Voice of Asia e paper August 5 2016

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Saudi moves to help 2,500 stranded Indian workers

vided facilities like medical, food, hygiene and sanitation”.

by Abdul Hadi HABTOR

J

EDDAH, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Wednesday 8/3/2016 - - Saudi Arabia took steps on Wednesday to help around 2,500 Indian workers stranded without money in the kingdom after a plunge in oil prices sparked construction layoffs.

The government was also “providing free passage to all those who want to go back to India,” he added.

Speaking to reporters in Jeddah, Singh added: “All the people who want to go back can go back at the expense of the government of Saudi Arabia.”

India’s minister of state for external affairs, V.K. Singh, said he had a “very good meeting” with Saudi Labour Minister Mufarrej al-Haqbani during which they discussed the plight of the workers.

Riyadh would also honour workers’ claims against companies that had defaulted on payments and had agreed to allow workers to transfer to other companies in the kingdom, he said.

Singh arrived in the Red Sea city of Jeddah on Wednesday to negotiate the repatriation of the migrant workers who lost their jobs and were left without enough money to return home.

Under the kafala system, applied on foreign workers in Gulf countries, most employees are restricted from moving to a new job without their boss’s consent before their contracts end, leaving many trapped.

He said on Twitter that the Saudi government had taken “immediate action to ensure that all camps where Indian workers were staying are proHundreds are facing livelihood crisis brought about by unpaid salaries and non-renewal of work permits. Photo credit: Tweeted by @CGIJeddah.

Continued on Page 7

Senator Pramila Jayapal Nepal lawmakers elect Maoist chief sweeps Primary as Prime Minister

by Paavan MATHEMA

K

ATHMANDU, Nepal | AFP | 8/3/2016 - Nepal’s new Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal pledged Wednesday to unite a country hit by deadly protests over constitutional changes after lawmakers elected the Maoist leader and former guerrilla to head a new government.

Dahal, better known by his nom de guerre Prachanda or “the fierce one”, led a decade-long Maoist insurgency before transforming the rebel movement into a political party after a 2006 peace deal.

Senator Pramila Jayapal with her supporters. Photo source: pramilaforcongress. com

S

EATTLE, WA - Aug 3rd, 2016 - Senator Pramila Jayapal and her campaign staff and volunteers were overjoyed when the candidate for the 7th Congressional District swept the primary election Tuesday night with 38.2 percent of the vote.

King County Council Chair Joe McDermott came in second, but far behind Jayapal, at 21.5 percent, with Representative Brady Walkinshaw just a hair shy of that at 20.9.

When all votes are officially counted and certified in two weeks, Jayapal and McDermott, or possibly Jayapal and Walkinshaw, will be the only 7th district candidates to advance to the ballot in November.

Six other candidates — Democrats Arun Jhaveri and Donovan Rivers, Republicans Scott Sutherland and Craig

Keller, and independents Leslie Regier and Carl Cooper — each had no more than 9 percent of the vote.

The 7th District includes most of Seattle, Vashon Island, some southwest suburbs of King County and a sliver of Snohomish County. Her campaign for State Senator was historic for the sheer scope of community outreach that engaged thousands of new voters and got hundreds of volunteers involved.

Pramila has spent the last twenty years working both internationally and domestically as a leading national advocate for women’s, immigrants’, civil, and human rights. She led one of the largest voter registration efforts in Washington State, helping over 23,000 new Americans to register to vote. In May 2013, Pramila was recognized as a White House “Champion of Change.”

He is now tasked with rebuilding the country after a devastating earthquake and resolving simmering unrest over the new national charter adopted last September.

“I pledge that I will unite everyone in the country,” he said in an address to parliament before the vote.

“I have a responsibility to solve this problem. I feel that I have been put forward as a candidate to work as a bridge between (communities),” he said.

Dahal will also have to mend relations with powerful neighbour India, which made no secret of its disapproval of the constitution.

Indians living near the Nepali border have close links with Nepal’s Madhesi ethnic minority, which complains that the new charter leaves them marginalised.

Continued on Page 9

Pushpa Kamal Dahal ran unopposed and secured 363 out of 573 votes to become the Nepal’s prime minister for a second time (AFP Photo/Prakash Mathema)

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A

17-year-old NRI girl of Kashmiri origin has written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi pleading that the voices of agitating Kashmiris be heard.

“Dear Mr PM, if we cared for Kashmir people, we wouldn’t find ways to turn off all communications in the Valley only to further deprive them of freedom, we’d open up all means for their voices to be heard.

Because isn’t that all Kashmir people are asking for? (sic)” Fatima Shaheen, based in Georgia state of the US, wrote.

She said she arrived in Kash-

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

Dear PM, listen to voices of agitating Kashmiris: NRI girl writes to Narendra Modi mir on 10 July for a visit to her relatives only to find the Valley in a situation which she had never heard of.

“Mr PM, I see the newsflash, the attack in Nice, France, is screened followed by the attempted military coup in Turkey, along with the report on the monsoon rains in southern

India. But where is the news on Kashmir? Is this why I never knew what was going on in my hometown for such a long time, Sir? (sic)” she asked.

She claimed no one cared about people of Kashmir but everyone wanted its land.

“Everyone wants Kashmir,

but no one cares for the people of the land. Because if we cared for Kashmir people, we wouldn’t care of people’s opinion on whether Burhan Wani was a militant or a martyr, we’d try to understand why an ace student chose to continue his career holding a gun rather than a pen (sic),” she wrote. PTI

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Khan was King at the Democratic Convention Dear Editor, Mr. Khizr Khan. whose son, died in Iraq literally threw a political grenade at Donald Trump, by his powerful speech in front of millions of TV viewers in last week’s Democratic National Convention held in Philadelphia. Khan in his speech asked Trump pointedly what sacrifices did he (Donald Trump) make for this country ?.

Trump responded in his Sunday interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC that he created jobs and hired employees with benefits and raised money for charity. Does anybody in his sane mind equate these to a family’s sacrifice who lost a son in the nation’s service? During

It is the policy of Voice of Asia to publish letters to the editor which evidence a variety of viewpoints. The opinions expressed in any particular letter to the editor are not necessarily those of the management. Voice of Asia welcomes letters in reply to issues raised in letters to editor. In as much letters to the editor are not articles written or researched by members of Voice of Asia, it is not the policy of the Voice of Asia to perform any investigation or confirmation of any facts or allegations contained in letters to the editor. Moreover, Voice of Asia reserves the right to edit letters to the editor as necessary to correct errors of fact, punctuation, spelling and to comply with space constraints.

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

the same interview Trump also doubled down on Mrs. Khan for standing silently by her husband’s side during his speech.

That only showed his lack of empathy and understanding of South Asian culture.

Understandably, Republican party leaders are at a loss how to rein in Donald Trump and his loose tongue. One thing for sure though, Donald Trump provides plenty of fodder to TV networks and news media by his narcissistic behavior and arrogant statements like “I alone can solve the country’s problems”.

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THE STORY OF MAHATMA GANDHI

Gandhi backs resolution on war recruiting Days passed. The mill owners were adamant. The strikers were getting impatient for they were faced with starvation. Their discipline became weak. Gandhi feared that some workers would break their pledge and go back to work. That would be a great moral defeat.

Hardly was the mill workers’ strike over, when Gandhi had to plunge into the Kheda satyagraha struggle. The Kheda district of Gujarat was on the verge of a severe famine. Crop yield had been so low that the cultivators, especially the poor farmers, were unable to pay the revenue. But the government insisted that the yield had not been so bad and that the cultivators should pay the tax.

Gandhi saw the injustice advised the farmers to offer satyagraha by not paying their taxes.

Leaders, like Vallabhbhai Patel, Shankarlal Banker, Mahadev Desai and others took an active part in this struggle.

There had been signs that the campaign might fizzle out, but after four months’ struggle there was an honorable settlement. The government asked rich farmers to pay and granted relief to poor farmers.

The Kheda satyagraha marked the beginning of an awakening among the peasants of Guja-

get Gandhi’s support on military recruiting. Gandhi spoke only one sentence: “With a full sense of my responsibility I beg to support the resolution.”

Gandhi had supported going to war! Many of his friends were taken aback. Some said, “You are a votary of ahimsa, how can you ask us to take up arms?” Others said, “What good has the government done to India to deserve our cooperation?” Even some of his best friends could not understand how he could reconcile his war effort with his campaign for ahimsa. But Gandhi stuck to the belief he held at that time that “absolutely unconditional and wholehearted cooperation with the government by the educated Indians will bring India within sight of our goal of Swaraj as nothing else will.”

One morning he called the workers and said, “Unless the strikers rally and continue the strike till a settlement is reached, I will not touch any food.” The workers were shocked. “Not you, but we shall fast,” they said. “Please forgive us for our lapse; we shall remain faithful to our pledge.”

Gandhi did not want anybody else to fast. His fast was not against the mill owners, but against the lack of coordination and unity among the workers.

The fast lasted only three days.

It influenced the mill owners so much that they came to an agreement with the workers.

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rat, the beginning of their true political education. In addition it gave to the educated public workers the chance to establish contact with the actual life of the peasants.

During this time the war had entered a critical phase. Britain and France were in a difficult position. In the spring of 1917 Germvy had inflicted crushing defeats on both the British and French troops in France.

Russia’s war effort had broken down and the Revolution was threatening its Government.

Though America had entered the war, no American troops had yet reached the battle-front.

The Viceroy of India, Lord Chelmsford, invited various Indian leaders to attend a War Conference. Gandhi was also invited. He accepted the invitation and went to Delhi. Gandhi was not happy that leaders like Tilak or the Ali brothers had not been invited to the conference, so he was un- willing to attend.

After meeting the Viceroy, however, he went to the conference. The Viceroy was keen to

Gandhi had made his decision and he now set out to implement it. The response to recruit went was not in any way encouraging, but Gandhi was determined to carry out his mission.

He held meetings. He issued leaflets asking people to enlist in the forces. His steady work began to bear fruit. Many men were recruited and he hoped to get a bigger response as soon as the first batch had been sent.

Gandhi nearly ruined his health during the recruiting campaign. He worked very hard. He could not take his food at regular times, nor could he take enough nourishment to keep up his energy. He had an attack of dysentery. He refused to take medicine and his condition became worse and worse.

Friends tried their best to advise him but he was beyond all advice. He passed restless days and nights and he himself felt at times that he was near death’s door.

It took him a long time to regain his health, but before then news came that the war (World War I) was over. Germany had been completely defeated.

Friends and doctors advised him to go away for a change and recover his health. He went

to Matheran, but the place did not suit him. He went to Poona, where a doctor was consulted.

He advised him to take milk to rebuild his body, and prescribed some medicine. Gandhi took the medicine but he would not agree to take milk, for he had given up milk years before.

But Kasturbai said, “You gave up cow’s milk and buffalo’s milk. You cannot object to taking goat’s milk.” The doctor agreed. “If you will take goat’s milk it will be good enough,” he said and Gandhi agreed to take goat’s milk.

Gandhi returned to Ahmedabad. He was recouping his health there when he read in the papers the Rowlatt Committee’s report which had just been published.

The committee recommended that for the maintenance of peace, the government could arrest any person without a warrant and detain him for any

length of time without any trial or right to appeal. Thus, the law was a direct attack on the ordinary civil liberties of the people and a clear indication of the autocratic and barbarous tendencies of the British rule in India.

These recommendations startled Gandhi. He described them as “unjust, subversive of the principles of liberty and justice, and destructive of the elementary rights of individuals.”

Friends approached him for guidance. “Something must be done,” he said to them. “If the proposed measures are passed into law, we ought to offer satyagraha.”

Gandhi lamented the fact that he was in poor health; otherwise he would have given battle against the amendments alone.

From his sick-bed he wrote articles for the Indian papers explaining that the proposed bill was an act of tyranny which no self-respecting people could submit to it.

The only possible step against the government’s proposal, Gandhi thought, would be to launch a satyagraha movement in right earnest. A meeting of some of the leaders was called at the ashram and a satyagraha pledge was drafted. It was signed by everybody present.

Gandhi did not believe that the existing institutions could handle such a noble weapon, so a separate institution named Satyagraha Sabha was formed with headquarters in Bombay.

There were agitations everywhere against the Rowlatt Committee’s report.

But the government was determined to implement the Rowlatt recommendations and in 1919, the Rowlatt Bill was introduced. When the bill was debated in India’s Legislative Chamber, Gandhi attended as a visitor.

— To be continued

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FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

C OMMUNITY VOICE OF ASIA

Second Front Page

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

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“Be Positive… No Matter What,” says Dr. Sunita Didi Chandak help us change our attitude toward all walks of our life.

To wrap up the session, the people got to see a spectacular 15 minutes video on how negativity affected a single droplet of water. When surrounded by negativity the water molecules looked distressed and uneven. She further emphasized the need to be positive since our human bodies are made up of 60% water. Her advice for a healthy and happy life was meditation along with a positive outlook toward the future and it ups and downs were well received.

The evening ended with the attendees enjoying a satwik (No onions and no garlic) Indian meal, catered by Kurrywalah restaurant of Katy, and a buzz to stay positive no

Dr. Sunita Didi Chandak delivering her talk at the India House.

Photos credit: Bijay Dixit.

O

n Tuesday the 26th of July over at India House, community members were fortunate to hear Dr. Sunita Didi Chandak speak about being positive… no matter what. Dr. Sunita’s talk was no ordinary lecture rather it was a two hours’ interactive workshop on how to see the positive in everything.

This free event was organized

Dr. Sunita is an MBA from Southern Adventist University, USA and a Ph.D. from Gujarat University. She is recipient of international awards and has authored many books! She was honored with “Best Concept Academy Award” for her popular film on women empowerment“Nareetva Darshan”. She has been Keynote / Hon. Guest

India House President, Dr. Manish Rungta

by India House, Houston and was sponsored by their Trustees, Durga Agrawal and Jugal Malani.

Participants at India House. Photo credit: Bijay Dixit.

India House Trustee, Dr. Durga Agrawal.

Speaker in International Conferences.

There were many exercises which proved to the audience

that we might think we are positive but in fact we are not.

She than showed the audience how we were controlled a lot by our conditioning by a

A section of the audience at the talk held at the India House. Phot by Bijay Dixit.

simple repetitive exercise.

Dr. Sunita went on to explain to attentive crowd that being positive is not only a choice it has to be a way of

life. A simple game which involved reading the newspaper showed the participants how to find the positive in a negative situation too. This would

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VOICE OF ASIA 4

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER

The People’s Lawyer

Answers to your Immigration Questions

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

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ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT FIANCE(E) VISA :

Richard M. Alderman Interim Dean of the Law Center

Sharlene Sharmila Richards

Time to clear up a few misconceptions about the law Q. I was shopping for a new car. After a long day of haggling I signed a contract. As soon as I got home I realized I had agreed to spend more than I really can afford. My friend told me I have three days to change my mind. Is this true?

A. As far as the law is concerned, you generally do not have any time to change your mind after you sign a contract. There are only a few special types of contracts, such as time-share contracts, health-club contracts, door-to-door contract and contracts that place a lien on your home, where you are given a period of time to change your mind and rescind the agreement. In your case, unless you were misled or deceived into signing the contract you have no legal right to change your mind or be released from the agreement. The dealer, however, may still agree to release you from your once you explain your situation.

Q. I had an accident that was clearly the other person’s fault. Unfortunately he has no insurance. I guess I am just out of luck?

A. Whether someone has insurance does not affect liability. If the other person was at fault, and caused the accident, he is liable for the damage to your car. If he had insurance, the insurance company would pay. If he doesn’t have insurance, he still can be sued in small

claims court. If he doesn’t make arrangements to pay after you win in court, he could lose his driver’s license. I should add that the best way to avoid this problem in the future is to make sure you have full coverage on your insurance.

