on the step below. Gandhi refused.

The conductor began to pull him down and beat him up. At this time, some of the passengers came to Gandhi’s rescue and he was allowed to sit with them. Gandhi reached Johannesburg the next night, quite shaken by the experiences on the way. He had the address of a Muslim merchant’s house,

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my turban. I refuse to do so.”

When the magistrate insisted that he remove his turban, Gandhi walked out of the court.

Abdulla Seth ran after him and caught him by the arm. “You don’t understand,” he said.

“These white people consider Indians inferior and address them as “coolie” or “sami.”

Parsis and Muslims are allowed to wear turbans as the turban is thought to have religious significance.” “The magistrate insulted me,” Gandhi said angrily.

“Any such rule is an insult to a free man. I shall write at once to the Durban Press to protest such insulting rules.” And Gandhi did write. The letter was published and it led to unexpected debate and discussion. At the same time, some other papers described Gandhi as a troublemaker and unwelcome visitor.

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He looked at Gandhi with contempt and called the conductor. “Take this coolie out and put him in a lower class!” he said. The conductor turned to gandhi and said, “Hey Sami, Come along with me to the next compartment.”

“No I will not,” said Gandhi.

“I was sold a first class ticket and I have every right to be here.”

The conductor called a policeman who pushed him out with

where he spent the night.

The next day he bought a first class ticket and continued his train journey to Pretoria.

The only other passenger in the compartment was a welldressed Englishman. A little later, a conductor entered and Gandhi quickly showed him the ticket. “Your ticket does not matter,” growled the conductor.

“Go to the third class at once.”

Before Gandhi could reply, the Englishman flung down the newspaper and said, “Why are

Mahatma Gandhi Week in Houston Call 713-785-3900 or visit www.mahatmagandhilibrary.org you harassing this gentleman?

His ticket gives him a right to be here.” And then turning to Gandhi, he said, “Make yourself comfortable just where you are, young man.”

Thanking him warmly, Gandhi settled down with a book.

It was late in the evening when the train pulled into Pretoria. He stayed at a hotel that night and moved into a lodge the next day. There he began to study the Abdulla lawsuit.

Even while he was working on it, he found time to call a meeting of the Indians in Pretoria. — To be Continued

COMMUNITY VOICE OF ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 3

FRIDAY, June 9, 2017

Second Front Page

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Consul General ...hosts Iftar Continued from Page 1 immensely contributed to India’s impeccable secular credentials, economy growth and generated goodwill for the country,” he added. Over 120 people of Indian community attend the dinner, “People from all sects of Islam are here today which is like a Mecca in this Consulate,” Adhana said and reaffirmed that your wellbeing being is a priority of the Government of India.

Lathafath Hassan, president and founder of Indian Muslims Association of Greater Houston (IMAGH) welcomed the dignitaries among who were: Houston’s former Mayor Annise Parker, City of Houston Council Member, David Robinson, CG of Turkey, Ferhat Alkan, CG of UAE, Saeed Almheiri, Ellen Goldberg, Murad Ajani, Malik Jamal, Faisal Momin, Nuruddin Rupani, Hasu Patel, Col. Raj Bhalla, Dr. Maqbool Haq, Vijay Pallod, Musa Dakri, and Sam Merchant. “Last year, at CG house it was so popular that we wanted to do it again,” Hassan said sating this was second time in a row that such an event was hosted. “So many of us here

had not come to the Consulate before and now they got to see the impressive building. He announced the Aftar to be at 8:22PM after which followed a delicious home-style dinner.

Former Houston Mayor Anniese Parker also spoke on the occasion and expressed that she wants to continue serving the community in any way she can.

www.voiceofasiaonline.com

New Associate Vicars take charge at Houston Trinity and Immanuel Mar Thoma Church

Acting CG Surendra Adhana’s wife, Rajeshri Adhana received the guests along with other Consular memebers and Consulate stuff. Hassan made a special mention of Yasmeen Arya and Ravikanth Srigadde who worked hard to organize the event he said.

Adhana informed the guests about the 3rd International Day of Yoga on 21 June will be observed in Texas with 5 major events happening: In Houston at the Levy Park on Wednesday, June 21 7pm, Woodlands on June 24, 3 more in San Antonia on June 17, same day in Austin, and in Dallas on June 25th. He invited everyone to participate in this historic event.

The Indian Consulate will be celebrating 70th Anniversary of India’s Independence on August 15th, 2017.

Rev Philip Philip, Trinity Church, with his wife Ginsey Jessy Philip and their sons.

Rev. Abraham Varghese, Immanuel Mar Thoma Church, with his wife Binju Abraham and children.

Houston’s Immanuel and Trinity churches are the 2 largest churches within the Mar Thoma Church Diocese of North America and Europe. All the priests and their family come for 3 years and return just before the expiration of their visa period. They also serve other small churches with fewer families. After they term when they go back to India another set of priests will take their place and the service goes on.

Combined membership of these 2 churches are around 1,000 families from the state of Kerala. Dozens of churches are established in all other major cities of the US.

Khaleda Dakri, (2nd from left) with IMAGH Directors Rahat Kalle, Dr. Saleha Khumawala, and Paru Mcguire.

Col. Raj Bhalla, Musa Dakri. Chairman at Wallis State Bank, Lathafat Hassan, Sam Merchant and Hassan’s son.

Members of the Indian Muslim community in Houston at the Iftar Dinner with Acting Consul General, Surendra Adhana, Annise Parker, and Council Member, David Robinson. Photos by Shobana Muratee, VOA.

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COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 4

FRIDAY, June 9, 2017

Dr. Gautam Samadder elected The People’s Lawyer President of AAPI www.peopleslawyer.net

Whether you have insurance does not affect liability

Richard M. Alderman Interim Dean of the Law Center

Q. Recently, I had an accident. Someone failed to stop at a stop sign and ran into me. It turns out the owner who was driving the car that hit me doesn’t have insurance. I was wondering what rights I have against the owner. Am I out of luck?

in justice court. If your damages are more, you will probably need an attorney to assist you.

Q. I am a jogger. A policeman recently told me that I had to jog on the sidewalk.

He said it was illegal to jog in the street. This can’t be the law.

A. I am often asked questions about liability and insurance, and as I have written many times before, whether someone has insurance does not affect liability.

Insurance is design to pay in the event that the person insured is legally responsible.

The fact that someone has insurance does not change the rules of liability. In other words, the owner of the car is or is not liable. The fact that the owner has insurance will affect how you collect, not liability.

Having said that, for the owner to be responsible you would have to show that the owner was “negligent,” and that is why the accident occurred. You say the other driver went through a stop sign and that would constitute negligence. Because the accident was his fault, he is legally responsible regardless of whether he had insurance.

Although the fact that the owner does not have insurance may make it harder to collect compensation for your damages, you are not out of luck. You still have a claim for damages against the owner. If the amount is under $10,000, you can sue

A. As far as the law is concerned, sidewalks are made for walking and jogging, not the street. Under the law, when you jog you are a pedestrian. You are subject to the same laws as a person walking. This means you must jog on the sidewalk, unless there is not one. In that case, you may jog in the street, facing traffic.

Q. How long do you need to live together to have a common law marriage? I was told seven years.

A. I am always surprised by all of the misconceptions people have regarding common law marriage. One of those misconceptions is how long you must live together to create a common law marriage. Some people think three years, some think seven, and others something in between.

In fact, there is no time limit for establishing a common law marriage. To have a common law marriage, a couple must agree to be married, hold themselves out as married, and live together as married. The time period could be as short as one day.

Q. I have reason to believe a child I know is being abused.

I am considering reporting

this. Who should I contact?

A. First, let me emphasize that if you suspect child abuse, the law requires that you report it. Abuse occurs when a person causes or fails to prevent injury to a child. It may involve mental or emotional injury, physical injury, sexual conduct or child pornography.

If you suspect or learn that a child is being abused you must report it immediately to the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services or Child Protective Services. You may contact the 24-hour toll-free abuse line at 1-800-252-5400.The agency cannot accept emails.

Q. I recently stop paying on a credit card. I can no longer afford the payments and had to default. I have been told that the company will sue me and take my home.

Can a credit card company do this?

A. If you do not pay your bills, the entity you owe money to has the right to sue.

In Texas, there are “exemption” laws, however, that protect some of your property from your creditors. Even if a credit card company successfully sues you, the company cannot take “exempt” property. Exempt property in Texas includes your wages, retirement accounts, such as an IRA, most personal property, and your home. For more details about Texas exemption law, take a look at the “debt collection” section of my website below.

“AAPI must be responsive to its members, supportive of the leadership and a true advocate for our mission,” Dr. Gautam Samadder, President of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, says. “I am committed to unify AAPI by breaking down the barriers of various regions, languages, medical education within the organization and bringing everyone together as a whole organization rather than separate fragments of the organization,” Dr. Samadder says.

Dr. Gautam Samadder, President of American Association of Physicians At AAPI, where he of Indian Origin, (AAPI) with his family. Photo credit: AAPI. will assume charge as the president of AAPI at the annual convention in Atlantic City on June 25th, tee, Dr. Gautam wants to “establish a strategic Dr. Gautam Samadder rose through the ranks due plan for AAPI that can sustain change in leaderto his hard work and dedication. He was a Regional ship. “AAPI members should be at the table durDirector for the AAPI NE Central-II Region, and ing planning and implementation stages of the had served as the Editor-in-Chief of AAPI Journal, health care reforms,” Dr. Samadder says. “I want a quarterly published by the American Association to encourage medical students, residents, and felof Physicians of Indian origin (AAPI). He was in- lows and all second-generation Indian American strumental in reviving the journal and turning it physicians to be actively involved in both local and national level. Efforts go to building a strong around to a ‘sought-after’ publication. association focusing on leader development and “My leadership involvement with the AAPI strengthening our professional relations.” started during my Global Health Summit trip to “In my capacity as the President of national India in Rajasthan in the year of 2010 although I have been a patron member of AAPI for more AAPI, I want to support the growth of global and than 20 years. I had the opportunity to know Dr. Indo-US relationship and to support and promote Ajit Singhvi, who had encouraged me to take on a charitable activities through AAPI both in the US leadership role at AAPI and here I am seven years and India,” Dr. Samadder says. “As I have shown later.” According to him, “One thing is clear, if over the past decades in my roles as a Regional you are a team player, hardworking, and willing Director, Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President and to serve in the best interests of the organization. President Elect of AAPI, and now as the PresiThere is always a leadership opportunity for you dent, I will continue to work to create advocacy and community services, escalating profitability, in AAPI.” productivity and popularity of AAPI. Dr. Samadder was elected as Secretary of AAPI “I will also promote globalization of education in 2014. Prior to this, he served as the Regional Director in Ohio and Michigan for two con- as well as work towards creating awareness and secutive years in 2010 and 2011. “I have been promote the level of involvement of the Indian involved in the grass-root level to form all Ohio American Medical Community and to foster the AAPI chapter which includes (AIPO) local chap- increasing strength and grown of our beloved ters from Columbus Cleveland Cincinatti Dayton, Nation. While working in close cooperation with Youngstown, and Toledo and served as the presi- AAPI at all levels, we will together address the dent in 2012. In addition, I have been the president issues affecting the physicians at the state and of the local Chapter of AAPI Central Ohio (Co- national level. I envision promoting health care advocacy and community services, escalating lumbus) from 2008-2010.

Continued on Page 9 Working with his dedicated executive commit-

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Katy ISD teams rank high in Global Destination Imagination Tournament

The city’s Fourth of July celebration is moving from Constellation Field to the brand new Sugar Land Festival Site, 18355 Southwest Freeway, on Tuesday, July 4, from 5-10 p.m. Fireworks will be launched at approximately 9:45 p.m.

More than 1,400 teams representing 45 states and 14 countries competed in the event to showcase their innovative challenge solutions. In total, five Katy ISD teams attended the tournament, including students from Griffin Elementary, Hayes Elementary, Beckendorff Junior High and Katy High School.

With the new location, the Star Spangled Spectacular event will be larger than ever before!

‘Top 10 Team’ members from Katy gather during the Global Destination Imagination Tournament (Photo: Katy ISD)

Crowded shelter prompts special adoption fees

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Any pets who have been at the shelter for more than 30 days are only $20.

@ new Sugar Land Festival Site

Local teens to star in CSI Sugar Land

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he Sugar Land Animal Shelter is offering a special adoption rate of $55 for dogs and $40 for cats through Aug. 6.

Celebrate Star Spangled Spectacular

www.voiceofasiaonline.com

here’s a new look, new feel and new location for one of Sugar Land’s largest community events.

hree Katy ISD teams classified in the “Top 10 Teams” during the Global Destination Imagination Tournament, which took place in Knoxville, Tennessee on May 24-28.

In the Improv Challenge, 3-Peat, the Katy High School “Tie Di ers” finished in 10th place. This placed them as the highest ranking team in the state of Texas, who was in attendance. Participating in the Scientific Challenge, Top Secret, the Hayes Elementary team “It’s Classified” finished in third place. The “Altos Kryptos,” from Griffin Elementary won second place in the same category.

(-Courtesy of Katy ISD)

FRIDAY, June 9, 2017

The normal fee of $110 for dogs and $95 for cats is being slashed to find forever homes for the dogs and cats currently living at the crowded shelter.

The fees include vaccinations, spaying/neutering and a microchip w/lifetime registration.

Choosing an animal is a big decision, so the shelter offers a “sleepover” program.

Those interested in adopting a pet will have a chance to see if their choice is a good fit before making the commitment. If it’s a perfect match, just return to Sugar Land Animal Services to finalize the adoption. View online at www.SugarLandPetopia. org.

This year, the event will highlight patriotic family fun with activities for all to enjoy coupled with great food and a variety of music! Festive entertainment and activities will include a children’s zone complete with fun photo opportunities and face painting, onsite voter registration, a variety of information stations and a main stage area featuring local talent. Austin’s modern party band, Satellite, will take the stage along with appearances from DJ/Drummer Don Vaughn and Svet, an electro hip hop violinist.

The event will conclude with a dazzling fireworks display that families can enjoy from various locations throughout the Sugar Land area.

Unlike past Fourth of July events at Constellation Field, tickets are not needed for this year’s event at the festival site. As with any large event, attendees are asked to

Shutterstock photo.

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he Sugar Land Police Department will partner with area teens for a first-ever hands-on academy that will provide insight into the work of police officers, including opportunities to solve crimes. T The program starts on June 16, from 8am to noon at the Duhaseck Park, 17034 Old Richmond Road.

As part of a new two-week program to foster relationships, trust and understanding, Sugar Land students will have an

be patient, arrive early and pay attention to event signage. Parking passes are required for onsite parking and can be obtained at sugarlandtx.gov/july4 while supplies last.

“To maximize on-site parking, we are offering an opportunity to reserve a free parking pass from the Imperial Park Recreation Center. The parking pass is free but comes along with only one stipulation -- a promise to carpool with a minimum of four people or more per ve-

opportunity to practice what many may have seen only on episodes of CSI. Students will conduct crime scene investigations at a park under the supervision of seasoned law enforcement officers. Following a presentation on the work of crime scene investigators, a mock scene will be staged, and participants will help police process the scene and solve the crime. Activities will include the collection and preservation of evidence, as well as crime lab procedures.

(-City of Sugar Land)

hicle,” says Event Production Manager Briana Bachemin.

Free onsite parking will be limited to the first 2,000 people who sign up for passes using the online website portal on the event webpage and those with a handicapped parking placard. Onsite event parking lots will open at 4 p.m.

Free and open to the public.

Vist www.sugarlandtx.gov for more info.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 6

Joyalukkas conducts 75th Blood Donation Camp

FRIDAY, June 16, 2017

A Rasika’s rendition!

by Poornima Mathilakath

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Chairman Mr. Joy Alukkas with his team and physicians who conducted the blood drive in Dubai. of them

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ubai, June 2017: Joyalukkas the world’s favourite jeweler, is an organization that is strongly committed to CSR activities because the Group’s visionary chairman Mr. Joy Alukkas believes “Every organization should be responsible for the society and environment they exist in” and in the UAE blood is one of the most important contributions. Since, Hospitals barely manage to gather the quantity of blood required to serve the populations needs. The Joyalukkas Foundation, the Group’s CSR division, leads various initiatives that save lives and foster community well being throughout the year. Frequent blood donation drives, where Joyalukkas employees and the public voluntarily give lifesaving blood is one

one in 2004. Every minute, someone needs blood because they were injured in an accident, in surgery or have an existing condition that requires regular blood donation. In the UAE, the need to donated blood rises during summer and especially in the month of Ramadan.

That’s why it means a lot to conduct this drive now, and during the UAE’s appointed Year of Giving. With 1 unit of blood and just 15 minutes of your time, you could be a hero to up to three people.”

Beginning in the UAE in 2004, Joyalukkas Foundation, headed by Mrs. Jolly Joy, Director, Joyalukkas Group has organized blood donation drives throughout the 11 countries Joyalukkas operates in. Under the banner “Donate blood. Be a Hero” and with the support of the Dubai Department of Health & Medical Services, Joyalukkas conducted their 75th blood donation camp at Latifa Hospital, Dubai on June 13, 2017.

“The blood donation drive is an invaluable service to the public,” said Mr. Joy Alukkas, Chairman & MD, Joyalukkas Group. “And we would like to thank everyone, especially our staff, who have wholeheartedly participated in this initiative, some from the first

The Joyalukkas blood donation campaign has collected a total of 2,600 units of blood in the UAE alone, and has also begun platelet donations. A state-of-the-art system also maintains the details of every donor for quick reference should the need arise.

