Voice of Asia E paper January 15 2016

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Vol. 29 No. 3 Friday, January 15, 2016 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 20 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

Six Indians Obama tells anxious killed in US to embrace change Oklahoma road accident W

O

KLAHOMA, Jan. 13, 2016 - Six Indians, including four of a family, were killed in Oklahoma when their speeding minivan collided head-on with a tractortrailer on a highway under wet road conditions, police said.

The accident that occurred on Highway 69 in Mayes County near Chouteau in rural Oklahoma last week killed Bhaskar Jha, his wife, Annu Jha and their two children aged 1 and 3.

Bhaskar, who hails from Madhubani district in Bihar, was driving the ill-fated vehicle on January 8 and apparently lost control because he was travelling too fast for the wet road conditions, The Kansas City Star reported.

The report also identified the fifth deceased as Agni Pal Singh. The sixth was a woman, who was not identified by police.

Investigators said it was raining at the time of the crash and the minivan was driving too fast for those conditions. They added that the area of the highway between the towns of Mazie and Chouteau is especially dangerous during bad weather.

Bhaskar’s relatives in New Delhi said that he was working as a senior associate with Cognizant Technology Solution for over one year and that the news was broken to them by company officials.

“We are still waiting for the dead bodies and it has already been five days since the accident took place,” said Bhaskar’s younger brother Prem Shankar Jha. They said Singh was Bhaskar’s colleague and the sixth deceased person was the former’s wife. Their eightmonth-old child is the lone survivor of the mishap and is undergoing treatment for serious injuries.

Mr. Prem said he has approached the Ministry of External Affairs and requested its intervention to speed up the process of repatriation of the dead bodies. PTI.

ASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2016 - President Barack Obama told Americans nervous about terror and a changing economy that they should not fear the future, in a farewell State of the Union address Tuesday that drew sharp contrast with Republicans.

In a primetime address that bubbled with 2016 election politics, Obama assailed Republicans for talking up the threat posed by the Islamic State group and talking down the American economy.

A self-assured and optimistic Obama cast himself as the foil of foes who warn the country is going in the wrong direction because of his seven years in office.

Hailing an epoch of “extraordinary change” laden with risk and opportunity, Obama called for a new “moonshot” to cure cancer, a shift away from dirty energy to power the world’s biggest economy and for a thaw in the last remnants of the Cold War by ending the embargo on Cuba.

Continued on page 9

President Barack Obama waves at the conclusion of his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, 12 January, 2016. AFP photo.

Nikki Haley burned Donald Trump in her SOTU response

by Andrew Romano January 12, 2016

ments that were celebrated in Israel and protested in Iran, not the other way around.”

M

uch of President Obama’s final State of the Union address was an implicit rebuke of the angry, nativist forces that have propelled Donald Trump to the top of nearly every Republican presidential primary poll.

But the most memorable parts of Haley’s speech were the ones directed at The Donald and his followers.

“Today, we live in a time of threats like few others in recent memory,“ Haley said. “During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation.”

But the American people didn’t just hear one anti-Trump speech Tuesday night. They heard two.

And the remarkable thing is that the other speech came from a member of Trump’s own party: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

Making it clear that Trump was her target, Haley immediately moved on to his signature issue: immigration.

“No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws, and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country,” she said. “I have no doubt that if we act with proper focus, we can protect our borders, our sovereignty and our citizens, all while remaining true to America’s noblest legacies.”

Never before has a SOTU responder used the address to criticize his or her party’s presidential frontrunner. Which just goes to show how divided the GOP is right now — and how much anxiety mainstream Republicans are feeling over Trump’s continued dominance.

To be sure, Haley hit the usual marks in her response.

She criticized Obama, pointing to “a crushing national debt, a health care plan that has made insurance less affordable and doctors less available, and chaotic unrest in many of our cities” as proof that his “record has often fallen far short of his soaring words.”

She also claimed that a Republican

Nikki Haley and Donald Trump. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images. president would do better.

“We would end a disastrous health care program and replace it with re-

forms that lowered costs and actually let you keep your doctor,” Haley said.

“We would make international agree-

Haley is herself the daughter of Indian immigrants. But for much of her governorship — she was elected in 2010 and reelected in 2014 — she was hardly a civil rights crusader. During her initial run for governor, Haley even opposed removing the Confederate battle flag from the grounds of the Continued on page 9

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USA TODAY’s opinions

editorial

R

ather than focusing on a detailed agenda for his final year, one unlikely to go anywhere in the Republican-controlled Congress, President Obama used his final State of the Union Address to call for more cooperation, outline the broad challenges and opportunities the nation faces, and argue that things are not as bleak as many of his critics contend.

“The future we want — opportunity and security for our families; a rising standard of living and a sustainable, peaceful planet for our kids — all that is within our reach,” Obama said Tuesday. “But it will only happen if we work together.”

At least domestically, his defense of his record and optimistic pitch were credible, particularly in contrast to the Republican Party’s increasingly derisive, divisive and apocalyptic rhetoric.

As the president noted, 14 million jobs have been created since the economy bottomed out in 2010, helping to drive down the unemployment rate from a high of 10% to 5%. The stock market is up 100% on Obama’s watch. Automakers that were once left for dead are struggling to meet demand amid record sales. Home prices have recovered. Teen pregnancies and abortions are down. High school graduation rates are up.

And thanks to, yes, Obamacare, more Americans have health insurance than ever.

Yet Obama’s speech was not universally received as a victory lap, nor should it have been. In fact, Obama himself expressed regret for his inability to bridge a rancorous partisan divide in U.S. politics.

When the president pivoted to foreign policy, his dismissal of

- The Publisher

cent were below the age group of 20 years, among Muslims 52 per cent and Jains 35 per cent.

Overall, life cycles of different religious communities in the country have shown common trends of declining proportion of children and teenagers and increasing share of elderly citizens, the 2011 data showed.

The proportion of elderly people in the country has risen across all communities as life spans have generally increased.

According to the Census data, people of the age of 60 years and above make up about nine per cent of the country’s total population.

Interestingly, among the Muslims, just 6.4 per cent of the population is over 60 years, almost 50 per cent lower than the national average. Among Jains and Sikhs, the share of elderly is around 12 per cent each.

Age-wise population shares reveal another important aspect of the lives of people - dependency. Both children and the elderly are dependent on the able and adult population.

Young Indian Muslim boys holding India’s flag. Photo credit India Tribune.com

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The share of the young population has, however, declined in the country since the previous census in 2001 when it was 45 per cent for the whole country.

Forty-seven per cent of Muslims are aged below 20 years, the highest among all religious communities, while children

For Obama, turmoil abroad detracts from success at home: Our view his critics’ rhetoric as “political hot air” was considerably less convincing, largely because he has presided during an unnerving unraveling of world order.

The Islamic State (also known as ISIL or ISIS), barely extant at the outset of the Obama presidency, controls large swaths of Syria and Iraq. ISIL affiliates and radical groups are menacing numerous nations in the Middle East and Africa.

Leaders of Russia, China and other powers have decided that they can get away with territorial expansions and autocratic crackdowns.

Obama ‘regrets’ deeper divide between political parties | 01:46 President Obama addressed Washington’s lack of bipartisanship during his final State of the Union address. The widening gap between political parties is ‘one of the few regrets’ he has about his presidency.

The nuclear deal with Iran, touted again Tuesday night by Obama, has had scant impact on the Tehran regime’s nasty behavior — a fact brought home by the awkward prespeech news that 10 American sailors were being held by Iran, apparently after their two small vessels strayed into Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf. Obama didn’t mention that.

Much of the global disarray is not Obama’s fault. But the president has made a series of tactical errors that added to the

State of the Union Address on Jan. 12, 2016. (Photo: Andrew P. Scott, USA TODAY) turmoil, including withdrawing all U.S. forces from Iraq, maintaining a hands-off policy toward Syria’s catastrophic civil war, and initially underestimating the threat from ISIL.

it. As for the larger project the president outlined — fixing American politics — that will fall into the category of unfinished business.

If Obama wants to sell the notion of a consequential and successful presidency, he has much work to do, particularly on the national security front.

And with one year and one week left in his presidency, he’s running out of time to do

USA TODAY’s editorial opinions are decided by its Editorial Board, separate from the news staff. Most editorials are coupled with an opposing view — a unique USA TODAY feature.

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41% of India’s popln below 20 yrs, Muslims have highest young

EW DELHI, Jan 13, 2016 (PTI) - Around 41 per cent of India’s population is below the age of 20 years with Muslims having the highest proportion of children and teenagers among all religions, according to just released Census 2011 data.

FRIDAY, January 15, 2016

and teenagers make up 40 per cent of the Hindu population, according to the 2011 data.

As per the Census data, just 29 per cent population among the Jains are in the age group of 0-19 years while among the Christians, it is 37 per cent, Sikhs 35 per cent and Buddhist 37 per cent.

Among India’s total population, around 41 per cent is below 20 years old and nine per cent above 60 years, leaving 50 per cent in the intervening 2059 age group.

According to 2001 census data, among the Hindus, 44 per

Overall, the young dependency ratio -- the number of children aged up to 15 years dependent on every 1,000 members of the working age population -- has declined from 621 in 2001 to 510 in 2011. This is a direct consequence of declining number of children.

At the other end of life spectrum, the old dependency ratio has increased from 131 in 2001 to 142 in 2011, in accordance with the growing elderly population.

Across religious communities, Muslims have the highest total dependency ratio of 748 compared to the lowest ratio for Jains which is just 498. For Hindus, the ratio is 640

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OUSTON, (Dec, 25, 2015) - Indian Christian Ecumenical Community of Houston (ICECH), celebrated the 34TH Annual Christmas Celebrations with love, joy, peace and happiness, held on the evening of December 25th 2015, 5pm at St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Auditorium.

Tel: 713-774-5140

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Houston Ecumenical Christmas Celebrations and Carol Service

The auditorium was packed with the Vicars and members from 18 churches from around Houston participated in excellent variety of colorful entertainment programs such as choir, dances, skits and tableau all based upon the Christian theme with Christmas message, celebrating the birth of Baby Jesus, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Young talented artists from all the churches showed wonderful joyous performances that made this a highly successful program.

The program started with an opening Christmas hymn “ O Come All ye faithful Joyful and triumphant” lead by the ICECH Choir where the Vicars and Chief Guests were walked to the stage in a procession. Rev. Fr. Abraham Zachariah, Vice-President of ICECH lead the program with the starting statements and plans of the evening, followed by an opening prayer by the President of ICECH, Very Rev. Zachariah Punnoose Cor Episcopa. ICECH also kept a moment of silence, in respect to the loss of one among the founder of ICECH, Late Rev. Fr. Joseph Kalladen. Dr.

Vicars with Rt. Rev. Dr. GeeVarghese (center) Mar Theodosius Episcopa , Bishop of Mar Thoma Church North America & Europe Diocese. Photo credit: Johnson Varughese (JV) Photography.

Choir presented Christmas special melodies.