Q. I stopped paying a credit card account and was sued about eight years ago. I just received a letter for an attorney saying he was going to take steps to enforce the judgment against me. I told him it had been more than seven years and he could no longer collect. Am I right?

A. There seems to be a lot of confusion about the time periods for collecting and enforcing a debt. First, a debt can be reported to the credit bureau, where it remains on your credit report for seven years. After seven years it becomes obsolete and generally is no longer reported. A lawsuit, however, must be filed within four years of when you stopped paying.

After that time, you would have a defense you any lawsuit based on what is called the statute of limitations. Even after it is too late to sue, however, the debt still exists until it is paid or you file bankruptcy.

If you are sued within the four-year period the judgment entered against you is enforceable to ten years, and may be renewed for another ten-year period. In your case, the creditor sued within the four-year period and was awarded a judgment. Based on what you say, the judgment is still enforce-

able.

Q. I had an accident and fell in a local store. Although I am now fine, I did incur some medical bills. The store says it is not responsible and refuses to reimburse me.

Can I take the store to justice court? Isn’t the store liable if I was injured while on its property?

A. If the store is responsible, you can file suit in justice court to be reimbursed for your injuries. The store is not responsible, however, simply because the accident occurred on its property. For the store to be liable you must show that the accident was the store’s fault. Usually, this is done by showing the store was negligent, and that is why you fell. For example, if there was liquid on the floor and the store did not take steps to clean it up and as a result you slipped and fell, the store would be considered negligent and responsible. On the other hand, if you simply tripped over another customer and injured yourself, the store would not be at fault, and would have no responsibility. If you think your accident was caused by some fault on the part of the store, justice court may be the best place to get things resolved.

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Q; Can I petition for my fiancé if I am a Permanent Resident? What are the requirements to apply for a fiancé visa?

A: Only US Citizens can petition for their fiancé or fiancée. The requirement for the Fiance(e) visa are as follows: You and your fiancé must have met in person at least one time in the last 2 years prior to filing the petition for the K-1 visa (but this can be waived based on prevailing cultural customs or extreme hardship); you must intend to marry your fiancé(e) and you both must also be legally free to enter into the marriage and remain unmarried until your fiancé arrives here in the United States to marry you.

Q: Can you explain the process for obtaining the Fiance(e) visa? And what is the Filing Fee? A: The US Citizen petitioner will first file a petition on Form I-129 F. Once the petition is approved, your fiancé(e) will then need to apply for her non-immigrant visa application at the US consulate abroad. Your fiancé(e) will then need to attend an interview for the K-1 visa.

Your fiancé(e) then enters the United States with the K-1 visa and you and your fiancé must marry within the allotted 90 day period.

After the marriage has taken place, your fiancé(e) will then need to file her adjustment application with USCIS in order to become a permanent resident. The current Filing Fee for the Form I-129F is $340.00.

Q: My fiancee was previously married and she has two minor children. Can her children come with her to the United States? Can the children subsequently become permanent residents?

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Q: visa?

A: Your fiancee will be the K-1 visa holder and

her minor children will come on the K-2 visa. After the K-1 visa holder marries, the K-1 visa holder will apply for adjustment of status and her minor children will also be eligible to adjust their status to permanent residence.

Q: My fiancee came to the United States on a fiancé visa. However, after two months of being here, she refuses to marry me, her K-1 visa Petitioner. She now plans to marry someone else who is a US Citizen and obtain her permanent residence through him. Can she do this?

A: If she came to the United States on a K-1 visa, but end up not marrying the K-1 Petitioner, she cannot adjust status through marriage to another US Citizen.

Her K-1 status automatically expires after 90 days and she will need to leave the United States at the end of the 90 day period. The other person to whom she now wishes to marry can then petition for a new K-1 visa for her to come to the United States.

Q: Can my fianceé who has the K-1 visa work or study in the United States?

A: After admission to the United States on the K-1 visa, your fiancé can immediately apply for employment authorization which is valid for only 90 days after admission. After the marriage, your fiancé can then file for extended work authorization concurrently with the application to adjust status as a permanent resident. Your fiancé will also be permitted to attend school.

Q: When I petition for the K-1 visa for my fiancée, do I need to provide an affidavit of support?

A: Yes, you will need to file Form I-I34 and show that your income is 100% above the Federal Poverty Guidelines for the year. You will submit your Affidavit of Support to the US consulate at the time of your fiancée’s interview for the K-1 visa.

Q: My Petitioner Fiance is presently incarcerated and is unable to provide the Affidavit of Support for my K-1 visa application. Can I use a Joint Sponsor?

A: Yes, you may provide an Affidavit of Support of a Joint Sponsor. That Joint Sponsor has to submit Form

I-134 to the consulate and also show that his or her income is 100% above the Federal Poverty Guideline for the year.

Q: Are K-1 visas available for same-sex couples?

A: Yes, same sex couples are eligible to apply for K-1 visa for their fiancé(e). However, when the marriage takes place within the 90 day period, it must be a valid marriage and legally recognized in the jurisdiction of the marriage. In other words, the same sex couple must marry in a State that recognizes same sex marriages.

Not every State in the US recognizes same sex marriages.

Q: My K-1 visa was denied at the consulate.

What happens now? Can I appeal the denial?

A: U n f o r t u n a t e l y, there is no appeal against the denial. The I-129F Petition for Fiance(e) visa will be sent back to USCIS for revocation. The Petitioner will receive a Notice of Intent to Revoke and given the opportunity to respond.

If the response is accepted, the K-1 visa Petition will be affirmed and resent back to the consulate. You, the Fiance(e) will most likely then receive second interview for the visa.

Disclaimer: Any advice provided in this article is general in nature and not intended to constitute legal advice for any specific case.

Please consult with an immigration lawyer about the specific circumstances of your case.

My Bio Sharlene Sharmila Richards is a licensed Immigration lawyer practicing in Houston, Texas. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2000 and is a member of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and a member of the US Supreme Court.

You may contact her at telephone number 713623-8088 or by email at srichardslaw@aol.com to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

Sharlene Sharmila Richards Attorney at Law

Attorney Nitin Sud

www.richardsimmigration.com E-mail: srichardslaw@aol.com

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VOICE OF ASIA 5

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

Presents HPV and human cancers Sunday, August 14th, 2016 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at India House 8888 West Belfort, Houston, TX. 77031 Join us to hear a panel of experts talk about the importance of vaccinations to protect against human papillomaviruses (HPV) that cause certain cancers in humans.

All are welcome to attend this free presentation.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Topics presented

“HPV and Cervical Cancer” by

Dr. Kathleen Schmeler, M.D. Associate Professor Department of Gynecologic Oncology The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

“HPV and Oral Cancer” by

Dr. Erich M. Sturgis, M.D., M.P.H. Professor of Surgery Department of Head and Neck Surgery Department of Epidemiology The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center IACAN Contact Information: iacannetwork@gmail.com www.iacannetwork.org Phone: 713 370 3489

VOICE OF ASIA 6

Asia Society Texas Center

COMMUNITY

Yoga for Mind and Body In collaboration with VYASA Houston

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

Learn Sanskrit & Vedic Scriptures

& Arya Samaj Greater Houston

Yoga class in session. Photo credit: Asia Society Texas Center.

W

hile postures are stepping stones into the practice of yoga, yoga practice and philosophy is deep and vast. This yoga class emphasizes synchronizing mind, body and breath in a guided practice comprising three key areas: asanas or physical postures, pranayama or breathing practices, and relaxation techniques.

Join us in exploring the benefits of yoga, including strengthening and toning the body, improving flexibility, mobility and balance, as well as enhancing an overall sense of physical and emotional wellbeing.

Roshmi Dalal and service through yoga to promote health, happiness & peace

in society. VYASA’s headquarters in Bangalore, India is the world’s first yoga university offering exclusively yoga education and has been a pioneer organization in yoga research for over 40 years. VYASA Houston collaborates with MD Anderson Cancer center for research in the field of yoga and cancer, amongst other research initiatives. VYASA Houston partners with leading community based organizations like MFAH, India House Inc., SEWA and others to provide community yoga services to improve health and wellness.

The class welcomes newcomers with little or no previous experience, as well as regular practitioners interested in finetuning the basics of yoga.

Participants will need to bring their own yoga mats and equipment.

Class Dates Tuesdays, August 2 – January 31 Time: 8:00 – 9:00 am Classes in August are FREE and open to the public. Beginning September 1, classes are $5 for Members, $10 for Nonmembers per class.

About the Instructor Mrs. Roshmi Dalal has been practicing guided mantra meditation regularly for the past 8 years and Hatha yoga for the past 3 years. With an interest in deepening her own practice of yoga and to help others learn yoga, Ms. Dalal joined the 200 hour yoga program at VYASA Houston under Sri Vishwarupa.

She is passionate about yoga, the yogic philosophy, and the research of yoga in clinical settings.

Mrs. Dalal is also a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) by profession and has both Bachelors of Business Administration and Masters in Professional Accounting degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. She has over 8 years of professional experience in public accounting and the oil and gas industry. She is blessed with a happy family with a husband and 2 children.

About VYASA Houston VYASA Houston is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to education, research

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Dear Devotees, Hari Om..

After the sudden demise of Bramhasri Udayakumar Gullapalli, I, Pandit Sridharkumar Ramayanam, as his torch bearer take the responsibility of serving the Houston community for any kind of Vedic/Hindu poojas at your door step or in the temple. Kindly contact me for all kind of poojas naming few as follows, Gruhapravesham, Sathyanarayana vratham, Namakaram, Upanayanam, marriage, all kinds of homas, new business or shop openings, Shradha karmas, etc.... Feel free to contact me on:

• 713-933-8821/9359 • 832-833-5662 • 720-421-6031 Kindly support the temple and family by giving me the opportunity to serve you all. Hari Om!

DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 7

12th KCCNA Convention in Houston from Aug 4-7 Dr. Boby Chemmanur to be the Chief Guest

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OUSTON - The convention of the National Catholic lay organization of the Knanaya Catholics, KCCNA’s (The Knanaya Catholic Congress of North America) will be held

from August 4th to 7th at the Hilton Americas and George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. Renowned Social Worker, Sportsman, Businessman and the 812 Kilometers run Unique World Record

Holder Dr. Boby Chemmanur will be the chief guest. This is the 12th convention of KCCNA.

by Alia Conley, World-Herald

O

MAHA, Nebraska Jul 20, 2016 - An Indian man told police he was assaulted outside his workplace Friday because the attacker thought he belonged to the Islamic State.

A man wearing a black hoodie punched Subburaj in the face and kicked him in the leg. The man told him, “ISIS (expletive), get out of my country,” according to a police report, which used an acronym for the Islamic State.

Subburaj has lived in Omaha for about two years but doesn’t have any family in the United

W

The attack occurred on July 15, 2016 outside the restaurant where Subbaraj works. One man, wearing a black sweatshirt, repeatedly punched Subburaj in the face and kicked him

“President Barack Obama, thank you for gracing us with your beautifully moving words.

It was simply an honour to be in your presence and witness the pure emotion that emanated from your voice.

“Obama’s legacy and efforts will live on when Clinton and her vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine become the new President and Vice President of the United States,” she said.

Suthahar Subburaj. Image source 7 KETV States. He said he hopes his attacker is punished but also is taught about different religions and races.

“His motivation and why he beat me, I don’t have an answer for that,” Subburaj said. He’s Hindu, he said, not Muslim.

in the leg, while telling him, “ISIS, get out of my country.”

The man then fled on foot.

“Mr. Subburaj is a victim of the growing xenophobia towards people across the country of South Asian and Middle Eastern descent, citizens and recent immigrants alike,” said Jay Kansara, HAF Director of Government Relations. “Law enforcement and government authorities must work closely with local community members of all racial and religious back-

grounds in order to effectively address these types of attacks while confronting the hate and ignorance that fuel them.”

Asian activists and officials have said that thousands of jobless Indians, Filipinos, and Pakistanis are stranded and destitute in Saudi Arabia following the layoffs.

Some of them have been forced to beg or sift through garbage to survive after going unpaid for months, according to officials.

The Okaz daily on Wednesday quoted labour ministry official Abdullah al-Alyan as saying that the kingdom had promised “urgent” action to help around 2,500 Indian workers.

- ‘Urgent’ action -

The attack is now more than two weeks old and details remain sketchy, though local police are investigating the incident as a hate crime based on religion.

But Alyan did not mention thousands of Saudi-based Filipino and Pakistani workers and dismissed as “rumours” that about 10,000 Indian workers had been left to starve.

HAF will continue monitoring the case, and will assist law enforcement and the local community in any way possible.

Alyan said the “immediate and urgent action” was to resolve the issues of “2,500 Indian workers from Saudi Oger who have faced difficulties due

July 28th thru 30th

Women during one of the VBS sessions. Photo credit; Raj Digital Media.

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Highly impressed by the electrifying speech given President Barack Obama, Sruthi said, “the American dream is something no wall will ever contain.”

It has been criticised by rights groups as a form of bonded labour or even slavery.

Trinity Mar Thoma Vacation Bible School focus on discovering Jesus

OUSTON - Trinity Mar Thoma church Sunday School of Houston celebrated their VBS from July 28th thru 30th with the focus on discovering Jesus through bible stories, crafts, nature, songs

Facebook post.

Sruthi said being elected as the party’s delegate was a long process.

“But I’m extremely glad that I have been able to immerse myself at every step along the way and witness the political process first-hand,” she said.

Continued from Page 1

HAF Condemns Hate Crime Against Hindu American Chef in Omaha ASHINGTON DC (August 3, 2016) — Leaders of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) condemned the hate crime attack on Suthahar Subburaj, age 30, a Hindu American chef of Indian descent at Kurry Xpress in Omaha, Nebraska.

woman to be nominated as a presidential candidate by a major political party.

Sruthi’s father Palaniappan Andiappan is also attending the convention as a as a member of credentials committee.

She has been the centre of attraction among the media here and the delegates along with a 102-year-old delegate from Arizona, Jerry Emmett, who is the oldest delegate at the convention.

In addition to being the youngest delegate, Sruthi made history on Tuesday when she was given an opportunity to represent Iowa during roll call votes.

“I am extremely thankful for the surreal opportunity to have represented the Iowa delegation as a roll call speaker and to have been a part of the historic nomination process of our next president,” she said.

“Together, we have made history by electing the first woman presidential nominee of a major political party- Hillary Rodham Clinton,” Sruthi wrote on her

Saudi moves to help 2,500...Indian

The man fled and a coworker called 911.

The bone above his teeth may have been fractured.

In addition to being the youngest delegate, Sruthi made history on Tuesday when she was given an opportunity to represent Iowa during roll call votes. Image source: f​ acebook. com/sruthi.palaniappan PHILADELPHIA: An 18year-old Indian-American girl has become the youngest delegate at the Democratic National Convention here which has nominated Hillary Clinton as the party’s presidential candidate.

Sruthi Palaniappan from Cedar Rapids and a student of the Harvard University is a big supporter of Clinton, the first

Suthahar Subburaj, 30, told police he was attacked at about 10:45 p.m. when he was taking out the trash for work. He is a chef at Kurry Xpress, near 144th Street and West Center Road.

Subburaj said he was punched multiple times in his forehead, face and mouth.

Indian-American girl, Sruthi Palaniappan becomes youngest delegate at DNC

For details visit www.kccna. com/

Indian man assaulted outside Omaha restaurant, says attacker yelled ‘ISIS ... get out of my country’

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

and experiences. The three fun filled days of VBS had a huge impact of both adults and children who attended.