Read these more articles on Community

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s a Mohiniyattam enthusiast and student , I have always wanted to watch my guru, Kalasree Dr. Sunanda Nair’s performance.

My long term wish came true on 12th May 2017 as I watched her beautiful and awe inspiring act when she transformed herself into the most powerful Amba! A character from the Mahabharata. Within a few seconds in to her performance, she was able to catch the complete attention of the crowd and there was pin drop silence when she was depicting Amba’s reaction after her abduction. Like a magician she covered the entire stage and eased in to the character with her subtle moves . A pivotal and powerful moment in the act was when Amba realized that there is no way she can go back to her wedding! The way dancer depicted that scene with the sudden drop of her shoulders and utter disappointment on her face .......everyone of us felt Amba’s helplessness!

Then comes Shikhandi , a transgender warrior of the epic Mahabharata! Wow! Where should I start! The emotions were oozing out of the dancer like nectar! It did not take much time for me to realize that a steadfast dancer of her caliber can depict the emotions of anyone! Shikhandi’s each move was so captivating that the audience followed every step of it. When his arrow got released from the bow with a thud towards Bhishma, performer took everyone to another level of ecstasy! A perfect timing for a standing ovation! After 30 min’s of enacting a very emotional Amba she made us feel like we are a part of her story! No wonder she sets herself apart from other dancers with her absolute love towards Mohiniattam and her graceful and sensual moves!

She was able to cast a magic spell on the audience through her utmost devotion to this art form. Madam, you are a powerhouse performer and the queen of Bhavas!

Oru Magal: KalaSree Dr. Sunanda Nair’s , Oru magal, is a depiction of mother-daughter relationship. The performance commenced with the show of pure love and joy of a mother watching her little girl in the cradle and it was soothing to the core. Dance started itself with a sweet lullaby like music and changed its tone according to the situation. Soon the stage become a toddlers play area and we were into hide and seek game! No words to explain how everyone started connecting their life to the story. A beautiful moment came when the mother used a blind fold to cover her eye and let the little one hide. While performing a dance like Mohiniattam where the most significant, expressive part of body is eye, still she closed her eye and started dancing! I soon realized that person at your stature doesn’t need to use their face and moves to express themselves, they completely transform to the character! Later the stage transformed into a teenager’s house where she started emotionally growing and having attachment with a boy. The way the performer’s subtle moves changed the setting to a mom’s fear about her daughter’s safety and life was astonishing! This was a clear indicator of how a power performer like you, who amazed your audience with Amba and Bhavayami ,can take the most sensitive and common subject and develop it in to a very emotionally connecting dance.

Most of our eyes were filled with tears and we didn’t take our eyes or heart away from the performer for a second, even to click a photo. It was one of those moment where photos doesn’t do justice. That itself vouch how connected each of us were. What an incredible performance, what an emotional roller coaster! Sunanda Nair, I sincerely hope you will come up with more stories like this to motivate us!

Bhavayami Raghuramam is a beautiful Ragamalika composition of Maharaja Swathi Thirunnal depicting the full length story of Ramayana. This time this masterpiece was chosen by Kalasree Dr Sunanda Nair, the leading exponent of Mohiniattam, to perform in front of an elite crowd. Some very famous dancers and dance guru’s were

Dr. Sunanda Nair’s powerful Mohiniyattam performance present to watch this extraordinary moment. Even before it started everyone knew they are in for a visual treat. And right they were, the performer owned the stage with her charisma in no time! Well, it was just the beginning....!!!

Time for the Sita swayamvar! The depiction of Rama and other kings trying to lift the “Trayambaka”, the enormous and holy bow, of Lord Shiva was astonishing. We watched as the dancer enacted various suitors trying to ick and string thebow. this scene brought in a few laughs from the audience as she gimmicked the various kings,when they couldn’t lift the bow, and the thrill when Rama came and effortlessly strung the bow and married Sita.

Mohiniattam! But to present a Sringara bhava of an ugly demon is not that easy! You can see how tactfully she presented this. I still wonder how is it possible to bring those mixed bhavas, portraying a demon with Shringara on her face.

Amazing, truly amazing experience ever! The performer tugged the audience through Rama-Ravana war, Lanka dahanam and finished her two hour enchanting performance with Sree Rama pattabhishekam!! It was a sensual treat more than a visual treat! The way a dancer can take her audience along with the story line is definitely

Most of us were eagerly waiting for the next part, Vanavasa! By that time, we can clearly see the dancer is ready to transform herself in to a dif- Dr. Sunanda Nair as Amba - a character from the ferent roles! Mahabharata. photo credit: msanphoto.com When she was performing Mareecha, she resembled the success of the performance! so much like a loving deer! But if the performer can take Her actions, moves, looks, ev- you through the emotions of erything made us feel like a the story from start to finish little deer was running around with out loosing your attenthe stage making Sita fol- tion for a second, then I call it a low!!! Then it was the turn of masterpiece! And this is a masthe mighty bird Jatayu, which terpiece which is going to be in was one of the most amazing everyone’s heart for a long long transformation of a performer I time! I doubt any other perforhave ever seen in my life. The mance they see will ever top way she bent down and started this one!

I should also soaring to the sky flapping her give credits to the extremely wings, or should I say arms .... talented musicians! Kalasree no one ever doubted for a sec- Kalamandalam Gireesan for ond if they are looking at the Vocal rendition, Janardhana Jatayu or a dance performance! Rao on Mridhangam, KalasThe dancer started her Jatayu ree G S Rajan on Flute, Swami transformation with licking of Ananda Nadayogi on Violin wings, moving eyes like a that gave the performance a strong of a bird, changing her lip to a backup! What an amazing beak! This just highlights the team! Kalasree Dr. Sunanda performer’s meticulous atten- Nair, you have collected many tion to details of her character! awards and titles over the years While enacting Hanuman, for your excellence in Mohthe monkey god, the perform- iniattam and I am sure bigger ers mood changed to a monkey ones are on your way in the moving around without loos- future! Anyone who has seen ing the respect and emphasis of you perform will not deny the that character! All these char- fact that you are a strong pillar acter transformation got stand- of the aert form and a true culing ovations, but my favourite tural ambassador. As someone part was the transformation in who inhale and exhale Mohto ‘athi ghora Shoorpanaka!’ iniattam, someone who dreams who is an ugly demon in the about it at night, your dance epic Ramayana. Sringara is and skills motivate your stuthe most predominant bhava in dents to aspire for more.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 7

FRIDAY, June 16, 2017

CRY Pledge 2017 – A huge hit with Houstonians!

Continued from Page 1 lywood’s star, Arjun Rampal championed the rights of children. CRY’s bold statement of impacting 660,632 children living across 3,350 villages and slums in India rang loud and clear throughout the evening inspiring supporters to continue giving to the ongoing 73 projects in India and USA. Arjun Rampal was not only his debonair self but was very motivating and passionate about his role as an CRY ambassador. “People ask me why I do this. I guess because I’m a parent myself,” Rampal has two daughters Mahikaa and Myra and is married to Mehr Jesia. Speaking on giving back to the community, he said “We all look for that one opportunity, for that one break and when that opportunity came you took it and made more opportunity for your family, and people around you. Today is the day to reflect upon those children who are also waiting for that one little opportunity,” he said urging the guest to support CRY’s cause.

CRY America’s representative, Patrick Bocco from New York, gave a detailed sketch of CRY’s activities and initiatives and presented a video on Prayatn Sansthan project operating in 30 villages under Shahabad block of Baran district in Rajasthan, India where it has impacted 5033 children. CRY America, a non-profit organization is all about ensuring the underprivileged children their basic rights of education, healthcare and protection from exploitation and abuse. The US has over 25,000 donors and 2000 dedicated volunteers who help achieve milestones like registering 100,000 childbirths apart others. “This year, we will reach $2 million in grant commissions,” Bocco announced. He later connected the audience via video to Rolly in Vrindhavan, a CRY volunteer who shared her inspiring experience.

Dharam Bali, heading the Dinner Committee was joined

by Rambal during the auction that had some collectable

items that included a signed guitar by the Rolling Stones that fetched $5000.

Local news anchors Pooja Lodia (ABC news) and Rashi Vats (Fox Channel) did an excellent job in keeping the audience engaged with the program and helped a great deal in fundraising efforts as well.

The Dinner Committee comprised of Dharam and Priya Bali, Dr. Tina Pariani and Rohit Ogra, Indira and Sarvesh Bhavaraju, Sunil and Anupama Srivastava, Ruchika and Darren Dias, and Mousumi and Neil Banerjee. Ruchika Dias choreographed a dance on Bollywood hits that had the guests thoroughly entertained.

Patrick Bocco speaking at CRY Pledge 2017 Arjun Rampal with Hasu Patel

Arjun Rampal enjoying the dance performances presented by Bollywood Shake group.

Narayan Kamnani poses with guitar signed by the Rolling Stones that he won in the auction.

Dinner Committee Members with Arjun Rampal and guest cheer leaders.

The picture perfect evening concluded on a high spirited note with food, wine, dance and music and a friendly experience with a star!

Local cancer survivors celebrate life at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital event

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Cancer Survivors Day Celebration 2017

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UGAR LAND – (June 12, 2017) — More than 300 cancer survivors and guests joined staff and physicians from Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital on June 2 to celebrate the 30th annual National Cancer Survivors Day® at the Sugar Land Marriott Town Square.

The tropical-themed event, titled “Survivors: Let’s Wipeout Cancer,” featured a resource fair, live music, fun dancing and a delicious, healthy Hawaiian luau luncheon, with KHOU 11 news anchor Shern-Min Chow serving as emcee.

“This event is always a remarkable celebration of life,” said Amy Sebastian-Deutsch, director of oncology services.

“These are amazing people who have demonstrated incredible strength and courage, and we are proud to honor their achievements and thank their caregivers, including the family members, friends and physicians who supported them

along the way.”

In attendance were members of the Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital oncology team who were able to celebrate former and current patients.

A group of Houston Methodist Sugar Land employees led guests in a line dance to the 1960s surf tune “Wipe Out.” After lunch, motivational speaker/singer LaDonna Gatlin, sister of the famed Gatlin Brothers, performed, “Sometimes You Just Gotta Laugh!”

The event also honored Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s volunteer of the year Linda Ruggeroli — a cancer survivor herself — who gives tirelessly to others undergoing cancer treatment.

“In spite of her diagnosis and treatment, she has continued to visit other survivors in the radiation oncology department, the infusion center and the inpatient oncology unit, along with her husband Mike and her two pet therapy dogs,

Arjun Rampal with Omprakash and Juhi Ahuja and Dharam Bali.

Lilly and Annie,” Chow told the audience.

According to the American Cancer Society, there are currently more than 15 million cancer survivors in the U.S. today. Thanks to research and technology, many forms of cancer are now seen as chronic, survivable illnesses, due to earlier detection and more effective treatments. National Cancer Survivors Day® events held around the country allow survivors to come together and celebrate life.

Sugar Land-based Minute Maid joined Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital and Sugar Land Marriott Town Square to make the event possible.

Visit houstonmethodist.org/ cancer-sl to learn more about the Houston Methodist Cancer Center at Sugar Land or call 281.274.7500 for a physician referral. Visit our Facebook page at fb.com/methodistsugarland for the latest news, events and information.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 8

Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks Start of Nora’s Home Expansion of thousands of transplant patients across the country. Gaber thanked capital campaign supporters and presented service recognition awards to Nora’s Home board members Ellis Tudzin and Jerry “Babu” Patel for their perseverance and passion to make the second phase of construction a reality.

Nora’s Home groundbreaking ceremony. Photo Credit: Daniel Ortiz

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OUSTON (June 13, 2 0 1 7 ) - Nora’s Home, Houston’s haven for organ failure and transplant patients receiving care in the Texas Medical Center, celebrated its recent facility expansion announcement with a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, June 9, 2017.

The expansion will double the existing lodging capacity and will allow the home to provide an additional 10,800 lodging nights per year to organ transplant patients and

John Marshall and George Pontikes represented Satterfield & Pontikes Construction (S&P), a long-time partner of Nora’s Home and the builder of the existing facility. Imad Abdullah discussed architectural design

by Landmark Architects before welcoming Nora’s Home guests Yolanda Mandujano and her son, Jeffrey Ortiz, who is a recent heart transplant patient, to tell the touching story of their transplant experience and the impact Nora’s Home had throughout their journey.

The ceremony ended with supporters breaking ground with hard hats and shovels near the new construction site before being invited in for a reception that included a tour of the existing home, light bites and beverages. A City of Houston proclamation was announced to officially name June 9th as “Nora’s Home Day”. Green Bank representatives also presented a $10,000 check to Nora’s Home for their participation in the organization’s inaugural “Yoga on the Meadow” event held earlier this year.

Consular R. Joshi (seated in blue shirt) from Indian Consulate at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Green Bank Check Presentation -Kayla Lehmann, Dr. Osama Gaber, Natalie Raymer, Rudy Beeching. their families.

The Salvation Army Harbor Light Choir provided a live music welcome to invited guests, Nora’s Home board members and supporters for the groundbreaking ceremony held on-site at the home located at 8300 El Rio St. in the Medical Center area.

Kayla Lehmann, executive director of Nora’s Home, kicked off the culmination of a two-year capital campaign and architectural project by thanking supporters.

“It’s thanks to those who support

Nora’s Home through fundraising and the capital campaign that gives us the ability to cover the deficit for nightly fees and to expand”, said Lehmann.

“For every family we accept, we are forced to turn away five on the waiting list, but this expansion will help us reach twice the amount of people in need.”

Dr. Osama Gaber, founder of Nora’s Home, acknowledged the legacy of his daughter Nora Gaber, the inspiration behind the home who tragically passed away after an automobile accident, and her lasting effect on the lives

The expansion is set to include 16 additional guest rooms, a communal kitchen with an area for cooking classes, laundry room, expanded storage space and administrative offices.

Four of the family guest rooms will be built with strict immune suppressed protocol for post-lung transplant patients. A boardroom and education room will open up to each other to allow for expanded space for a Transplant Life Center. Although the additional family rooms in the expansion will not meet the housing needs of all the transplant patients in the Texas Medical Center, the expansion will substantially increase the number of families Nora’s Home can help.

Nora’s Home is dedicated to providing all patients and families in the Texas Medical Center with the necessary support and resources they require for a successful transplant. The home’s expansion will help fill the housing void and is currently the only hospitality-housing program in the Gulf Coast region to address the specific needs of transplant patients.

FRIDAY, June 9, 2017

NASA scientist Dr. Kishen Kumar Inspires Sewa International’s Summer Interns

by Azra Fatima Mirza ,Kavita Tewary

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n Saturday, June 10, the Sewa International Houston chapter welcomed its high school LEAD interns for the summer of 2017. To end the informative orientation, LEAD and GIH interns alike took part in an interesting lecture from NASA’s Dr. Kishen Kumar, who gave them valuable advice on the topic of motivation and life in general. Dr. Kumar kept the audience engaged throughout the lecture with his funny anecdotes, memorable experiences, and Renowned scientist and philanthrorespected guidance. He explained pist Dr.Kishen Kumar thoroughly the concept of inspiration and discussed what inspires a person to be who they are and do what they do in the journey of life.

He showed pictures of places he visited and mentioned concepts that related to astronomy and other scientific fields to give the audience the chance to look at issues through Sewa interns multiple lenses.

His lecture was The Speakers are leaders from differsprinkled with jokes and unique quotes ent fields like Business, Nonprofits, by famous writers, scientists, and phi- Media, Arts, Social works, etc. Lead losophers to enhance his presentation. Houston introduces socially conscious Overall, Dr. Kumar executed a lecture leadership to young adults. Our past that was not only extremely applicable speakers have been NASA scientists, in the everyday life of a person but Mayors, and Congressmen from the provided inspiration to stay strong in Greater Houston Area. whatever situation one may find himself in.

Get Inspired Houston (GIH) is an Dr.Kishen Kumar Dr.Kishen Kumar hails from Kashmir and has been associated with NASA for the past 41 years.He has more than 17o0 publications to his credit and has given more than 500 talks around the world.​​​​​​ Lead Houston is Sewa International’s Summer Internship Program for High School students. The interns participate for a min 50 hours of commitment that includes direct service in Volunteer events and Aspire tutorials and participate in lectures with Leading figures in the community.

internship program offered by Sewa International’s Houston chapter which allows young adults to explore and innovate new ideas geared towards the welfare of refugee communities. Over the past 8 years, GIH has provided a platform wherein young minds identify, create and implement projects which lead to social change in our community, all while working alongside a grass-root, non-profit organization. At the end of the eight-week internship, the Interns have a minimum of 140 hours of direct community interaction and 200 hours of experience of working with a non-profit.

For additional information on Nora’s Home groundbreaking, please contact Natalie Lencioni Raymer, Assistant Director of Nora’s Home, at 832- 8313721.

How do you want to honor your Dad? Voice of Asia is making available EXCLUSIVE SPACE for you to write him a note, a poem, or a testimonial on how great your dad is, the experiences you have had with him.

Call us: 713-774-5140 Email us: ads@voiceofasiagroup.com

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VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, June 9, 2017

Houston man wounded in HCSO warns of counterAuthorities seize about 600 pounds of ‘meth pops’ Alexandria shooting feit cash in Houston

Zach Barth Photos from Harris County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook

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OUSTON — Authorities in Houston seized about 600 pounds of “meth pops” this week.

Police were originally investigating a burglary after a neighbor reported someone breaking into the home. When police arrived, they found a man and woman putting bags

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of candy into their car.