Mrs. Anna K. Philip, Secretary of ICECH gave the welcome speech followed by the Presidential address by the Very Rev. Zachariah Punnoose Cor Episcopa, continued with the scripture reading by Ms. Aleena Santhosh and Rahul Varghese. Followed by a special Christmas semi

classical melodious song in Malayalam “ Glory to God in the Highest” and “Peace of Earth” by the ICECH Choir, directed by Mr. Abraham Varughese. Mr. Moses Panicker, Program Coordinator of ICECH introduced the MCs of the program followed by Rev. Mathews Philip,

be utilized for charity work. Offertory Hymn followed by the offertory prayer by Rev. K. B. Kuruvilla. Rev. Kochu Koshy Abraham (PRO) gave brief announcements of the forth coming events of ICECH. After the Youth band’s Christmas praise and worship songs, Ms. Emil Simon delivered the powerful short message for the youth. Many churches presented different entertainment program with small children, youth and adults, including Christian based dances in colorful costumes, skit, tableau with manger scenes, carols in Malayalam and English which add flavor to the Christmas day evening celebrations. The fund raised during the ICECH Cultural Program of this year, was presented by Mr. Robin M Philip, Treasurer of ICECH and President V. Rev. Zachariah Punnoose Cor Episcopa , to Rev. Alpha Varghese, St.Thomas CSI Church of Greater Houston, for the Madhya Kerala Diocese Odisha Mission.

ICECH Treasurer Mr. Robin M. Philip expressed the vote of thanks.

Ms. Indira James and Mr.Geordie Daniel were the MCs of the program ,done a wonderful job. Program ended with a closing prayer and benediction by Rev. Fr. Binu Joseph. All programs were planned, coordinated and directed under the guidance of the dedicated ICECH executive committee members V. Rev. Zachariah Punnoose Cor Episcopa , Rev. Fr. Abraham Zachariah

Young members performing. introduced the main speaker and chief guest of the evening. The chief guest of the program was Rt. Rev. Dr. GeeVarghese Mar Theodosius Episcopa , Bishop of Mar Thoma Church North America & Europe Diocese. Christmas message was delivered by Thirumeni on this occa-

sion. His Grace emphasized the fact that we must have the wisdom to see mankind’s sorrows and problem, not within the religious boundaries but beyond that.

Rev. Dr. Saju Mathew informed the audience about the funds that will be collected by offerings, will

, Dr. Anna K. Philip, Mr. Robin M. Philip, Rev. Kochu Koshy Abraham, Rev. Fr. Wilson Antony, Mr. Moses Panicker , Mr. Thomas Vaikathesseril. Along with the committee, several volunteers of 18 churches , MCs and ICECH choir members worked hard for the success of 34th Christmas celebrations.

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VOICE OF ASIA 4

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

Suit based on credit card default must be filed within four years Q. Three years ago, a credit card company filed a lawsuit against me. I answered the lawsuit. I heard nothing for almost two years, until I received a notice of hearing on a motion for summary judgment. Isn’t there a four-year statute of limitations for lawsuits?

Shouldn’t this case now be dismissed?

A. The statute of limitation is the legal time-period within which a lawsuit must be filed. A lawsuit filed after the statute has run can be dismissed. For credit card lawsuits, the statute of limitations is four years. Based on what you say, the lawsuit was filed well within the statutory time limit. The fact that it has continued for another three years, and it is now more than four years since your default, does not matter. The statute of limitations applies to the date the lawsuit is filed, not when it is finally resolved.

Q. I read that I am not liable if a thief forges my name on one of my checks. When I reported this to my bank, it said I am responsible because I waited too long to report it.

Who is right?

A. Actually, both statements are correct. As far as the law is concerned, you have no liability if someone steals your check and forges your name. On the other hand, the law also requires that you promptly report the forgery. Be sure to immediately review your bank statement and report any irregularity to the bank. Many banks have very short time-periods within which forgeries must be reported.

Q. My father recently passed away. I was named executor in his will. My father lived in an apartment and owned very little. I discovered, however, that he did owe a lot of money to a few credit card companies. Now the credit card companies want to be paid.

As executor, am I responsible for my father’s debts?

A. The executor is the person in charge of putting the terms of a will into effect. The primary role of the executor is gathering up the assets of the estate and distributing them to the creditors and beneficiaries of the deceased. In the event that the estate does not have sufficient assets to pay the deceased debts, the executor is not responsible. I suggest you contact the creditors and let them know your father has died and that there are no assets in his estate.

Q. I have one of my daughters named as the beneficiary of a CD. I just prepared a will dividing all of my property between my two daughters. Does my will apply to the CD, or do I have to change the named beneficiary?

A. Your will does not affect beneficiaries named in other accounts, such as a CD, IRA or 401k. The daughter named as the beneficiary will be entitled to all of the money in the CD, as well as half of your other assets. If you want your daughters to divide the proceeds of the CD, you need to change the beneficiary designation.

Q. Do you still publish a free consumer newsletter? How do I subscribe? How often is it published?

A. I continue to publish a consumer alert newsletter, and it is distributed three times a week by email. The Consumer News Alert contains shopping and financing advice, product recalls, information about the law and a daily “Consumer Tip.” There also is an update section just for lawyers. The News Alert is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, simply go to my website below.

FRIDAY, January 15, 2016

Hindus of Greater Houston’s new president is Parthasarathy n outstanding community organizer, Parthasarathy Krishnaswamy, literally lives up to his name and preserves the reputation the name enjoys among Hindus.

Lord Krishna is known as Parthasarathy, as the charioteer for the warrior Arjun in the epic Mahabharat.

A

The board of directors of Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH) unanimously named Parthasarathy Krishnaswamy to take the reins of the organization as its president commencing January 2016. In the last seven years, as the lead organizer of the communitywide Janmashtami, the signature event of the HGH, Partha-ji’s face has become synonymous with Janmashtami at George R. Brown Convention Center.

Rolling up his sleeves and getting his hands dirty, he dos not lead from behind, but jumps into the fray head-on to accomplish the mission.

His contributions are not confined to the HGH alone. His active participation in Bharathi Kalai Manram of Houston, Tamil Nadu Foundation and Katy Indian Cultural Association and several others are well known.

Born in a very religious and historic place of Srirangam (Trichy in the South of India), brought up and schooled in the metropolitan city of Bombay, graduating in engineering from Baroda, Partha-ji has spent nearly 20 years in Dubai, before settling in Houston in 2001.

Partha-ji has imbibed and understood various cultures, languages and religions. His fluency in Tamil, Hindi and Gujarati is commendable. With an ever smiling face and ease of communication, never displaying any frustration in public, Partha-ji has won over the entire Hindu-American community.

Eight years ago when HGH decided to formalize its Board of Directors, Partha-ji was interviewed by founder members

Raj Syal, Vijay Pallod, the late Padmakant Khambatti, and the late Hari Kewalramani. With his spontaneous response to strengthen the organization, the board selected him as the vice president.

Partha Krishnaswamy has been the Vice President since then under three presidents of Parthasarathy Krishnaswamy HGH: Girish Naik, Sharad Amin and Anshuman Desai, making him very familiar with Vice President of FloaTEC, a the workings of the organiza- company engaged in deepwater offshore technology in the Oil tion. and Gas sector. He is married Partha-ji is also a founder to Indrani Parthasarathy, direcmember of the Katy Indian tor of a classical dance instiCultural Association, an or- tute and who has continuously ganization formed in 2004 to contributed toward the cultural promote Indian culture and program section of Janmashtabusinesses in Katy. He is a part mi. They are blessed with two of the organizing committee sons who are graduates from that has been celebrating its Texas A&M University and are Navrathri Garbha every year. currently working in Houston.

The event became so popular “In the past eight years as that the Garbha was organized Vice President of HGH, I had for a second day last year. the opportunity to learn from He also served as the Presi- community leaders, and be dent of Bharathi Kalai Manram, supported by a great team of a Tamil cultural organization in cheerful and enthusiastic volHouston, during its 40th year unteers. I am fortunate to have such wonderful support and I anniversary in 2014.

He was instrumental in ob- am humbled by the opportutaining a special grant from the nity to serve as the president of City of Houston and also bag- HGH,” Partha-ji says.

Highly energetic and willging a proclamation from the Mayor of Houston declaring ing to volunteer, he believes in 28 August 2014 as BKM day. “making a difference” in whatHis focused efforts to stage ever project he undertakes. His the Broadway style historical focus now is to make HGH a dance drama of a novel by a thread or a chain that connects renowned Indian writer, with all other like-minded organi78 talented individuals from zations and temples forming a Houston set the bar high for fu- beautiful garland representing ture productions in the Houston a strong and united Hindu community.

Indian community.

With strong support from Partha-ji also was seen managing the stage at several events the Advisory board and felof charitable organizations such low committee members, as “Udavum Karangal”, “Tamil Parthasarathy Krishnaswamy Nadu foundation” and the “In- hopes and expects to continue the good work by HGH and ternational Yoga Day.” expand the outreach of HGH a Professionally, Partha-ji is the notch further.

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COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 5

FRIDAY, January 15, 2016

27th Annual Aids Walk HousIndia Culture Center, ton “Red Umbrella Stroll” Takes Houston elects its new EC Place On Sunday, March 6 Annual event helps local AIDS service organizations provide programs and services to thousands of Houstonians impacted by HIV/AIDS HOUSTON, TEXAS — AIDS Foundation Houston (AFH) hosts the 27th annual AIDS Walk Houston, presented

by Marathon Oil, on Sunday, March 6, 2016, at Sam Houston Park in Downtown Houston. This signature event is the city’s single greatest response in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Funds raised help local HIV/ AIDS service organizations provide programs and services to thousands of Houstonians impacted. A goal of $600,000 has been set and more than 6,000 Houstonians are expected to gather to remember family and friends and to honor those living with HIV/AIDS. AIDS Foundation Houston, now in its 34th year, is the first organization in Texas to provide dedicated HIV education and services. AIDS Walk Houston is the agency’s largest annual fundraiser that simultaneously garners touch-points

and awareness of HIV and AIDS related issues within the greater Houston community.

The 5K walk benefits HIV/ AIDS services organizations and supports almost 30,000 Houstonians currently living with HIV/ AIDS. The funds that participants raise provide individuals with education, pediatric programs, housing, food, medical care, counseling and job training. Benefitting agencies include: AIDS Foundation Houston, Inc.; Baylor College of Medicine – Teen Health Clinic; Bering Omega Community Services; Bering Support Network; Brentwood Community Foundation; Change Happens!;

FLAS, Inc.; Lazarus House; LIVE Consortium; Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church; and the T.R.U.T.H. Project, Inc. Additional organizations that would benefit from participating are invited to apply.

Free to register and participate; fundraising efforts are appreciated. Visit www.AIDSWalkHouston.org for details and registration.

Odissi classical dance Rangapravesh in Cypress TX anani Hariharan gave a solo performance of Odissi Dance at the Berry Center Theater, Cypress, Texas last month.

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I

ndia Culture Center, Houston (ICC) the oldest community wide organization in Houston held the elections to fill in the Executive Committee posts for 2016. The elections were held on Sunday January 10th at India house and all the positions were filled in unanimously.

The ICC executive team is Rajiv Bhavsar, President. Falguni Gandhi, Vice President.

Ajit Patel, Treasurer and Sanjay Sohoni, Secretary. Charlie

Janani has been involved in performing arts from the tender age of 3. She initially learned Bharatanatyam for a couple of years, but later she was introduced to Odissi dance. She has been a student of Kalaangan School of Odissi Dance under Smt. Supradipta Dutta.

gramme with Mokshya Mangalam.

As part of Rangapravesh. Janani enthralled the audience with her Odissi Solo Dance.

Beginning with Mangalacharan an invocatory item, she performed popular items of Pallavi, Brajaku Choro Asichhi, Saveri a lyrical piece of pure dance in elaboration of both music and dance, Ardhanareeswar which described the contrasting yet complimen-

Rajiv Bhavsar, (seated left), President. Falguni Gandhi, Vice President. Ajit Patel, Treasurer (both seated right) and Sanjay Sohoni, Secretary. Outgoing president Charlie Patel, seen standing (right).