There were 249 students registered, 41 teachers, 22 registered volunteers and

countless other volunteers of parents and grandparents made this VBS a blessed occasion for all who attended. 2016 Trinity church VBS was an envy of all surrounding churches. Three days of fun filled VBS in-

the delays in their salaries” and cut-offs in electricity and food supplies from their camps.

the affected companies.

Singh told reporters that “things are not as bad as they have been shown” and insisted that only one company was involved.

“We will protect the rights of the workers, not from India alone, but from all countries (whose citizens are working) in this company,” Haqbani said without giving details.

Sources in March told AFP that delayed receipts from the government, whose oil revenues have dropped significantly in the past two years, left construction workers struggling while they wait for salaries.

Haqbani said that Saudi Oger’s actions were “not accepted.”

Saudi Oger, the once-mighty construction giant led by Lebanon’s billionaire former prime minister Saad Hariri, is among

It employs about 50,000 people of various nationalities.

Saudi Oger has built some of the most grandiose complexes in Riyadh, including the palatial Ritz-Carlton hotel.

In May, Saudi Binladin Group -- one of the world’s largest construction companies -- began paying delayed wages to its remaining staff.

The company had also laid off tens of thousands of employees because of financial difficulties.

Students and teachers that attended the VBS. Photo credit; Raj Digital Media.

cludes high spirited new VBS songs during singing session, five lessons and craft, tasty food, and lots of fun activities.

Above all, every student and teachers were able to

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rededicate themselves on the final day.

Various committees were formed under the leadership of Rev.Mathews Philip (Vicar), Rev.Philip Philip (Asst.Vicar) Ms. Shiney

George (VBS Coordinator), Anil Varghese (Sunday School Superintendent) Ms. Shibi Zachariah (Sunday School Asst.Superintendent) and worked very hard for making this 3 days event a grand success.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 8

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

“Incredible India” hosted by India Culture Center In Houston, for over 40 years, India Culture Center ( ICC ) has been celebrating India’s INDEPENDENCE DAY. This year is no exception. This year too, ICC is inviting the Indian and American diaspora to celebrate together India’s Independence Day on August 20, at Stafford Civic Center, 10505 Cash Road, Stafford, TX 77477 Come one and all and celebrate together “Incredible India” by participating in cultural shows depicting India’s diversity and respecting its ethnicity with dancing and singing, an essay contest and quizzes. It is a day of fun and frolic.

This year to challenge your intellect the theme is showcasing two unique contests.

First is an ESSAY CONTEST especially for children of IndoAmerican heritage.

One coveted prize will be awarded to the BEST WRITER in each of the following 4 distinct age groups. They are: 7-10, 11-14, 15-18, 19-22 Participants should choose only ONE of the following topics TOPICS: 1. What does “ Independence Day” mean to you?

(Choose US, July

4th or India, August 15), 2: Explain why Bollywood movies are popular all over the world?

3: How would you strengthen Indo-US relations?

CRITERIA: Participants must be between the ages of 7 and 22 Participants must be of Indian-American Heritage Participants must submit ONE PARAGRAPH of not more that 200 words Participants must be present to receive the award on August 20th, 2016, from 2-5pm at Stafford Center,10505 Cash Road, Stafford, TX 77477 Participants must submit the attached Registration Form and ESSAY together via email

by Midnight 12pm, August 11,2016 to: Parulfernandes1@gmail. com. Late submissions will not be accepted Judges decision will be final.

All participants will receive Certificates for participation.

Please contact Parul Fernandes via email or phone at parulfernandes1@gmail.com or 713-662-3506/713-447-3705 if you have any questions.

Secondly, the “KNOW YOUR INDIA” Quiz will greet you at the door. Don’t forget to step by at the ICC BOOTH for that’s where the basket of quiz questions will be. Our ICC secretary Mr Sohoni and Nirmalaben will assist you.

You will have several tries at answering quiz questions from the basket.

There will be 300 questions on topics like culture, music,

films, history and geography of India. Each question will have 4 multiple-choice answers to choose from. These questions and answers will be set on a playing card size cards. These cards will be placed randomly in a box. The interested person can pick up any card from the box and answer the question correctly. If he/she answers question correctly, he/she will get a chance to pick up the next card and this will go on till the question is answered incorrectly. Each answer will carry two points. A black/white board at ICC booth will display the name of person who answers the maximum number of questions correctly. If somebody surpasses the points earned by the previous highest scorer, his name will be displayed and this will go on till end.

Small snacks, cookie pack or soda will be given to each participant.

JOIN us for a Fun-filling Independence Day!, A Cultural Bonanza with a variety of programs for young and old, a shoppers paradise of Indian jewelers and clothes, a food Court with delicious mouthwatering dishes, talent display and intellectual stimulation through quizzes and the essay contest on August 20, 2016.

Contact ICC President, Rajiv Bhavsar: 281-217-7330,or, Event Chair ,Promod Bengani 832-630-1398

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Swami Mukundannada to visit Houston

Swami Mukundananda

S

wami Mukundananda is a world-renowned teacher of spirituality, Yoga and Meditation. He is the founder of the unique Yogic system JKYog, also known as Yoga for the Body, Mind and Soul. He received His degrees in Engineering and Management from IIT (Delhi) and IIM (Kolkata). Swamiji is the senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj.

During the week-long program the first part of the session focuses on Yoga & Meditation.

The second part focuses on devotional chanting and spiritual discourses. Swamiji chants the sweetest bhajans that inspire devotional love and transport the consciousness to subliminal heights. His discourses clarify the deepest concepts of the Vedic scriptures, with humor and logic.

He has inspired people around the world, on the path of Spirituality, holistic health, yoga, meditation, service to society and God-realization.

He has been invited to speak at Fortune 500 companies like Google, Oracle etc.

Program: Grow from Within to Succeed in Life, a Life Transformation Series by Swami Mukundananda

For the youth, Swamiji has conducted programs at prestigious universities like Stanford, Princeton, MIT, Kellogg and Duke University. He was also invited to speak at the world famous MD Anderson Cancer Hospital in Houston, Texas. He will be addressing audience in an enthralling seven day series from August 20 – August 26, at India House, 8888 W. Bellfort Avenue, Houston, 77031. Program is free. Prasadam served after program. Registration strongly recommended.

Where & When: India House, 8888 W. Bellfort Avenue, Houston, 77031. From 4:30 – 7:30pm Saturday, Sunday (8/20-8/21). 6-9 pm MondayThursday (8/22-8/25). 7-9 pm Friday (8/26). The first hour will be Yoga & Meditation.

The remaining part will focus on Spiritual Discourses & Devotional Chanting. Participants advised to bring their own yoga mats.

Contact & registration: 281630-5982, 832-377-6070, 281-782-7345. Email: houstonjkyog@gmail.com. Registration recommended. Register at www.jkyog.org/events

Read these stories Visit us online Visit: www. voiceofasiaonline. com

Shri Madan Dham Center And Indravadan Trivedi (Masterji) present on October 14, 2016

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OUSTON - Under the direction of ace choreographer Indravadan Trivedi, aka “Masterji” brings a unique, first of its kind show – “HAR HAR MAHADEV.” The show is a new story, filled with music, songs, shlokas and extraordinary side effects. It is visually opulent with melodramatic scenes and entertains with exquisite classical dance sequences including Pralay Tandav. The power packed show with special effects will be performed by selected professional local artists.

“Har Har Mahadev” stage

Indravadan Trivedi as Shiva

show will convey the message of unity and brotherhood following the righteous path.

It will bridge the new generation with Sanskruti and new era sangham yog.

In this scientific age, no one wants to believe blindly unless and until proven by practical knowledge and personal experience. This powerful drama will touch many hearts with purity of love and will spread culture and sanskar.

Har Har Mahadev means “Har Koi Mahadev” – that everyone is capable of being Mahadev with the right action since God resides in every person.

SOUTH ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

Nepal lawmakers elect Maoist chief Five things to know about India’s radical new tax plan Continued from Page 1

Kathmandu in turn accused New Delhi of supporting a months-long border blockade

by Madhesi protesters that cut off vital supplies from India and prompted fuel-starved Nepal to turn to China for help.

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EW DELHI, India | AFP | 8/3/2016 - A radical new Indian tax came a step closer to reality Wednesday after a bill paving the way for its implementation cleared the upper house of parliament.

The long-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a flagship proposal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which describes it as the biggest tax reform since independence.

What is GST?The Goods and Services Tax will replace a confusing jumble of central and state levies to create a common market across India for the first time.

At present, anything from Bollywood film tickets to a Tata car is subject to a multitude of taxes that vary from state to state and sometimes double up.

It is one reason why doing business across India is so complicated.

The GST proposes to replace existing levies -- such as the luxury tax, VAT, excise duty, central sales tax, entertainment tax and lottery taxes -- with a single tax.

As India is a federal nation, the GST will be in two parts, levied simultaneously by New Delhi and the states.

What will it mean for India?

Experts say GST could enhance annual GDP growth by one to two percentage points - a huge uplift.

The inefficiency of the current system leads lots of tax collection to fall through the cracks, while a fragmented market encourages local protectionism.

The business lobby is ex-

Following Wednesday’s election, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that New Delhi would offer Dahal “our full support” and invited him to visit the country -- a traditional first stop for Nepali prime ministers heading overseas.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) will replace a confusing jumble of central and state levies to create a common market across India for the first time. AFP Photo. tremely keen on GST, as the current situation makes it difficult for companies to grow and take advantage of economies of scale.

A system of tax credits will encourage more businesses to file returns -- bringing many transactions in the so-called shadow economy into the mainstream and widening the tax base.

Why has it taken more than a decade? Opposing parties have wrangled over the details of GST since it was first announced in 2006.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has attempted to force the bill through since taking power from a Congress-led government in 2014, but in recent weeks a more conciliatory tone has forged broad agreement between the two sides.

Concessions by the BJP include removing a proposed additional one percent tax on inter-state transactions and compensating states for any lost revenue for five years.

Alcohol and fuel have also been left out of GST for the time being.

What happens next?Once the bill has been passed by both houses of parliament, at least 15 of India’s 29 states have to ratify the document for it to go forward.

Then a further bill, likely to be introduced in the winter session of parliament, is required to enshrine the tax in law.

Several key details, including the standard rate of GST, have still to be worked out.

A GST Council will be set up, with ministers from both of central and local government to implement the tax.

When will it take effect? The government is targeting April 2017 for GST to be in place.

However, there is a lot of work to be done before then.

GST is designed to be electronic with no manual filing of returns -- necessitating a vast IT infrastructure.

Commentators cautioned that the brash leader, who has vowed to honour the previous government’s economic agreements with China, will need to tread carefully to win New Delhi’s confidence without losing Beijing’s support.

“He should balance relations with both neighbours,” said Guna Raj Luitel, editor of Nepali daily Nagarik.

“They are both economic powers and he should try to win benefits for Nepal from both,” Luitel told AFP. Dahal, head of the Maoist party, ran unopposed and secured 363 out of 573 votes to become the Himalayan nation’s premier for a second time.

He has served as prime minister once before, after the Maoists won elections in 2008, but only lasted nine months in office before resigning.

Dahal, whose Maoists are the third-largest force in parliament, pulled out of a coalition led

by Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli -- the former prime minister -three weeks ago and secured the support of the biggest party, the

Nepal’s Maoist party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has been elected prime minister after running unopposed .AFP Photo Nepali Congress.

He also won the backing of the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) -- an alliance of protesting parties –- paving the way for warmer ties between the new government and Madhesi demonstrators.

Oli, who heads the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), faced fierce criticism over his handling of the protests.

More than 50 people died in clashes between police and protesters demanding revisions to federal state borders set out in the new charter.

Dahal is expected to be more sympathetic to protesters’ concerns following the Madhesi parties’ decision to back his candidacy.

But any changes to the constitution must be passed in parliament by a two-thirds majority, meaning he will likely need to reach out to Oli’s UML, which holds 182 out of 595 seats, for support.

The new charter, the first

drawn up by elected representatives, was meant to bolster Nepal’s transformation from a Hindu monarchy to a democratic republic after decades of political instability.

But continuing discussions between the government and protesters have failed to break the deadlock.

Meanwhile, some four million Nepalis are still living in tents or huts after an earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people in 2015.

Nepalis frustrated by the slow pace of reconstruction said they had few hopes for the new government.

“So many who lost their homes in the earthquake are still in shelters. But (politicians) are always busy playing power games,” said Nabin Shrestha, who drives a three-wheeler for a living.

Prachanda will be the eighth prime minister to lead Nepal since 2008, when he became premier for the first time and overthrew a 240-year-old feudal monarchy.

US/WORLD

VOICE OF ASIA 10

US, allies push UN to condemn North Korea missile test members along with Australia and South Korea asked the committee to review details of the launch and “take appropriate action,” according to the letter sent last week.

The investigation could identify individuals and companies involved in North Korea’s missile program who could face targeted sanctions including a global visa ban and assets freeze.

China and Russia did not back the request.

North Korea has been hit by five sets of UN sanctions since it first tested an atomic device in 2006.

This undated photo released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on July 21, 2016 shows a missile fired during a drill (AFP Photo/)

U

NITED NATIONS, United States | AFP | Wednesday 8/3/2016 - The United States and its allies on Wednesday pressed the UN Security Council to condemn North Korea after it testfired a missile into Japanesecontrolled waters for the first time, but they encountered resistance from China.

The 15-member council met behind closed doors for emergency talks called by the United States, Japan and South Korea over the ballistic missile launch, the latest provocation from Pyongyang.

country,” she told reporters.

The United States was expected to circulate a draft council statement condemning North Korea, but China’s ambassador Liu Jieyi urged caution.

“Nothing should be done to exacerbate tension on the Korean Peninsula,” said Liu. “There is a real risk. I think we need to work responsibly.”

The council met in emergency session after North Korea fired two intermediate-range missiles simultaneously, but one appeared to explode on takeoff.

US Ambassador Samantha Power called for a “strong, swift response from the Security Council” after the meeting, describing the missile test as “another grave threat to international peace and security.”

The second missile landed in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), some 250 kilometers (155 miles) off Japan’s northern coast and within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

“This missile landed incredibly close to Japan and this program poses a threat that goes well beyond any particular

- ‘A clear violation’ -The council has repeatedly condemned North Korea’s missile launches, but a US-drafted

statement circulated last month hit a wall during negotiations with China, Pyongyang’s closest ally.

Britain’s Deputy Ambassador Peter Wilson said: “This is the first time that a DPRK missile has landed in the Japanese EEZ. I think this is something that the council should take extremely seriously.” DPRK stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North’s official name.

Wilson said the latest launch was “a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions” that prohibit North Korea from developing missile technology.

The United States, Japan and 10 other countries have meantime asked the UN sanctions committee to investigate the July 18 launch of three Scud ballistic missiles and a No Dong intermediate-range missile, according to a letter obtained by AFP. The 10 Security Council

The Security Council in March adopted its toughest sanctions resolution to date, banning exports of coal, iron and other minerals from North Korea and imposing other restrictions, in particular in the banking sector.

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

Tesla loss widens as company works to speed production

S

AN FRANCISCO, United States | AFP | 8/3/2016 - Tesla Motors reported Wednesday a larger second-quarter loss than expected as it worked to speed production in the face of strong demand for its electric cars.

Tesla reported a net loss of $293.2 million, or $2.09 per share, in the quarter ended on June 30, up from a $184.2 million loss in the same period a year earlier.

Revenue at the Californiabased company climbed to $1.27 billion in the second quarter from $955 million a year ago.

Investors pushed shares lower after Tesla’s post-market earnings report. Shares fell 0.6 percent in after-hours trade after closing down 0.6 percent at $225.79 on the Nasdaq.