Deputies suspect the pops were meant to be distributed to children and/or juveniles due to the various molded designs such as butterflies, flowers, even Star Wars molds.

The street value of the drug load was estimated at about $1,000,000.

Texas Rep. Roger Williams confirmed the identity of his staffer hours after the shooting.

“I now can confirm that Zack

Healthcare Consortium Partners with Grayson College for over $2M Job-Training Grant USTIN- (June 14, 2017 ) - A Healthcare Consortium including Beacon Hill, Carrus Specialty Hospital, UHS Texoma Medical Center and Wilson N. Jones Regional Medical Center has partnered with Grayson College to provide job training using a $2,086,825 Skills Development Fund grant from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The grant will benefit workers in the Texoma area.

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“Skills grants deliver customized training solutions that help Texas employers and workers succeed in the marketplace,” said TWC Chairman Andres Alcantar. “This investment builds not only employee skills, but the capabilities of our com-

munity colleges to the benefit of employers and the community. We are pleased to make this investment.”

This grant will be used to provide customized training to 1,242 new and incumbent workers for industry-related topics with focused instruction on nuclear medical technology, physical therapy, pharmacy technology, respiratory, nursing, emergency room care, geriatric and pediatric medicines. Trainees will include medical laboratory technicians, nuclear medical technicians, radiological technicians, therapists and nurses.

Upon completion of training, the workers will receive an average wage of $27.11.

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(Photo: KHOU)

OUSTON - A young Congressional aide from Houston was among the wounded in a shooting at a baseball field in Alexandria Williams early Wednesday.

Since its inception in 1996, the Skills Development Fund grants have created or upgraded more than 342,428 jobs throughout Texas. The grants have assisted 4,238 employers with their customized training needs. The Legislature allocated $48.5 million to the Skills Development Fund for the 2016-17 biennium. Employers seeking more information about the Skills Development Fund may visit the TWC website at www.texasworkforce.org/ skills.

Grayson College contact: Director of Marketing Amy Evans, 903-436-8628 or evansa@ grayson.edu.

OLMES COUNTY - Holmes County Sheriff John Tate urges residents to be vigilant after several counterfeit bills have been found circulating in the county.

Barth, who is a legislative correspondent in my office, was shot this morning at baseball practice,” tweeted Rep. Williams. “He is receiving medical attention but is doing well and is expected to make a full recovery. We ask that you please respect the privacy of him and his family during this difficult time.”

In a message to KHOU 11, Barth’s father stated “We don’t have any comment except to say that Zack is going to be fine. Thank goodness.”

He later posted a brief statement on Facebook: “We really appreciate your prayers and support for Zack and for us.

We are blessed to be a part of a wonderful community both in Houston and D.C. Thank goodness for the Police who were at the scene. It could have been so much worse.”

The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) obtained arrest warrants on two individuals for passing the phony money after the owner of Miller’s Grocery reported on Thursday that two individuals, later identified as Angel Rivera of Geneva and Elizabeth Carroll of Bonifay, came to the store on Monday and paid for gas with a counterfeit $20 bill.

The store owner stated the two subjects never got out the car; however surveillance camera captured the car on video, and the store owner was able to obtain a partial tag number.

Investigators were able to run the partial tag through a database and find that the car belonged to Carroll. Through in-

Zack is from Houston and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin. He currently lives in D.C.

AAPI...

Before going to work for Rep. Williams, Barth interned for the Jeb Bush presidential campaign.

profitability, productivity and popularity of AAPI,” he adds.

Zack was shot along with Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, two Capitol police officers and a lobbyist.

The suspect was shot by one of the wounded Capitol police officers. He later died at the hospital. Courtesy: KHOU-TV

Continued from Page 4

Dr. Samadder wants to “amplify participation among young physicians and medical students, strengthen AAPI’s financial security through profitable corporate sponsorships and facilitate collegial cooperation between local and state chapters, as this will increase AAPI’s global stature and eminence, which will ultimately

vestigation, it was determined her male companion was Rivera and that he is currently in the Geneva County, Alabama Jail on unrelated charges.

Investigators conducted a photo lineup, and the store owner identified the two as the suspects who passed the fake money.

Investigators interviewed Rivera, and he stated he received $100 in fake $20 bills and that he bought drugs with some of them.

Rivera also admitted giving Elizabeth Carroll a $20 bill for $5 worth of gas and getting $15 of genuine currency in change.

Carroll was later interviewed at the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office by investigators and admitting to passing the counterfeit money. Warrants have been obtained on both for passing a counterfeit instrument. Rivera is still in the Geneva Count Jail awaiting extradition.

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VOICE OF ASIA 10

We’re Indian-American with adopted white children and here’s what people ask us

by Laxshmi Iyer

S

carlett eats meat!” M’s eyes are round, her tone incredulous. Before I can respond she adds, “We are vegetarian. We do not eat meat.”

I look at her, at a loss for words. I am not sure what I am supposed to say.

“Does it bother you that we do not eat meat?” I ask. She ponders my question and goes off on a tangent. I let it be, making a mental note to revisit this conversation another time.

next few years will feature more questions than answers. I savor the quiet and run my fingers through her fine, blond hair. She looks up, smiles and rests her face against my shoulder.

I am tempted to pull her to me, to explain she is American by birth, Native American by birth heritage and Indian by virtue of being raised by us.

I am reading a book on my phone, the tiny script beginning to irritate my eyes. I am tempted to lock myself in the study and read on the bigger screen

FRIDAY, June 9, 2017

US organizes annual Student Visa Day in various cities EW DELHI (PTI) - The US Embassy in the national capital and Consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai today opened their doors to more than 4,000 Indian students applying for visas to pursue higher education in the United States.

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This was the third iteration of the annual Student Visa Day organised by the country to boost higher education ties with India.

The US Embassy and the Consulates welcomed the applicants in a festive atmosphere

“Today, every sixth international student in the United States is from India, and these students are contributing enormously to every aspect of life at the university and in the surrounding communities,” said Embassy Charge d’Affaires MaryKay Carlson.

Currently, 1,66,000 Indian students are enrolled in US institutions of higher education.

The US Embassy and the Consulates welcomed the applicants in a warm atmosphere (File photo)

The US Embassy and the Consulates welcomed the applicants in a festive atmosphere.

questions from students about college life in the United States.

Consular staff members were dressed in their alma mater apparel.

Some consulates had alumni guest speakers, while others had a video station or other special programs for the applicants.

Indian-origin man shot dead at convenience store in Atlanta

Representatives from EducationUSA, American Spaces, and recent US graduates gave insights and answered

Student Visa Day is organised every year in June.

Shot by unidentified men, the entire incident was captured on CCTV

“Where are their parents?”

“Are you their nanny?”

“What are they?”

We are in the shower and I oil her scalp. Her skin glistens under the overhead lamp and I find myself awash with a love so strong that I am overwhelmed. I massage her tiny arms and legs and ask her to step aside while I do the same with her twin. We talk about school and I bring up our earlier conversation. We talk about beliefs, we talk about life choices, we talk about boundaries and we talk about respecting individual choices. I tell her that it is OK for Scarlett to eat meat just as it is OK for her to not eat it. Both are valid choices I insist. She seems to understand and we switch gears and talk about what they did during recess.

I am at the stove focusing on a rapidly thickening mass of jaggery, coconut and cardamom. The scent is heady and I am transported back to my childhood, watching my Amma shape a dough of rice into cups, filling them with the balls of coconut and jaggery and steaming the dumplings in steam cookers on the gas stove. I feel a tug at my sleeve and notice A standing on tiptoe watching me. I make space and she slides next to me. I talk to her about Ganesha’s birthday. I talk to her about food. I talk to her about customs. She listens, rarely asking questions.

We are at the sofa, reading a book and out of the blue she asks “Am I Indian?” I ponder the question and tell her she is. At least a part of her is. She goes back to the book but my head is awash in questions. I am tempted to pull her to me, to explain she is American by birth, Native American by birth heritage and Indian by virtue of being raised by us. I let it be knowing the

of my Mac. I eye the girls sprawled out on the floor, the ceiling fan whirring overhead and I stay. My eye catches a part of the drawing lying at my feet.

I edge forward and pick it up. There are five stick figures. Two with yellow hair, three with black. They all are smiling. I click a picture of the paper on my phone and put the paper away.

We don’t talk much about race or color but it insinuates itself in tiny ways into our lives. In stick figure drawings. In the sunblock that I now pack for any trip outside. In my conscious effort to include diversity in my friends circle. In my seeking out and establishing relationships with people touched by adoption, especially ones that cross racial borders. In seeking out literature and toys that feature light and dark skin, stories set in cultures worldwide and in the foods I pack for lunch. It is easy for me to cave in and pack what most other kids bring to school but I don’t. I pack idlis and kuzhiappams. I pack pulav and coconut rice. I pack chapatis and potato curry.

I persist even when lunch boxes come back untouched.

Regular grocery trips turn into adoption education.

In ways that I had not foreseen, our family is now a poster child for racial awareness. Our children are advocates for recognizing white privilege. Our interaction with the outside world is fraught with undertones. Regular grocery trips turn into adoption education.

Checkout lines are trial runs to prepare my children for the harsh glare of the real world.

“Are they yours?”

Beautician, officer commit suicide in India; police probing link

P

olice in Telangana were probing the link between the alleged suicide of a beautician in Hyderabad and a sub-inspector of police in Siddipet district on Wednesday.

had taken Sirisha to Kukunoorpally on Monday where Prabhakar Reddy allegedly misbehaved with him.

On learning about Sirisha’s suicide

Vijayalakshmi alias Sirisha (28) was found dead in at a professional photo studio at Film Nagar in posh Jubilee Hills on Wednesday morning. Hours later, Prabhakar Reddy, who was serving as SI at Police launched the investigation after Sirisha’s husband Kukunoorpally Satish Chandra alleged that she was murdered (Screengrab) police station, shot himself in the temple in the police station. and fearing that police probe may spoil his married life and could lead to Family members of Prabhakar Red- dismissal, Prabhakar Reddy took the dy alleged that harassment by supe- extreme step. riors led to the suicide. However, the case took a new twist by Wednesday Police launched the investigation evening as police started probing the after Sirisha’s husband Satish Chanlink between two incidents. dra alleged that she was murdered. He suspects involvement of the photo stuHyderabad police were question- dio owner. ing the owner of the photo studio V. Rajeev and his friend Shravan, who Prabhakar is the second SI of Ku-

My answers to these questions define me to my children. Am I protective of their history? Am I teaching them to guard their personal space?

Am I teaching them to stand up for themselves? Am I showing deference to their birth families?

Five years after my twins came home, I found myself pregnant and dealing with overwhelming emotions.

Happiness at something that I craved most of my married life. Fear of what it would mean to the children I am parenting. After S was born and I gathered all three of my children together, I breathed a sigh of relief knowing I felt pretty much the same way about all three.

As I watch the three of them play and run unfettered through the house, I realize we will be redefining conventional explanations of what it means to be Indian or American. The hyphen will define us more than the terms themselves. As a family we will retain some traditions, invent new ones and adopt a few more along the way. Our home will be lit up from Deepavali to Christmas. We will hang a wreath, set out Halloween candy, hang up ornaments and rush to the temple on New Year’s Day. My children will walk into interviews and challenge assumptions made based on their name. They will walk the streets of Chennai and speak Tamil with consummate ease. They will make dosas with ease and know how to bake a mean banana bread.

My children will bridge cultures and define themselves all over again as adults.

Meanwhile, as a mother, all I can do is enable them to own their birth and adopted heritage with pride. (-AdoptiveFamilies.com

Village in India to be named after Trump

A

village in north Indian state Rajasthan’s Mewat region will be named after US President Donald Trump, a top Indian sociologist and social worker has said, prompting the state government to rule out any such plan.

“I announce to name one village in India as Trump Village,” Sulabh International founder and chief Bindeshwar Pathak said at a community event organised in the suburbs of Washington DC.

Sameer Patel (Screengrab: YouTube)

A

TLANTA - An Indian-origin man was shot dead in Atlanta. The deceased has been identified as Sameer Patel.

Patel was working in a department store. Two unidentified persons barged into the store and opened fire at Patel.

kunoorpally to commit suicide at the same police station in less than a year.

Hailing from Yadadri Bhongir district, Prabhakar Reddy was selected as SI in 2012. Last year, he was posted in Kukunoorpally police station.

Prabhakar was the second SI to commit suicide at the same police station in 10 months. T. Ramakrishna Reddy had shot himself in the police station on August 16, 2016. He had left a suicide note in which he alleged that he was harassed by his superiors.

Prabhakar Reddy was posted as SI in place of Ramakrishna Reddy. (-Courtesy: IANS).

The entire incident was caught on camera. Sameer’s family has been sent a copy of the CCTV footage.

Sameer is a native of Gujarat’s Patan district.

Indian-Americans earn avg. $60,000 annually Their annual buying power is around $25 billion

by CP Surendran According to the US Census Bureau the average Indian American family annual income is $60,000 as against the national average of $38,885. Clearly, Indians in the US are doing pretty well. Their annual buying power is around $25 billion.

But, unlike China, where the rate of “returnees” is very high, few Indians come back to India or invest in their home country. Indeed very few of them are involved with India’s socio-economy. That might change with a new initiative sourced to Silicon Valley.

Non-resident Indians (NRIs) living in the US will adopt 500 villages in India. This would be a part of the well to do Indo-Americans resolve to develop the rural areas of the country.

A formal announcement in this regard would be made during the Big Ideas for Better India conference in Silicon Valley on July 1.

At present, NRIs are the second largest Asian group (2,226,585) in the US, behind only the Chinese (2,762,524).

The initiative in village adoption comes from Sri Sri Ravishankar, the founder of the Art of Living. The 500

This, he said, is part of his effort to enhance India-US relationship.

However, the Rajasthan government officials have said there is no such pro-

After killing Patel, the duo stole cash box and fled from the spot.

posal with the government to rename any village after the name of the US president.

“It is the government which renames a village and there is laid down procedures for that. As of now, there is no such proposal with the department to name a village after the us president.

I have nothing to comment on what Mr Pathak has said,” Alok, Rajasthan government’s principal secretary of the revenue department, told PTI in Jaipur.

Mewat region falls under Alwar district and the Alwar District Collector Rajan Vishal also said there was no such proposal.

“The competence of renaming a village lies with the government and no private man can do that. We have no such proposal or request in this regard,” Vishal said. (-PTI)

villages have been selected on the basis of highest farmer suicide rate, high unemployment rates. These communities need immediate support, said Satej Chaudhary, president of the Overseas Volunteers for Better India (OVBI).

Close to 12000 farmers commit suicide in India every year. Most of them resort to the final solution because of debts. In years when monsoon is scanty, the number of deaths go up.

As this report is being filed there is a violent farmers’ protest going on in Madhya Pradesh, where 7 men were killed in police firing. Most of those ending their lives are men. This further impacts the family where traditionally the male is the main bread earner.

The OVBI would be organizing the meeting on July 1. “We are bringing together geoscientists, agricultural experts and entrepreneurs to help double the income of farmers by 2022,” said Satej Chaudhary. Over 1000 NRI leaders are expected to gather in Silicon Valley on July 1.

An OVBI spokesperson said the event would address the some of the most challenging problems faced by India in agriculture, governance and human trafficking. Last year OVBI had organized a water summit and successfully sought the expertise of many specialists from USA to replenish river waters. The drying up of natural resources like rivers is an abiding problem in India.

The adoption of 500 poor villages and helping the villagers to a better life is not an impossible task if the NRIs apply their mind to it. The hotel business run by Indians in America alone add up to $40 billion. A Merrill Lynch Market Study said one in every nine Indians in the US is a millionaire.

Again, a University of California study reported that one-third of the engineers in Silicon Valley are of Indian descent, while 7% of the valley’s hi-tech firms are led by Indian CEOs. Clearly resources are not likely to be a problem in adopting the villages. A formal announcement of the initiative would be made during the Big Ideas for Better India conference in Silicon Valley on July 1. (-Courtesy: Khaleej Times)

ASIA/US

VOICE OF ASIA 11

India’s Modi to meet President Trump for first time

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EW DEHLI | AFP - Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington this month, India’s foreign ministry said Monday, as the world’s twolargest democracies diverge on tackling climate change.

mits used by thousands of Indian software engineers to work in the United States -- has caused immense concern.

Modi’s flagship “Make In India� policy, designed to reboot local manufacturing and ramp up exports in tandem with foreign investors, could also run aground on Trump’s “America first� instincts.

Trump invited Modi to Washington after the Indian leader rang him in January to congratulate the new president on his inauguration.

During the call, Trump underscored that the US “considers India a true friend and partner in addressing challenges around the world�.

But this month, in announcing the US withdrawal from the Paris climate deal, Trump singled out India as a major polluter that he said would gain an edge over the US under the agreement -- a charge New Delhi denied.

Modi vowed India, the world’s third-largest polluter, would go “above and beyond� its commitments, as Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj rejected suggestions India acted disingenuously in signing the pact.

Ties between New Delhi and Washington warmed during the Obama years as India sought greater foreign investment and trade ties with Western nations.

But obstacles have already emerged in the early months of the Trump presidency.

A proposed overhaul of H-1B visas -- working per-

Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev (PTI)

Five issues they might discuss when they meet

by Ravi Prakash Kumar

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EW DELHI: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet US President Donald Trump on June 26. A lot rides on their first meeting which many see as challenging since it happens in the backdrop of President Trump’s scrutiny of H1B visa policy, which might hit Indian tech sector, and his outburst against India when the US withdrew from the Paris accord. PM Modi’s visit is also crucial due to the adverse impact of Trump’s protectionist policies on Modi’s pet project, Make In India.