Janani Hariharan tary attributes of the Shiva (masculine) and Shakti (feminine) energies of the Universe and concluded the pro-

The Brajaku Choro Asichhi, based on the Oriya poem by the great medival poet Banamali Das, was a masterpiece as this was an expression based piece portraying an episode where a very patient Mother Yashoda tried to put a toddler Krishna to bed at

Patel would continue as Immediate Past President in the Executive Committee.

The Election Committee constituted Jawahar Malhotra, Girish Pandya and Sam Merchant.

The other Board of Directors are-- Col Raj Bhalla, Veena Kaul, Nirmala Patel, Sapna Shah, Harshad Patel, Nisha Mirani, Keka Kar, Dilip Dadhich, Pramod Bengani, Manisha Gandhi and Sangita Dua.

night.

The evening was a quite memorable one and the program was well attended by invitees.

Apart from being a dancer, Janani is also an accomplished vocalist. She has also participated as a singer in many light music shows and vocal competitions. She has just started training young talents in carnatic vocal and dance. She is an MBA in Management of Technology from the University of Houston, Clear Lake. She works as a Category Analyst at Sysco Corporation.

The Trustees for ICC are Swapan Dhairyawan, Meera Kapur, Vijay Pallod, Hasu Patel, Lachhman Das, Parul Fernandes and Sangeeta Pasrija.

The next signature event of ICC is the 67th Republic day celebrations at Stafford Center.

The day long event is themed as Vibrant India. The program this time has activities for one and all. The essay competition will be for ages 10-15 years on “ What it is like growing up as Indian American in Greater Houston?” The ICC quiz will be for kids ages 10-15 years covering topics Geography, history, culture, sports, music, Bollywood. The event will have 45+ booths and the cultural program will be showcasing a versatile local talent of over 250+ participants. The Mom and me talent contest will also be first of its kind.

For more information about the event visit www.icchouston.org

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 6

FRIDAY, January 15, 2016

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is Next Day Pothole first in Fort Bend to offer unique pain-control Repair Rate Hits procedure for breast cancer surgery 96%

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UGAR LAND— (December 30, 2015) — Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital recently performed Fort Bend’s first PECS II block, a procedure to minimize the pain of breast cancer surgery.

PECS II is a relatively new pre-surgery approach to pain management. Using ultrasound technology, the anesthesiologist identifies the exact location of two major pectoral nerves and “blocks” them from pain with injections of a local anesthetic and a steroid. The procedure requires the anesthesiologist to place the medications at the precise depth between the layers of thoracic wall muscles to ensure the block is successful. Working together, the two medications numb the surgical area for 24 to 36 hours, reducing the patient’s discomfort during the most difficult part of recovery.

The procedure was performed on Brenda Murray of Missouri City by anesthesiologist Karl Nazareth, M.D., prior to a partial mastectomy and lymph node dissection/ biopsy performed by Michelle Shen, M.D., and reconstructive work by Melissa Crosby, M.D. Murray was pain-free long after the surgery thanks to the new technique.

“I read that some patients have a lot of pain after their mastectomy surgery, especially when lymph nodes are involved,” says Murray. “But I didn’t have any pain at all, and I was back to my old self in no time. I even went to the grocery store three days after my surgery!”

Breast cancer surgery can be extremely painful, requiring a recovery period of days or even weeks when patients must rely on powerful opioids for pain management. With the PECS II pain procedure, however, patients typically require minimal pain medication and are much more comfortable in the days im-

Mayor Sylvester Turner

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Karl Nazareth, M.D., Brenda Murray, Michelle Shen, M.D.

mediately following their procedure. Murray, however, did not take any pain medication following her surgery.

“Reducing or eliminating the use of narcotic or opioid pain medications is important because they often have side effects,” says Nazareth.

“Some of those side effects can be quite serious, such as respiratory depression. Others – such as extreme drowsiness or constipation – can inhibit the healing process or add to the patient’s discomfort. With PECS II blocks, many patients need smaller doses of pain medication, if any at all, and they may get up and move about with less discomfort much sooner.”

Nazareth said the use of PECS II may reduce the need for an overnight hospital stay following some forms of breast cancer surgery.

“One of the main reasons patients stay overnight postoperatively is to ensure that we can control their pain,” he said. “The goal of the PECS II block, is to keep patients comfortable enough to return home.”

For more information about Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, visit

houstonmethodist.org/sugarland or call 281.274.7500 for a physician referral.

OUSTON - The formal rollout of Mayor Sylvester Turner’s pothole initiative is still a week away, but the City has already achieved an impressive oneday repair rate of nearly ninetysix percent for potholes reported to the City’s 311 Help and Information line.

In his inaugural address, Mayor Turner announced that potholes reported to the City’s 311 Help and Information line will be assessed and addressed by the next business day. In the week since that announcement, pothole reports to 311 have skyrocketed from a daily average of 22 to more than 100 a day. 96 percent of those that are actual potholes are being assessed and repaired by the next business day.

“This is a priority for my administration,” said Mayor Turner. “The numbers at this early stage of the effort are impressive. We have streamlined operations and our departments are working better together as a team. The payoff is an increased performance level that our residents not only expect, but also deserve.”

Between January 4, 2016, and midnight on January 11, 2016, a total of 550 pothole service requests were received by 311.

Of these requests, 316 were potholes and were repaired by the next business day. The rest were not potholes, were duplicate requests, posed no safety hazard or were the responsibility of the Texas Department of Transportation or another

agency. During the same time period, the City proactively assessed and repaired 1,246 additional potholes.

Based on the data gathered during this “soft launch” period, it is believed this more ambitious pothole repair program can be accomplished within the existing budget through the end of the current fiscal year in June.

The City has expanded its definition of a pothole from four square feet or smaller to street conditions that are approximately 5 feet across or up to 25 square feet. All potholes will be repaired by the next business day, unless it is too cold for the asphalt to adhere to the surface, the road is wet or materials and equipment are not available. Service requests that turn out not to be potholes will be placed on a priority report to the mayor that includes the proposed action and timeline.

The formal rollout of the program will include the debut of a new website, www.houstonpotholes.org, as well as an automated customer notification process that will be managed by the Mayor’s Citizens Assistance Office. Every constituent reporting a pothole will be contacted by email or phone about the status of their request.

Residents do not need to wait until the formal rollout next week to report potholes. Download the 311 app available from iTunes and Google, call 311 or visit www.houstontx.gov/311.

Houston Baptist University And Houston Symphony Offer Free Community Concert Friday, January 15, 2016

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Teddy Abrams

OUSTON (January 5, 2015) – Widely acclaimed young conductor, composer and pianist Teddy Abrams will lead the Houston Symphony in a free community concert at the Dunham Theater in Houston Baptist University’s Morris Cultural Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, January 15.

The program will begin with one of Abrams’ original compositions, Fiddling, that will show off the technical ability of the Houston Symphony string players.

Abrams is music director of the Louisville Orchestra and has performed with and conducted ensembles worldwide. He studied conducting

at both the Curtis Institute of Music and the Aspen Music Festival and was the youngest conducting student ever accepted at both institutions.

Next on the program will be Copland’s Suite from Billy the Kid, a 1938 ballet about the teenage outlaw that is famous for incorporating cowboy tunes and American folk songs. The performance

will conclude with Tchaikovsky’s emotionally powerful Symphony No. 4, a staple of the orchestral repertoire and one of the composer’s best works.

The concert is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Houston Baptist University is located at 7502 Fondren Rd, Houston, TX.

DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 7

FRIDAY, January 15, 2016

Indian American community Government considering Aadhaar Card for NRIs: External Affairs lauded at PBD in U.S. WASHINGTON: Monday, 11 January 2016 - The transformational role played by the Indian American community in the development of India-U.S. relations and its future potential were underscored by India’s Ambassador to the U.S. Arun K. Singh.

Opening an event to celebrate the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at the Indian embassy here on Friday, he also highlighted the importance of the day.

The event was well attended with enthusiastic participation

by the Indian American community members representing various sectors including the government, business, professionals, artists, journalists and students.

Swadesh Chatterjee, a Padma Bhushan awardee from North Carolina, gave a talk on “Building Bridges: How Indian Americans Brought the U.S. and India closer together”.

Chatterjee recently published a book highlighting the contribution of Indian Americans in various fields including energy

Minister Sushma Swaraj

cooperation.

Satyam Priyadarshy, president of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), which has 61 chapters across 17 countries, spoke on “India’s Flagship Projects and Indian Americans: Promising Possibilities”.

He also underscored the ways in which the Indian American community can contribute to the India’s organically connected flagship projects like Smart City Mission, Skill India, Digital India, Make In India and Swachh Bharat.

Indian American entrepreneur Frank Islam receives UP Ratna Award

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ASHINGTON, 07 January 2016 - Azamgarh-born Indian American entrepreneur and philanthropist Frank Islam has been awarded the inaugural UP Ratna award for his contribution as a son of Uttar Pradesh.

Islam praised the Uttar Pradesh government for engaging the diaspora through the Pravasi Diwas and instituting a mechanism to engage the diaspora in a serious and meaningful way for the development of the state.

Offering to help the state especially in the field of education, an area that is close to his heart, Islam said: “I’m convinced that the best way for Uttar Pradesh to realize its vast potential is to empower people by education and economic mobility.”

The entrepreneur last year

In her address to the first limited edition of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, Swaraj said it has been decided that women workers will be allowed to go to Gulf countries for employment only through government agencies to ensure they are not duped by recruiting agents or firms.

The PBD, webcast by almost all Indian Missions and Posts, was organised for the first time

by External Affairs Ministry (MEA) after the government’s decision to merge Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) with it.

Earlier MOIA used to host the event. January 9 was chosen as the day for PBD as it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi, the “greatest Pravasi”, returned home from South Africa to lead India’s freedom struggle.

Asking the diaspora to participate in government’s various flagship programmes including Skill India, Digital India and Clean Ganga initiatives, she said Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants the Aadhaar card scheme to be extended to NRIs.

An Indian American friend, Dr. Fazal Khan, received the award on Islam’s behalf from UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on the opening day of the inaugural UP Pravasi Diwas in Agra on Monday.

Islam, who came to the US in the early 1970s to study at University of Colorado, said the “award means much to me and I am most pleased to accept it with the humility that I have learned as a son of Uttar Pradesh.”

NEW DELHI: PTI | 9 Jan, 2016 - The government is considering giving Aadhaar cards to Non-Resident Indians and a decision on it will be taken soon, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today while inviting the diaspora community to actively participate in India’s growth story.

announced a $2 million contribution to Aligarh Muslim University, for building a new school of management with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation.

Islam, who has also pledged to provide considerable financial support to develop a technical training school for women in Azamgarh, said he intends to support more such educational initiatives in UP “Education is the best way that we can build an economy commensurate with the size and potential of the state,” he said, pointing out that Uttar Pradesh, despite its massive size and population has a GDP of just $130 billion.

Washington DC, which has just 0.3 percent of UP’s population, has an economy roughly

the size of Uttar Pradesh.

Islam said creating an NRI department is a great first step towards engaging the diaspora.

“Uttar Pradesh has not been able to harness the power of the diaspora the way states such as Gujarat and Kerala have been able to do,” he said.

“Non-resident Gujaratis and Keralites have made significant and sustainable contributions to the development of their states. Similarly, let us also roll up our sleeves and step up to the plate.”

“So far Aadhar card has been given to those Indians who live in India. It is not for non-resident Indians. But you will be happy to know that the Prime Minister wants the card to be given to the NRIs the way it is issued to people living in India.