Tesla has completed the design phase for its Model 3 and increased overall vehicle production, company chief executive Elon Musk said in a letter

released along with quarterly earnings figures.

Tesla delivered 14,402 new vehicles in the quarter, with 9,764 of them being Model S sedans starting at $70,000.

While an improvement, the number fell short of a production target of 17,000 vehicles that had previously been set by Tesla.

Production and demand are on track to support deliveries of approximately 50,000 new Model S and Model X vehicles during the second half of 2016, according to Tesla.

“Vehicle production efficiency is improving rapidly and we are now increasing our weekly production rate even further,” Musk said.

The Tesla Model 3 has been designed to be efficiently produced and benefit from a “machine that makes the machine” approach on the assembly line, according to Musk.

Olympics: Russians in show of defiance at athletes’ village

R

IO DE JANEIRO, Brazil | AFP | Wednesday 8/3/2016 - Russian Olympians turned out in force to see their flag raised over the athletes’ village in Rio on Wednesday in an impressive show of defiance.

Numerous Russian sports stars, including their entire track and field squad, have been barred from the Games in Rio due to a string of damaging doping scandals.

But for tennis player Svetlana Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam winner, it was vital for those allowed to compete to show their commitment to the cause by making their presence

in the village -- and in front of the world’s media -- highly visible.

“It’s very sad that so many top athletes cannot be here with us because we’re a big country,” she said at the Russian welcome ceremony in the Olympic Village.

Whereas other major nations sent a small contingent for their ceremonies, the entire team of the embattled European powerhouse were present.

“It’s important for us to see our flag raised in the village,” added Kuznetsova, the US Open champion in 2004 and Roland Garros winner in 2009.

“We’re here to give a boost

to our country at this important time.”

More than 100 sportsmen and women who were part of the original Russian team have been blocked from taking part in Rio. Earlier on Wednesday, an International Olympic Committee spokesman said the final list of Russian athletes -- expected to be about 270 out of an original 387 -- is close to being fixed.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has received what it described as a record number of cases this week, mostly from Russians contesting their bans from the Olympics.

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Worn down by terror grief: Paris cleans symbolic statue Tuby Fran BLANDY aris city workers on Tuesday set to scrubbing a monumental bronze statue which has become a battered rallying point for France’s secular republic after a string of terror attacks.

The 133-year-old statue of Marianne, a symbol of the French republic, is situated on one of Paris’s largest squares, the Place de la Republique, which has become a nerve centre for mourners and protesters.

On Tuesday morning workers clad in white overalls cordoned off the statue with barriers, removing the decaying flowers, torn messages of peace and candles that had piled up around its base.

They then set to tackling graffiti which has covered the pedestal of the statue, a large stone structure bearing three sculptures symbolising the na-

P

Two city employees clean graffiti off the monument on the Place de la Republique in Paris, on August 2, 2016 (AFP Photo/Thomas Samson). jihadist ploughed a truck into a crowd in Nice, killing 84 people.

“This is a page that is turning, and I hope it is a real page, to really ease the sadness of Parisians,” she said, watching the cleaning operation under gentle rainfall.

“I think the city needs to clean it, however it will remain a place of gathering for all Parisians affected by the attacks,” said Thibaut Chaize, 32, who stopped to watch the cleaning

on his way to work as a technical manager.

“Some of the graffiti is not very attractive so it must be cleaned.”

- From Charlie to Madonna -The 3.4-hectare (8.4-acre) Place de la Republique has long been a meeting place for Parisians.

But it was after an attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo -- whose offices are situated nearby -- police officers and a Jewish supermarket in January 2015, that it took on a new role in their mind.

Citizens flocked to lay flowers and candles at the foot of Marianne, as well as messages condemning the attack on freedom of expression against a magazine which had often mocked Islam.

The square filled with world leaders and citizens in a march for peace that gathered nearly two million people in the days after that attack.

Just 10 months later Parisians found themselves once again at the foot of Marianne, after a group of suicide bombers and gunmen killed 130 people around the capital.

Makeshift memorials also sprung up at the Bataclan concert hall, and restaurants and bars that were attacked.

Not long after the attacks, singer Madonna visited the Place de la Republique, singing the national anthem La Mar-

seillaise during an impromptu mini-concert at the statue.

However in the months that followed, the grief at the square gave way to another movement, “Nuit Debout” (Up All Night), gathering advocates of a broad spectrum of causes demanding change.

The nightly gatherings, which sprung from anger over new labour laws before taking on a life of its own, on occasion ended in violent clashes with police, and later fizzled out.

The graffiti covering the pedestal of the statue bears testament to the varying causes, from “peace, love” to “no borders, no flags”.

However the square retains a place of mourning, a young oak planted in the corner with a plaque in memory of those killed in the January and November attacks. Similar plaques have been erected at the former offices of Charlie Hebdo, and the spot nearby where the jihadists shot a policeman.

Bruno Julliard, deputy mayor of Paris, said the statue’s makeover would continue until August 11.

He said city archivists have for months been selecting items and photographing messages at the site to be digitised and preserved.

“It is a beautiful pedestal which today is not very visible and is rather damaged,” he said.

Paris steps up fight against ‘love-locks’ The statue of Marianne on the Place de la Republique is a symbol of the French secular republic (AFP Photo/Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt). tional motto Liberte, Fraternite and Egalite (Liberty, Fraternity and Equality).

“It is sad, but I think it is also

a good thing to erase Paris’s sadness. It will be good for us,” said Kheira, a 46-year-old psychologist and Muslim, wearing a bright red veil.

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She said she felt “stressed and anxious,” after attacks last month in which a priest was killed in a suburb of the northwestern city of Rouen and a

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People stand on the Pont des Arts on June 10, 2015 in Paris, after padlocks were removed from the bridge. (Photo: AFP).

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ove may know no bounds, but Paris intends to instill some: authorities are going to take a tougher line with swooning couples attaching “love-locks” to city bridges as a sign of their undying devotion.

In June last year authorities removed hundreds of thousands of such padlocks from the city bridges, notably the Pont des Arts which had a section collapse under the weight of the locks.

The wire mesh panels on which the love-locks were attached were replaced by per-

spex.

However this has not dissuaded tourists, who merely turned their attention to the city’ oldest bridge, the more than 400-year-old Pont Neuf.

Paris deputy mayor Bruno Juillard said “signboards” would be installed on the bridge and others in French and English, with messages such as “No locks, Paris thanks you” and “Find another way to show your love.”

“We want Paris to remain the capital of romance and love, that lovers from across the world come to Paris. It is

a very romantic city and particularly the River Seine, but we must also protect this heritage,” said Juillard.

Loved-up visitors from around the world have for years written their names or initials on padlocks to symbolise their passion, then tossed the key into the River Seine so that nothing could ever break the bond.

It is unclear where the ritual originated, but the padlocks bearing lovers’ initials have spread from European capitals to as far as Marrakesh in Morocco, and China.

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VOICE OF ASIA 14

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

Zika travel warning issued Solar plane completes epic for Miami neighborhood: US round-the-world trip

M

IAMI, United States | AFP | - Zika fears prompted US health authorities on Monday to issue a travel warning for a small section of Miami where local mosquitoes have spread the virus to 14 people, officials said.

“We advise pregnant women to avoid travel to this area,” said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Tom Frieden, noting that the virus can cause the birth defect, microcephaly.

The area is a one-mile section north of downtown Miami, a popular arts and restaurant district known as Wynwood.

Women who are pregnant and may have traveled to the area since June 15 are urged to talk with their doctor, Frieden added.

Women who are pregnant in the area are also urged to use barrier protection during sex, or to abstain in order to lower the risk of transmission from a partner.

He also recommended people use mosquito repellant, wear

Miami-Dade mosquito control worker Carlos Vargas points to the Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae at a home in Miami, Florida, on June 8, 2016 (AFP Photo/Rhona Wise) long sleeves, repair screens and drain any standing water in the area to prevent the spread of the mosquitoes.

On Friday, Florida officials announced the first locally transmitted cases of Zika in the United States with all four linked to the

same area in Miami.

Early Monday, Governor Rick Scott said the number of identified cases had jumped by 10 to 14.

Zika is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and also by sexual contact.

$89,000 ice cream truck joins Boston police force

N

EW YORK, | AFP | 8/2/2016 - It’s the ice cream truck that police hope can defrost any lingering iciness from ordinary Americans on particularly hot days: meet the latest $89,000 addition to the Boston police fleet.

Festooned in balloons and unveiled to the public on Monday, the blue-and-white van is marked with police insignia and has “Free Ice Cream” written in large blue letters underneath a serving hatch.

“If you had told me 30 years ago that the Boston Police Department would have an ice cream truck as part of its patrol force... I would’ve said you were crazy,” said city police commissioner William Evans.

The truck is part of a city community policing effort set up in 2010 to reach out to children. The initiative has already handed out more than 120,000 free pots of chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

The Boston Police Department unveiled the new $89,000 ice cream truck Monday. (Photo: Courtesy of Boston Police Department) A police spokeswoman told AFP that the truck had been donated by the Boston Police Foundation and was valued at $89,000.

Although it will not make daily patrols it will be out in force at community events or on particularly hot days in the city, she said.

“I absolutely love the new truck,” Evans said. “The goodwill it generates between my officers and our city’s young people is undeniable and nothing short of remarkable.”

Police said the ice cream is donated by a local Massachusetts dairy.

Solar Impulse 2 lands in Abu Dhabi to complete its world tour flight on July 26, 2016. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. (AFP Photo/Jean Revillard).

by Karim Abou Merhi and Eva Levesque BU DHABI, United Arab Emirates | AFP | Solar Impulse 2 made history on Tuesday as the first airplane to circle the globe powered only by the sun, opening up new possibilities for the future of renewable energy.

Cheers and applause broke out as it touched down before dawn in Abu Dhabi after the final leg of a marathon trip which began on March 9 last year.

Swiss explorer and project director Bertrand Piccard was in the cockpit during the more than 48-hour flight from Cairo, crossing the Red Sea, the vast Saudi desert and the Gulf.

It capped a remarkable 43,000-kilometre (26,700-mile) journey across four continents, two oceans and three seas, accomplished in 23 days of flying without using a drop of fuel.

“The future is clean, the future is you, the future is now, let’s take it further,” Piccard said after landing.

“One thing I would like for you to remember: More than an achievement in the history of aviation, Solar Impulse has made an achievement in (the) history of energy.

“We have enough solutions, enough technologies. We should never accept the world to be polluted only because people are scared to think in another way.”

Hours earlier, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon lavished praise on the team in a livestreamed conversation.

“My deepest admiration and respect for your courage,” he said. “This is a historic day, not only for you but for humanity.”

Swiss vice president Doris Leuthard said Si2’s success “comes at a moment where the world needs optimism” and “gives hope... there’s reason for optimism, reason to work for a

A

the trip.

- ‘Solar drones’ -The project was also beset by bad weather and illness, which delayed the final leg.

In the air, the pilot was constantly in contact with mission control in Monaco, where weathermen, mathematicians and engineers monitored the route and prepared flight strategies.

A psychiatrist who made the first non-stop balloon flight around the world in 1999, Piccard had warned the last leg would be difficult because of the high temperatures.

But he showed little sign of fatigue after landing.

“It was a project that was very difficult, a lot of people doubted we could do it, so of course for the team it’s fantastic but also for all the people who believe in clean technologies,” Piccard told reporters.

“The biggest challenge is to have an airplane that can fly perpetually, days and nights without refuelling, because there is no fuel.”

While the pilots do not expect commercial solar-powered planes soon, they hope the project will help spur wider progress in clean energy.

On the Solar Impulse blog, Borschberg voices hope that “electric propulsion will increasingly become the norm”.

“I am very happy to see that large groups such as Airbus and NASA are starting to work on electric propulsion. The ball is rolling!”

With Si2 demonstrating that sunlight can be a continual source of energy in perpetual flight, “we will soon see solar drones flying in the stratosphere”, Borschberg said.

“We can hardly believe that we made it. It’s still a little bit like in a dream. We have to realise that it’s the reality,” Piccard said.

better life”.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan tweeted: “We hope the success of @solarimpulse helps to deliver Abu Dhabi’s message about the need to invest in clean energy and encourage innovation.”

- Food research Dubbed the “paper plane”, Solar Impulse 2 circumnavigated the globe in 17 stages, with 58year-old Piccard and his compatriot Andre Borschberg taking turns at the controls of the single-seater.

Last year Borschberg, 63, smashed the record for the longest uninterrupted solo journey in aviation history between Nagoya, Japan and Hawaii -- nearly 118 hours and 8,924 kilometres.

No heavier than a car but with the wingspan of a Boeing 747, the four-engine, battery-powered aircraft relies on around 17,000 solar cells in its wings.

Its average speed was 80 kilometres an hour (50 miles per hour).

The pilots breathed oxygen at high altitude and wore specially designed suits to cope with extreme conditions -- temperatures ranging from minus 20 degrees to plus 35 degrees C (minus 4 degrees to plus 95 degrees F).

Nestle Health Science, which provided their tailor-made meals, said its research could help develop “convenient, highly-nutritious food” for elderly people.

Piccard has said he launched the project in 2003 to demonstrate that renewable energy “can achieve the impossible”.

His dream took much longer than planned. The attempt was initially expected to last five months, including 25 days of actual flying.

But Si2 was grounded in July last year when its batteries suffered problems halfway through

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HEALTH, SC & TECH

VOICE OF ASIA 15

Major study confirms health benefits of lean protein

by Kerry SHERIDAN

among otherwise healthy red meat eaters.

M

IAMI, | AFP | 8/1/2016 - Eating lean proteins, such as nuts, chicken and fish, reduces a person’s risk of dying compared to a diet high in red meats, eggs and dairy, according to a large study out Monday.

The findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine confirm what many health experts have said for decades, but also contained some surprises.

For instance, diets high in red meat and fatty proteins like eggs and cheese were not linked to a higher risk of dying among people who were otherwise healthy.

However, people with one other risk factor -- such as drinking lots of alcohol, being overweight, inactive or smoking -- were more likely to see their death risk rise if they ate more red meat.

The study led by researchers at Harvard University spanned three decades and more than 130,000 people, but was observational in nature so it did not probe the biological reasons behind the changes in death risk according to diet, nor did it demonstrate cause and effect.

“While we expected we might find the associations to be weaker in the healthy lifestyle group, we did not expect them to completely disappear,” he said.

A study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the lowest mortality rate was seen among people who got their protein mainly from breads, cereals, pasta, beans, nuts and legumes (AFP Photo/Elliott Verdier).

“Our findings suggest that people should consider eating more plant proteins than animal proteins, and when they do choose among sources of animal protein, fish and chicken are probably better choices,” said co-author Mingyang Song, a research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital.

“While previous studies have primarily focused on the overall amount of protein intake -- which is important -- from a broad dietary perspective, the particular foods that people consume to get protein are

equally important.”

When researchers examined what kinds of protein were linked to higher mortality risk, they found them to be primarily processed and unprocessed red meats, including beef and pork.

The lowest mortality rate was seen among people who got their protein mainly from breads, cereals, pasta, beans, nuts and legumes.

Song said researchers were surprised to see there was no apparently higher risk of dying

“But when we looked deeper into the data, we found that -- at similar levels of animal protein intake -- those in the unhealthy lifestyle group consumed more red meats, eggs and high-fat dairy, while the healthy lifestyle group consumed more fish and poultry.”

According to Ian Johnson, a doctor and nutrition researcher at the Institute of Food Research who was not involved in the study, the research is “robust” and “seems to support the growing consensus that diets based largely on plant foods are better for long term health than diets containing large quantities of meat and dairy products.”