Below are five things that PM Modi and Trump are likely to discuss: The H1B visa PM Modi will try to send a strong message to the Trump administration on the H1B visa issue. India is concerned about the reduction in H1B visa slots. Trump’s stance has dented India’s IT sector as Indians workers are the main beneficiaries of the rules.

Pakistan Both India and the US are on the same page as far as Pakistan is concerned.

Both have held Pakistan as one of the major exporters of terrorism. After PM Modi visit, Trump might put more pressure on Pakistan to control terror.

R

Defence partnership Last year, India signed Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) with the US. Trump will push the remaining two foundational LEMOA pacts—Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement. LEMOA provides each greater access of military facilities in the other country.

Trade The US is India’s second largest trading partner after China. It is also India’s biggest importer. US-India trade has grown 6x since 2000, from $19 billion to $115 billion in 2016. Both the leaders will try to find ways to further enhance trade and business cooperation. As White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer puts it, “US energy and technologies, including natural gas, are helping to build Prime Minister Modi’s vision for a new India and creating thousands of US jobs in the process.�

UMBAI, India | AFP |- A western Indian state has agreed to write off loans to farmers estimated to be worth nearly $5 billion after 11 days of protests that have strangled supplies to the country’s financial capital, Mumbai.

OHTAK, India - (PTI) June 14, 2017 - A court here today issued a non-bailable warrant against yoga guru Ramdev in a case over his remarks made last year against those refusing to raise the slogan of ‘Bharat mata ki jai’.

The court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Harish Goyal issued the NBW against Ramdev and fixed August 3 as the next date of hearing in the case.

On May 12, the court had issued a bailable warrant against Ramdev. “The order follows Ramdev’s failure to appear before the court yet again today. He also failed to appear despite summons and a bailable warrant,� counsel for the complainant in the

case O P Chugh said. Ramdev had made the remarks at a Sadbhawana Sammelan here in April last year, which was called to promote peace in the city that witnessed violence during the Jat quota stir.

He had said that but for the rule of law he would have “beheaded� lakhs of people for refusing to chant ‘Bharat mata ki jai’. On March 2, Goyal had issued summons to Ramdev after a complaint was filed by Congress leader and former Haryana minister Subhash Batra seeking registration of an FIR against the yoga guru. The ACJM had then directed Ramdev to furnish Rs 1 lakh personal surety during the execution of warrant and also to appear in court on June 14.

‘Serial’ hero gets second chance in US court

Racial attacks India is concerned about a string of racial attacks in the US on Indians and Americans of Indian origin in recent times. There is a perception that Trump’s right-wing rhetoric is fanning xenophobia in the US, even though Trump has expressed admiration for Indians. (-Economic Times)

Indian state writes off farm loans to end protests

M

Non-bailable warrant against Baba Ramdev in beheading remark case

Major US firms such as Walmart and Apple have grown frustrated by regulations and tariffs imposed by Indian authorities as they seek to crack what is a potentially massive market.

In a statement the ministry said the two leaders would meet on June 26 for the first time after Modi arrives in Washington for a two-day visit. “Their discussions will provide a new direction for deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest,� the ministry statement said.

FRIDAY, June 9, 2017

India’s most populous state, whose new Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has pledged to write off $5.6 billion in debt to help struggling farmers.

India has nearly 260 million farmers and farm labourers and over half the population lives in rural areas, but agriculture accounts for just 17 percent of its gross domestic product.

Adnan Syed at the Baltimore City Circuit Courthouse in February (Photo: Reuters)

Farmers around the country have been pressing for more government assistance, often through protests.

Five were killed in Madhya Pradesh state last week when police fired on a group of protesting farmers.

However, India’s central bank governor last week criticised moves to write off agricultural loans, saying they undermined the market and hit private lenders.

by SĂŠbastien Blanc

the story and cast doubt on Syed’s guilt.

A

The podcast -- a mix of investigative journalism, first-person narrative and dramatic storytelling -- focused its first season entirely on Syed’s story in 12 nail-biting episodes. They were downloaded more than 175 million times, a world record.

NNAPOLIS, United States | AFP - For the past 18 years he has spent behind bars, Adnan Syed has claimed he is innocent of murdering his ex-girlfriend in a case turned into a global sensation by a hit podcast.

Now a US court is weighing whether the 37-year-old son of Pakistani immigrants can be retried, the outcome of a stunning reversal after the “Serial� series poked major holes in the prosecution’s case.

The case was largely ignored in the media until it was taken up by the weekly podcast and turned into a blockbuster when an American journalist revisited

The show cast doubt on whether Syed received proper representation at trial and whether he had in fact murdered Hae Min Lee. In Annapolis on Thursday, prosecutors and Syed’s lawyers appeared at the Maryland Court of Appeals after the state opposed the judge’s order to get a new trial.

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Indian police detain a protesting farmer in Fanda village on the outskirts of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh state (Photo: AFP)

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Maharashtra state’s chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said his government would pay off the loans, bowing to the demands of thousands of farmers who had gone on strike. “(The) government agrees for loan waiver for farmers,� he tweeted late Sunday.

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He said the state government would also agree to demands to increase the price of milk. “Farmers and their betterment was, is and will always be this government’s top priority,� he added.

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He did not give a value for the loans but they are estimated to be worth around 305 billion rupees ($4.75 billion).

Maharashtra is one of several largely agricultural Indian states that have suffered disappointing rains and crop failures in recent years.

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More than 1,417 farmers killed themselves in Maharashtra in 2016, according to official figures.

The loans pledge follows a similar move in Uttar Pradesh,

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VOICE OF ASIA 12

FRIDAY, June 9, 2017

VOICE OF ASIA 13

voiceofasiaonline.com Section 2

Business VOICE OF ASIA

VOA

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Harvard researchers say you’ll have more money in retirement if you choose the right savings account Choosing the right savings account could be a decision worth over $100,000

by Demetria Gallegos

N

ew research shows that employees who choose a Roth 401(k) from their company’s menu of retirement plans might end up with more purchasing power in retirement than if they pick a traditional 401(k).

FRIDAY, June 16, 2017

tion rate. But with the Roth 401(k), that actually translates into more purchasing power in retirement.

Tel: 713-774-5140

US Treasury department seeks to revamp Obama-era regulations Report lays out potential policy actions to ease burdens on banks and credit unions

“The American tax system is extremely complicated. People very reasonably use rules of thumb to guide their financial decisions, especially in the face of complexity. Some common rules

“[The measures should encourage] a market environment where consumers have more choices, access to capital and safe loan products� - Steven Mnuchin Photo: AFP by: Ben McLannahan, Sam Fleming

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Photo: ISTOCKPHOTO

The Roth 401(k) is a relatively new offering, available just since 2006. Deposits in the Roth account are after-tax, so the savings grow tax-free. With traditional 401(k)s, by contrast, account holders get to deduct their contributions from their income, but taxes are due when those funds are withdrawn, usually during retirement and at a lower tax rate because the saver is no longer working.

Both accounts have their advantages.

But when researchers at Harvard Business School looked at Roth 401(k) accounts across a range of industries at companies with 10,000 or more employees, they found that savers using Roths ended up ahead. The reasons were surprising.

of thumb for saving in a 401(k) are to contribute the amount necessary to earn the maximum employer matching contribution, or to contribute the maximum amount allowed in the plan. Another ubiquitous suggestion is to save 10% of pretax income. If they switch over into a Roth and do not adjust their rule of thumb, they’re in effect saving more. “It feels like you’re following the same rule—I’m saving 10%. But it makes a big difference if you’re doing it in the traditional 401(k) or the Roth. “In the case of the traditional 401(k), taxes are still due when you withdraw money in retirement. In fact, you are probably in a lower tax bracket in retirement, so you pay taxes at a lower rate than when you were working. In a sense, you could have put more money in the account back when you were working to cover future taxes, but you didn’t because no one does that if they’re following a rule of thumb.

ASHINGTON DC - Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin has responded to Donald Trump’s call for a regulatory break for US banks, announcing a slew of recommendations designed to overhaul a regime that aides say has been “disastrous� for the world’s largest economy.

Some of the recommendations contained within a 147-page report, released on Monday evening, will require the support of Congress — which could be difficult, given hardened Democratic opposition in the Senate and a tight legislative agenda.

But many of Mr Mnuchin’s proposals can be implemented by a new suite of regulators at the top agencies. Mr Trump has already nominated a bankfriendly ally of Mr Mnuchin’s to run the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and new supervisory heads should be installed before long at the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Shares in the big banks such as Gold-

man Sachs and Morgan Stanley moved capital. All three are possible via suhigher on Tuesday morning, fanned pervision and enforcement, rather than by hopes that they will benefit from legislation. lighter capital and liquidity standards The report was also critical of inand gentler supervision under the new Jacob Sanchez ternational standard-setting bodies regime. Critics of the Obama-era regu- withsuch Diagnosed autism the Basel Committee on Banking latory framework have argued it went Supervision and the Financial Stabilmuch too far in its efforts to rein in the ity Board, noting “overlapping objecbiggest banks, choking off the supply tives� and a general lack of transparof credit to households and small busi- ency in their deliberations. It said, for nesses. example, that the Basel Committee was On Tuesday the report drew a stinging rebuke from Maxine Waters, the ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, who described it as hiding “harmful intentions behind generalities and platitudes�. “There is nothing nice, reasonable, or thoughtful about this proposal,� she said. “The Trump administration is saying loud and clear that they would rather gamble with our financial security than prevent Wall Street from taking advantage of hardworking families.�

Among the report’s recommendations: changing the frequency and the severity of the stress-testing process, scrapping the “gold-plating� of global capital and liquidity standards for the biggest US banks, and a looser interpretation of the Volcker ban on banks making speculative bets with their own

then because you had to pay taxes due at that time, but you didn’t, again because of the rule of thumb. The Roth fund is Cartoon worth more because every single dollar in the account can be withdrawn taxfree. If a worker saves $5,000 a year Lack of speech is a sign of autism. Learn the others at autismspeaks.org/signs. “What we found is that people didn’t But in the case of the Roth 401(k), the in a 401(k) for 40 years and earns 5% save any differently, in the sense that whole amount is yours in retirement. return a year, the final balance will be they still had the same total contribu- You could have put in less money back more than $600,000. If the 401(k) is a Roth, the full balance is available for retirement spending. If the 401(k) is a traditional one, taxes are due on the balance. If the We’ve all had one of those communication meltdowns where you and your coworker raise person’s tax rate your voices or shut down instead of listening to each other. But you won’t be able to find comis 20% in retiremon ground unless you hear the other person out. The next time you and a coworker get into an ment, it makes argument, try listening more than you talk. As you listen, notice: Are you already thinking about for a difference of your rebuttal? Are you responding with a “yes� followed by an immediate “but�? Or have you $120,000 in spendalready interrupted? Be open to their perspective — and to the chance that you might be wrong. ing power, which a If you’re not listening because you’re worried about not having the perfect reply, you can always life annuity will say, “I haven’t thought about it that way before. Can you give me a day or so to think it over?� translate into about Very few people will complain about someone listening to what they’ve said and taking a little $700 a month in time to thoughtfully analyze and respond to it. (Adapted from “In a Difficult Conversation, Lisextra spending.� ten More Than You Talk,� by Emma Seppala and Jennifer Stevenson) - HBR.COM (-WSJ) We asked the lead author of the forthcoming study, John Beshears, a behavioral economist and assistant professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, to explain.

“limiting the potential for the public to meaningfully influence� its processes by taking in outside comments too late in the rulemaking process.

Back home, Mr Mnuchin’s team took aim at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a six-year-old agency spawned by Dodd-Frank, Barack Obama’s landmark post-crisis reform act. The report recommends changing the law to make the bureau’s lone director removable at will by the president, restructuring the bureau as a commission, and submitting it to the annual congressional budget process.

The Treasury department also raises the possibility that banks should be able to opt out of all capital and liquidity requirements and “nearly all�

Dodd-Frank requirements. (-Financial Times)

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LIFESTYLE

VOICE OF ASIA 14

FRIDAY, June 16, 2017

Look stunning on your big day

by Nirmal Randhawa

the belly fat.

T

he wedding season has arrived, and it is the time when most people are busy shopping and pampering themselves to look good.

However, all eyes are always on the bride and the groom, who have to shoulder the pressure of looking their best on the big day. Here are a few prewedding tips for brides-to-be:

Sleep well Sleep is an absolute must before the wedding. Lack of sleep can give you dark circles.

Clean skin, with dark circles under the eyes, will not be a sight to behold. So, we advise you to sleep at least for 8 to 10 hours a day.

Use good skin products

Follow a skincare regime Cleansing, toning, and moisturising is mandatory. This will keep your skin glowing and youthful. Cleansing will help keep your pores open. Toning will tighten the pores. It will also reduce fine lines to some extent. Lastly, moisturising the face will lock in the moisture into the pores, and keep your skin soft and supple. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen without fail.

Consult a dermatologist If you have a sensitive skin, consult a dermatologist. Opt for professional treatments for patchy skin, sunburns, and pigmentation. Microdermabrasion treatments from professional aestheticians is also a good fix for scars and blemishes. Start your treatments at least six

File photo months before the wedding.

Regular mani-pedis After stressing about their face, brides often forget to take care of their hands and feet.

Schedule at least four to five manicures and pedicures before the big day. Keep your nails and hands primed and pretty.

This is your chance to experiment with colours.

Hair treatments For healthy and shiny hair, go for hair spa treatments once a month, at least six months before the wedding. If you are not

fond of chemical hair spas, you can try some homemade hair masks. Also ask your beautician to try out different hair styles and choose the best one for your wedding day.

A nutritious diet Make your diet as healthy as possible. Include leafy vegetables, salads and fruits in your meals. Although looking slim is the goal, it is important not to look weak. So, avoid skipping meals and going on crash diets.

Try and avoid sugar, salty and processed foods that increase

Don’t compromise on the quality of skincare products.

Always keep a sunscreen in your vanity kit. Ensure that you use the same brand of toner, moisturiser and face pack.

Sometimes using products of different brands can also cause skin allergies.

Work out on a regular basis.

Exercise will help tighten your body, while also detoxing your skin. A good workout can energise you, help you lose weight and make you feel happy.

Meditate for at least 15 minutes a day to deal with stress.

Try to have positive thoughts.

You will feel serene, and the wedding will feel like a breeze.

Inner peace will lead to better wedding photographs too.

(-Deccan Herald)

by Michel Viatteau

R

Slowly a smile lights up her face, erasing her previous stony expression -- she suffers from paranoid schizophrenia which often renders her emotionless.

“But when we have intellectually-impaired patients, we must make sure there are no toxic plants in the gardens like yews, hydrangeas or lily of the valley,” she told AFP in an interview.

- Walking on pebbles The positive influence of a garden on the ill is thought to have already been known in Ancient Egypt, but modern therapy dates back to the 19th century and was used to help soldiers wounded in World War I. While horticultural therapy does not cure mental illness, it can stimulate patients both intellectually and socially, boosting their self-confidence and sense of well-being, experts say.

Even just getting them out of their rooms into the fresh air can help by improving their physical condition.

Alina Anasiewicz, the director of the Ruskie Piaski care home which is one of the leading centres in Po-

Garden therapy can help patients with mental illnesses through the scent and touch of plants, flowers and water, boosting their confidence and sense of wellbeing. (Photo: AFP/ Alina Anasiewicz and Marcin Zieba) land for garden therapy, says she came across it on a 2013 study trip to Switzerland.

“We brought home quite a few of the methods we learnt from the Swiss,” she told AFP. She points proudly to a fountain, where, on hot days, patients can touch the flowing water and wade into a small pool with pebbles lining the bottom that tickle their feet.

- ‘Changing mentality’ To reach the fountain, patients must walk barefoot along a “sensory path”, of gravel, sand and wooden logs, allowing the varied textures to stimulate their senses.

On the other side of the palace, three patients are working hard, digging a vegetable garden. Anasiewicz says that later they will also make preserves from the vegetables and berries they grow and harvest.

lion zloty (330,000 euros, $370,000) to create the therapeutic park, with flower and vegetable gardens as well as an orchard, at the care home.

More often than not, it so happens that our 9-5 gig does not limit itself to just 9-5.

We have pending projects and assignments and other personal chores that consumes more than 14 hours a day. At such times, the biggest thing we have to compromise on is our sleep. Sleep, the most loved, most desired, and most cherished activity of more than millions around the world.

If you can’t stop going over your to-do list when you’re trying to sleep, try the following: read a little, take a shower or do something physical that doesn’t require a lot of mental energy.

Just don’t go on your phone! This is the hardest, but give yourself time after eating dinner to send those last tweets and then say no more once you’ve brushed your teeth.

If you’re accustomed to a nightcap, that’s actually not necessarily bad.

The trick is making sure you’ve downed that drink at least an hour before bed so you don’t rob yourself of restful sleep.

“You snooze, you lose” is actually a good thing to remember when your alarm goes off. That extra time might actually make you more tired.

Aside from that, avoid fried or spicy foods late in the day, don’t overdo it on the workouts before lights out and definitely don’t do those things together.

There! Sleep crisis solved.

(-AOL News)

Even more, you can man-

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While it is not a member of the European Union, Switzerland set up a financing programme a decade ago to help reduce disparities between wealthier old EU members and poorer new ones, such as Poland.