“He even wants it for OCI (Overseas Citizens of India card) holders. The matter is un-

der our consideration. No decision has been taken as discussions on it are underway. I hope soon you will hear about it,” Swaraj said during an interaction following her address.

The government has so far issued Aadhaar cards to over 92 crore citizens. Under the programme, every citizen is to be provided with a 12-digit unique identification number for which biometric information is collected.

On restricting women from going to Gulf countries through the recruiting agencies, she said the decision has been taken to stop them from getting duped.

Calling upon the diaspora to be part of the India growth story, she said “It is time for you to come back to India.”

Effusive in praise of the Prime Minister, Swaraj said India’s engagement with the overseas Indians has increased manifold because of his constant endevour to reach out to the community. Swaraj also mentioned Modi’s Madison Square address in the US and at the Wembly in London.

Indian-American women earn more than white men in US: Report WASHINGTON: IndianAmerican women earn more on average when compared to non-Hispanic white men in the US, according to a new report.

However, compared to Asian American men, Asian American women only make 78 cents on the dollar, which is the largest gender gap among the racial and ethnic categories studied, the report by US Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) said.

The smallest gender gap was among African Americans -black women earn nearly 90 cents on the dollar compared to black men.

This means that Indian Americans are more likely to have advanced degrees than white Americans are likely to have finished college, the ‘Washington Post’ reported.

About 21.8 per cent of Asian Americans also have graduate or professional degrees, compared to 12.8 per cent of nonHispanic whites. This could explain the apparent advantage that Asian women have over men, the report said.

More than half of Asian Americans over 25 have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to only 33 per cent of non-Hispanic whites.

Economist Mark Perry wrote in his blog that Asian women working full-time earned only about 3 per cent less per week (USD 841) than the average full-time male worker (USD 871) in 2014, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

About 72 per cent of Indian Americans have four-year college degrees, and a whopping 40 per cent have some professional or graduate degree.

Asian women working fulltime in 2014 earned more per week on average than black (USD 680) and Hispanic men (USD 616). PTI.

Islam founded an information technology company, the QSS Company, in 1994 with him as the sole employee. He built the company to more than 2,000 employees and sales of $300 million before he sold it in 2007. Source: - IANS

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FRIDAY, January 15, 2016

IS claims deadly attack on India grants Italian marine Pakistan consulate in Afghan city more time at home in

shooting case

An Afghan man assists two schoolgirls in the vicinity of an attack close to the Pakistan consulate in Jalalabad, on January 13, 2016 (AFP Photo/Noorullah Shirzada)

by Inamullah Samoon

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ALALABAD, Afghanistan | AFP 1/13/2016 - Islamic State jihadists Wednesday claimed responsibility for a deadly gun and bomb siege targeting the Pakistani consulate in Afghanistan’s Jalalabad city, in the first attack by the group on the Pakistani government.

Afghan officials said all three attackers and seven security forces were killed in the brazen assault in eastern Nangarhar province, where the group has made alarming inroads in recent months.

The four-hour siege near the consulate comes amid renewed international efforts to revive peace talks with the Taliban, locked in a tussle for supremacy with Islamic State jihadists in Afghanistan.

In an Arabic statement released via Twitter, the IS group said two of its fighters blew themselves up at the scene by detonating explosive belts, while a third managed to escape unharmed.

“The attack lasted almost four hours during which the consulate building was destroyed and tens of its employees were killed together with a number of officers from the apostate Pakistani intelligence services,” the statement said.

The toll appeared to be exaggerated, with Islamabad saying officials at the consulate itself are safe and accounted for.

The brazen assault sent terrified young students in an adjacent school fleeing the area, which is also close to the Indian diplomatic mission.

“This is first attack claimed

by IS against the state of Pakistan,” Muhammad Amir Rana, a Pakistani security analyst, told AFP. “This is a highly symbolic attack as the Pakistani consulate is a high-profile installation in Jalalabad.”

- Lethal assault -There was no immediate comment on the IS group’s claim from Islamabad.

In a statement earlier Wednesday, Pakistan’s foreign office “strongly condemned” the attack on its consulate.

“The government of Afghanistan has been requested to thoroughly investigate this incident and bring the culprits to book,” the Pakistani government said in a statement.

“We have requested that details of the investigation should be shared with us.”

Islamabad has officially denied that the Islamic State organisation is operating in Pakistan, but authorities have expressed fears the jihadists could find recruits among the country’s myriad of Islamist militant groups.

In May last year, the IS group claimed responsibility for an attack that claimed the lives of at least 43 members of the Shiite Ismaili minority in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi.

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani phoned Pakistan’s leader Nawaz Sharif Wednesday to assure him of greater security for Islamabad’s diplomats in Afghanistan following the attack, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.

The Jalalabad attack bore chilling similarities to a similar deadly siege last week near the Indian consulate in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. No group has claimed that attack so far.

Nangarhar faces an emerging threat from loyalists of the Islamic State group, which controls territory across Syria and Iraq and is making gradual inroads in Afghanistan, challenging the Taliban on their own turf.

The jihadists have managed to attract disaffected Taliban fighters increasingly lured by the group’s signature brutality that has made them notorious.

In a sign of their growing reach in Afghanistan, the group has taken to the airwaves in a 90-minute Pashto-language radio show called “Voice of the Caliphate”.

The government has said it is trying to block the broadcast, beamed from an undisclosed location, that is aimed at winning new recruits.

This week representatives of Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China met in a bid to revive stalled Taliban peace talks, even as the insurgents wage a brazen winter campaign of violence.

The so-called “roadmap” talks were meant to lay the groundwork for direct dialogue between the Afghan government and the Islamists to end the 14-year Taliban insurgency.

The four-country group is set to hold the next round of discussions on January 18 in Kabul.

Indian travel agents investigated over UK visa alleged fraud Bangalore, India | AFP | Wednesday 1/13/2016 - 15:42 GMT | 291 words Three Indian travel agents are under investigation after British authorities said Wednesday they had been providing visa applicants with fake immigration stamps.

The agents from the southern city of Bangalore allegedly supplied counterfeit immigration stamps to support their clients’ visa applications to several countries including Britain.

The scam was uncovered after eight applicants applied for UK visas using passports containing fake immigration stamps, the British Deputy High Commission in Chennai said in a statement.

“The agents advised the applicants to get the stamps to show that they were all welltravelled and to hide the fact that they had all broken the rules of their previous UK visas,” it said.

After British immigration officials retained the suspicious documents, the applicants tried to apply for new passports saying their old ones had been lost, triggering further investigations by authorities.

“We are aware of a number of travel agents across India who encourage applicants to submit fraudulent documents or passports that have been tampered with,” said Samuel Darling, regional manager for the UK’s Immigration Enforcement Risk & Liaison Overseas Network.

Those found guilty of visa fraud could have their passports revoked, receive a ban of up to ten years on travelling to the UK as well as other countries including the United States and Australia and face criminal proceedings.

“It’s important that people know the consequences of being caught, before they agree,” Darling said.

In 2009, a British court jailed three Indians for providing fake degrees and identities to hundreds of immigrants, in what prosecutors at the time said was the biggest visa scam ever seen in the UK. They were jailed for orchestrating the fraud factory in west London that allowed Indian and Pakistani nationals to study and work in Britain.

Sri Lanka skipper pledges action over ‘misconduct’ Cricket:

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OLOMBO, Sri Lanka | AFP | 1/13/2016 - Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews Wednesday promised “no mercy” for any team mates found guilty of misconduct during a disastrous tour of New Zealand after the sports minister raised allegations of drunken behaviour and squabbling.

Dayasiri Jayasekera told AFP he had seen photos of national players at all-night drinking parties just before crucial matches

against hosts New Zealand who achieved a virtual clean sweep in the just-ended tour.

Mathews, 28, said an official probe had begun into the allegations that players attended parties until 3 or 4am, and of tension within the team and with interim coach Jerome Jayaratne.

“I can’t deny or accept that these things happened,” Mathews told reporters at a

post-tournament press conference in Colombo.

“But, I can promise that there will be no mercy for any member found guilty of misconduct.”

He said the team could have done better and admitted the New Zealand tour was “demoralising”.

Sri Lankan spectators heckled the national team as it lost

Italian marines Massimiliano Latorre (right) and Salvatore Girone were detained by Indian authorities over the killing of two fishermen while serving as part of an anti-piracy mission off India’s southern Kerala coast in 2012 (AFP Photo/Vincenzo Pinto).

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EW DELHI, India - India’s top court Wednesday granted an Italian marine detained over the killing of two fishermen another three months at home on health grounds in the latest chapter of a legal battle that has caused a diplomatic row.

Massimiliano Latorre and his fellow marine Salvatore Girone are accused of shooting the fishermen while protecting an Italian oil tanker as part of an anti-piracy mission off India’s southern Kerala coast in 2012.

The incident, which is now subject to international arbitration, has badly strained relations between Rome and New Delhi, particularly after the two marines overstayed in Italy after being allowed home in early 2013 to vote in general elections.

Both marines were then barred from leaving India again pending a trial, but Latorre was allowed to travel back to Italy in 2014 for medical treatment after he suffered a blood blockage in his brain.

The court on Wednesday extended Latorre’s permission to stay in Italy until April 30.

The other marine, Girone, is living at Italy’s embassy in

New Delhi and remains barred from leaving India pending a resolution of the dispute.

Italy initiated arbitration proceedings last year and, in August, a UN body, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), ordered India to suspend court proceedings against the pair.

ITLOS rejected Rome’s request for both marines to be freed immediately pending a final ruling.

The detention of the marines, the murder charges and the long wait for the case to be resolved are sore subjects in Italy with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi regularly flayed by opposition leaders for failing to get both men home.

Italy insists the oil tanker, the MV Enrica Lexie, was in international waters at the time of the incident.

India argues that the case is not a maritime dispute but “a double murder at sea”, in which one fisherman was shot in the head and the other in the stomach.

- ‘No right to rule’ -In a sign of lingering tensions over the case, Italy’s foreign ministry issued a tetchy reaction to

Wednesday’s ruling, emphasising that, in Rome’s view, the Indian court was not entitled to make any ruling on Latorre’s case pending the outcome of the arbitration process.

On the basis of the ITLOS order in August, Italy “maintains that any decision by the Indian Supreme Court related to Fusilier Latorre is excluded and therefore he can remain in Italy for the full duration of the international arbitration process,” the ministry said in a statement.

Italian officials expect ITLOS to make a preliminary ruling in the case before the end of February. If that goes in their favour they hope to bring Girone home pending the final ruling which will follow at a later date.

As well as souring bilateral relations between the two countries, the dispute is seen as having contributed to the stalling of negotiations on a proposed trade and investment agreement between the European Union and India.

Talks on an EU-India deal are due to resume this month at the level of senior officials and Italian officials believe this could help expedite a resolution of the marines row.

Indian TV comedian arrested for ‘offensive’ guru act

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EW DELHI, India | Indian police arrested a popular comedian for offending religious sentiments after he mimicked a controversial spiritual guru on a television show, an official said Wednesday.

Kiku Sharda, 40, was sent to judicial custody for 14 days by a court in northern Haryana state after he was arrested in Mumbai late Tuesday, a senior police officer told AFP. “A police team arrested the accused at a TV studio in Mumbai late last night following a complaint filed by one of the guru’s followers,” he said on the condition of anonymity.

The comedian was released on bail later Wednesday.

File photo of the Indian chief of the religious sect Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Mumbai on September 8, 2015. Photo: AFP Sacha Sauda sect, is known as the “guru in bling” for his penchant for garish clothes and jewellery.