However, he pointed out the study, being based on questionnaire data, “tells us little about mechanism. It is far from clear whether plant proteins are protective or animal proteins are detrimental to health, or whether these protein levels are simply markers for something else.”

New program adds round-the-clock care to Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s most critical patients SUGAR LAND – (August 1, 2016) — Houston Methodist Sugar Land is the one and only hospital in Fort Bend County to implement an innovative program that places critical care physicians, also known as intensivists, in the intensive care unit (ICU) 24/7.

“As our hospital has grown to the largest in Fort Bend County with 347 beds, the number of critical care patients we see has increased as well. This program strengthens our ability to provide critically-ill patients with the best possible care available in Fort Bend.” said Bhadresh Shah, M.D., medical director of Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s ICUs. “Our intensivists were chosen from leading institutions around the country for their commitment to specialized patient care and their alignment with the mission and values of Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital.”

By September, Houston Methodist Sugar Land will have eight critical care physicians in place to staff its 40 bed ICU, which includes 20 medical and 20 surgical beds. These

physicians are uniquely trained to identify and respond immediately to changes in an ICU patient’s condition.

Studies show that intensivistdirected care leads to better outcomes for patients, including reduced numbers of complications and shorter stays in the ICU. Having intensivists onsite also allows patients to be evaluated by a physician within one hour after their admittance to the ICU, and makes roundthe-clock care and observation the standard.

At Houston Methodist Sugar Land, intensivists work closely with other physician specialists, acute care nurse practitio-

ners and ancillary care providers to ensure that ICU patients receive timely, responsive care throughout their stay. As a team, they provide improved continuity of care as well as ensure regular communication with patients, family members, primary care physicians and other specialists.

“Full-time intensivists are typically found only in large teaching hospitals around the country, but we recognize that having an enhanced level of care can make a significant difference for patients who are either seriously ill or recovering from surgery, as their conditions can change rapidly,” said

More on Health, Science & Tech Log on for regular updates

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Shah. “The intensivist program is an investment by the hospital to ensure that our most at-risk patients are receiving hands-on care from both physicians and nurses 24 hours a day.”

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

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

Transgender identity is not mental disorder: study

M

EXICO CITY, Mexico | AFP | Thursday 7/28/2016 - Transgender identity should no longer be classified as a mental disorder in a World Health Organization list of diseases, according to a study presented in Mexico on Thursday.

Violence and social rejection are the cause of mental distress and impairment among transgender people, not their gender identity, according to the research published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry.

"If it's not a disease now, then it never was. This should be clear," Eduardo Madrigal, president of the Mexican Association of Psychiatry, said at a news conference.

The field study was conducted between April and August 2014 among 250 transgender adults who were receiving health care

services at the Condesa Specialized Clinic in Mexico City.

The group went through an interview which found that 83 percent had experience distress over their gender identity during adolescence.

It is the first in a series of similar studies that will be conducted in Brazil, France, India, Lebanon and South Africa.

The results will be presented at the 11th revision in 2018 of the WHO's International Classification of Diseases, a diagnostic tool for health care providers around the world.

"This reclassification will not only promote discussions for new health policies for the trans community to have better access to health services, but it will also help to reduce the stigma and rejection that they are victims of," said Ana Fresan, one of the study's authors.

Indian state to hunt for ‘life-saving’ mythical plant NEW DELHI, India | AFP | 7/28/2016 - A northern Indian state will soon begin a multimillion dollar search in the Himalayas for a mythical plant believed to hold life-saving properties, a local minister said Thursday.

Uttarakhand will spend 250 million rupees ($37 million) of state money hunting the herb Sanjeevani Booti, which is credited in the ancient Hindu text Ramayana with restoring life to the brother of a god.

While many wild plants with medicinal properties grow in the Himalayas, there is scant evidence that the plant ever existed, with sages and modern researchers failing for centuries to find it.

“We have to try and it will never go to waste. If we are determined we will certainly find it,” Surendra Singh Negi, the state’s minister for alternative medicine, told AFP. The minister said the search will focus on the Dronagiri range of Himalayas near the

Chinese border, one mountain of which is mentioned in the epic Ramayana as being the site where the magical herb grows.

“We have set an initial budget of 250 million rupees ($37 million) for the project,” Negi said.

Scientists will start work in August, the minister said, adding that the central government has refused to fund the project.

Ancient texts say the plant has life-restoring properties, grows in the high mountains of the Himalayas and glows in the dark.

According to Ramayana, the monkey god Hanuman was tasked by the god Rama with fetching the herb after a healer said it would cure his dying brother Laxman.

But Hanuman failed to identity the plant, instead uprooting the entire mountain and carrying it thousands of miles to treat the mortally injured prince during a war with demons in what is now Sri Lanka.

VOICE OF ASIA 16

Section 2

Young Life

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

Tel: 713-774-5140

Millennials have less sex: study

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IAMI | AFP | 8/2/2016 Young people today are not having as much sex as previous generations, despite the widespread availability of dating sites and apps and more accepting attitudes about premarital sex, researchers said Tuesday.

it found.

The study also showed that fewer young people get a driver’s license or work for pay, suggesting they “are growing up more slowly than those born in the 1980s.”

Separate research out earlier this year by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 41 percent of high school students said they had never had sex, down from 54 percent in 1991.

The study focused on millennials, the generation of people born in the 1990s, and found they were the most sexually inactive group since the Depression era.

“The only other generation that showed a higher rate of sexual inactivity were those born in the 1920s,” said the study by researchers at Florida Atlantic University and published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.

The report found that among Americans aged 20 to 24, those born in the early 1990s were significantly more likely to report no sexual partners after age 18 than Gen X’ers born in the late 1960s.

Fifteen percent of 20- to 24-year-old American millennials reported having no sexual partners since turning 18, compared to six percent of those born in the 1960s.

“This study really contradicts the

Sherman said the reasons for the shift are complex, but that factors may include more sex education, greater awareness of sexually transmitted diseases, easy access to pornography and perhaps differing definitions across generational lines of what sex is, whether it means oral sex or intercourse.

A study focused on millennials -- the generation of people born in the 1990s -- found they were the most sexually inactive group since the Depression era (AFP Photo/Indranil Mukherjee). widespread notion that millennials are the ‘hookup’ generation, which is popularized by dating apps like ‘Tinder’ and others, suggesting that they are just looking for quick relationships and frequent casual sex,” said co-author

Ryne Sherman, associate professor of psychology in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science at Florida Atlantic University.

“Our data show that this doesn’t seem

Pope tells kids to get off their backsides

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RZEGI, Poland | Pope Francis urged “drowsy and dull kids” to swap their sofas and video games for walking boots on Saturday at an international Catholic youth festival in Poland.

He warned the popular piece of sittingroom furniture gave the illusion of safety from pain, fear or worries, allowing the sitter to kick back and lose themselves for hours in the latest television show or their smartphones.

“For many people it is easier and better to have drowsy and dull kids who confuse happiness with a sofa,” he told an estimated one million people gathered at a vigil in a vast plain near Krakow.

“Dear young people, we didn’t come into the world to ‘vegetate’... We came for another reason: to leave a mark,” he said.

“The times we live in do not call for young ‘couch potatoes’ but for young people with shoes, or better, boots laced.”

Francis, 79, said being constantly glued to screens -- where the terrible events of the world become just another story on the evening news -- numbed youngsters to the suffering of others.

to be the case at all and that millennials are not more promiscuous than their predecessors.”

Young women today are about twice as likely as men to be sexually inactive,

Somehow, knowing more about sex and being able to see it on video has not translated into more actual sex for young people today.

“While attitudes about premarital sex have become more permissive over time, rise in individualism allows young American adults to have permissive attitudes without feeling the pressure to conform in their own behavior,” said Sherman.

FBISD to host College Application Boot Camps, Aug. 9 and 10 Event will welcome students from three area school districts; pre-registration required to ensure entry

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Pope Francis with young people. (AFP Photo/Filippo Monteforte).

He prayed for war-torn Syria, quoting a pilgrim from the city of Aleppo who had testified before the pope and crowds of the fight between life and death in her “forgotten city”.

“Our response to a world at war has a

name: fraternity,” he said.

The pontiff had said on his arrival in Poland Wednesday that the world was at war. His visit came a day after the jihadist murder of a priest in France and in the wake of a series of attacks in Europe.

ORT BEND ISD – On August 9 and 10, Fort Bend ISD’s Counseling and Post-Secondary Readiness Department is partnering with area school districts and institutions of higher learning to present its annual College Application Boot Camps. The Boot Camps will provide participants with information regarding college applications and essays, admission requirements, financial aid and other areas of interest to help students prepare for their college careers. More than 30 local colleges/universities will be represented (including Abilene Christian University, Houston Community College, Prairie View A&M University, Texas State University, Texas Women’s University, University of Tulsa and more).

bring their personal laptops or visit the onsite computer lab to complete online college applications. Space in the computer lab is limited; however, Wi-Fi will be available.

The Boot Camps are free and open to all high school seniors attending a high school in Fort Bend ISD, Lamar Consolidated ISD or Needville ISD. Due to limited space, students are required to pre-register for the event to ensure entry. Students are invited to

Schedule of Events: Each location will offer the following schedule of events.

9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. – General Information Session 9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. – College Fair 10:15 a.m. to Noon – Computer Lab

Boot Camp Dates/Locations: Tuesday, August 9 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Travis High School 11111 Harlem Road, Richmond 77406 Wednesday, August 10 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Elkins High School 7007 Knights Court, Missouri City 77459

VOICE OF ASIA 17

Section 2

Woman’s Life

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

Tel: 713-774-5140

Opportunity Fair for Women Enhancing Women’s Leadership Series Healthcare, Career and Civic Engagement Leading from the C-Suite with Keynote Lulu C. Wang

Thu 25 Aug 2016 7:00pm - 8:30pm 1370 Southmore Blvd Houston, TX 77004 713.496.9901 This program was previously scheduled for Monday, April 18. Please contact Visitor and Member Services with any questions at 713.496.9901.

From left to Right, Tramaine Chatman-Rose, Ritu Raju, Maleeha Samee, To Nhu Huynh, Christina Lafuente, Neeta Sane, Nargis Ahmed, Ling Luo, Shefali Patel, Clara Kuaiwa, Farida Abjani, Rita Talwar of Women’s Voice for Better America, with Tarik Celik of Star Learning.

S

UGAR LAND - July 30, 2016 - Women’s Voice for Better America, a network of diverse women, is proud to invite women from all walks of life to attend the Opportunity Fair on Saturday, August 27, 2016 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at Star Learning, 3528 Texas 6.

Women’s Voice for Better America has designed the Opportunity Fair to increase women’s access to quality healthcare, job pursuits, small business start-up assistance, wealth management, civic participation and voting.

The Opportunity Fair will be a free admission event with free services for women offering a variety of resources. The event will have free parking, raffles and refreshments.

At the Opportunity Fair, sessions by MD Anderson will highlight cancer prevention diet, nutrition, health related in-

formation and activities. Also, presentations by Memorial Hermann-Southwest will highlight women’s access to healthcare.

Ibn Sina Community Medical Center will provide well-women’s exams. In addition, Golden Years will introduce personal service assistance programs and medical provider information for women.

For women seeking jobs, Workforce Solutions will be available at the Opportunity Fair to offer sessions for job applications, resume writing, cover letters, interview techniques and making network connections.

For women seeking help to start up small businesses, SCORE Houston will provide information and consultation at the Opportunity Fair. Also, New York Life Insurance and Wealth Development Strategies will provide strategies for investment and financial management.

To ensure women’s progress in voting and civic participation, The League of Women Voters will conduct voter registration at the Opportunity Fair. They will also provide valuable insight about the benefits of voting as well as the processes that open doors to citizenship.

Star Learning, located near 99 Ranch Market on TX Hwy 6 between Williams Trace Blvd and Settlers Way in Sugar Land, has graciously offered this venue for the Opportunity Fair.

Women’s Voice for Better America is eager to involve more women for societal and individual advancement. To join the network or to pre-register for the Opportunity fair, contact Neeta Sane 832-279-8601or Fheryl Prestage at 713-562-4387. More information about this initiative is on www.NeetaSane.com/OpportunityFair

Female orgasm an evolutionary throwback: study

L

ulu C. Wang joins Asia Society to share personal experiences and challenges of her climb to

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any forms of cancer can be preventable.

What organization would know better than the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Come learn how to reduce your risk and your family’s risk for cancer by making healthy lifestyle choices. Carmen Jacob, a specialist in oncology clinical trials at MD Anderson, will give a one-hour presentation, followed by a Q&A session covering the different types of cancer, risk factors, lifestyle changes, and screening exams.

WHEN; Saturday, August 20, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM (CDT) - Add to Calendar

W

hy do women have orgasms?

While in men the function is clear -- to transfer sperm -- scientists and philosophers have puzzled for more than 2,000 years over the biological point of the female climax, which is not required for conception.

This week researchers came up with a new theory: an ancient ancestor needed orgasms to induce ovulation, thus releasing eggs for fertilisation.

“Female orgasm seems to be a happy afterthought of our evolutionary past,” said a statement from Yale University, which took part in the study published this week in the Journal of Experimental Zoology.

“Human female orgasm is an evolutionary holdover from induced ovulation,” study co-author and Yale biologist Gunter Wagner told AFP. The team used published research to create an evolutionary model of ovulation in animals.

In many mammals, they found, release of the hormones

“We interpret this evidence to suggest that the physiological changes caused by human female orgasm are homologous (similar) to those that cause ovulation in other species,” they concluded.

Whether or not other animals have orgasms remains largely a mystery, though it is known that males induce ovulation in some mammal species, including rabbits and cats.

The model showed that in an ancient common mammalian forebear, which lived some 6065 million years ago, females needed male stimulation to induce ovulation.

This trait was later replaced in some species by cyclical, or spontaneous, ovulation as exists humans today.

This likely happened around the dawn of the primates -- the group of animals we humans belong to.

“Female orgasm did not evolve in the human lineage, but may have acquired additional roles” after it was no longer required for ovulation, such as pair bonding, said the study.

As ovulation became spontaneous, the layout of the female genitalia also changed, it added.

The clitoris “relocated from its ancestral position inside the copulatory canal,” where it remains in many animals today, but not in humans or monkeys.

“This may help explain why many women do not have orgasm during intercourse but are able to reach orgasm during masturbation or during clitoral stimulation during intercourse,” said a statement.

Read other articles on Women www.voiceofasiaonline.com

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In historic opening, Pope names female deacons commission

The 13-member commission, made up of seven men and six women, will study the question of female deacons with a particular focus on the history of women having played this role in the early years of the Church, the Vatican said in a statement.

prolactin and oxytocin is linked with ovulation, while in humans it accompanies the female orgasm.

Mia Mends, CEO of Sodexo Benefits and Rewards Services, US, and Anne Taylor, managing partner of Deloitte’s Houston practice, will also be participating in the discussion.

The panel will be moderated

by Gina Luna, Chairman of JPMorgan Chase in the Houston Region. Limited tickets are available. Asia Society Members receive discounted admission to this program. For tickets and more info visit http:// asiasociety.org

by The Aga Khan Council for the Southwestern United States in partnership with the MD Anderson Cancer Center

Pope Francis on Tuesday appointed a special commission to examine the role of female deacons in the Church, in a potentially historic opening on the possibility of women joining the clergy.

PARIS, | AFP | 8/2/2016

Wang leads this panel discussion about Asian women rep-

resentation in the C-suite and the challenges of their climb to the top. While the percentage of women in C-suite positions continues to rise, it still stagnates significantly with less than 20% of the leaders in the U.S. being female. Moreover, representation of minority females in the C-suite is even more difficult to find. How do women get on the path to senior leadership? How can company culture help or deter women from reaching their full leadership potential?