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It spent a total of 1.3 billion Swiss francs (1.2 billion euros, $1.4 billion), of which Poland received almost half a billion.

The funds were spent on 58 projects across Poland, many focused on health, including the removal of asbestos from the roofs of houses -- 131,000 tons in all -- and installing hectares of solar panels.

- ‘Miss the garden’ Patients at the Ruskie Piaski care home can stay as long as their condition requires medical supervision and are able to leave for family visits or have visitors, but their daily garden therapy can depend on the weather.

“It’s sometimes easier to do all the hands-on renovation work for the gardens than to change the mentality of our staff,” Anasiewicz told AFP.

Staff say that when the weather is bad or in winter, patients are more depressed.

One went on a visit to see her family, but asked to return earlier than planned.

In 2013, Switzerland handed her a cheque for 1.4 mil-

Many of us may have experienced this situation. This is why, it is important to sleep better so that our work does not get affected the next day.

Regardless, NBC News has some helpful hints for changing your routine and getting an extra hour of sleep.

The sum covered 85 percent of the project, with local authorities chipping in the rest.

She says that, while the progress made by patients undergoing garden therapy is obvious to her, some of the staff who had been working at the centre for years needed convincing about this novel approach to mental health.

- Closing the gap -

age cherishing better sleep if you plan your schedule accordingly. And doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result, is the definition of insomnia.

Wait, that’s not right.

Photo: iStock

At the end of a hectic day, all we can crave for is a good night’s sleep. For which many people have to compromise on social events, family chores, or even deadlines. Have you ever felt like a zombie due to the lack of sleep in the middle of work at office?

The sudden burst of happiness is one of the benefits of horticultural, or garden therapy, as it is better known.

“It also facilitates physical exercise, for example for patients who have problems with balance, they can hop from one stone to another.

W

hen it comes to sleep, it seems like we all know what we *should* do to get more of it. We just don’t do it.

Some of us may even be guilty of dreaming about the pleasure of becoming a panda, sleeping for N number of hours in a day. Everyone wants to sleep better in such hectic schedules. We can’t find enough ways on how to sleep better for a satisfying and sound sleep. And so, squeezing in a proper sleep time becomes a tough task.

USKIE PIASKI, Poland | AFP An elderly woman leans over to smell a lush flowerbed of lavender in sprawling gardens surrounding an imposing early 20th-century palace in a pastoral corner of eastern Poland.

“Gardens provide an environment that stimulates many senses; the patient can smell the scents of flowers and plants, touch them, and even get pricked by thorns,” says biological scientist Bozena Szewczyk-Taranek, who has created a horticultural therapy training course at the Agricultural University of Krakow, due to start in September.

by Troy Fisbe

Exercise regularly

Flower power: gardening as therapy in Poland

She is among 59 female patients at this state-run, mental health care home in the village of Ruskie Piaski who are undergoing the springtime treatment, introduced here in 2014.

Tricks for actually getting that extra hour of sleep

She’d said simply, “I miss the garden”, they explained.

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LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 15

At airports, making travel easier for autistic passengers

FRIDAY, June 16, 2017

Condoms, Bribery, Warlords: Afghans find truth in comedy

by Shivani Vorajune

N

EW YORK, June 13, 2017 - For Gearoid Mannion and his wife, Michelle, who live in County Clare, Ireland, air travel with their two autistic sons, Conor, 9, and Darragh, 7, is usually nothing short of a nightmare. The noise level, crowds and announcements at airports overwhelm the boys, and waiting in security and boarding lines is a concept that they don’t understand, Mr. Mannion said.

The family’s recent experience at Shannon Airport in Ireland, when they were en route to a vacation in Målaga, Spain, however, gave them hope that flying didn’t have to be so stressful.

Mr. Mannion had heard about the airport’s recent initiative to ease the journey for individuals with autism spectrum disorder — the name for a group of developmental disorders that include autism — and called its customer service desk before their trip to relay that he would be traveling with autistic children.

Upon check-in, the foursome were given wristbands and orange baseball caps that identified them as a family with passengers with autism spectrum disorder and allowed them to jump to the front of the security line. Then they headed to the airport’s new Sensory Room, meant to soothe those with sensory issues, similar to those of Conor and Darragh; the room was shielded from outside noise and had a wavy wall, color-changing LED

The skits on “Shabake Khanda� call out wrongdoing and incompetence with tongue-in-cheek nonchalance and have garnered an avid following since the series first launched on Tolo Television The new sensory room at Shannon Airport in Ireland has a wavy wall, colorchanging LED lights, bean bags and other items meant to help calm and happily occupy children with autism spectrum disorder (Photo:Diarmuid Greene) lights, bean bags and other items that kept them calm and happily occupied.

And to avoid the challenge of waiting in a boarding line, the Mannions were able to board last.

Shannon Airport isn’t alone in its efforts to ease air travel for those with autism spectrum disorder: Some airlines and other airports around the world are also part of the movement, and in the United States, the Arc, a group in Washington representing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism,

is a major player.

Part of the reason for this recent support may be the rise in autism spectrum disorder. In the United States alone, one in 68 children has autism spectrum disorder.

Delta Air Lines, in partnership with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the Arc, opened a similar sensory room in the airport last year and filled it with toys and items commonly used to soothe those with autism spectrum disorder, such as a mini ball pit. (-NYTimes)

French ‘bikini killer’ to have heart surgery in Nepal Sobhraj to France� for treatment or to serve the remainder of his sentence.

Sobhraj -- a French citizen of Vietnamese and Indian parentage -- was sentenced by a Nepal court in 2004 for the killing of US tourist Connie Joe Bronzich in 1975.

It was the first time he had been convicted of murder, despite being linked to a string of killings. Two of his victims were found wearing only bikinis.

Charles Sobhraj, also known as the Bikini Killer, is a French serial killer of Vietnamese and Indian origin, who preyed on Western tourists throughout Southeast Asia during the 1970s (Photo: AFP)

K

ATHMANDU, Nepal | AFP A notorious French criminal who earned the nickname “bikini killer� for a string of murders throughout Asia in the 1970s, was in a Nepali hospital Friday, where he is expected to undergo open heart surgery, sources said.

Charles Sobhraj, 73, who is currently serving a life sentence, was taken to hospital for tests, his lawyer and mother-in-law Sakuntala Thapa told AFP. The ageing conman has been implicated in more than 20 killings, earning worldwide notoriety for a series of poisonings and robberies of backpackers across Asia in the 60s and 70s.

He needs to have one of the valves in his heart replaced, said Jyotendra Sharma, director of Sahid Gangalal National Heart Centre, where the surgery will take place.

Senior police officer Janak Bahadur Shahi told AFP that Sobhraj will remain in hospital until after the surgery, which other sources said is expected to take place next week.

“Sobhraj has been admitted to the hospital for the surgery. The date for the operation is yet to be fixed,� said Shahi.

Sobhraj was taken to hospital in late May after suffering a heart attack and was diagnosed with a weak valve that needed to be corrected through surgery.

His lawyer said that Sobhraj wanted to return to France for the surgery -- a plea that he also made in a rare telephone interview with the Indian Express newspaper earlier this week.

But prison doctor Kedar Narshingh KC said he thought Sobhraj, who also earned the sobriquet “The Serpent� for his repeated identity thefts and escapes from justice, was angling to get released from jail early. “He is spreading rumours despite our intensive care and treatment. It is suspicious and could be a ploy to get released from the jail.�

The French embassy in Kathmandu told AFP there were “no ongoing discussions regarding the transfer of

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ABUL (AFP) - They are a thorn in the side of abusive Afghan warlords, corrupt policemen and double-dealing politicians, skewering them on television -- with laughter.

Comedy can be a dangerous business in Afghanistan, but the stars of TV show “Shabak-e-Khanda� -- or Laughter Network -- are unabashed even in the face of threats of violence.

bee. “Comedy is funnier when there is truth to it. In a country full of tragedies, we make people laugh.�

The show is a rare uncensored voice that has built a reputation for poking the bear in the eye and speaking truth to power.

And it appears to be getting more daring with each episode.

Their skits calling out wrongdoing and incompetence with tongue-in-cheek nonchalance have garnered an avid following since the series first launched on Tolo Television.

A popular target is a formidable former warlord known for his drunken misdemeanours: portrayed on the show as wearing a bandolier belt filled not with bullets but alcohol bottles.

A recent episode took a swipe at a senior minister who had a reputation for drifting off to sleep in official meetings.

Another audience favourite was a skit showing Afghanistan’s president trying to coax another former warlord over the phone not to engage in celebratory shellfire after signing a government peace accord.

“Wazir sahib, when should I wake you up to defend the country?� the anchor crooned to a broken harmonium, reflecting public frustration over growing insecurity in Afghanistan. “You were sleeping when suicide bombers came to attack us,� he joked.

Another episode parodied a military commander who bet -- and lost -- a government humvee in a gambling spree.

And another lampooned a policeman who was dismissed for “bacha bazi�, the entrenched practice of sexual slavery and abuse of boys. “Through comedy we show the reality of life in Afghanistan,� said the show’s 27-year-old producer Rafi Ta-

“No celebratory fire is like making Kabuli pilaf without rice,� reasons the stubborn warlord, flanked by a rocket launcher.

The line between satire and reality blurred to the point of vanishing when the show parodied a powerful MP whose electricity was cut off for not paying his utility bills. “If you don’t switch it back on, I will switch you off,� the MP is shown threatening a power company official.

In reality, the lawmaker got away with not paying, the way influential strongmen in Afghanistan usually do.

Young Life

VOICE OF ASIA 16

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Dry drowning and secondary drowning: What to know

by Amanda Gardner f you’re like most parents, you probably figure once your child is done swimming or playing in the water, his risk of drowning is over.

But “dry” and “secondary” drowning can happen hours after he’s toweled off and moved on to other things. There are steps you can take to keep your child safe.

I

With dry drowning, water never reaches the lungs. Instead, breathing in water causes your child’s vocal cords to spasm and close up after he’s already left the pool, ocean, or lake. That shuts off his airways, making it hard to breathe.

Secondary drowning happens a little bit differently. Your child’s airways open up, letting water into his lungs, where it builds up, causing a condition called pulmonary edema. The result is the same: trouble breathing.

Symptoms of dry drowning usually happen right after any incident in the water. Secondary drowning generally starts later, within 1-24 hours of the incident, Pitetti says.

Both events are very rare. They make up only 1%-2% of all drowning incidents, says pediatrician James Orlowski, MD, of Florida Hospital Tampa.

Symptoms Dry drowning and secondary drowning have the same symptoms. They

M

IDRAND, South Africa | AFP - She is a 12-year-old schoolgirl who aspires to become a doctor.

But Masalanabo Modjadji is no ordinary pre-teen -- she is South Africa’s only female traditional ruler, with claims of mystical rainmaking powers.

include: • Coughing • Chest pain • Trouble breathing • Feeling extremely tired Your child may also have changes in behavior such as such as irritability or a drop in energy levels, which could mean the brain isn’t getting enough oxygen.

What to Do If your child has any signs of dry drowning and secondary drowning, get medical help. Although in most cases the symptoms will go away on their own, it’s important to get him checked out.

“The most likely course is that the symptoms are relatively mild and improve over time,” says Mark Reiter, MD, past president of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine.

Any problems that do develop are usually treatable if you get medical help right away. Your job is to keep a close eye on your child for the 24

A photo exhibition in Delhi by independent photographer Mahesh Shantaram captures the lives of young Africans living in isolation in India’s cities.

by Paramita Ghosh

ing organised by Tasveer Arts.

I

Hassan, a footballer and a student of marketing in Bangalore, was Shantaram’s window into the community — their hopes, their hurts, and the immense grace and stoicism with which they carry on with their everyday lives in the face of irrational hostility. Who knows better than Africans what it means to be ‘Black’? But with a shared history of anti-colonialism — a basis for which was a misplaced, racial sense of superiority on account of skin tone — did they have to re-discover that in India?

In early 2016, independent photographer Mahesh Shantaram, who uses documentary photography to study complex systems, societies, and institutions, was shaken when Tanzanians were attacked in Bangalore, one of India’s most cosmopolitan cities. Shantaram decided to follow the lives of African students in Indian cities and capture what they had to say about their Indian experience.

His series, The African Portrait, is be-

Modjadjiskloof in the fertile valley of Molototsi, 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of Johannesburg.

The monarchy, which originated in what is today southeastern Zimbabwe, has been ruled by women for over 200 years.

Her mother was the first queen able to read and write. She could speak English, was computer literate and drove a car.

Last year -- after a long campaign, and a succession dispute -- the Balobedu queen was officially recognised under South African law for the first time since apartheid.

It can happen in any body of water and even the bathtub (Photo: WebMD) hours after he has had any problems in the water.

If the symptoms don’t go away, or if they get worse, take your child to the emergency room, not your pediatrician’s office.

“Your child will need a chest X-ray, an IV, and be admitted for observation,” Pitetti says. “That can’t be done in an office.”

Because there are no drugs for dry or secondary drowning, your child will probably get “supportive care” at the hospital. This means checking that his airways are clear and monitoring his oxygen level. If he’s having severe trouble breathing, he may need to use a breathing tube for a while.

Prevention The most important thing parents can do has nothing to do with doctors or the emergency room and everything to do with preventing drowning in the first place.

“Water safety is by far the most important thing,” Reiter says. (-WebMD)

In India too, young black lives should matter

f you meet someone very different or very foreign, first ask him his name. Then ask where he has come from; does he miss home; in the new city, is he comfortable; has he made friends; are there any doubts you could clear or things you could help him with.

Africans have long and enduring social, cultural and economic relations with India. These are questions, Africans say, few ask them any more in India.

Tel: 713-774-5140

S.Africa’s preteen queen with ‘rainmaking’ powers

by Susan Njanji

These types of drownings can happen when your child breathes water into his lungs. Sometimes that happens when he struggles while swimming.

But it can be a result of something as simple as getting water in his mouth or getting dunked.

It can happen to adults, but it’s more common in kids because of their small size, says Raymond Pitetti, MD, associate medical director of the emergency department at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

FRIDAY, June 16, 2017

In his photo-blog where Shantaram is documenting his ongoing project in greater detail, Hassan says, “I thought in India, I would live like a boss! People ask us if we wear clothes in Africa. Do you think we started wearing clothes only after coming to India?”

How did Shantaram meet the people he did? “There are a thousand stories, of course. But the people I met are largely students who have come to India believing in an open society and a progressive environment in which they can study and prosper. None of the young African men and women I have met so far are drug peddlers or prostitutes,” says the photographer.

Shantaram’s collection is also meant to drive home the point of seeing the Africans as a people rather than just victims. “The incidents in the past couple of years have aroused the curiosity of right-minded people about who are the Africans in our midst. And if they are in our midst, why are they so invisible?”

That is one of the aims of this project — to make them more visible and their collective voices heard. You can’t look away from these photographs. The gorgeousness of the backgrounds, as many young Africans sit or stand for their photographs, point more sharply to the grimness of their experience. (-Hindustan Times)

World Environment Day

Masalanabo Modjadji (Photo: Mujahid Safodien) Queen Modjadji is the hereditary ruler of the Balobedu, an ethnic tribe in South Africa’s northern province of Limpopo.

She will be formally crowned when she turns 18, having ascended to the throne as a three-month-old infant when her mother, the previous queen, died in 2005.

Until her coronation, Masalanabo is not making any public statements.

But AFP gained rare access, meeting her in a suburb outside Johannesburg where she lives during term time with her guardian Mathole Motshekga, who speaks on her behalf.

Masalanabo arrived back from school driven in an ordinary sedan car, and quickly swapped her black uniform tracksuit for a black-and-white traditional robe and a multi-coloured beaded headband.

She sat quietly next to her guardian, listening carefully and smiling.

“She knows that this is her position by birth, so she doesn’t have to hurry,” said Motshekga, describing her as the “earthly representative of the rain goddess.”

“She wants to be well-prepared because the world is modern and her subjects are going to be educated people, so she wants to be educated so that she matches with the times.”

- Regal duties Masalanabo will sit on the dynasty’s throne in her ancestral village of

It means the royal family will qualify -when the queen turns 18 -- for government money under the 1996 constitution that was designed to involve tribal rulers in the newly democratic South Africa.

“For the first time in the history of South Africa, we have a legally accepted queenship,” said Motshekga, who is also an ANC lawmaker and from the Balobedu tribe.

He said Masalanabo -- who has met President Jacob Zuma -- has friends and is on social media, but that she is also preparing for how to balance her regal duties with the realities of everyday life.

When not at school or playing with her friends, she spends time with Motshekga’s wife Angie Motshekga, who is the country’s basic education minister and is Masalanabo’s custodian mother. “They discuss everything from politics to traditions,” he said.

After she is crowned, she will marry several maiden women, paying their families “lobolo” money -- which is normally paid by a husband to his new wife’s family.

The wives then have children with other royal relatives, and the children are counted as the queen’s own. She, too, can have children, but only with a relative whose identity remains secret.

“The queen is both male and female.

That’s how she expands her family,” said Motshekga.

South Africa legalised same-sex marriage in 2006, but for the Balobedu queen it was nothing new.

“We have been doing that for hundreds of years. It’s our way,” said Malatji.

Tech-savvy students learn new skills at cybersecurity seminar

by Blake Apgar AS VEGAS - The next generation of cybersecurity defenders might have been sitting in a Las Vegas conference room Sunday.

L

The Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education, or CISSE, hosted middle and high school students at the JW Marriott for an interactive seminar to spark interest in cybersecurity careers.