Sharda, who imitated guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a TV appearance on December 27, has apologised for his act, saying it was only aimed at entertaining audiences.

Dera Sacha Sauda describes itself as a social welfare and spiritual organisation with millions of followers in India and abroad.

“I was given a dress, a script to read and directed to act,” he was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency.

The 48-year-old guru is already under police investigation for allegedly encouraging 400 followers to undergo castration at his ashram so they could get closer to God.

Singh, who heads the Dera

On its website, the group de-

the final Twenty20 match while social media sites showed footage of player Tillakaratne Dilshan engaging in an angry exchange with a spectator who asked him to retire.

land as defending champions of the shortest form of the game, but slipped to third position this month behind the West Indies and Australia after a resounding defeat in the Twenty20 matches.

“As players, we don’t play to lose and you get hurt when spectators say things like this,” Mathews said. “Fans are also hurt when we lose and you have to look at it from both ways.”

Sri Lanka went to New Zea-

Sri Lanka also lost the Tests 0-2 and the one-day series 1-3 to the hosts.

The sports minister said Sri Lanka would also focus on finding a long-term coach after

scribes Singh as a saint as well as an author, inventor, scientist, philosopher, philanthropist, peace activist and “the ultimate humanitarian”.

Singh has also featured in two action movies and many music videos.

Many celebrities came out in support of Sharda on Twitter Wednesday, calling his arrest “shocking” and “absurd”.

“I don’t see our leaders getting arrested for behaving like comedians everyday,” tweeted fellow comedian Vir Das.

Marvan Atapattu quit weeks before his contract was due to expire in September last year.

Sri Lanka appointed Jayaratne as interim coach, initially for the home series against the West Indies and then for the New Zealand tour.

Jayaratne, 49, had been head of coaching at Sri Lanka Cricket but his elevation to oversee the national team was seen as a stop-gap arrangement.

WORLD/US

VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, January 15, 2016

After ordeal, US-bound Cubans Migrant fears as bulldozers enter Mexico head for French ‘Jungle’ camp

by Marie-Pia Rieublanc

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IUDAD HIDALGO, Mexico | AFP | Wednesday 1/13/2016 - Some 180 of the nearly 8,000 Cuban migrants who were stranded in Costa Rica for months entered Mexico by bus on Wednesday under a deal to help them reach the United States.

Four buses carrying the Cubans crossed the Mexico-Guatemala border in Ciudad Hidalgo, many looking exhausted as they lugged backpacks and suitcases to an immigration office.

Migration agents will give them 20-day visas to make their way to the border with the United States, which has a policy dating to the Cold War allowing entry to Cubans fleeing their Communist-ruled island.

The Cubans arrived in Mexico under a pilot program between Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala that could be expanded to the 7,600 other islanders still stuck in Costa Rica due to neighboring Nicaragua’s refusal to let them in.

The path involved an overnight flight from Costa Rica to El Salvador, thus skipping over Nicaragua, a Cuban ally that has closed its border to Cubans since mid-November.

The 109 men and 71 women were then put on four buses bound for Guatemala and then the Mexican border on a 13hour journey organized by the regional governments and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Costa Rica’s migration director, Kathya Rodriguez, concluded that the pilot program was an “absolute success” and provided a “great opportunity” to coordinate the departure of the others.

Yet Costa Rica and the other governments involved insist that each migrant pay the trip’s $555 cost, leaving open the question of what will happen to those without funds.

And 2,000 other migrants remain stranded in Panama by Costa Rica’s own mid-December decision to close its border to any more Cubans. They will have no access to the air bridge.

Thousands of Cubans have left the island in recent months over concerns that the US-Cuba diplomatic thaw will prompt Washington to drop its policy of giving them automatic residence when they set foot in the United States.

- Fear of Mexican gangs -According to Costa Rica’s migration service, 28 flights would be needed to transport all the Cubans from the 38 shelters now housing them. The government hopes to organize two flights a day.

Cubans in the first group were elated to be on their way, smiling broadly when they disembarked their plane in El Salvador.

But some have expressed fear over their passage through Mexico, where drug cartels often prey on migrants.

“We’ve heard a lot that in Mexico there are gangs like the Zetas that make attacks on roads and that there are dangerous zones,” said Yordani Casanova, a 33-year-old who left his herbal drinks business in Cuba to journey to the United States with his wife.

One worried Cuban woman, 28-year-old Liana Cabezas Gonzalez, said she would take a domestic flight in Mexico to reduce that risk.

Others unable to pay for that option would have to brave a cross-country road trip that would take at least a day.

Many of the Cubans have already experienced extortion and kidnapping threats on their northward odyssey, which started in Ecuador and put them on smuggling routes.

- Money, food running out -For the thousands of Cubans remaining in Costa Rica, the departure was cause for hope and celebration.

“This is a blessing. If all goes well with this trip, we others will soon be able to travel,” said Joel Gonzalez, a 34-yearold Cuban staying in a shelter on the grounds of a Methodist church in the northern town of Liberia.

But there was anxiety among those unable to come up with the money to travel.

France had planned to move 500 to 700 migrants and refugees out of the grim makeshift camp in Calais known as “The Jungle” into refitted containers with heaters, electricity plugs and cribs for newborns (AFP Photo/Philippe Huguen).

by David COURBET

Another Cuban in a Liberia shelter, Yandy Herrera, said: “I have just 4,000 colones ($7.50) in my wallet. I can’t even call my family in Cuba because it’s expensive: it costs more than a dollar a minute.”

Many in the shelters said they needed to get to the United States and to find employment as soon as possible so they could bring family from Cuba.

Food was running out for their group, being looked after in a Methodist church which had not received government aid.

“We have enough rice for three days, then that’s it. I don’t know what we’re going to eat if we aren’t able to leave,” said Wesnier Cuenca, 47, in another shelter in Liberia, who traveled with his wife and three-yearold daughter, leaving four other children back in Cuba.

Rio gets first ‘ice bar’ -- just in time for Olympics

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ALAIS, France | AFP - Authorities in the northern French port of Calais were struggling to move hundreds of migrants into refitted shipping containers on Wednesday ahead of plans to bulldoze part of the notorious “Jungle” camp.

The government had planned to move 500-700 migrants and refugees out of the grim makeshift camp into refitted containers with heaters, electricity plugs and cribs for newborns.

But many are reluctant to leave their tents, cafes and shops in the Jungle, and are suspicious about the new camp, which is surrounded by barbed wire and requires a fingerprint scan to come and go.

There is concern that the 125 containers -- each holding 12 people -- are not nearly enough for the 4,000 people currently estimated to be in the Jungle, who are trying to smuggle their way to Britain by ferry or on cross-Channel trains.

Local official Fabienne Buccio said she understood the “apprehension” about the move.

“Given everything these people have been through before they got here, they don’t have any immediate confidence in what’s happening,” said Buccio.

Only around 70 people had moved to the containers by Tuesday night.

“It’s warm, we’re protected from the cold and the wet,” said one, a 44-year-old Afghan

accompanied by his wife and six children.

“But how can we live with 12 people in a container, with no shower and no kitchen?”

“It’s just a dormitory, where there’s nothing to do but sleep,” added aid worker Christian Salome, from NGO L’Auberge des Migrants.

“But at least the families have shelter.”

- No enlargement of camp -The authorities have made no secret of their desire to reduce the number of migrants and refugees in Calais.

Buccio said it was “not reasonable” to expect the container camp to be enlarged after it reaches its full capacity of 1,500 people by the end of January.

She also said the major effort to tighten security around the port and Channel Tunnel -- making it almost impossible for migrants to smuggle aboard trains and ships heading to England -- helped explain the heightened tensions of recent days.

France and Britain have spent millions boosting security since last summer, when there were hundreds of daily attempts to breach the barriers.

There have been concerted efforts to convince migrants in the Jungle to give up their attempts to reach Britain and apply for asylum at centres around France, but only about 2,000 have agreed since October.

Many are drawn by family connections and language to Britain, while the migrants often view France as unwelcoming and with limited economic opportunities.

Only 80,000 people applied for asylum in France last year, compared with 1.1 million in neighbouring Germany.

There are also attempts to relocate 2,500 migrants camped some 40 kilometres (25 miles) up the road from Calais in Grande-Synthe.

On Monday, the mayor of Grande-Synthe said he would move the migrants into higherquality tents, but the government has been reluctant.

“There has to be a balance between being humane and firm,” said Buccio.

Although migrants have been gathering around Calais for years, the Jungle grew rapidly in early 2015 as the migration crisis took hold.

Most are from warzones such as Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq or fleeing persecution and poverty in African countries such as Sudan and Eritrea.

Numbers peaked at around 6,000 in the summer but have fluctuated as many pay mafia groups to smuggle them aboard lorries crossing the Channel by ferry.

The issue has also become a political priority for the French government after the far-right National Front (FN) of Marine Le Pen gained a record score in the northern region last month.

Obama tells anxious .....

Continued from page 1

Clients drink at Rio Ice Bar, a bar entirely made out of ice with a room temperature of minus 15 degrees Celsius, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on January 13, 2016 (AFP Photo/Vanderlei Almeida).

O

utside, workers are sweating in the tropical heat as they rush to finish building Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic venues.

But inside the Brazilian city’s newest bar, you need a parka and gloves to keep your fingers from freezing to your drink.

Using 130 tonnes of ice, a supermarket chain has built Rio’s first “ice bar” in the upscale beachside neighborhood of Barra da Tijuca, complete with ice sculptures of the Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugarloaf mountain, two icons of the city.

Brazilians are known for saying they like their beer “stupidly cold,” but the bar takes that

to a whole new level: the temperature dips as low as -10 degrees Celsius (14 Fahrenheit).

The thermometer outside meanwhile registers temperatures in the 40s (over 100 Fahrenheit).

Similar bars have already been launched in other parts of the world, but never in the tropical swelter of Rio. “This is an idea we brought over from London... from European cities, mainly. The big difference, the funny part, is doing it in a city like Rio,” said Jose Rafael Vazquez, director general of the supermarket chain behind the bar, Prezunic.

Admission is by invitation only. To get an invite, shoppers have to buy about $15 worth of the beer that sponsors the bar.

Patrons get a parka and gloves when they arrive, then proceed to an intermediary room heated to 17 degrees.

After getting acclimated for five minutes, they enter the frosty realm of the purple- and blue-hewed bar, where the chairs, couches and tables are all made of ice.

Just 20 clients at a time can enter the bar, which is near the 2016 Olympic park, and they can only stay for 20 minutes.

Prezunic says it is expecting 20,000 visitors in two months.

Nikki Haley....

Continued from page 1 South Carolina State House, saying the flag was “not something that is racist,” but rather “a tradition that people feel proud of.”

Yet after 21-year-old white supremacist Dylann Roof shot and killed nine African-Americans at Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church during a June 17 prayer service, Haley’s views began to change, and over the sum-

mer, she wound up leading the charge to take down the flag.

In her response Tuesday night, Haley pointed to that experience as a “lesson” for her party — and, in particular, its divisive frontrunner.

“In many parts of society today, whether in popular culture, academia, the media or politics, there’s a tendency to falsely equate noise with results,” Haley said. “Some people think that you have to be

the loudest voice in the room to make a difference. That is just not true. Often, the best thing we can do is turn down the volume. When the sound is quieter, you can actually hear what someone else is saying.

And that can make a world of difference.”

Haley is everything Republicans wanted in 2016: youth, diversity, inclusion. Trump is what they got. Her SOTU response was a reminder of what could have been.

Obama insisted “America has been through big changes before,” as he took thinly veiled shots at Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and other leading Republican presidential candidates.