Reduce Your Cancer Risk

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Tuesday 8/2/2016 - 10:15 GMT | 245 words

A couple is seen at the sunrise on Copacabana beach on the eve of Saint Valentin day, in Rio de Janeiro, on 13 February, 2014, Brazil. AFP PHOTO / CHRISTOPHE SIMON.

the top in corporate America.

Wang is the founder and CEO of Tupelo Capital Management and has held senior positions in money management since 1982.

She was a Director and Executive Vice President of Jennison Associates Capital Corporation for ten years before founding Tupelo Capital Management in 1998. While at Jennison, a primary platform for asset management at Prudential Financial, Wang managed assets for pension, endowment, and mutual funds. She joined Jennison Associates in 1988 from Equitable Capital Management where she held the title of Senior Vice President and Managing Director, overseeing active growth equities. She had been with Equitable since 1978 and prior to that, was affiliated with Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.

Wang received her B.A. from Wellesley College and subsequently earned an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

Allowing women to enter the clergy at a rank just below a priest would represent a first step towards correcting this imbalance, they argue.

They also insist there is no theological obstacle to the move because of the precedent established by women performing the role in the early centuries of Christianity.

Francis said in May that he was unclear about the history and that it “would do good for the Church to clarify this point.”

The move follows a pledge made by Francis in May during a question-and-answer session with members of female religious orders.

He made it clear however that he did not see women becoming priests, an option that was categorically rejected by one of his predecessors, Pope John Paul II, following a 1994 study.

Advocates of women serving as deacons have long argued that they are pitifully underrepresented in the Church’s hierarchy and decision-making processes.

The Vatican did not set a date for the commission to begin work or a deadline for it to reach conclusions.

77479. Register free: www. eventbrite.com/e/reduce-yourcancer-risk-registration

Norway tells pregnant women to avoid Miami over Zika fears Oslo, Norway | AFP | 8/2/2016 - Norwegian authorities on Tuesday issued a travel warning for the US city of Miami for pregnant women due to risks linked to the Zika virus.

“Pregnant women are advised not to travel to Miami and people who have been to Miami should take the necessary precautions on their return,” the Norwegian Institute of Public Health said in a statement.

The recommendation follows the announcement of 14 cases of Zika in the Miami neighbourhood of Wynwood, a popular arts and restaurant district.

US health authorities on Monday issued a travel warning for the Wynwood district alone, while the Norwegian recommendation covers the entire city of Miami in the US southern state of Florida.

VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

HEALTHY LIVING VOICE OF ASIA

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Scientists find Zika antibodies in step toward vaccine Washington, | AFP | 7/27/2016 - US researchers have identified antibodies in lab mice that may be able to prevent infection with the mosquito-borne Zika virus, in what they described Wednesday as a “significant step” toward a vaccine.

The team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis published their findings in the journal Cell.

The research shows how these six antibodies interact with the virus, and that they are specific enough to Zika virus -- and not other viruses -- that they could be used in diagnostic tests, the researchers said.

When a Free Check-Up Isn’t Really Free

“Importantly, some of our antibodies are able to neutralize African, Asian and American strains of Zika virus to about the same degree,” said co-senior author Daved Fremont, professor of pathology and immunology.

Unlike most people, pregnant women cannot receive vaccines made from live, weakened viruses because pregnancy suppresses a woman’s immune system and the small amount of virus could make the expectant mother ill.

However, further research on vaccinating mice is not likely to be helpful, since mice obtain their mothers’ antibodies mostly after birth.

The antibodies will have to be adapted and vaccine trials will likely need to be done in primates before they can be tested in people.

In pregnant women, the mother’s protective antibodies cross directly from the placenta to the fetus.

There is no vaccine on the market to prevent Zika, a virus that first emerged in 1947 in Uganda but in recent years has exploded across Central and South America and the Caribbean region.

Finding a way to vaccinate pregnant women is key because Zika can cause birth defects.

Experts say the race to craft a vaccine is likely to take years.

‘Elephantiasis’ virus may boost AIDS risk: study

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atricia Jones thought she was getting the much-talkedabout free physical under Obamacare when she went to see a doctor in May. But, she says, a few small things that happened during her checkup ended up making the visit cost more than $450.

First, the doctor asked Jones, who lives in Oregon and describes herself as a full-time mom, if she had moles that were changing colors. When Jones pointed to a spot on her neck, the doctor said it was not even a mole and nothing to worry about.

The doctor also asked whether Jones had any current health problems. She mentioned that she hurt her foot a couple of years ago and that it occasionally bothered her. The doctor looked at her foot, touched it, and took note of it in her medical record.

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Later, the bill for the “free” checkup came, leaving her confused and leading to rounds of phone calls with her doctor’s office and insurance company. U.S. News confirmed the charges.

Also endemic in Asia, the western Pacific and parts of the Caribbean and South America, the parasite has infected 120 million people worldwide.

The mosquito-borne worm can live in the human lymphatic system for years without symptoms emerging.

The new findings, published in The Lancet medical journal, added a compelling reason for tackling elephantiasis, known to scientists as lymphatic filariasis, the authors argued.

The parasite, Wuchereria bancrofti, is found in many areas in Africa where HIV infection rates are high, and can cause elephantiasis, a disease that horribly deforms the limbs and other parts of the body

“The long disease duration of W. bancrofti infection -- around 10 years -- creates an ongoing immune response,” which could make people more susceptible to HIV infection, said Inge Kroidl, a tropical medicine specialist at the University of Munich in Germany.

Participants were examined annually over a five year period -- blood, urine, stool, and sputum samples were collected to test for HIV and W. bancrofti infection. Interviews determined if sexual activity could have heightened their risk of contracting HIV.

Lymphatic filariasis affects one in four people in the country, and has long been suspected as a factor driving the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.

Unexpected questions can change a free wellness visit into an expensive diagnostic one.

Then her doctor asked her if she wanted to have a second child, and Jones replied that having one made her tired enough. The doctor said she probably should have a blood test to figure out the cause of her fatigue.

aris, France | AFP | Tuesday 8/2/2016 - People infected with a common parasitic worm may be twice as likely to acquire the HIV virus that causes AIDS, a field study from Tanzania reported Wednesday.

The parasite, Wuchereria bancrofti, is found in many areas in Africa where HIV infection rates are high, and can cause elephantiasis, a disease that horribly deforms the limbs and other parts of the body.

For the study, conducted between 2006 and 2011, researchers analysed 2,699 people in the Kyela district of Mbeya, southwest Tanzania.

Tel: 713-774-5140

The researchers found that people carrying the parasite were twice as likely to also have the AIDS virus. The impact was highest among adolescents and young adults.

For now, the observed link is merely a correlation, with no proven causeand-effect, the researchers pointed out.

“We are a caregiver information and advocacy website that all Texans could use”

It does, however, highlight the need for an elephantiasis cure.

“Lymphatic filariasis elimination programmes in the past decade have focused on the reduction of transmission but made only limited efforts to cure W. bancrofti infection,” Kroidl said.

Prevention currently focuses on the use of bed nets and other mosquito repellents.

Other infections such as chlamydia, herpes and syphilis are known to increase susceptibility to HIV. Jennifer Downs and Daniel Fitzgerald of the Center for Global Health at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, writing in a commentary, said further study was urgently needed to confirm the findings.

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“Controlling lymphatic filariasis has the potential not only to decrease morbidity from the disease itself, but could additionally pre-

Jones, who declined to share her real name because her family’s medical records have been hacked in the past, now knows that these questions, along with her answers and possibly other things that happened during what she thought would be her preventive visit, caused it to be billed as a diagnostic one – something her insurance company didn’t cover in full as it would for a typical physical.

Stories like this are common among patients, who struggle with confusion about what prevention services insurance covers under President Barack Obama’s health care law, the Affordable Care Act. The Obama administration has widely touted the free preventive benefits as a major perk of the law, encouraging Americans to take advantage of them.

“The idea was for patients to no longer avoid getting preventive screenings or checkups because they couldn’t pay for them,” says Trisha Torrey, founder of the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates.

“These kinds of things always have unintended consequences.”

Under the law, most health insurance plans must cover a set of preventive serviceswithout any cost to patients. Services include vaccines, colonoscopies, mammograms, pap smears, diabetes screenings and tobacco use screenings – all aimed at

vent incident HIV infections among the 120 million people living with this chronic infection,” they said in The Lancet.

Lymphatic filariasis is classified by

Sudhir Mathuria Licensed Professional Health Life 360 6776 Southwest Freeway Suite # 178 Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900 www.MyMedicarePlanning.com helping doctors and patients catch problems early, so they don’t become costly and more difficult to manage later.

Patients are soon discovering, however, that anything else discussed during a visit with their health care providers could cost them.

“There are times when a person might be charged cost-sharing for a service that is unrelated to the screening or preventive service, while they are not charged cost-sharing for the screening or preventive service itself,” says Jesse Bushman, director of advocacy and government affairs at the American College of NurseMidwives.

But doctors don’t always tell patients about the possibility of fees up front. And if patients have a bad experience during what they think is a wellness visit, they often then avoid seeing the doctor for similar screenings for fear of high costs – the very thing Obamacare aimed to prevent.

“Once burned, twice shy,” Torrey explains.

“It took doctors (practice managers and hospitals) no time to figure out that the ‘free’ part didn’t have to impact their income if they could pull out any other little problem that was reimbursable,” Torrey said in an email. But doctors, she says, aren’t entirely to blame. “This was foisted on them by the government. Doctors are the ones on the front lines who have to explain it to patients.”

Dr. Jen Caudle, a family physician and assistant professor at Rowan University in New Jersey, says it happens regularly. “Patients don’t know there is a difference, and sometimes we as doctors don’t do a good job of explaining that,” she says.

For healthcare and Medicare planning contact Sudhir Mathuria @ 713-771-2900.

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VOICE OF ASIA 19

Section 2

Bollywood Masala

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

Tel: 713-774-5140

Chopra won’t compromise: she wants lots of babies

by Laurence THOMANN

has secrets. Terrorism is a huge part of our reality whether you like it or not,” she said.

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ARIS - Indian superstar Priyanka Chopra is not making any compromises in swapping Bollywood for Hollywood.

“It is the most cowardly way of instilling fear to make people understand someone’s belief.”

The former Miss World, who has won an army of fans in the US since taking the lead in the American spy thriller television series “Quantico” last year, refuses to be stereotyped by her beauty or her origins.

- Feminist principles But jumping to conclusions about terrorism was equally dangerous, she said. “In America it is easy to frame a brown girl” like Alex, she added.

“I didn’t want to do a show that would stereotype me or put Indian people into a box. I’m a leading actress in India and I wanted to make sure I was a leading actress in whatever I did,” she said.

Chopra’s ability to carry such a complex character has opened other more meaty roles, with the actress playing the baddie in the new “Baywatch” film due for release in May. “I make the good guys’ lives miserable,” he said with some relish.

“I would not compromise on that,” said the star of the ABC show in which she plays an FBI agent suspected of committing a terrorist attack.

Proud to call herself a “strongwilled feminist”, the 34-yearold is determined to build her career and still “have lots of babies. But there is nothing under way on that,” she told AFP in Paris on a visit to promote “Quantico”, whose second series begins in September.

“I’ve still to find the right

Bollywood actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra attends a ‘Fair Start Campaign’ event in New Delhi on July 5, 2016 (AFP Photo/Chandan Khanna). guy. That’s important,” she laughed.

Like her character in “Quantico”, Alex Parrish, who has to go into hiding to clear her name, Chopra sticks to her guns.

She has turned down roles in Britain because she was “always asked to play the stereotype of an Indian”.

The spy show’s international success is changing all that.

That has been such a hit

may have surprised some but Chopra -- the first South Asian to headline a US network series -- said its backstory of people with secrets is universal.

“This show talks about people with secrets and everyone

Indian filmmakers tackle sexism with edgy videos

Having campaigned to close the gender pay gap in Bollywood, she credits her mother, a doctor who served in the Indian army, for helping forge her feminist principles.

“She raised me to be the kind of girl who thinks, who has opinions too. For so many years women were told to act a certain way, to dress a certain way, to think a certain way,

even not to think at all.

“People misconstrue the word feminism. It It is not hating men, or making men small.

It is just saying, ‘We want our independence to make our own choices the way men have done for so long.’”

Nor did it stop her having the phrase “Daddy’s lil girl” tattooed on her wrist after her father, who was also an army doctor, died three years ago.

“It is in his handwriting,” she said.

Born in Jamshedpur in Bihar in northeast India, Chopra has already more than 50 films to her name and is proud of how Bollywood films “are now being seen worldwide”.

And she has absolutely no intention to turn her back on her homeland despite her US success. She works there as a UNICEF ambassador and for the UN’s Girls Up campaign, and her own foundation run by her mother supports underprivileged girls across India.

“Philanthropy is not something to do because I’m a famous person, but because I was raised like that” with a strong spirit of public service, she insisted.

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the father terms it “intense love-making”.

“Political statements aren’t solving the real issue. So we decided to make the video to highlight rape and violence against women,” Ratnabali Bhattacharjee, a Girliyapa scriptwriter who plays the role of the mother, told AFP.

Tracy D’Souza (centre standing), head of the filmmaking group “Girliyappa”, speaks with team members during a meeting at their office in Mumbai on July 27, 2016 (AFP Photo/Indranil Mukherjee).

by Vishal MANVE

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UMBAI - (AFP) -From “The Period Song” to “How I Raped Your Mother”, one allwomen Indian production team is challenging conservative attitudes with no-holds-barred satirical videos that are causing a stir online.

quences to mini-sitcoms, have received more than five million total views since the first one was uploaded onto YouTube last October.

criticised for depicting women as meek and subjecting female characters to aggressive methods of wooing by dominant male leads.

But the ten-member Girliyapa team have also faced plenty of online sexist abuse from anonymous critics wanting to silence them.

Critics point to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s controversial comment recently that his heavy training schedule for wrestling movie “Sultan” left him feeling “like a raped woman”, as an insight into attitudes in the industry.

Mumbai-based filmmakers “Girliyapa” have released a series of hard-hitting clips that tackle misogyny, with subjects ranging from marital rape, which is not a crime in India, to social stigmas surrounding menstruation cycles.

Their skits are the type that never screen on India’s main television networks, dominated by soap operas whose sari-clad female characters almost always play traditional roles of mother and housewife.

“Our videos aren’t preachy but laced with humour and to the point, which drives the message home rather effectively,” group head Tracy D’Souza told AFP in an interview.

Girliyapa is one of several filmmaking teams taking the internet by storm, tackling social issues, but also tapping into a growing desire among India’s youth for a more modern portrayal of women on screen.

The five videos, which vary from music and dance se-

India’s massive Hindi film industry has been regularly

- Marital rape -In “How I Raped Your Mother”, a play on the title of hit American sitcom “How I Met Your Mother”, Girliyapa tackles old-fashioned familial attitudes towards marital rape, which is not illegal under Indian law.

In the 13-minute satirical video, a daughter complains to members of her family that her husband has been sexually abusing her. The mother says it’s just part of marriage while

Indian filmmaker Paromita Vohra also deals with the subject of consent in a short online sitcom entitled “The Amorous Adventures of Shakku and Megha in the Valley of Consent” uploaded on YouTube in March.

ing a massive hit online with their 21st century depictions of independent-minded women.

“Girl in the City” is about a 21-year-old who moves to financial capital Mumbai to follow her dream of being a fashion stylist.

“Ladies Room” sees two female protagonists discuss subjects ranging from relationships to pregnancy, all while in a women’s washroom. In one episode they even smoke drugs, something rarely seen on Indian television.