SAVING THE TREES. Indian children take part in a candle-light vigil during the ‘Save Trees’ awareness rally in Bangalore. To mark World Environment Day on Sunday, citizens did their bit to contribute to a greener environment – right from planting trees to holding cycle rallies and awareness drives for bio-diesel buses and electric cars. (Photo: Manjunath Kiran/AFP)

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“Our main push for us as educators is to get more kids in the pipeline,” said Tamara Shoemaker, CISSE operations manager.

Students during an interactive seminar on cyber security,, Sunday, June 11, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Photo: Elizabeth Brumley)

The event was held ahead of the 21st annual CISSE meeting.

The group is a mixture of college educators and government and industry representatives who gather to swap ideas about education and cybersecurity.

Ferdinand Caoagas attended the event with his 12-year-old son London.

About 40 students and their parents attended the free course Sunday, where they learned about building robots and writing code. Students tinkered with circuits on a tiny motherboard.

From there, they learned how to program their devices.

The room was quiet and students stayed on task, following

along with instructions displayed on a projector.

The two were building an inchworm robot with the rest of the students. The robot was made from scratch with a strip of cardboard and electronics London programmed. When fully programmed, the robot would scoot across the table like an inchworm.

“I like them learning how everything works,” Caoagas said.

“They always see the finished

product but never see how it’s made. It’s nice to see them learning that.”

Tom Chalfant and his 12-yearold son Sam also attended the seminar. Chalfant said Sam has been interested in learning how things work for years.

“I love it,” Sam said of the seminar. “I’ve always loved anything with robotics, electronics and programming.”

Chalfant said he enjoys watching his son acquire new skills. “It makes me proud as a peacock,” he said. “He just loves tinkering.”

(-Las Vegas Review-Journal)

VOICE OF ASIA 17

Section 2

Bollywood Masala

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Jnanpith winner C. Narayana Reddy passes away

FRIDAY, June 16, 2017

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Ex-Temasek Poly student makes film about her father’s terror plot

by Suresh Krishnamoorthy

H

YDERABAD, JUNE 12, 2017 - CiNaRe was known for his use of Telugu in its pure form, and would not be swayed by filmmakers on the use of the language.

Eminent poet, litterateur and Jnanpith awardee C. Narayana Reddy, popularly known as CiNaRe, passed away in the early hours of Monday, aged 85. He was taken to a hospital following health complications and was declared dead.

CiNaRe, born on July 29, 1931 in Hanumajipet of erstwhile Karimnagar district, studied till his graduation in Urdu because Telugu as a medium was not available during the Nizam’s rule. However, because of his intense love for the language he taught himself Telugu and it was only during his degree that he took the option of Telugu as a paper.

CiNaRe went on to do a postgraduate degree and a Ph.D on ‘Modern Traditions of Telugu’.

It was the late N.T. Rama Rao, who wielded the megaphone in film Gulebakavali, who gave CiNaRe his break as a lyricist. He wrote all the songs in the film, including the hit ‘Nannu dochukunnavate ..

Vannela Dorasani.’

C. Narayana Reddy won the Jnanpith award in 1988 (Photo: Nagara Gopal) CiNaRe was known for his use of Telugu in its pure form, and would not be swayed by filmmakers on the use of the language.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1977 and the Padma Bhushan in 1992. His compilation of poems, titled ‘Viswambhara’, got him the Jnanpith award in 1988. In 1997, he was nominated as a Member of the Rajya Sabha. His academic distinctions include serving as a professor of Osmania University and as Vice Chancellor of

the Telugu University.

Among those who condoled with the death of CiNaRe were Governor of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, Ch. Vidyasagar Rao and Chief Minister of Telangana, K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Those who visited the family residence and paid their respects included former Governor of Tamil Nadu, K. Rosaiah, Ministers K.T. Rama Rao, and G. Jagadheeshwar.

His last rites will be performed on Wednesday.

Voice strong as mind fades, a country great says ‘Adios’ Kim Campbell, the singer’s fourth wife who has become an advocate for Alzheimer’s caregivers, in March told The Tennessean newspaper that the artist had lost most of his ability to speak and understand language.

(-Daily Mail)

12-year-old child actress Vinathi Naidu (centre), who plays the titular character in Azza, seen with other members of the cast in this behind-the-scenes photo. The film follows a Singaporean family’s trials and tribulations as they come to terms with the consequences of their father’s terror plot (Photo: Reynard Lee / Nur Shahidah)

S

INGAPORE — When Nur Shahidah was seven, her father wrapped a shoebox in cellophane tape and wrote a note addressed to “The People of Singapore”. It read: “Beware! Singapore is not safe from today, anytime, anywhere.

Revenge is sweet. Help save lives.” He then placed the box under the seat of a MRT train.

Shortly after, he called the police to report about a bomb. It was a hoax. He was subsequently convicted under anti-terror laws and jailed 3½ years.

The incident left an indelible mark on the family, but Shahidah, 20, does not shy away from the truth of her past.

Instead, she decided to make a short film about it as her final year project for her diploma in film and television at Temasek

Polytechnic (TP) School of Design and it will be shown at the Singapore Discovery Centre (SDC) as part of its annual Singapore Stories initiative.

Shahidah, now 20, recounted about how it never fails to shock people when she tells them about her childhood.

“I feel that we should know about how terrorism affects the family, and not just the terrorist himself,” she said.

“My main intention is (to ask) for Singaporeans to be there for your neighbours and not shun them,” added Shahidah, who described her father as a “familyoriented” man whose crime was “out-of-the-blue” for everyone who knew him.

Titled Azza, after the titular character, the film follows a

family’s trials and tribulations as they came to terms with the consequences of their father’s crimes.

Describing the 26-minute film as “90 per cent” true to reality, Shahidah, who is the film’s producer, decided to base it on her elder sister’s experience.

Her sister, who was 10 years old at the time, was questioned by the police as “one or two” of her belongings were used to make the fake bomb, including “a science file with her name on it”.

As the lead role was emotionally demanding, they auditioned 14 girls over six months but could not find the “right one” until a chance encounter during a location at Dakota Crescent led them to 12-year-old child actress Vinathi Naidu. (-TodayOnline)

Glen Campbell performing at the Staples Center during the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012 (Photo: AFP)

H

is mind succumbing to Alzheimer’s disease, country legend Glen Campbell can still summon strength through his voice and he has seized on it to bid farewell to the world.

crossover success on the US and British pop charts with hits such as “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Wichita Lineman,” recorded his latest album as a sort of last testament just as his Alzheimer’s was becoming more severe.

A fixture on country music charts since the 1960s, the 81year-old on Friday released what with near certainty will be his final album, aptly entitled “Adios.”

He went into the studio in Nashville after in 2012 completing a difficult final tour, which was documented by the movie “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me.”

With Campbell’s memory fading, he turns to music to rekindle a life’s worth of souvenirs on songs such as “Arkansas Farmboy,” which recalls his hardscrabble youth as one of 12 children of a sharecropper in the southern state.

Yet Campbell, his voice clutching onto its sturdiness, is neither melodramatic nor melancholy on “Adios,” instead throwing himself a bittersweet farewell party.

Campbell,

who

achieved

The film, which generated the Grammy-winning song “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” showed the star still instinctively fluent on the guitar yet struggling to remember lyrics and setlists and, by the time of his final show in Napa, California, barely able to lead his band.

Campbell’s family released the final album as the singer enters the late stages of Alzheimer’s, the disease most commonly experienced by seniors who lose their memory and gradually their bodily functions.

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VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, June 16, 2017

HEALTHY LIVING VOICE OF ASIA

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Zika birth defects in 5% in US islands

M

IAMI | AFP - Five percent of women in the US territories who were infected with the Zika virus while pregnant had fetus or babies with defects, including microcephaly, government health data said Thursday.

The report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention covered the US territories of Guam, American Samoa, the US Virgin Islands, Micronesia, the Republic of Marshall Islands and Puerto Rico.

The report is the first based on data from the US territories and the largest study of its kind to date.

CDC experts said the findings are consistent with previous findings about Zika cases in the mainland United States.

“Women in the US territories and elsewhere who have continued exposure to mosquitoes carrying Zika are at risk of infection,” said CDC acting director Anne Schuchat.

“We must remain vigilant and committed to preventing new Zika infections.”

The rate of birth defects was slightly higher -- eight percent, or one in 12 -in women whose infections were confirmed early in the pregnancy, during the first trimester, said the report.

Credit for Infographic: Grovedental.com

The findings were based on the cases of 2,549 women with possible Zika virus infection who completed their pregnancies.

Obesity affects one in 10 worldwide: study

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | 6/12/2017 - More than one in 10 people worldwide are now obese, with weight-related health problems claiming millions of lives every year, according to a major new global study released on Monday.

Conducted in 195 countries over a 35-year period, the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at a conference in Stockholm is billed as the most comprehensive research to date on the subject.

Obesity numbers more than doubled in 73 countries since the study launch in 1980, triggering a surge in related diseases in what the study authors described as “a growing and disturbing global public health crisis.”

In 2015, 107.7 million children and 603.7 million adults worldwide were obese.

Even though the obesity rate in children remained lower than among adults, it had grown at a faster rate during the 35-year study period, the report said.

Four million deaths in 2015 were linked to having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 24.5, indicating a person is overweight, or of 30 or more, indicating obesity. BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by their height in centimeters squared.

Of those deaths, more than 40 percent involved people deemed non-obese -indicating that being overweight, even without being obese, is leading to mil-

lions of premature deaths.

More than two-thirds of deaths linked to a raised BMI were attributed to cardiovascular diseases, marking a sharp increase since 1990.

“People who shrug off weight gain do so at their own risk -- risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and other life-threatening conditions,” said Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle, one of the authors of the study.

“Those half-serious New Year’s resolutions to lose weight should become year-round commitments to lose weight and prevent future weight gain,” he said.

A bereaved father, Microsoft data scientists combat infant deaths

by Dina Bass

J

ohn Kahan has a poignant photo in his office at Microsoft Corp., where he oversees customer data and analytics. The image shows Kahan, his wife and three daughters celebrating the birth of a boy, his reddish-blond hair hidden by a hat.

A few hours after the photo was

taken, Kahan received a phone call he still has trouble recounting without choking up: his baby son, Aaron, had stopped breathing. A few days later he died with no explanation, a victim of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Last year, with the 13th anniversary of Aaron’s death approaching, Kahan resolved to honor what would have been his only son’s bar mitzvah

by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money and awareness for SIDS research. When he returned from the climb, his team had a surprise for him -- they’d been crunching numbers on infant deaths in the U.S. and using data-analysis algorithms to try and find new ways to reduce the number of babies lost to SIDS each year. To date, the data scientists have put in about 500 hours of their own time. Kahan’s employer, through its giving arm Microsoft Philanthropies, contributed free cloud hosting and software tools for their work.

Now, deploying analysis and data visualization tools that can identify trends, the team has found promising leads in combating SIDS. The technology, normally used to generate Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella’s daily performance metrics dashboard or tell the Windows team how to best serve customers, in this case helped uncover various correlations, for example lining up early prenatal care with a lower rate of

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Medicare Advantage vs.

Medigap: Which Is the Best Choice?

G

iven the high cost of private insurance, especially for seniors, Medicare can be a retiree’s best friend. But wading through all the information to make the right decisions about your Medicare plans can be quite a task. One of the most important Medicare-related decisions you’ll face is whether to buy a Medicare Advantage plan or go with an “original Medicare plus Medigap” setup.

The pros of original Medicare plus Medigap Original Medicare, meaning Medicare Part A and Part B, covers expenses related to hospital visits and most other medical services. However, it doesn’t cover all your medical expenses. That’s where Medigap comes in, offering coverage for expenses that original Medicare leaves up to you. The benefits of choosing a Medigap plan include: • More physicians to choose from. Most Medicare Advantage plans are network-based, whereas Medigap works for any doctor who accepts Medicare (which includes most of them).

• You don’t need to get a referral to see a specialist. In fact, you don’t even need to choose a primary care physician with Medigap.

• The options are less confusing. There are just 10 types of Medigap plan, and these 10 types of plan are exactly the same all across the country. That makes it a whole lot simpler to figure out which plan is best for you. Given the many other complexities involved in setting up Medicare, anything you can do to simplify the process is a blessing.

• There is a lot less paperwork involved in using Medigap as opposed to Medicare Advantage plans. With Medigap, the program simply sends a check to the doctor or facility without your involvement. Medicare Advantage typically requires you to make co-pays directly to the provider, adding an extra level of involvement.

• Medigap coverage typically means lower out-of-pocket expenses than a comparable Medicare Advantage plan.

The pros of Medicare Advantage Not everyone would be better off with a Medigap plan. Medicare Advantage comes with the following upsides: • Premiums for Medicare Advantage plans are typically lower than those of Medigap plans.

Consumer Reports estimates that in 2017, the average premium for Medicare Advantage enrollees was between zero and $100 per month, while the average premium for Medigap enrollees was between $150 and $200 per month.

Sudhir Mathuria Licensed Professional Health Life 360 6776 Southwest Freeway, Suite # 178 Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900 www.MyMedicarePlanning.com

• Medicare Advantage plans may include drug coverage options; Medigap plans never do, requiring you to buy a Medicare Part D plan if you want to cover your prescription costs.

• In order to get guaranteed access to Medigap, you must enroll within six months of signing up for Medicare Part B, assuming you’re at least 65 (otherwise, you must enroll within six months of your 65th birthday). After that initial enrollment period, you can be turned down for Medigap coverage due to pre-existing conditions. At the end of every year, Medicare Advantage plans have open enrollment periods during which you can freely change plans.

• How do you decide which is better?

Cost-wise, someone with significant and expensive health problems is better off with Medigap. The premiums are higher, but out-of-pocket costs are typically much lower than Medicare Advantage costs, so if you have lots of medical expenses, the higher Medigap premium ends up being a better deal. On the other hand, if you’re in good health and don’t anticipate lots of medical expenses in the near future, you can save quite a bit with Medicare Advantage’s lower premiums. Someone with lots of prescription costs should look for a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage, which could save you some money on premiums compared to getting Medicare Part D. Before you decide which way to go, review the Medicare Advantage plans available in your area and compare them to the Medigap options. You may find the perfect Medicare Advantage plan for you.

To choose right plan for you whether it is Medigap or Medicare Advantage plan or Prescription Drug Plan Part D, contact Sudhir Mathuria @ 713-771-2900.

deaths. The work also provides more information on such known SIDS risk factors as maternal tobacco use.

Aaron in Oct. 2003. Aaron passed away two days later of SIDS.Source: John Kahan

“Aaron died 13 years ago. In 13 years we have not really improved this,” said Kahan, who also lobbies Congress to preserve health research funding and open up medical data sets

“The processing power in the cloud, the visualization capabilities and the ability to take data science algorithms at scale and be able to at lightning speed look at correlations—there’s no way in God’s green earth you could have done that 15 years ago, and even if you could, it would have been massive IBM mainframes all over the place and you’d be waiting for the output,” Kahan says.

Microsoft, Seattle hospital find promising avenues in SIDS prevention by analyzing volumes of data for research. “Which basically means roughly 52,000 children in the U.S. have died and you have parents like us that sit there and go ‘I don’t know why.’”

Microsoft is partnering with a research team at Seattle Children’s Hospital, led by neuroscientist Nino Ramirez. With access to a lab where they can do things like test different factors on slices of mouse-brain tissue, Ramirez’s team is examining which avenues hold up when researched further. Promising work will be published in medical and data science journals with a view to influencing clinical practice.

John Kahan and his family with

Ultimately, Ramirez wants to create an online worksheet on pregnant women that doctors can fill out to get a view into each patient’s risk factors for SIDS. “The (SIDS) field is not that big, and it started with pediatricians, but none of them have a background in data science,” Ramirez says. “They have their own databases and they try to bring things together but the professional look at the data doesn’t exist. It exists in genetics and cancer research and it has transformed the field. What we are starting here has transformed a little the SIDS field.” (-Bloomberg News)

SCIENCE & TECH

VOICE OF ASIA 19

Floating solar farm reflects China’s clean energy ambitions

M

B

EIJING, China | AFP - As the United States was withdrawing from the Paris climate pact, China’s clean energy ambitions were being reflected in the launch of the world’s largest floating solar farm.

The 40-megawatt power plant has 160,000 panels resting on a lake that emerged after the collapse of a coal mine in central Anhui province.

It is part of Beijing’s effort to wean itself off a fossil fuel dependency that has made it the world’s top carbon emitter, with two-thirds of its electricity still fuelled by coal.

The 40-megawatt power plant has 160,000 panels resting on a lake that emerged after the collapse of a coal mine in central Anhui province (Photo: AFP)

The solar facility went online around the time of President Donald Trump’s much-criticised June 2 decision to withdraw from the international accord aimed at saving the planet from climate change catastrophe.

dominating the game”, especially because “China is already moving rapidly -- with or without the US -- in terms of investments” and innovation, Alex Perera, director of the WRI Energy Program, told AFP.

His move shifted the spotlight onto China and whether it will take on the leadership mantle in the fight against global warming.

It has been the world’s largest investor in clean energy since 2012, spending $88 billion on wind and solar power last year, according to Bloomberg News.

Days after his announcement -- and by coincidence -- Beijing hosted an international conference on clean energy.

China’s solar capacity more than doubled in 2016. The official goal is for 20 percent of Chinese power consumption to come from low-emission energy, including nuclear, by 2030, compared to 11 percent currently.