“Each time, there have been those who told us to fear the future, who claimed we could slam the brakes on change, promising to restore past glory if we just got some group or idea that was threatening America under control. And each time, we overcame those fears.”

With less than three weeks until the Iowa caucuses -- the first votes cast in the process to replace him -- Obama berated Republican economic rhetoric, saying “anyone claiming that America’s economy is in decline is peddling fiction.”

But some of his toughest words were for Republican statements over the rise of the Islamic State group.

He painted the jihadists as “masses of fighters on the back of pickup trucks, twisted souls plotting in apartments or garages.”

He admitted that the extremists, who have overrun large areas of Syria and Iraq, pose an “enormous danger,” but made clear: “They do not threaten our national existence.”

“Our answer needs to be more than tough talk or calls to carpet-bomb civilians. That may work as a TV sound bite, but it doesn’t pass muster on the world’s stage,” he said pointedly.

“Over-the-top claims that this is World War III just play into their hands.”

And in a volley clearly aimed

at Trump, Obama warned that “when politicians insult Muslims... that’s not telling it like it is. It’s just wrong. It diminishes us in the eyes of the world.”

gun control and the awful toll of American gun violence.

The Republican frontrunner Trump was not impressed, describing the speech on Twitter as “really boring, slow, lethargic - very hard to watch!”

“It’s one of the few regrets of my presidency -- that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better,” he said in a moment of personal candor.

- Last chance? -Tuesday’s address was arguably Obama’s last big opportunity to sway a national audience and frame the 2016 White House race.

Around 30 million viewers were expected to watch live, a nationwide audience that may only be matched in political terms during the Democratic nominating convention later this year.

But it risked being overshadowed by news that 10 US Navy personnel had been taken to an Iranian naval base in the Gulf.

Senior US officials said they had received assurances the crews would sail onwards come first light, but Republicans held up the crisis up as evidence that Obama was naive to engage Tehran.

Overall, it was an unorthodox speech that eschewed the typical laundry list of legislative priorities as Obama tried to lift the country’s gaze beyond the next year, and beyond his presidency.

But he also tacitly, and explicitly, admitted mistakes.

There was no mention of the racial tensions that have dogged the tenure of the first black president.

There was only a fleeting reference, and a symbolic empty seat in the chamber, to

- ‘Angriest voices’ -Obama did take some blame for Washington’s hyperpartisan politics.

“There’s no doubt a president with the gifts of Lincoln or Roosevelt might have better bridged the divide, and I guarantee I’ll keep trying to be better so long as I hold this office.”

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said in the traditional Republican rebuttal of Obama’s address that “the president’s record has often fallen far short of his soaring words.”

“As he enters his final year in office, many Americans are still feeling the squeeze of an economy too weak to raise income levels.”

She also cited “chaotic unrest in many of our cities” and “the most dangerous terrorist threat our nation has seen since September 11.”

But Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, also jabbed at Trump over his views on immigration.

“During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices,” she said.

“We must resist that temptation. No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws, and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country.” AFP.

VOICE OF ASIA 10

FRIDAY, January 15, 2016

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D&G unveils discreet designs for Muslim women

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OME, Italy - Dolce and Gabbana, designers best known for womenswear inspired by the sultry sensualism of southern Italy, are attacking the booming middle Eastern market for high fashion with a collection of abayas and hijabs.

subtle, sandy shades and dark, almost black, hues.

The Abaya line, which conforms with the modesty requirements of most versions of Islam, was launched this week in D&G’s boutiques throughout the Middle East, as well as in Milan, Munich, Paris and London, popular destinations for wellheeled shopping tourists from the region.

Fabrics include Georgette, a type of sheer crepe, and charmeuse, another lightweight material, with much use made of lace for trim and inserts.

Some are embellished with the bright motifs that featured in D&G’s main spring/summer 2016 collection: daisies, lemons, white dots and red roses.

Oversized jewellery and sunglasses also give the collection D&G’s distinctive signature.

According to a report by management consultancy Bain, sales of personal luxury goods in the Middle East totalled $8.7 billion in 2015, up nearly 28 percent from 2014.

The mini collection, billed as capturing the “allure of the Middle East”, has generated a stir of interest on social media with designers Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce generally winning praise for demonstrating that dressing modestly does not have to mean dressing drab.

Other top fashion brands have already attempted to boost their sales in the region with collections tailormade for the market, notably Oscar de la Renta, DKNY and Tommy Hilfiger.

A spokeswoman for the designers said there was no particular agenda other than catering for their customers’ requirements. “It is not the first capsule collection Dolce and Gabbana has designed and dedicated to a specific market,” she told AFP.

Last year saw Japanese retailer Uniqlo enlist British designer Hana Tajima to design a range aimed at Muslim women in the run up to the fasting month of Ramadan, while Sweden’s H&M cast its first hijab wearing model, Mariah Idrissi.

“In the past, they have created collections for the China market, as well as Brazil, Japan and Mexico. So it’s a collection without any ideological or polemic attitude.”

Idrissi said D&G’s entry to this particular market was “definitely a positive thing.”

The company describes the pieces as “a reverie amidst the desert dunes and skies of the Middle East: an enchanting visual story about the grace and beauty of the marvellous women of Arabia.”

Ankle-length dresses come in both

“I think (fashion houses) are realising; let’s not just do it in that one month, let’s make this something to stay, because they’ve realised the potential and how much Muslim women spend on fashion,” she told Britain’s Daily Telegraph.

Fashion forward: Dolce and Gabbana unveils designs for Muslim women. AFP.

Sri Lankan seeks $300 million for rare blue star sapphire

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OLOMBO, Sri Lanka - A Sri Lankan gem trader who owns the world’s largest blue star sapphire has decided to sell the dazzling stone, with a dizzying asking price of $300 million.

The rare, egg-shaped stone weighs 1,404.49 carats and has been authenticated as the biggest of its kind at the Gemological Institute of Colombo (GIC), a private laboratory in the Sri Lankan capital.

“Looking at the reserve price of other very famous gems, I have now valued this at over $300 million,” the owner, who wants to remain anonymous for fear the stone might be stolen, told AFP. Unlike blue sapphires which have

complete clarity of colour, blue star sapphires, a form of corundum, are opaque -- but when placed under light reveal a six-line star.

Industry experts said the stone was so rare it was impossible to give a valuation.

“We can’t put a price on something like this. It is so rare and unlike other (smaller) sapphires, this is not a stone that can be replaced,” Ashan Amarasinghe, leading gemologist with the GIC, told AFP.

though details were not publicly disclosed.

The gem, named Lankan Star of Adam by its owner, beat the previous record for the biggest stone of its kind -- also held by a Sri Lankan businessman -- by about nine carats.

Both sapphires were found in Sri Lanka’s central region of Ratnapura which is known as the island’s gem capital, industry officials said.

“This is something only collectors or museums can afford,” he said.

The owner said he bought it for an undisclosed price in September before realising the rarity of his find -- which he has kept a closely guarded secret.

The owner said he based his asking price on the Black Star of Queensland, a star sapphire which was reportedly sold for $100 million in 2002, al-

“I have lived in affluence, but now I feel even more blessed,” he said.

“This (find) has not changed my lifestyle. But, I feel thrilled to be the man

A Sri Lankan gem trader is asking $300 mn for the world’s largest blue star sapphire (AFP Photo/Roslan Rahman) owning this gem. It is good for the ego.”

Sri Lanka is known for its blue sapphires, one of which was used in the

engagement ring of Catherine Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, and formerly owned by Princess Diana.

Thai skin whitening ad provokes race storm

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ANGKOK, Thailand - A Thai company pulled an advert for skin lightening pills on Friday following an outcry on social media over a product sold with the tagline “white makes you a winner”.

“A newcomer will replace me and turn me into a dark star,” she says in the video, using a Thai idiom to refer to her fame fading.

“It indicates that dark skin people are losers, and this is clearly racist,” a Thai commentator named Tammaijang wrote on the web forum Pantip.

Another post said: “Having dark skin can be beautiful -- without being ashamed as well.”

It is the latest marketing gaffe to draw accusations of racism in a kingdom obsessed with skin colour.

Whitening creams and pills are wildly popular in Thailand, where pale skin is upheld as the standard of beauty in the media and among many Thais who comment freely on the complexion of others.

The advertisement for Seoul Secret’s ‘snowz’ supplement pills featured a veteran Thai celebrity attributing her professional success to her pale complexion.

Advertisements for the products are standard fare on billboards and TV spots, but some companies have faced a backlash in recent years for going too far.

“It’s not easy to stay at this point for a long time,” the 35-year-old Thai model and actress, Cris Horwang, says in the video.

Before its removal on Friday afternoon, the Seoul Secret video received more than 100,000 views on YouTube, as well as enquiries on the company’s Facebook page about how to order the product.

“If I stopped taking care of my body and white complexion, all that I have invested will be gone.”

The model is then shown in black make-up, casting an envious look at a second woman with light skin who appears by her side.

- ‘Clearly racist’ -But other social media sites drew posts railing against the advert for being racially offensive and reinforcing the country’s narrow beauty ideals.

The skincare company issued an apology on Friday, saying in a statement that it did not intend “to convey discriminatory or racist messages”.

“What we intended to convey was that self-improvement in terms of personality, appearance, skills, and professionality is crucial,” the statement said.

Yet some speculated that the advertisement was deliberately provocative as part of a marketing ploy to grab attention.

“I don’t think the ad agency made this ad out of ignorance,” a prominent Thai culture blogger, called Kaewmala on her thaiwomantalks. com website, told AFP.

Wattanapak Jinsirivanich, managing director of Yulihan Group (Thailand), the company that produces Seoul Secret beauty products, poses next to an ad for Seoul Secret Collagen Peptide during an interview with Reuters in Bangkok January 9, 2016. REUTERS/Jorge Silva.

“They haven’t been living on the moon, I’m certain they knew it would be controversial... It was most likely a calculated strategy, which in my view makes it even more objectionable.”

While there has been a growing awareness about racism among Thais in recent years, those views have yet

to be reflected in a media which still readily equates dark skin with “low class”, she added.

In 2013, public criticism similarly led the US firm Dunkin’ Donuts to pull an advertisement in Thailand that featured a woman in “black-face” makeup promoting a new charcoalflavoured donut.

LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 12

India’s top court halts bull running festival

FRIDAY, January 15, 2016

Music legend David Bowie dies aged 69

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EW DELHI, India India’s top court on Tuesday stayed a government decision to allow a popular bull running festival to go ahead after animal rights activists challenged the move.

With just days to go before the start of the festival in southern Tamil Nadu state, the Supreme Court issued a temporary stay order on the central government’s decision to reverse a 2014 ban.

The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) had filed a petition urging the court to reinstate the ban on the festival, in which bulls are let loose and young men compete to subdue them.

Activists say the sport is cruel and abusive. But it has a loyal local following and the court’s decision sparked angry protests in Tamil Nadu, where preparations for the festival had already begun.

The court said it was issuing the stay order “as an interim measure”, following an initial hearing in which the attorney general argued that the government had put safeguards in place for the animals.

He said the festival of Jallikattu, or “bull-taming”, was an important part of local culture, where it marks the start of the annual winter harvest.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), one of a number of animal rights groups that backed the AWBI challenge, welcomed the

British singer David Bowie created an astonishing array of stage personas, from the sexually ambiguous Ziggy Stardust to the socalled Thin White Duke (AFP Photo/Ralph Gatti)

by Ben PERRY / Naomi O’LEARY

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The Jallikattu “bull-taming” festival is celebrated in Tamil Nadu, where it marks the annual winter harvest (AFP Photo/). court’s decision.