It’s part of her project called “Agents of Ishq”, meaning love in both Hindi and Urdu, which aims to create awareness about women’s rights and sex education through videos and animated graphics.

- Online trolls -Girliyapa’s “The Period Song” celebrates the menstruation cycle, a taboo subject in deeply patriarchal India where women are often banned from religious sites and even rooms in their own home during their periods.

And both sitcom web series “Girl in the City”, on youth television channel Bindass, and “Ladies Room” are also prov-

Another of their videos deals with young women buying condoms, while trying to navigate internet dating is the subject of

one of their other productions.

Analysts say the videos are playing an important role in overturning gender biases.

“Digital media can help educate, advocate and encourage people to adopt attitudes and behaviour that promote gender equality,” Mumbai-based women’s safety activist Elsa D’Silva told AFP. However it’s also online where women are being subjected to misogynistic trolling, including sexual slurs and threats of rape, all in a bid to shame them into silence.

The Girliyapa team say they have faced such attacks every time they have released a new video, but remain determined in their quest to change attitudes.

“We won’t stop telling our stories. People will have to accept the narrative despite all their inherent inhibitions,” cowriter Shruti Madan told AFP.

Bollywood director convicted of rape: report

N

EW DELHI, India | AFP | 7/30/2016 - A Bollywood director was convicted Saturday of raping an American research scholar last year, India’s main news agency said.

Mahmood Farooqui, best known for co-directing the popular 2010 satire “Peepli Live” on farmer suicides, was found guilty of the attack last March by a fast-track court hearing the

case in New Delhi, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).

The victim, then aged 35, had travelled to India to seek Farooqui’s assistance with her research when the attack took place at his home in an upscale area of the capital.

Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain will now decide on the sentence after hearing arguments on Tuesday, PTI said.

Farooqui, who was taken into custody as soon as the judge read the verdict, denies the allegations.

The woman returned to the US shortly after the incident but came back to report the matter to police.

“Peepli Live”, which explores the divide between urban and rural India, was produced by Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan.

VOICE OF ASIA 20

ONLINE .COM voiceofasiaonline.com

Section 2

Business

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

VOICE OF ASIA

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

IACCGH’s LinkedIn seminar provides tools for business to grow

Tel: 713-774-5140

Britannia announces grand of launch Premium Cake Rusk Now available at a store near you!

find you. Siva also advised the gathering to upload a professional headshot picture, include recommendations from past bosses or colleagues and write a short personalized message when connecting with other LinkedIn users.

L to R: Board member Rajiv Bhavsar, Presenter Siva Yenneti, President Joya Shukla, Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia

by Manu Shah n 27th July, over 50 IACCGH members and guests attended a highly engaging and informative seminar titled “How To Make Your Business Grow Using LinkedIn.” Organized by the Chamber at Madras Pavilion, the seminar sought to explain how the use of LinkedIn – the world’s largest professional network could power their career or business. The seminar was presented by Siva Yenneti, Director at ITVibes, a Houston Web Design Company. (http:// itvibes.com.)

O

In his opening remarks, Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia gave a brief outline about the Chamber and its scope of activities. Welcoming the guests, President Joya Shukla encouraged the gathering to spread the Chamber’s mission and community service programs and promised that they would take

away something of value at the end of the seminar.

Siva commenced his presentation by emphasizing that in this technology driven world, businesses are increasingly relying on social media like LinkedIn to source services and attract the best talent. Stating that “sales pitches are boring and dead” he identified LinkedIn as one of the best tools to “showcase your products, your value proposition and your services.”

He also noted that LinkedIn members are 86% decision makers and a surefire way “to get past the gatekeeper to the top guy because success often depends on not what you know but who you know.”

Yet another major plus of joining LinkedIn is to leverage your connections because it “connects you not just to one person but their entire network too.” The one thing he did warn the gathering to refrain from

t hours are Monday thru Friday 8am till 5pm.

doing was use LinkedIn as a sales tool. Instead, he advised them to use it to connect, engage and relate with people and “sales would happen as a byproduct.”

A free social media, a LinkedIn profile is easy to set up as its website walks you through the process of uploading your profile information. Based on this data, it instantly matches you to people you may know and simultaneously helps them

He also walked the audience through some of LinkedIn’s useful features such as Advanced Search and Connect, Profile Stats, Company Page, Sales Solutions, Center and Pulse. He also added that LinkedIn can run an ad about you for a cost and as a member of the Premier/Executive group, it lets you see who’s viewing your profile. However for LinkedIn to be effective, he stressed that it is important to update your status periodically, be consistent and visit it regularly with “posts, shares and comments.”

Siva, a Chamber member was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation for his excellent presentation, involvement and support of the Chamber’s programs.

Rinku Bhandari, who recently stepped down as the Chief Marketing Officer at the Consulate General of India, Houston and is relocating to Dallas was also presented a plaque for her outstanding services and support to the community. The Chamber wished her well for all her future endeavors.

How to Get a Tax Deduction for Your Volunteer Vacation

by Kerri Anne Renzulli Money You’ll need to do ‘real and substantial’ work.

If your summer plans include a volunteer vacation, save all

your receipts — even for your plane ticket. While the charity and its beneficiaries will certainly appreciate your efforts, Uncle Sam may also thank you with a tax deduction.

Just be sure to read the fine print. To take the write-off for any travel-related expenses you incur to do charitable work, you need to follow all the relevant IRS rules. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind.

1. Volunteer at qualified charities. Before you donate any money or time to a charity, verify its status by using the IRS’s Select Check tool. Many well– established charitable organizations will have already applied to the IRS to become qualified, although churches and governments are generally qualified

B

ritannia announces grand of launch Premium Cake Rusk – Now available at a store near you! New York, August 1, 2016 – Britannia International is pleased to announce the launch of their latest delicious delight – the new Britannia Premium Cake Rusk. The product will be a new addition to an already hugely successful range of Rusks, currently comprised of Wheat and Milk Rusk variants. Cake Rusk, for the unaware, is a twice baked cake – thus allowing one to savor the scrumptious indulgence of cakes as well as the delicious crunch of rusks at the same time. Britannia Premium Cake Rusk is a delicious medley of the finest wheat baked with the richness of fresh milk and eggs, providing the ultimate, tantalizing oven-fresh experience of authentic Cake Rusk in convenient, premium packaging.

With humble beginnings over a century ago, from a small house in central Calcutta and an intrepid baker meeting the exacting standards of English tea-time snacking for officers of the British Raj and their families, Britannia has grown to become the proud custodian of a long tradition of delectable baking that delights millions of consumers around the world. Brand Britannia is recognized as one of the most trusted, valuable and popular brands among consumers in several reputed surveys. Their relentless focus on quality and freshness has been endorsed by several prestigious accolades and won the unwavering favor of consumers through their extensive range of fresh, nutritious and flavor-rich products that assure a superlative sensory experience with every product, every time.

“Britannia Premium Cake Rusk will be widely available across Indian groceries and

promises to be yet another dearly loved, unforgettable product for South Asian customers across the USA, from the house of Britannia” said a spokesperson for Britannia Industries Ltd. This commitment to deliver better products to consumers everywhere, has also helped Britannia to grow by leaps and bounds away from home as well, across markets like - the MENA region, UK, Australia, Canada and the United States. The proud, new addition to the product stable – Britannia’s Premium Cake Rusk is an example of a product that has been exclusively developed for international markets.

About Britannia Industries Ltd Britannia Industries Limited is India’s leading food company and marketer of cookies, dairy products and bread. As per independent retail audit conducted by Nielsen in May 2015, Britannia is the market leader in the US$3.78 billion biscuit market. In the US several power brands from the Britannia portfolio like “Good Day”, “Bourbon”, “Milk Rusk”, “Milk Bikis”, “Nice Time” are available across the country in stores carrying South Asian groceries. Over the past year Britannia has added new and exciting brands like “Milk Bikis Cream”, “Chunkies” (luxurious chocolate chip cookies), “NutriChoice Heavens” (Healthy and delicious Oat Cookies), “Pure Magic Chocolush” (Premium center filled cookie), “Jim Jam”, “Muffils” (center filled cupcakes)”, “Premium Bake Eggless Cake”, “Premium Bake Cake Rusk” and “Time Pass” (salted cracker) to its wellloved portfolio. In Addition to India & the United States, Britannia is also available in Canada, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, UK, and Singapore. the deduction if you only have “nominal” obligations or lack work for large parts of the trip.

GettyImages and do not need to apply.

2. Document necessary expenses — but only those. Any out-of-pocket expenses you want to deduct, such as travel, must be “necessary while you are away from home,” says the IRS. They also need to be unreimbursed, directly connected with the services you provided,

and an expense you had only because of your volunteer work.

That means personal, living, or family expenses won’t qualify.

3. Do ‘real and substantial’ work — for your whole trip.

The duties you take on for a charity must be “real and substantial throughout the trip,” says the IRS. You won’t get

4. Don’t tack on an extra vacation. Similarly, be aware that your travel expenses won’t qualify as deductible if a significant part of your trip involves recreation or vacation. As long as your trip is focused on the charitable volunteer work, however, you can deduct most travel expenses — including air, rail and bus transportation; car expenses; lodging costs; cost of meals; taxis and other transportation costs between the airport or station and your hotel.

5. Don’t try to deduct the value of your time. You’re not allowed to write off any monetary value that the time or services you provided would normally command. And you can’t deduct any income that you lost while working as an unpaid volunteer.

SPORTS

VOICE OF ASIA 21

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

Olympics:

From ‘honour killings’ and foeticides to women’s wrestling team

by Annie BANERJI

L

UCKNOW, India | AFP | Pinning her opponent in a merciless half-nelson, women’s wrestler Vinesh Phogat hones her skills for the Rio Olympics -- where, win or lose, she has already scored a significant victory over sexism in one of India’s most conservative states.

Vinesh, her cousin Babita and their team-mate Sakshi Malik have all qualified for Rio despite hailing from Haryana, where women have long been treated as second-class citizens and “honour killings” and sexselective abortions are rife.

Vinesh and Sakshi recall villagers sniggering and fingerpointing when they wrestled with boys or wore shorts in a state where women are usually covered head-to-toe and confined to their homes.

“People would throw us dirty looks when we wore shorts to practise. They would gossip and... say ‘this is wrong’,” said 21-year-old Vinesh, who comes from a prestigious wrestling family, at a stadium in the northern city of Lucknow.

Haryana, neighbouring New Delhi, is renowned for its male-dominated village councils which control life in the largely farming region, issuing diktats to prevent women defying conservative norms.

Marriage outside caste or religion brings punishment including “honour killings” -murder, usually of the woman, for dishonouring her family -while sex-selective abortions still occur in an area that values boys above girls.

Haryana has the worst sex ratio in the country, with 877 women for every 1,000 men, against the national figure of 940, according to the last official census of 2011.

Locals used to berate Sakshi’s parents when she was growing up, warning that their daughter would develop puffed-out cauliflower ears, common among wrestlers, and become undesirable to potential husbands.

“It hurt a little and I wondered why people said such mean things, especially when I was so young, and made me doubt myself,” said the 23year-old, who began training when she was 12.

- Thrashed with a stick They believe, however, that attitudes started to shift after Geeta Phogat -- Babita’s elder sister -- won gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and became the first Indian woman wrestler to qualify for an Olympics two years later.

The Phogat women credit their success to their ex-wres-

tler father and uncle, Mahavir Singh Phogat, who was determined to make them tougher than any of their male counterparts.

“He didn’t thrash the boys as much as he thrashed us because he always said ‘it’s not as if you are weaker than them’,” said Vinesh, Mahavir’s niece, remembering his ruthless training with a stick in hand.

While other parents were grooming their daughters for marriage, Mahavir wanted more for his girls and believed they could succeed at kushti, the traditional Indian wrestling which is popular among men in Haryana.

“It wasn’t easy given Haryana’s culture. Villagers shamed me and disowned me. Even my own parents criticised me every day,” said Mahavir,an acclaimed amateur wrestler, whose coaching career has become the subject of a Bollywood film to be released this year.

“I used to get so angry listening to all the nonsense. But I ignored all of it because I knew I had to prove everyone wrong. I knew I had to show people what women can do,” he told AFP. - ‘Husbands and babies’ Like the Phogats -- now the toast of their hometown of Bilali -- Sakshi, who trained

In this photograph taken on May 24, 2016, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat takes part in a practice session at a Sports Authority of India (SAI) gymnasium in Lucknow. | AFP under a different coach, has also become a local celebrity after winning silver at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

dreams, they would probably be married with children by now and with no prospect of a career in sports.

will miss home-cooked food in Rio, where she hopes to win gold and take Indian women’s wrestling to new heights.

“It’s so weird to see how people can change so suddenly, how they take interest in me now that I’m rising to the top, yet didn’t support me when I was starting out,” Sakshi said of villagers who are now flocking to take selfies and feed her sweets.

“My life is very special compared to my friends’. Some of them study a bit and then do household chores. The married ones are busy taking care of their husbands and babies,” said Sakshi, who also may tie the knot next year but whose “game comes first” right now.

But just as important is the prospect of wearing a saree at the August 5 opening ceremony.

All of the women now train in the national squad, flying around the world for competitions. But Sakshi and Vinesh agree that had their families not strongly backed their

For Vinesh, marriage is the last thing on her mind.

“It feels good to go to the opening ceremony, see our flag flying high and have fun walking in a saree,” Vinesh said enthusiastically, her hot pink nails contrasting with her broad, muscular build.

Sitting in her messy dorm room and cuddling her teddy bears, she talks about how she

“We usually never get to wear sarees or other girly stuff.”

Olympic torch parades through Rio ahead of Games

Mary Kom raises concern over training, diet of players

R

IO DE JANEIRO, Brazil | AFP | 8/3/2016 - The Olympic flame landed by boat in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday to a welcome committee of samba dancers, cheering crowds and small protests ahead of the opening ceremony.

After a torch relay passing through more than 300 towns and cities, the flame was taken

by Brazilian Olympic sailing heroes Lars and Torben Grael on a yacht crossing from Niteroi to a naval academy.

Mary Kom. Photo credit: PTI

N

Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes stood on the dock to receive the flame, which burned in a brass lamp and was then used to light the torch.

The mayor, widely seen as hoping to use the Olympics as a springboard for his presidential ambitions, then changed into sports clothes to start the relay through the host city. Costumed dancers and musicians from some of Rio’s most famous samba schools turned the occasion into a street party.

“Long live the Olympics and welcome to the Olympic flame in the most beautiful and incredible of all cities, the love of my life, Rio de Janeiro,” Paes said.

EW DELHI, PTI, Five-time world boxing champion and nominated member Mary Kom today expressed concern in Rajya Sabha over the training and the diet provided to players participating in international sporting events.

Lars Grael said his role in bringing the flame prompted “huge emotions.”AFP Photo.

Lars Grael said his role in bringing the flame prompted “huge emotions.”

The torch was then passed on, from hand to hand, in a route snaking through the historic city center. It will criss-cross the city before being taken into the Maracana stadium late Friday to light the cauldron in the opening ceremony.

Brazilians angry at the cost of the Olympics, failing social

services, economic decline and corruption have mounted numerous protests along the torch relay route.

between demonstrators and police last week in Angra dos Reis, a coastal resort south of Rio.

There are also tensions over a political crisis in which suspended president Dilma Rousseff faces being ejected from office within weeks, to be replaced by her enemy Michel Temer.

On Wednesday, AFP reporters saw two incidents in which police hustled away protesters.

One man held up a sign crudely insulting the torch and another man, who was among the torch relay runners, yanked down his shorts to reveal the words “Out with Temer” written on his backside.