“The US’s withdrawal from the Paris agreement offers China an unprecedented opportunity to take the lead in climate change,” energy expert Frank Yu of Wood Mackenzie consultancy told AFP. - China dominating The Beijing forum put a spotlight on efforts by Chinese authorities and companies to develop renewable energy.

“Beijing may feel like it’s

“We must take these promises seriously,” said Helen Clarkson, president of the Climate Group.

Beijing hopes to combat endemic air pollution, but is also motivated by financial interests, as the country “is already reaping the economic benefits” of clean energy, Clarkson said.

- ‘Wake people up’ With the US administration out of the Paris pact, China has signalled its readiness to deal with US local governments to advance its climate agenda.

California Governor Jerry Brown used the Beijing conference to seek partnerships with China on climate change, and was given the red-carpet treatment by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Brown, who has criticised Trump’s June 2 decision, signed a memorandum of understanding with Xi as well as an agreement with Sichuan province.

“I’m trying to wake people up to deal with climate change,” Brown told AFP in Beijing.

“China is an ally in that and it has tremendous resources and I want to work with those resources in a way that will accelerate our climate action,” he said.

Xie Zhenhua, China’s top climate negotiator, made it clear at the clean energy forum: “We will not only continue to strengthen cooperation with California, but also strengthen the concrete cooperation with other US states, cities, enterprises and scientific research institutions in fields including clean energy.”

US energy secretary Rick Perry was also at the forum but failed to get the same reception as Brown, meeting China’s seventh-ranked official instead of Xi.

Hong Kong activists dress as sharks to protest finning

H

ONG KONG, China | AFP - Dozens of activists Saturday dressed in bloody costumes sprawled outside one of Hong Kong’s most popular restaurants linked to the sale of shark fin soup to protest against the killing of the marine predators.

The activists, many of whom were children, said they came out to stop the “cruel” practice.

“Shark finning is a very cruel thing that lots of people do, and we’re trying to stop a chain of restaurants from selling it,” 11-yearold Narnie Hockings told AFP before donning her shark suit.

The demonstrators also dumped a large bag of fake shark fins, cut from their costumes, next to where people were waiting to enter the Maxim’s Palace restaurant for lunch, before flopping down on the floor in protest.

“The display is to show people how bad it is and what

Based on modelling studies, researchers from IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and the University of California, Irvine have found that when the summer mean temperature during this period increased from 27 degrees C to 27.5 degree C, the probability of a heat wave killing in excess of 100 people shot up from 13% to 32% — an increase of 146%.

For instance, there were only 43 and 34 heat-related fatalities in 1975 and 1976, respectively, when the mean summer temperature was about 27.4 degrees C. But in 1998, at least 1,600 people died due to heat wave when the mean summer temperature was more than 28 degrees C. Similarly, when the average number of heat-wave days in the country increased from six to eight, the probability of heat-wave-related deaths increased from 46% to 82% — a 78% increase. The average number of heat wave days between 1960 and 2009 was 7.3 per year.

“When there is a 0.5 degree C increase in mean temperature, the extreme temperature will increase at a much higher rate,” says Prof. Subimal Ghosh from the Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Bombay, one of the authors of the

by Megha Bahree

D

ELHI, India | AFP Solar power prices in India have hit rock bottom, but it is not all good news for the electricity-starved country as the phenomenon has hit investor confidence and threatens the country’s effort to push its green credentials.

Cut-throat competition has driven prices down to unsustainable levels, undermining the booming sector’s viability, according to experts.

India is the headquarters of an international solar energy alliance and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen to reinforce the notoriously polluted country’s green credentials.

Shark fin activists protest outside Maxim’s flag ship restaurant ‘Maxim’s Palace’, the largest Chinese restaurant group, for selling threatened and endangered shark species in Hong Kong on June 10, 2017. Dozens of activists dressed in bloody shark costumes laid in front of the entrance of one of Hong Kong’s most popular restaurants to protest against the finning of the marine predators (Photo: Isaac Lawrence / AFP) people do in real life because I don’t think people know that they actually chuck the bodies back into the water,” Meara Johnson, 12, who’s favourite animal is the shark, said.

since it started to promote shark-free menus in 2010.

“When I found out that they were going to be endangered soon, I thought we should do something,” Johnson added.

More than 70 million sharks are killed every year, according to the World Wildlife Foundation. Huge quantities are exported annually to Hong Kong, and most of those fins are then sent on to mainland China.

Maxim’s in response said they only source fins from a species classified as low risk and that it has seen consumption of the predator drop significantly at their restaurants

Hong Kong’s government in 2013 said it would stop serving shark fin at official functions as “a good example”, following years of lobbying by conservation groups.

In India, deaths increased by 78% during 1960-2009 (File photo) paper.

- Worsening climate As the Earth gets even warmer, there can be substantial increase in such deaths and heat waves will become more frequent in the country, and northern, central and western India will witness increased spatial warming, says a study published a few days ago in the journal Science Advances.

“The temperature in these regions is already high and so the chances of the mean temperature crossing the threshold are higher,” says Prof. Ghosh.

Between 1960 and 2009, the intensity, number of heat-wave events taking place each year and the duration in days have increased across the country, particularly, in the northern, southern and western parts of India.

Between 1985 and 2009, southern and western India

experienced 50% more heatwave events compared with the period 1960 to 1984. But in most parts of the country, the number of heat-wave days and mean duration of heat waves have increased by 25%, the study says.

Heat waves killed more than 1,300 people in Ahmedabad in 2010 and in 2013 the number of people who died due to heat wave shot up to 1,500. It reached a new peak in 2015 when more than 2,500 people died. Last year witnessed the most intense heat wave sweeping the country in the month of May; the mercury touched 52.4 degree C in Jaisalmer.

“The IMD is doing extremely well in forecasting a heat wave. The only problem is that people are not aware of the adverse impact of heat waves,” says Prof. Ghosh.

(-The Hindu)

Solar power price slump casts shadow on India’s green future

After the United States withdrew from the Paris climate deal last week, India said it would stick to its huge renewable energy programme.

The southern Chinese city is one of the world’s biggest markets for shark fin, which is viewed by many Asians as a delicacy, often served as a soup at expensive Chinese banquets.

Saturday’s demonstration included about 30 protesters wearing finless shark costumes splattered with red paint, chanting “when the buying stops, the killing can too”.

Increased probability of deaths from heat waves UMBAI - The mean temperature across India has risen by 0.5 degree C during the period 1960 and 2009, and this has led to a significant increase in heat waves in the country.

by Julien Girault

It was an opportunity for China, which already produces two-thirds of the world’s solar panels, to boast of its commitment to accelerating investment and reforms for greater use of renewable energies.

FRIDAY, June 16, 2017

However, the effect of the falling cost of solar modules, cheaper financing, aggressive competition and a surplus power supply in some states has been to unleash chaos, with companies and state governments clamouring for suppliers to match the new, low prices.

“Prices have come down too much, too soon and that doesn’t bode well for the overall health of the sector,” said Vinay Rustagi, managing director of renewable energy consultancy Bridge to India.

- Solar ‘curse’ “In the past 17 months, tariffs are down nearly 50 percent and this is leading to buyer’s remorse for projects already built and under development,” he added.

“There’s a reasonable chance that these projects will face some trouble in the future.”

But the price slump could hinder India’s efforts to meet its solar energy goals and limit temperature-raising emissions.

Modi turned to renewable energy to meet the vast needs of an economy that grew by 7.1 percent last year.

Delays in generating more electricity also mean that nearly 250 million Indians without power will remain in darkness, analysts said.

The government has set an ambitious target of harvesting 100,000 megawatts of solar power by 2022 -- but has installed just 12,500 MW so far.

Indian authorities hold regular auctions for power supply companies and the most recent, in May, saw a bid of 2.44 rupees -- less than four US cents -- per kilowatt hour.

Of India’s 329,000 MW of installed capacity, 67 percent comes from coal and gas. The rest is a combination of nuclear and renewables including, hydro, wind and solar.

That was a record low for India at a fifth of the price at the start of the decade and energy minister Piyush Goyal called it a step to a “green future”.

India is the fastest growing of the world’s major economies and needs uninterrupted electricity to maintain its expansion.

The price is cheaper than for coal-powered electricity, which overwhelmingly dominates the power grid.

It also needs renewable energy to meet its 2015 Paris commitment to reduce emissions relative to gross domestic prod-

uct by up to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels.

The state governments of Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana have refused to sign purchase agreements to buy power at the rates of 4-5.50 rupees a unit reached at auction over the past year, hoping to secure a cheaper deal.

This is “creating uncertainty,” said Rustagi.

“Ethically we shouldn’t do that,” said Sanjay Sharma, general manager at the state-run Solar Energy Corporation of India which conducted the latest auctions.

He warned that the government could “lose the confidence of the foreign bidder who is investing in India.”

Critics also question if the new contract winners can provide low price electricity and remain viable.

A day after India saw its new cheap solar prices, Amplus Solar founder Sanjeev Aggarwal was bombarded by clients asking him to slash rates to match the new prices.

“People are falling over each other to grab a piece of the pie, but the question is if they can ever deliver at these rates,” Aggarwal told AFP. Sumant Sinha chief executive of ReNew Power, one of the largest Indian renewable power companies and a losing bidder in the latest auctions, predicted a “winners curse.”

“Extremely low tariffs don’t help anyone. Ultimately people have to raise debt financing, banks have to be brought on board, all of that looks very dicey at these levels,” Sinha said.

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ARTS & CULTURE

VOICE OF ASIA 20

Japan’s godfather of art?

Water Lily harvest

Billionaire Maezawa rings in new era

by Shingo Ito

T

OKYO, Japan | AFP - With a single post on Instagram, Yusaku Maezawa announced not only his purchase of an $110.5 million Basquiat masterpiece, and his place in auction history, but arguably signalled a new era for art in Japan.

FRIDAY, June 16, 2017

“Many Japanese rushed to buy paintings for investment during the bubble economy,” said Shinji Hasada, an official at Shinwa Art Auction, of the 1980s and 1990s boom period Customs figures showed works of art valued at $246 million were imported in 1985, but the figure shot up to $3.4 billion in 1990.

A woman harvests water lilies in a pond in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam (Photo: Thái Duong Lê)

A dance tale of compassion Jean Michel-Basquiat, Untitled (1982)

by Ranee Kumar

The price, a record for the artist, is reminiscent of 1980s Japan when corporate big-spenders splashed out on Impressionist art -- along with foreign property and businesses -- in an assetbuying spree.

But many of the bubble-era masterpieces were sold off in a fire sale when the Japanese economy collapsed. Today Japan’s art collection market has shrunk to around one-twentieth of its peak, Hasada explained.

But billionaire Maezawa insists he is just an “ordinary collector” -- despite his extraordinary bank balance.

His purchases are born out of love and driven by gut instinct, rather than the instructions of any art advisor.

And while collectors such as former chairman of publisher Benesse Soichiro Fukutake, who helped transform a remote island into an art haven, have bolstered interest, Hasada believes Maezawa could inject new life into the sector.

“I buy simply because they are beautiful. That’s all. I enjoy classics together with the history and stories behind them, but possessing classics is not the purpose of my purchase,” he told AFP. Rather than squirrel away his latest purchase -- Jean-Michel Basquiat’s 1982 “Untitled”, a skull-like head in oil-stick, acrylic and spray paint on a giant canvas -- he plans to loan it out to galleries worldwide.

“I hope it brings as much joy to others as it does to me, and that this masterpiece by the 21-year-old Basquiat inspires our future generations,” he said after the New York sale last month.

- He’s the one The 41-year-old’s style is a step change from the corporate image of Japan’s traditional art collectors who possess paintings as investment tools or to cement their social status.

Paper tycoon Ryoei Saito, who bought Vincent Van Gogh’s “Portrait of Dr Gachet” in 1990 for $82.5 million -- a then record -- and Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s “Bal du Moulin de la Galette” for $78.1 million -- famously triggered outrage when he said he would have the canvases put in his coffin and cremated with him when he died. He later recanted.

“In all eras of history, patrons have come out to boost the art world, and in that sense he is the modern one we have been waiting for,” Hasada said.

An aspiring rock star as a teen, he moved on to selling music merchandise via mail order and then online. In 1998 Maezawa founded Start Today, which operates the nation’s largest online fashion mall, ZOZOTOWN. Today, he is 11th richest person in Japan with a fortune of $3.5 billion, according to business magazine Forbes.

He plans to open a museum in Chiba, east of Tokyo, which will display his collection, which includes works

by Pablo Picasso, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Jeff Koons.

It will also showcase his Basquiat pieces -- last year he paid $57.3 million for the artist’s painting of a horned devil.

But he plans to tour “Untitled”, which set a record for any US artist at auction, showcasing it at galleries around the world.

He said: “I wish to loan this piece — which has been unseen by the public for more than 30 years — to institutions and exhibitions around the world.”

French singer seeks Chinese musical dream he first time I heard the Chinese song Girl in the Flower Room by Chinese rock star Cui Jian, I got the idea of covering it in French, and it turned out pretty good,” French singer and songwriter Joyce Jonathan said.

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Known as the “Pop Queen of Chanson” in France, the 28year-old singer released her first Chinese album Ca Ira on May 16 and toured China from May 19 to June 5 in cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

Born in France in 1989, at the age of seven, she learned to play the piano and began composing her first series of songs.

“Music is about love and stories.

People of different countries may have language barriers but they can all understand what I am trying to say in my songs, and it is the power of music,” Jonathan said.

In 2005, she posted her musical tracks on the site MySpace, a social networking website, and was able to earn fame on

the internet.

Thanks to that fame, Jonathan began recording her first album Sur mes Gardes in May 2010.

It was certified platinum (130,000 album sales) in under a year.

On Jan 23, 2011, she received the NRJ Music Award for Francophone Breakthrough of the Year, marking an important step in her musical career.

“When I win more and more fans, I truly feel very happy. And I like to communicate with my fans and listen to their ideas whenever I can,” she says. (-China Daily)

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redited as a twinkled-toed young dancer of these times in the field of Kuchipudi, Yamini Reddy is all out to showcase her talent once again in Delhi, her home turf this time, with a solo performance.

Dancing for the HCL Concert series, which will be held at India Habitat Centre on June 9, the danseuse as usual has a unique theme up her sleeve.

“I call it an Evening of story-telling,” she pauses expectantly waiting for a spontaneous question, “dance or story-telling?” Pat comes the answer: “Kuchipudi is an effervescent and unique art form which embodies nattuvamela and natya mela (pure dance and drama) and narrates a mythological story in the form of dance. This has been going on for ages without anyone realising the essence of this dance. I’m taking the traditional repertoire and highlighting the story (the Purana) enshrined within it.”

- Story of evolution The three distinct pieces Yamini would be presenting are the famed Dasavataram which unveils Darwin’s theory of evolution aeons before it was born, through the lore of 10 manifestations (avatar), viz. the amphibian to the human. The Tulsidas bhajan which follows will trace the story of Ramayana in a nutshell emphasising the desirable traits in a human being and the Rasa Shabdam– a very conventional, rhythmic piece of the Kuchipudi repertoire “reveals a story in the sanchari,” says the dancer and “this story is Gajendra Moksham where the crocodile pounces on the unsuspecting tusker who cries out in agony to the lord who in turn literally swoops down to save His devotee – here the

Danseuse Yamini Reddy seeks to take Kuchipudi to the next level (Photo: Sandeep Saxena) elephant. The underlying essence of this parable is the creator’s immense compassion towards all living beings, not just humans.”

Her illustrious father Dr Raja Reddy’s choreography with her own inputs has been a learning experience to her since Yamini herself has risen to managing Natya Tarangini’s branch in Hyderabad where she lives with her family.

- Guiding budding dancers Going by the spate of dance performances, marriage and kids have not made any negative impact on her dance career. Yamini has been performing at many a festival at many places both at home and abroad and always with a smile!

“It has been 10 years since I’m im-

parting learning to young aspirants at the Hyderabad branch. Some days I wake up to a tough day ahead of me but that is just momentary. I will shirk away the initial reluctance to practise thinking of my mother Radha. She is my greatest inspiration. My gurus –father and mother –went through tougher times, weathering the storms that swept across their lives but never giving up on their determination to dance and making it big one day! I should say, they have given me a much more privileged life – my only commitment will be to dance and take their legacy forward. Personal upheavals are always there for every individual; it’s how you turn it into a positive and constructive force is what matters to move ahead and I’m one such,” she signs off as she gets set to go for her rehearsal. (-The Hindu)--

“Blackface” video in Malaysia blasted on social media

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UALA LUMPUR, Malaysia | AFP - A viral video featuring a woman wearing “blackface” that caused an outcry on social media has been pulled by a popular retailer in Malaysia, with the firm apologising Thursday for causing offence.

The 15-minute film on Watsons Malaysia’s Facebook page shows a nobleman holding an audition to track down a woman with an enchanting voice who has been in his dreams.

A woman appears at the audition, singing beautifully but with her face covered.

He recoils in disgust when she exposes her jet black face. “Oh my gosh!

She is actually dark?” he exclaims.

She later re-emerges with fair skin, explaining she was wearing black make-up to test his sincerity.

A screengrab from the pulled Watson’s LagendaCun Raya ad (Photo: YouTube screencap)

“I am not dark. In fact, I am flawless,” she beams.

was racist and sexist.

The promotional video was to celebrate the upcoming Muslim religious festival Eid al Fitr, but it provoked an online backlash with many saying it

Read on Leisure & Lifestyle Visit us online Visit: www. voiceofasiaonline.com

“Being dark skinned is not a badge of shame. Being stupid is,” said one Twitter user.