“The Honourable Supreme Court’s stay... is a partial victory for sensitive bulls, who will be spared cruelties such as being deliberately disoriented by being given substances like alcohol and having their tails painfully broken joint by joint and bitten for Jallikattu,” said PETA India chief executive Poorva Joshipura in a statement.

Unlike in traditional Spanish bull-fighting, the aim is not to kill the animals.

But critics say they are fed

liquor and have chilli powder thrown into their eyes before they are released from a holding pen and chased by revellers.

India’s former government earlier ordered a ban in 2011, but it was not implemented until 2015 after the Supreme court had dismissed a slew of legal challenges.

The event was cancelled last year for the first time, but local political parties had lobbied the federal government to have the ban quashed -possibly with an eye on state

elections later this year.

On Tuesday Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking that the festival be allowed to go ahead this year since all arrangements had already been put in place.

“On behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu I urge you to take immediate action in this regard,” she said in the letter, according to PTI. The harvest festival in Tamil Nadu will begin this Thursday.

M. Night Shyamalan to reboot ‘Tales from the Crypt’

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The “Sixth Sense” director has been signed up to produce the reboot and will be directing the first episode. - AFP PHOTO / GERARD JULIEN.

It’s not yet clear whether TNT will be hiring the original Cryptkeeper -- the spooky

puppet skeleton with a famously dark sense of humor who introduced each episode

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from 1989 to 1996 on HBO. In light of the current popularity of horror series (“Scream Queens”, “American Horror Story”, “Ash vs Evil Dead”) and anthologies (“True Detective”, “American Crime Story”, “Fargo”), it’s not surprising to see this show getting revamped 20 years on. Hopefully, the new version will attract as many star guests as the original.

In seven seasons, the Cryptkeeper played host to bigname guests including Joe Pesci, Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks, Michael J.Fox, Tim Roth, Patrica Arquette and Demi Moore. Relaxnews (Television).

Fans -- including some in face paint inspired by his 1973 “Aladdin Sane” album cover -left flowers beneath a mural of Bowie at his birthplace in Brixton, south London.

Others gathered in tears outside his final home in New York.

- Master of re-invention -Born David Jones, Bowie took his stage name in 1966 to avoid being mixed up with Davy Jones, lead singer with Beatles rivals The Monkees.

After his first major hit, “Space Oddity” in 1969, he hit the big time in the 1970s with a string of shape-shifting albums like “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars”, dazzling teenagers with a mix of glamour and escapism.

His ever-changing fashion sense was as ground-breaking as his music.

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It was not immediately clear where Bowie died, although some media reported he passed away in New York, where he had been living. There were also no details of what form of cancer he suffered from, or on his funeral arrangements.

“He will be remembered amongst the greats but not just one of them, as a unique great,” said Bowie biographer Paul Trynka, describing him as “a creative force” who redefined pop music.

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“David Bowie died peacefully today (Sunday) surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer,” said a statement posted Monday on his official social media accounts.

The Rolling Stones hailed Bowie as an “extraordinary artist”, collaborator Iggy Pop called his friendship “the light of my life,” Madonna described him as “Unique. Genius. Game Changer” and Bruce Springsteen dubbed him a “visionary artist.”

Rumors of a comeback for the cult 1990s show have finally been confirmed. “Tales from the Crypt” is set to be revived for autumn 2016 by M. Night Shyamalan, who is no stranger when it comes to horror and suspense.

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A notoriously private person, Bowie’s death was a shock with his death coming just two days after he released his 25th studio album “Blackstar”, on his 69th birthday on Friday.

His death brings the curtain down on an extraordinary career which generated some 140 million record sales, spanned styles from glam rock to jazz and took in stage personas from Ziggy Stardust to the Thin White Duke.

wenty years after being cancelled by HBO, the TNT cable network has announced it’s bringing the horror/fantasy anthology series “Tales from the Crypt” back to American TV in a new version produced by M. Night Shyamalan.

The “Sixth Sense” director is signed up to produce this new version, and will even be stepping into the director’s chair for the first episode (part of a two-hour horror block), like Robert Zemeckis and Arnold Schwarzenegger did before him in the 90s series.

ONDON - British music legend David Bowie has died at the age of 69 after a secret battle with cancer, prompting a cascade of tributes for one of the most influential and innovative artists of his time.

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Among his most memorable outfits were a pair of huge, billowing trousers in black vinyl and white stripes from his “Aladdin Sane” period in 1973, inspired by Japanese kabuki theatre.

The previous year, he appeared on primetime British chart show “Top of the Pops” with a look inspired by the ultra-violent dystopian movie “A Clockwork Orange”.

Married twice, Bowie also drew publicity in the 1970s for his hedonistic lifestyle and ambiguous sexual orientation, once declaring he was bisexual before retreating from his comments.

In the late 1970s, he switched musical gears once more, moving to Berlin, where he hung out with former Stooges frontman Pop and worked with electronic experimentalist Brian Eno on a trio of albums -- “Low”, “Heroes” and “Lodger”.

Bowie again reinvented his sound in the 1980s, winning over a new generation with the “Let’s Dance” album and teaming up with Mick Jagger to cover “Dancing in the Street”.

He also built up a film career which had started with Nicolas Roeg’s “The Man Who Fell To Earth” in 1976.

Bowie played a goblin king in Jim Henson’s fantasy film “Labyrinth” (1986), a prisoner-ofwar in Japan in “Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence” (1983) and inventor Nikola Tesla in “The Prestige” (2006).

His sound became ever more experimental from the late 1980s onwards and critics were not always kind to projects such as Tin Machine, his foray into hard rock.

But he surprised the world by launching a surprise single “Where Are We Now?” on his 66th birthday in 2013 after nearly 10 years of silence.

This recalled his days in Berlin in the 1970s and was hailed by critics as a major comeback, alongside new album “The Next Day”.

- ‘His parting gift’ -An innovator to the end, Bowie on Friday released his final album “Blackstar,” whose lyrics take on new poignancy with news of his death.

The video for one song, “Lazarus”, shows Bowie singing from a hospital bed, blindfolded, with buttons for his eyes.

“Look up here, I’m in heaven / I’ve got scars that can’t be seen,” Bowie sings. “You know I’ll be free / Just like that bluebird.”

Long-time collaborator Tony Visconti wrote on Facebook that he had known for a year what was coming.

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VOICE OF ASIA 13

HOME SENSE

Homeowners looking for a change start the search at Sugar Land Home & Garden Show

FRIDAY, January 15, 2016

Smart showerhead aims to save precious water French engineer Gabriel Della-Monica was at the gala Consumer Electronics Show with a smart showerhead created to stop precious water from going down the drain.

Sixth annual show kicks off Jan. 30, 2016, with new products, old favorites

S

UGAR LAND, TEXAS – The 6th Annual Sugar Land Home & Garden Show returns to the Stafford Centre, located at 10505 Cash Road in Stafford, for its sixth annual event on Saturday, Jan. 30 and, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016.

Homeowners interested in modifying their home space – indoors or out – will have an opportunity to meet with experts who can provide the right product or guidance, whether for a successful remodel or a new build.

From window coverings to patio pavers, and sunrooms to countertops, the 6th Annual Sugar Land Home & Garden Show is certain to provide something for everyone.

This year’s Sugar Land Home & Garden Show’s dual cooking stages will get a workout from from a slate of professional chefs, including Amador Soto, owner/chef of Sotos Kitchen; the always entertaining Molly Fowler, The Dining Diva; Namita Asthana, owner and executive chef of Off the Vine Bistro; and Joe Abuso, executive chef of My Icebox Organic Food for People On the Go, among others.

One of those cooking stages is the Black Olive Grill Outdoor Cooking Stage. “Since its possible it will be cold at the show, we’re bringing in SunSpot infrared heaters from HeatA-Zone to take the chill off the areas around the Black Olive Grill Outdoor Cooking Stage and other outdoor exhibits,” said Tony Wood, president of Texwood Shows Inc., producer of the Sugar Land Home & Garden Show.

Cooking demo times Linked here.

Other Outdoor Exhibitors include the Belgard Outdoor Living Ideas Area including a semi-truck, loaded with ideas and a 1000’ paver display in the front. Tuff Shed will display it’s storage buildings highlighting one of its Pro Series Ranch Storage buildings complete with a metal roof and Hawthorne door, the building can be used for storage, as a man cave, as a “craft room” or even as a child’s playhouse.

Homeowners who enjoy outdoor living must not miss the “Texas Room,” which will be built by Sunspace Texas (booth #L21) to showcase its WeatherMaster Plus stacking door system.

Custom-designed to provide protection for sunrooms or covered patios, as well as those using them, from inclement weather, blistering sun and insects, the doors can be quickly and easily closed to safeguard property and guests against the unpredictability of the Gulf Coast’s spring and summer weather, and just as easily reopened when the threat passes.

And gardeners with spring planting questions can find solutions at the Ask the Master Gardeners Booth (#L15 and L16), which will be covered by Fort Bend County master gardeners throughout the two-day event.

New to the 2016 show is Sensational Color’s Kate Smith, a color expert who will offer private color

French engineer Gabriel Della-Monica is seen on January 4, 2016 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. © AFP Photo/Glenn Chapman Sunspace Texas’ easy-operating, custom-made WeatherMaster Plus stacking door system protects homeowners and their guests from inclement weather, blistering sun and insects. See more at the 6th Annual Sugar Land Home & Garden Show, Jan. 30 and 31, 2016. Photo courtesy of Sunspace Texas.

D

ella-Monica had his four daughters in mind -- and the hours they spend in the shower -- when he set out to create a showerhead that lets people know when it is time to turn off the tap.

Last year, he founded Smart & Blue, the France-based startup behind the Hydrao smart showerhead -- one of a sea of gadgets on display at the Consumer Electronics Show, which continues through Saturday in Las Vegas.

consultations by appointment, as well as to walk-up attendees – schedule permitting. For more information, or to sign up for a private session go to SugarLandHomeAndGarden.com.

Smith suggests bringing electronic photographs, color swatches and room measurements.

Keeping pace with the growth of technology in interior design, Hunter Douglas will feature its PowerView Motorization/Automation App, allowing homeowners to schedule automatic operations or operate window treatments remotely – all from a mobile device. To be demonstrated at the show by Custom Décor Solutions (booth #600), the PowerView App can help homeowners create scenes to balance different lighting and privacy needs throughout the day, and adjust window treatments for temperature, privacy and security from across the room or across the world.

“Joining the lineup of home improvement and design vendors showcasing their products and services at the show in 2016 is Texas Trash and Treasures (booth #301A), a Carmine-based retailer that sells hand-crafted home décor, and which HGTV viewers may recognize from the “Junk Gypsies” series. Proprietors Richard and Linda Hamilton craft their pieces of bent and welded steel, combining old with new in a way they call “whimsical, fun and uncommon.”

“We’re also very pleased to debut our Custom Home Building Stage, featuring Certified Master Builder/ Remodeler Steve Hann and other building/design experts. Kate Smith will have an excellent presentation on

“I created Hydrao to with the idea in mind that I could educate my little girls on the importance of saving water,” Della-Monica said.

“I needed to make bath time fun and educational in order for them to develop good habits.”

Molly Fowler, The Dining Diva, will entertain and delight as she prepares some of her favorite recipes at the Sugar Land Home & Garden Show.

Photo courtesy :The Dining Diva color ideas for a new custom home or remodel project.” Homeowners are encouraged to bring their building plan for more detailed information.