The torch was briefly extinguished during violent clashes

Making her first intervention in the Upper House during Question Hour after she was nominated as a member in April, Kom expressed concern about proper training for the players as well as quality diet for them.

Stressing that the diet should be given to them on time, she said there were instances when the food had arrived just when the players were about to go for a match.

She also extended her best wishes to the Indian Olym-

pic contingent and hoped they would bring back laurels for the country.

Her intervention was lauded by the members with thumping of desks.

Minister of State for Sports Vijay Goel, however, said he will look into specific complaints, if any.

He said the government was spending as much as Rs 30 lakh to Rs one crore on training each of the 119 players representing India in the Rio Olympics and preparations for the next Olympics in Tokyo have also already started.

Special customised training was being provided to each of the players representing the country in the Olympics and government will try to provide the best training to budding players, he said.

Supermodel, dancers to lead Rio opening ceremony Daniela Thomas says.

- Dancing through history No one does big outdoor parties better than Rio -- think of the annual Carnival -- and music is at the heart of that.

Along with thousands of athletes parading behind their national flags, as well as a contingent of refugees, there’ll be hundreds of performers from a dozen local samba schools singing and dancing in wild costumes.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

by Sebastian Smith Supermodel Gisele Bundchen, transgender beauty Lea T, samba dancers and possibly football great Pele in a star role will embody Brazil’s multicolor glory at the Olympic opening ceremony Friday.

Rio has a hard act to follow after London 2012’s alternately humorous and jaw-droppingly sophisticated version.

This opening ceremony, held in a country suffering its deepest recession in almost a century, will be more modest.

Co-artistic chief Fernando Meirelles, who directed the hit

movies “City of God” and “The Constant Gardener,” has said his budget is a fraction of the London splurge.

But organizers promise to keep the more than 70,000strong crowd in Rio’s legendary Maracana stadium and the estimated three billion people watching it on television at the edge of their seats.

If Beijing 2008 was ostentatiously lavish and London quirky, Rio will try to capture Brazil’s amazing diversity, love of music -- and talent for fun.

“We want to have the biggest party there has ever been in this country,” co-artistic director

Two icons of Brazilian popular music, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, will feature. On the more contemporary side, there’ll be rappers and baile funk star Anitta.

Leaks from a closed-doors dress rehearsal on Sunday promise a run through the transformation of Brazil, including a light show to recreate the Atlantic Ocean crossed by Portuguese colonizers, depictions of slavery, a recreation of aviator Santos Dumont’s flight in the plane 14 Bis, and the founding of cities.

Another heavyweight theme in the show, which starts at 8:00 pm (2300 GMT) and lasts roughly four hours, will be global warming and Brazil’s

crucial role as home to the Amazon rainforest, reports say.

- Beauties One of the most famous Brazilians alive -- Bundchen, who retired from the catwalk in 2015 -- and pioneering transgender model Lea T will provide the glamor.

Bundchen’s role was mired in controversy this week when her scene in the dress rehearsal appeared to show an attempted mugging before police arrive and she forgives the assailant.

Responding to a wave of protest, organizers angrily denied ever having depicted an assault. A well-connected columnist in Globo newspaper said the crowd misinterpreted what was meant to be a skit about a street vendor, not a mugger.

In any case, Bundchen, who struts out to the classic Brazilian hit “Girl from Ipanema,” will be safe on Friday. “There will be no robbery,” a spokesman for organizers told AFP. Lea T, a transgender woman who has broken into the mainstream fashion industry,

is billed as being the first trans person to have a major role in an Olympic opening ceremony.

Born to Brazilian soccer player Toninho Cerezo, who was part of the national team between 1977 and 1985, Lea T told the BBC that she wants to embody Brazil’s diversity.

“Brazil is vast and all this diversity, in one way or another, needs to be represented in an event like this,” she said.

- Tensions It won’t be all smiles and samba.

Brazil is going through a major political crisis. The elected president, Dilma Rousseff, is suspended and likely to be ejected from office in an impeachment vote after the Games end.

She has refused to attend the ceremony, saying she will not accept “a secondary role” while her former vice president Michel Temer, now acting president, presides.

Temer is expected to say no more than one line or so declaring the Games open, but even that risks booing from opponents in the crowd.

“I am totally ready” for heck-

ling, he said.

Outside the stadium, security will be heavy in case of demonstrations by groups supporting Rousseff.

As for the A-level attendance, US President Barack Obama will be among the many heads of state keeping away. According to O Estado de Sao Paulo daily, the total of world leaders will be the lowest in 16 years.

- Surprise! One thing the rehearsal did not show is the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

The identity of the lucky person carrying the Olympic torch -- which has completed a more than 300-city relay -- to ignite the cauldron is also a mystery.

The big favorite is football legend Pele, probably the most famous Brazilian of all.

Pele said late Tuesday that he had been “personally” invited by the International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach but that he did not know yet if he would be available.

Pele has never played in the Olympics and NBC, the US network with exclusive broadcasting rights for the United States, suggests that organizers should look at Brazilian mara-

HOROSCOPE

VOICE OF ASIA 22

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

Your Horoscope for the Week of August 5, 2016 READ YOUR COMPLETE HOROSCOPE

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

ONLINE WWW.VOICEOFASIAONLINE.COM

Libra (R,T) 23 Sept to 22 Oct

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 April Travel for business or pleasure will be rewarding in many ways. Use your Karizma to get what you want. You’ll be surprised by the response you receive. Check out some of the courses offered in your community. You will need to start learning new skills if you want to keep up with the never-ending technological changes at work. Don’t become involved in dubious financial schemes.

You’ll be receptive to new ideas and concepts. Friendships could develop into serious partnerships. You must act quickly if you want to meet your deadlines. Don’t hesitate to ask others for favors owed. You have more allies than you think. Don’t let boredom stand in the way of doing a good job. Put some flair back into your work or move onto greater challenges. Attend motivational seminars that will help you to reach your potential. Don’t be angry with those who don’t show the same excitement regarding your projects.

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

Scorpio (N,Y) 23 Oct to 21 Nov

Take care of your family responsibilities first, spent time with them or include the ones you love in the events you attend. You may want to look into the nature of an organization before you donate or join it. Your partner will not put up with your possessiveness. Expect to get into a heated discussion. Self-improvement should be your goal. Sudden romantic infatuations may send you for a loop.

A long-term relationship will prove once again to be a source of security and delight for you. Your feelings have been mixed and you’ve been keeping them hidden. Loved ones will sense your mood and question you. It’s important that you keep youself cool and explain how you feel. Conversations could get out of hand if you are too quick to assume what others think. Ask the questions and you’ll get the truth.

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

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June You can avoid emotional issues with loved ones by being affectionate, fun loving and active. You’ll be able to make money if you investment in yourself. Your lover may not understand of your feelings. Be discriminating when discussing work. You won’t be able to trust some of your colleagues or clients. Keep your ideas to yourself for the time being. Find out all you can about your present position and the changes going on around you

Others may be concerned with adding to your purpose, but you need to focus on your immediate objectives. You’re playing for progress, so you’ll have little patience for detours or changes in plans. Somebody may try to slip something past you, be aware but don’t let on. Family and old friends are the best company for you right now. You’ll learn an important lesson. Sharing will be necessary. The messages will become clear and positive.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July Work on the projects that don’t require a lot of travel or communication. Take things in stride. You are best to busy yourself with personal projects. You should be thinking about a career move. Someone you work for is probably trying to hold you back.

Protect your reputation and prepare yourself for unexpected changes. It’s time to take a serious look at getting into shape before time and you have to shed some of those layers of files which are pending. Get busy talking to those individuals who can offer you mental stimulation.

Try to avoid the usual pitfalls and begin to make yourself happy. You need to express both your fears and your fantasies. Once you admit to the limitations you have, you’ll be able to communicate your dreams and perhaps even make some of them come true.

The world is far too exciting for petty or personal issues to interfere. Your energy will attract the attention of others. They’ll stand up and take notice of you.

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

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August You need to control your anger, it’s not difficult if you try for it. You will assess your life events & will realyze that it caused more losses due to anger. Use wisdom to get the work done. Don’t blame others for your own mistakes or unhappiness. New opportunities will come on your way if you are happy and positive about yourself. You need to make some personal changes in your life. Don’t be depressed.

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

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September Refuse to get dragged into the middle of an argument Or Don’t take sides of anyone.

Though your intentions are good to help others but nobody will understand it & it may cause problem for you. Need to go out and socialize with colleagues. If you can combine some work with pleasure, you will gain respect and help from those in a position to help you get ahead. If you made a promise to your family, you must not renege. Put everything else on hold. Emotional problems with family members will be disheartening.

QR

Your sense of humor will take control and make life interesting again. Try your best to get along with the majority and everything should run smoothly. If you sense a reluctance from others, don’t push it. If you like to help others, you can expect to have a rewarding time, this week. If you feel your patience is slipping away, you should avoid confrontation, at all costs. Invite someone special to visit an important place with you.

Normally you allow others more room, but you need to make sure that everybody is on the same page. It’s not that you are inflexible, but you need some assurance. If a smile and a handshake make you suspicious, maybe your intuition is working overtime.

A solid presentation of your ideas will generate instant success for you. Your word will be accepted as the unwritten law. What’s obvious to you may be brilliant to others. Your future is looking better all the time.

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Web / Digital Advertising Reach out locally and worldwide. Web banners, Video advertisements, classifieds online, product advertorials, news press releases, social media promotions to engage visibility for your business.

Classifieds

Place classifieds of any nature. Employment, Job Wanted, Car for Sale, Garage Sale, Business for Sale. We also offer them online. Call us for details.

Video Interviews

Engage audiences and gain viewership by displaying and talking about your product or service. Your video will be 3 to 5 minutes displayed on our website and on our YouTube channel. Call us for details.

Call us at: 713-774-5140

Amazing Opportunity!

If you invest a little over $2 a day (Less than the price of a cup of coffee) in VOICE OF ASIA, you can reach over 2 million potential customers!

VOICE OF ASIA NEWS GROUP

www.voiceofasiaonline.com • www.healthlinemag.com

To advertise, call: Phone: 713-774-5140 ads@voiceofasiagroup.com

CLASSIFIEDS Proof

VOICE OF ASIA 23

Houston Community College Request for Qualifications (RFQ) Spring Branch Campus Master Plan

Houston Community College Request for Qualifications (RFQ) Eastside Campus Master Plan

To Advertise in

Job Opportunity

Our

MAHESH DESAI, CPA, CFA, CFP

Project No. RFQ 16-44

Project No. RFQ 16-45

MAGAZINE

Sealed qualifications will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Wednesday, August 31, 2016.

Sealed qualifications will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Wednesday, August 31, 2016.

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

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

HEALTHLINE Call

Certified Public Accountant Need Full-time Office Assistant Must know MS Excel, Word, & Database Bachelor’s in Accounting or related field + Email Resume at: MDCPACFA@YAHOO.COM

713-774-5140 Check out www. healthlinemag. com

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY Head Off Your Next Angry Outburst

by Dana Rousmaniere When you’re angry or disappointed with a colleague, it can be tempting to dash off a text or email to say so. But an angry message sent in haste can ruin a relationship. Before communicating, ask yourself: What outcome do I want?

Think about your end goal and respond in a way that will achieve it.

What should I communicate? If, for example, you want to be in the loop on a project, saying “I’m concerned that you didn’t include me in that meeting” is clearly a better choice than “I can’t believe you didn’t include me!”

How should I communicate? If you listen to other people, they’ll most likely return the favor. Be curious and ask questions. Ask other people whether you’ve understood their perspective.

When should I communicate? Wait until you can approach the conversation with curiosity, compassion, and clarity, and until the other person is likely to be generous and calm. Adapted from “Outsmart Your Next Angry Outburst,” by Peter Bregman.

READ OUR HEALTHLINE MAGAZINE ONLINE

healthlinemag.com

Source: Adapted from “Outsmart Your Next Angry Outburst,” by Peter Bregman WWW.HBR.ORG

READ OUR HEALTHLINE MAGAZINE ONLINE

healthlinemag.com

VOICE OF ASIA Subscription Renewal Form Fax this form to: 713-774-5143 Scan and E-mail us: ads@voiceofasiagroup.com

Name: __________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________ City: ______________ State:___________ Zip:___________ Ph: ______________ E-mail:_________________________ Credit Card No: ____________________________________ Name on the Card: _________________________________ CVV #: __________ Exp Date:___________ Amount: $______ Signature: __________________________ One Year $30 Two Years $55 Five Years $100 We will mail 52 issues to your home or office!

8303 SW Freeway, Suite 350, Houston, TX 77074

Best Value!!!

6213 Skyline Drive, Suite 2100 Houston, Texas 77057

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VOICE OF ASIA 24

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A TED I V IN

FRIDAY, August 5, 2016

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WELLNESS EXPO

Empowering families to live healthy lives through education Get to know Healthcare businesses and Insurance Providers on a one-on-one basis.

WHEN: Saturday 10 AM - 4 PM September 17, 2016 WHERE: STAFFORD CENTRE - 20,000 sq.ft hall • Access Health

• HOPE Autism Non-Profit

• Know Autism

• Texas Caregiver

• Aetna Health Insurance

• Houston Community College

• Liberty Mutual Insurance

• The Medical Resort

• Ace Pain Management

• Houston Police Department

• Life Essentials

• The Rose

• Ayush Wave Ayurveda

• Home Instead Senior Care

• Lupus Foundation of America

• The Vitamin Shoppe

• Delta Life Bootcamp

• IACAN

• New York Life

• TTI Home Health Care

• DGN Factory

• IBN SINA Foundation

• NOVA Asset Management

• US Citrus

• Dr. Dip Jadav - Vision Care

• India Caregiver

• OakBend Medical Center

• Wellcare

• Distinctive Life Cremation

• Indian Doctors Association

• Santhigram Ayurveda

• Ft. Bend Regional Council

• Indian Nurses Association

• Secure Your Legacy

• Grand Canyon University

• Kelsey-Seybold Clinic

• Smiles on Greatwood

1. Autism Awareness

6. Diabetes screening

11. Health & Life Insurance

2. Blood Pressure Checks

7. Eating Healthy / Nutrition

12. Home Healthcare

3. Bone Marrow Drive

8. End of Life Planning

13. Lupus Awareness

4. Cancer Awareness

9. Eye Test / Screening

14. Vitamin Supplements

5. Dental Care

10. Get a Degree in Health

15. Wellness with Ayurveda

Krishna Sounds

Sponsors

Services

Participants

The most convenient place in Fort Bend County with easy access from major highways like 59, Main 90 and highway 6.

Meet and Greet Houston Police Department

Win Door Prizes Every 30 Minutes!

Part of our proceeds will go to benefit H.O.P.E non-profit organization to help Autistic children live better lives.

We thank these businesses for donating door prizes!

• Amzer • Beauty Pro-clip Hair Salon Gift cards • Britannia • Deep Foods • Escalante’s Sugar Land Restaurant • Greatwood Smiles • Nex Gen Radio • Prime Laser Center • Swasth Yoga Partnering with Indian Doctors Association

Stafford Fire Department Safety Display

Health Topics by Professionals to Benefit Families 10:30- 11 - The Rose Speaker: Chris Noble “Breast Cancer - Prevention and Treatment”

11:45 AM - 12:15 PM Fort Bend Regional Council Payal Patani and Lauren Ibekwe.

“Drug Trends Among Youth and What Parents Need to Know”

12:30 PM - 1 PM Know Autism Non-Profit Judy Blake, Founder, Understanding Autism Detecting Autism in Early Childhood

For details, please call: 713-774-5140 or Email: ads@voiceofasiagroup.com

• FREE ENTRY, FREE PARKING • FREE HEALTH CHECKUPS • FOOD VENDORS