Another said: “I am so shocked that Watsons crossed the line with blackface. This video is so racist, I am ashamed of buying face mask at Watsons.”

The video, featuring local celebrities, was taken down by the company on Wednesday.

“Watsons Malaysia takes responsibility for the video and its content and is truly sorry that some elements have offended the general public,” the company said Thursday.

“It was our intention to convey concepts of inner and outer beauty, unfortunately the video instead offended many. “ The company said the video was based on an old Malay legend.

AFP was unable to immediately contact the company.

Watsons is a household name in Asia with over 4,000 personal care stores and 1,000 pharmacies in countries including China, Korea and the Ukraine.

Last year, a Malaysian TV show had to apologise over a comedy skit featuring an actor in “blackface” pretending to be US R&B star Usher.

SPORT

VOICE OF ASIA 21

Soccer

FRIDAY, June 16, 2017

Cricket

Cristiano Ronaldo accused Kohli regains top spot in ICC of €14.7 million tax evasion ODI rankings for batsmen

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irat Kohli, the India skipper, has jumped up two spots to reclaim the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen while Josh Hazlewood took positive strides among the bowlers, moving up four positions to be ranked the No. 1 bowler for the first time in his career.

Kohli, who was ranked No. 3 ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 - 22 points behind No. 1 ranked AB de Villiers and 19 points behind David Warner - leapfrogged the duo following knocks of unbeaten 81 against Pakistan and 76 not out against South Africa. He now has a one point advantage over Warner, who also moved up a spot in the rankings which were released on Tuesday (June 13) following the conclusion of the league stage of the Champions Trophy.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been accused of evading taxes (Photo: AFP)

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ADRID, June 13, 2017 A lawsuit has been filed against Real Madrid star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday for evading tax of millions of euros.

The Portugal captain is accused of evading taxes of 14.7m euros (£13m; $16m) from 2011 to 2014. A statement from the prosecutor’s office said that Ronaldo used a ‘business structure’ to hide revenue generation. The business structure, which was built in 2010, has been tagged as ‘voluntary’ and ‘conscious’.

The world’s highest-paid sports star according to a recent Forbes survey had previously said he was not worried about tax investigations as he had nothing to hide.

Documents suggesting that Ronaldo

had avoided tax on income by holding them in offshore accounts were leaked in December.

This comes less than a month after Barcelona star Lionel Messi lost appeal in Spain’s Supreme Court over a 21-month prison sentence in a tax fraud case. Messi had said in court that he was unaware of the investments his father had made.

His father said that the contracts were cleared by a legal adviser.

The football legend Ronaldo, who became the leading goal scorer for Real Madrid, enjoyed a stellar season in which he led Portugal to Euro 2016 title, won the La Liga with his club for the first time in five years, and also retained the Champions League trophy under manager Zinedine Zidane. (-Indian Express)

South Africa’s poor showing in the ongoing competition had a direct bearing as far as the rankings are concerned. Apart from de Villiers, Quinton de Kock also dropped down two spots to be currently ranked No. 6, Faf du Plessis moved down a spot to No. 7 while Hashim Amla moved out of the Top 10.

Shikhar Dhawan, meanwhile, has returned to the Top 10 after strong performances in the tournament. Following knocks of 68 (vs Pakistan), 125 (vs Sri Lanka) and 78 (vs South Africa), the left-handed opener has gained five positions to be currently ranked No. 10. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was also rewarded for his good showing in the Champions Trophy. With knocks of 100 (vs Australia), 87 (vs England) and 57 (vs Bangladesh), he moved up by four positions to No. 5.

England had a lot of positives after their three successive wins that put them in the semifinals. Joe Root gained one position to move up to the fourth spot in the rankings for batsmen while Ben Stokes gained nine positions to

India Captain Virat Kohli: ‘Runouts were turning point’ (Screengrab: AFP) enter the Top 20. England’s bowlers too moved up in the rankings with Liam Plunkett jumping up seven spots to be ranked No. 9 and Adil Rashid gaining the 11th rank by moving up by nine positions.

There was some positive news for Afghanistan as well following their good showing in the ongoing ODI series against West Indies. Rashid Khan, the 18-year-old leg-spinner who picked up a career-best 7 for 18 in the first ODI and followed it up with figures of 3 for 26 in the second, has had a massive gain, moving up by 18 positions to be ranked No. 7.

There was no change in the top-five list of all-rounders while Ben Stokes gained one spot to be currently ranked

No. 6. India’s Ravindra Jadeja moved up three positions to No. 8.

There was also no change in the rankings of the top three sides, although South Africa have have dropped three points while Australia have lost one.

England, meanwhile, have swapped places with New Zealand and are currently ranked No. 4.

India have a chance to top the rankings at the end of the competition. But for that to happen, they will have to qualify for the final and need to face England in the all-important clash.

Kohli and his men then need to beat the hosts in order to move up to 119 rating points and move ahead of South Africa by a fraction. (-CricBuzz. com))

Cricket pay war: Players resolve to be tested ahead of Sania Mirza’s biggest secret revealed Bangladesh tour Tennis

by Vinita Chaturvedi

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ennis ace Sania Mirza, who has written India’s name on the international women’s tennis horizon is one gutsy woman. She has proved her detractors wrong every time they questioned her merit. They wrote her off post injuries, she overcame all that and won grand slams.

They made scathing remarks when she got married and even said that her career was as good as over, but Sania proved them wrong and how!

But do you know, how does she manage to achieve all this? It is the biggest secret of this diehard professional and she revealed it herself recently when she wrote on her social media page, ‘Every time you find humour in a difficult situation, you win. #Itsatoughdaynotatoughlife.’

Now that the cat is finally out of the bag, many of us can follow suit to stay on top of the things merely by resorting to humour in every tough situation. (-Times of India) Sania Mirza (Photo: AFP)

by Ben Horne, The Daily Telegraph

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ELBOURNE, June 13, 2017 - There are escalating fears that August’s Test tour of Bangladesh could become a pawn in cricket’s bitter pay war as players pledge to double down in their fight to remain partners in the game.

Catastrophe is looming large amid mounting speculation that Cricket Australia will look to try and push the players’ resolve to breaking point.

The response from players indicates they too are ready to fight fire with fire with a push to reject stopgap measures like tour contracts if they are offered and a feeling state players on multi-year deals could even consider their legal options if compelled to honour their contracts in a lockout.

At this stage CA is sticking to its original threat of unemployment for players come July 1 when the current Memorandum of Understanding expires with many stakeholders believing the governing body may try and “starve out” the players.

But even if that stance was softened in the three weeks before deadline, players have pledged to continue to play hardball.

Ram Gopal Varma’s post about Sania did not impress the internet EW DELHI - Ram Gopal Varma, why you do this again and again? The Bhoot director quit Twitter last month and decided to “speak only through pictures and videos on Instagram from now on.” However, we think he got it just a little wrong - the problem isn’t Twitter or Instagram, it’s him. A picture he recently posted of tennis star Sania Mirza, using it to illustrate a point he was trying to make about women’s freedoms (and which we didn’t get), enraged his followers and Sania’s fans, who have rebuked RGV in the sternest terms on the comments thread. “Sania is a big tennis star shouldn’t be limited to this cheap sexist mindset and objectifying (sic),” wrote one person.

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The picture shows Sania mid-volley, the action causing her tennis skirt to fly up. “A girl told someone, MBSLBCI reminded her of, though she was very good at Tennis her father refused to permit her to play beyond a age because she will have to wear skirts. The film is about exposing these regressive minds who use a girl’s sexuality against herself (sic),” read RGV’s accompanying caption. The picture, posted five days ago, was used by RGV in aid of his new short film, titled Meri Beti Sunny Leone Banna Chahti Hai - RGV appears to have compared Sania’s story to that of his film’s protagonist. Meri Beti Sunny Leone Banna Chahti Hai stars Makrand Deshpande, Divya Jagdale and Naina Ganguly. The short film released on June 3.

Ram Gopal Varma has often invoked Sunny Leone in his Twitter ramblings. On Women’s Day, the Satya director posted a series of tweets ending with: “I wish all the women in the world give men as much happiness as Sunny Leone gives.” A complaint was filed against Ram Gopal Varma, who later sort of apologized, saying: “Was just expressing my feelings but I apologise to all who were offended due to my unintended insensitive tweets in context of women’s day.”

He hasn’t yet apologized for the post on Sania Mirza. His last directed Sarkar 3, starring Amitabh Bachchan. (-NDTV)

In cricket and other sports there have been past examples of the Memorandum of Understanding being rolled over for another 12 months to allow more time for negotiating, but The Daily Telegraph understands players would flatly refuse this notion if it was offered.

Any offers of temporary tour contracts to enable international commitments to be honoured are also looking increasingly likely to be rejected by

Usman Tariq Khawaja is a Pakistani-born Australian cricketer, having given up a career as a qualified pilot to pursue their passion in sport (Wikipedia) the playing group, at the very least if they don’t see progress at the negotiating table beforehand.

Less than two weeks after the MOU expires on July 1, Australia A will tour South Africa — with Usman Khawaja, Glenn Maxwell and Kurtis Patterson seemingly the only three players in that squad whose contracts are set to expire, therefore potentially locking them out of action.

The rest of the party, including big names like Travis Head and Jackson Bird are on multi-year state deals and could be compelled to tour even in the event of a lockout.

However, such is the level of chaos

Abdul Qadir lashes out at ‘foreigner’ in Pak cricket

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AHORE - Former leg-spinner, Abdul Qadir has warned that Pakistan could face more problems in future if the cricket board kept on giving the national head coach, Mickey Arthur complete control of team matters.

“I don’t know who is responsible for giving this foreign coach so much power that he has decided to wreck the careers of Sohail Khan and Umar Akmal,” Qadir said in an interview.

“But I am really also very disappointed with the chief selector, Inzamam-ulHaq who appears powerless in front of the coach,” he added.

Qadir said while Pakistan has managed to make the semi- finals of the Champions Trophy but the real issues with the team still remained in place.

“How does reaching the semis justify the treatment meted out to Sohail and Umar. The coach has his own blue-eyed players in the team and Muhammad Aamir is one of them.

“Aamir took a fiver in a test match recently after nearly one and half years. In contrast, Sohail twice took fivers in the test series in England and has even otherwise performed consistently and yet he is out of the team,” Qadir said.

The former chief selector said if the

that could potentially explode if no resolution is found, there’s still a possibility state players, if pushed and if willing, could try and challenge the legality of their multi-year contracts based on an absence of the MOU upon which they were signed.

If the level of disruption to the Australia A squad is to be minimal with the majority to tour despite the drama, then the scheduled Test series against Bangladesh a month later shapes as the real showdown.

Without an MOU and if temporary tour contracts can’t be agreed upon, none of Australia’s international Test stars will be in Bangladesh. coach had any issues with the fitness or attitude of Sohail and Umar it was his job to sort them out with them and not just drop them as they deserved to be in the team.

“Less deserving players are in the team. The way Umar was treated and sent back from England is something the cricket board should investigate not just give Mickey Arthur a free hand to do what he wants,” Qadir said.

He said Pakistan’s batting remained unsteady and Umar was the ideal choice to pair with Sarfraz Ahmed down the order and provide some firepower to the batting which is struggling all the time.

Qadir said it was amazing that the cricket board had appointed Mickey Arthur knowing well he had called the Pakistani players match fixers and the board also sent him a legal notice because of it. (-DNA India)

HOROSCOPE

VOICE OF ASIA 22

FRIDAY, June 16, 2017

Your Horoscope for the Week of June 16, 2017 READ YOUR COMPLETE HOROSCOPE

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

ONLINE WWW.VOICEOFASIAONLINE.COM

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 April

Libra (R,T) 23 Sept to 22 Oct

Remind others of how inventive you can be when you have to be. Enjoy the learning and bring the light to those who share your ideas. Check security issues and viable solutions will come to you. Everything will seem to be going in the opposite direction from what you had anticipated. Instead of letting it get to you, look on the bright side and be dazzled by what you see. Quick thinking could save everything. Strategy will take over once you can no longer accept the way things are.

Listen to your heart when it really matters. Your timing will be perfect & your anger will be counterproductive to your objectives. Others may need to vent their emotions, but it won’t help your situation at all. You need to use your intellect and philosophy to find your answers. You may be asking a question that has no answer. To you, you are stating the obvious, but for others you will be opening previously locked doors. Dialogue is the first step to understanding more about others. Spend your weekend unwinding with family and friends.

Taurus (B,V,U) 21 April to 20 May

Scorpio (N,Y) 23 Oct to 21 Nov

Difference of opinion with spouse may hurt you emotionally. You may feel isolated & drained out of feelings, but won’t be able to find proper solution. You will realize that “sometimes doing nothing is the best solution to some problems”. Short travel related to work is visible, which will refresh your mind & cheer you up.

Use your wisdom to help make others feel comfortable with new ideas. Invite others to join you while you step into a new realm of learning. Stress your independence, creativity and style. Your personality will be bubbling. Take on the leadership role & make sure you listen your own words. Relax and make yourself feel at home. Be aware of the limits to which a business relationship can be stretched. Be open to new experiences, and remember to say thank you. By week’s end you’ll have an extra burst of energy.

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

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June You will be highly occupied serving all the people around you. Though it will be too much for you but with your ability & talent, you will be able to manage everything in a perfect timely manner. New experiences of your life will train you to think at a different level. Sudden intuition feelings will guide you towards path of success. You will feel your communication skill has been improved & it’s marking to the point on your goals.

You will feel confident and assertive now. Also less inclined to be patient with other’s Needs and Demands. You may become angry if your will is blocked or if you have to adjust your vigorous pace to others’ slower tempo. This is an excellent time to take the initiative or to begin a project that you have been considering. ACTION is the theme for weeks to come. If you tend to be hot-tempered, this is aggravated now, and you can be quite pugnacious. If you are a more relaxed, easy-going person, you will simply feel more energy and drive.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July Your luck may not favor you for few days. Some kind of uncertainty will make you upset. Although everything is going smooth but you will not get answers of the waves of questions flowing in your mind. You will devote more of your time to some of the property related works. Handling the issues related with your children will require lot of patience. Be polite & soft spoken while handling any situation. Have some humor it will relax the atmosphere & will bring positive solutions.

Your desire for ease and affection is brought to the fore and may interfere with work or complicated situations in which you need to be acting assertively and on your own behalf. Your mood and attitude is conciliatory, and your need for love and approval heightened. Social gatherings and personal relationships are favored. Your imagination is vivid during this time period and you enjoy fairy tales, mythology, spiritual, religious, and metaphysical topics.

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

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August You feel ambitious and capable of doing a lot and meeting challenges. However, if your will is blocked, it may upset you. You are less willing to accommodate others and meet people halfway. Your ego-drive and competitiveness are very strong. Loving feelings flow between you and the people you meet. Friendships are also strengthened at this time. Also, your creativity and desire to make something beautiful is stimulated now. Time will favor you to make new connections, though it will not benefit you right now.

Feelings running very hot now, and you are more likely to act on instinct and impulse rather than reason. High-spirited physical play or any activity that really involves you emotionally, such as a cricket or football game, will be very gratifying to you now. You are very bold and adventurous right now and you cannot tolerate delays, restrictions, or any form of authority that prevents you from behaving exactly as you please. Driving will demand proper attention to avoid any consequences. Sudden expense or problem related to vehicle is visible.

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

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September Students will have to deal with education matters. The picture will not be clear initially but have patience & everything will be alright. You will feel the need to be with people and especially giving something of yourself and your talents to others. You want to be seen and noticed. You receive appreciation and a positive response and possibly an opportunity or personal contact which will be quite beneficial. Past disputes will come to an end, as compromise will be need of this time.

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Issues related to children will demand your attention. Health & education related questions will come to surface about your kids & you will need to devote your time for it. You will start searching new opportunities related to your work, as you are seeing some positive changes in your professional life. Your drive for personal freedom and insistence on your rights is pressing, and a confrontation in which you have to stand up for yourself is likely. Your responses to life events will be more natural and direct. Participation in Outdoor sport should be avoided for a week, to save yourself from injury.

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RFP documents are available online at www.houstonfirst.com/do-business.

Questions should be submitted by email to bids@ houstonfirst.com.

Call Aruna at: 832-282-3914

PET of the WEEK

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice of Proposed Goal for the Participation of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in the Department of Transportation Assisted Contracts

As required by Section 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 26, the Harris County Community Services Department (HCCSD), Office of Transit Services, has determined a proposed overall goal FY 2018- 2020 of six percent (6%) for the participation of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE’s) in its contracts for financial assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT):

I need a loving home ROSEBUD - ID#A006317

Harris County Community Services Department Office of Transit Services

FRIDAY, June 16, 2017

The proposed goals and their rationale are available for review between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday (except Holidays) at 8410 Lantern Point Drive, Houston, Texas 77054 and online at www.harriscountytransit.com. This information will be available for inspection until July 17, 2017.

HCCSD and the DOT (through the Federal Transit Administration) will accept written comments until July 17, 2017. Written comments can be directed to the agencies below: HCCSD Attn: Mr. Gene Simeon (DBELO) 8410 Lantern Point Drive, Houston, Texas 77054 The Federal Transit Administration, 819 Taylor Street, Room 8A36, Fort Worth, Texas 76102

VISIT US ONLINE www.

Shelter staff named me ROSEBUD. I am a female, white and fawn Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The shelter staff think I am about 2 years and 1 month old. I have been at the shelter since May 05, 2017.

For more information about this pet, call: City of Sugar Land Animal Services at (281) 275-2364

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FRIDAY, June 16, 2017