The Fort Bend Children’s Discovery Center, which will hold its grand opening in May, has once again been selected as the show’s charity partner,” said Wood. “Volunteers will be on-hand both days to provide more information about this special project of the Children’s Museum of Houston.”

He added that after seeing the positive effects, “I decided to bring the same knowledge and excitement to other families around the world.”

Hydrao showerheads track the flow of water, with LED lights starting out green and then changing from blue to

Electricity for the lights is generated by mini hydro power plant in the showerhead, so no batteries are used.

Hydrao showerheads can connect wirelessly to smartphones or tablets running on Apple or Android software, and come with applications that let people set up personal profiles and track water use over time, Claire Curaba of Smart & Blue told AFP. “It helps you save water by making you aware of your habits,” said Curaba, who noted that it also lets parents see how much water their offspring may be wasting in the shower.

“It stops the shouting of ‘Are you done yet?’ through the bathroom door.”

First-generation Hydrao showerheads produced after a successful crowdfunding campaign have been snapped up, and a second-generation expected to be priced below $100 is in the works, according to Curaba. AFP.

Whirlpool Brand unveils new connected kitchen

Show hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 30, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 31. Tickets for the Sugar Land Home & Garden Show are cash only at $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, and children 12 years and younger can attend for free. Parking is available at no cost.

For show and ticket information call 832-274-3944 or visit SugarLandHomeAndGarden.com, where a downloadable discount coupon for $2 off admission is available.

Whirlpool is showcasing a three-piece suite comprised of refrigerator, dishwasher and stove. It enables users to control their appliances remotely and receive alert notifications. Each appliance in the Smart Kitchen Suite can be personalized through the Whirlpool mobile app.

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

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he Smart Front Control Range allows users to preheat, start, pause, stop and adjust temperature and cook time all from their smartphone. Consumers can also receive alerts if the oven is on when no one is home.

The Smart Dishwasher sends alerts when a cycle is finished. When the Whirlpool app is synced with an Amazon account for Amazon Dash Replenishment, the dishwasher will estimate

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red as use climbs. The shower head light flashes red when the 50-liter mark is breached.

when supplies are low and automatically re-order.

The Smart French Door refrigerator allows consumers to get alerts if there is a power or Wi-Fi outage.

Whirlpool’s connected kitchen is on display at the CES electronics trade show this week. It is expected to be made available to the public in late 2016.

Courtesy: Relaxnews

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VOICE OF ASIA 14

Section 2

Young Life

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Mindfulness: an effective anti-stress technique for underprivileged children

FRIDAY, January 15, 2016

Tel: 713-774-5140

Parents invited to attend upcoming Care to Chat speaker series, Feb. 5

Session to focus on the connection between a According to an American study published in the journal Pediatrics, mindfulness child’s sleep habits and anxiety (“tuning in” instead of the “tuning out” in other meditation practices) improves the psychological health of children from low-income families.

A

merican researchers evaluated the impact of an MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) program in students from low-income, minority backgrounds, in two different public schools. The aim was to see whether these mindfulness sessions could improve the children’s psychological wellbeing and enable them to better manage their emotions.

F

ORT BEND ISD – Fort Bend ISD, in partnership with Memorial Hermann Sugar Land and the Fort Bend Family YMCA, will host a Care to Chat speaker series session on “The Connection between Sleep and Your Child’s Health.” The free event will take place on Friday, February 5, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at The Fort Bend Family YMCA (4433 Cartwright Rd., Missouri City 77459). Parents and caretakers of children of all ages are invited to attend.

Guests will learn about:

Three hundred students in grades five through eight were followed

by Erica Sibinga and her colleagues from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore in the US. Of these students 99.7% were African American and 99% were eligible for free lunch. Some were allocated to the MBSR program for 8 weeks, and the others followed a health education program.

Each MBSR session included formal and informal techniques aimed at reducing dysregulated focus on the past and worries about the future.

The findings showed that the students who followed the MBSR program had lower levels of somatization, depression, negative feelings,

The importance of quality sleep in your child’s development and growth, presented by Dr. Sarat Susarla, Pediatric Pulmonologist Causes of anxiety in children, presented by Dr. Angela Pfeiffer, Clinical The pupils who followed the mindfulness program had lower levels of somatization, depression, and negative feelings. © Wavebreakmedia/Istock.com rumination, self-hostility and posttraumatic symptoms than those who were assigned to the health education program.

In other words, mindfulness can improve psychological functioning and moderate the negative effects of stress in children. It could prove to be an effective treatment for the early

management of anxious and depressive temperaments.

This work corroborates a British study published in April 2015 in the medical journal The Lancet, which showed that mindfulness-based therapies were an effective alternative to standard treatment with antidepressants for depression.- Relaxnews

Share your child’s success story with our readers all over the world! All articles printed in this Newsweekly will be posted Online: www.voiceofasiaonline.com

by Kerry SHERIDAN IAMI, United States | AFP | 12/8/2015 - The prevalence of ADHD soared 43 percent in the United States in the first decade of the century, with more than one in 10 youths now diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, researchers said Tuesday.

ADHD is the most commonly identified mental disorder in the United States, often treated with psychological therapy and prescription stimulants like Ritalin to improve behavior and focus.

Its precise causes are unknown, though some research has pointed to difficulties during pregnancy, exposure to toxins and family history as playing a role.

The findings in the Journal of Clini-

M

by Dhaval Mehta

I

t all started as coaching the basics of cricket for 4 kids in November 2013 and in two years, Katy Youth Cricket (KYC); a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) tax exempt organization has grown to more than 75 kids actively learning cricket through various structured skill based coaching programs as well as playing competitive cricket in tournaments. The former International cricketer from India, Ajit Wadekar has endorsed KYC’s initiative founded by Dhaval Mehta and Sudheer Kannantha, who both had a dream to provide a platform to young children to continue the legacy of this gentleman’s game in greater Houston and USA.

KYC offers a number of coaching programs both for recreational as well as prepare the kids for competitive levels. The goal of each program is to provide a training environment that is both fun and challenging by qualified and experienced cricket coaches.

In 2016, KYC plans to offer five different structured coaching programs,

Katy Youth Cricket team with Ajit Wadekar, former International cricketer from India. where children from beginner to advanced level can benefit. KYC kids learn through the organized cricket curriculum endorsed and coached by former USA Captain Sushil Nadkarni, Former Central West region player Ankit Mehta, ICC Certified Coach Bhargav Vasavada, Houston league players Sidhesh Pathare, Mustafa Rafique and Richard Coates.

Each program runs in 10-weekly sessions with the objective to improve mental and technical ability and to enhance their overall performance.

KYC is part of Triggers Colts Cricket League (TCCL), the youth cricket league platform of greater Houston.

TCCL gives an opportunity to young children from clubs like KYC and others to play competitive cricket. In May 2016, TCCL is planning to host a National level cricket tournament.

KYC’s young cricketers can’t wait to compete and show their talent at the National level.

Building on the strong foundation through the coaching programs, KYC aims to broaden the reach by planning domestic tours to other cities within US in 2016. This competitive form of cricket is not only a great learning opportunity for the kids but also enhance their skills and build character, teamwork and respect that align with the

Lunch will be provided, and all attendees will receive a gift for attending. The adults-only event is free, but registration is required to attend. To register, call 713.222.CARE (2273).

About Care to Chat: Care to Chat is a newly redesigned, adults-only series filled with helpful advice and information for parents and caretakers of children of all ages.

Notable parenting and child care experts, healthcare providers and educators will come together in casual but informative discussions to offer new insights on a wide range of topics related to children, tweens and teens.

ADHD diagnoses soar 43 percent in United States

Youth Cricket Continue to Prosper in Katy

KYC is the first youth cricket club in greater Houston area to offer such platform to young children between age 7-14 years. KYC’s aim is to “impact the lives of young children by providing programs that build character, teamwork, respect and promote healthy choices through the game of Cricket”. My priority as KYC President is “to make KYC the model for youth development by means of cricket in greater Houston area“ says Dhaval Mehta. In 2015 KYC achieved great heights and established as one of the best cricket Coaching academy under the leadership of then president Sudheer Kannantha.

Psychologist; and Family yoga and youth programs presented by the Fort Bend Family YMCA

overall mission of KYC. When asked about the secret behind the success, KYC’s treasurer Manoj Sule was quick to say “KYC is a community based organization. All these could not be achieved and sustained without the support of parent volunteers and our community partners Mr. Omar Saeed at Metlife, Vishala Grocers, KRB Dentistry, American Fire Safety Supply (AMFSS) and Kurry Walah restaurant - embracing our values are testament to it”.

For more information contact Organizer@KatyYouthCricket.com or www.KatyYouthCricket.com

cal Psychiatry show that 12 percent of American children and teens had ADHD in 2011, a significant rise over the 8.4 percent reported by parents in the same survey taken in 2003.

When researchers looked specifically at teenagers, they found the diagnoses had risen 52 percent since 2003.

“This analysis suggests that 5.8 million US children ages five to 17 now have this diagnosis, which can cause inattention and behavioral difficulties,” said lead researcher Sean Cleary, an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University.

While ADHD has traditionally been more common among boys than girls, researchers found that parent-reported prevalence for girls diagnosed with ADHD rose 55 percent in eight years -from 4.3 percent in 2003 to 7.3 percent in 2011.

Among boys, it rose 40 percent.

The data for the study came from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics, a part of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

- ‘Sharp jumps’ -”We found rising rates of ADHD overall and very sharp jumps in certain subgroups,” Cleary said.

Hispanics in particular reported an 83 percent rise in ADHD diagnosis during the eight-year study period.

The rate of ADHD rose 107 percent among non-English speakers, and 71 percent among children with parents in so-called “other” parent marital situations -- such as living with a single father, legal guardian, or grandparent, the study found.

Study authors said their research was not designed to look for the underlying reasons for changes in prevalence.

However, past studies have suggested the recent rise in US prevalence of ADHD may include changes in specialeducation policy or increased public awareness of ADHD. Other studies have suggested that there has been no objective rise in ADHD since the 1960s, but rather changes in definition and diagnosis that account for more cases being recognized.

According to Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York, the latest data is “not surprising” and “supports the general impression that more children and adolescents are being diagnosed with ADHD.” However, Adesman -- who was not involved in the study -- said that while the statistics are convincing, “it does not help us understand why these increases are being observed.”

VOICE OF ASIA 15

Section 2

FRIDAY, January 15, 2016

B ollywood M asala Bollywood Masala

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Bollywood star shames man watching pirated film on flight

Tel: 713-774-5140

Will do more than one film in 2016: Hrithik Roshan

Hrithik Roshan, turned 42 on Jan 10, 2016. Seen partying with Sharuk Khan, Ranveer Singh and others.

M

Bollywood actors Kriti Sanon (L) and Varun Dhawan make an appearance during a promotional event for Hindi blockbuster ‘Dilwale’, in Mumbai, in November 2015 (AFP Photo/-).

M

UMBAI - A Bollywood star posted a series of angry tweets after a passenger sitting next to her on a flight brazenly started watching a pirated copy of one of her films.

“Someone watchin pirated version of Dilwale in front of me on phone in the flight! Annoyed!! #SayNoToPiracy,” the 25-year-old posted on Twitter.

Actress Kriti Sanon was travelling to Delhi last week when the man seated beside her and her mother started using an iPhone projector to watch Hindi blockbuster “Dilwale”.

The tweet, which has been liked almost 3,000 times, was accompanied by a photo showing the passenger watching the movie. It also included an angry emoji face.

The $15 million movie, which sees Sanon star alongside Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan, had only been released in cinemas 10 days previously.

Shortly afterwards she tweeted again.

“Sad to c the hardwork of so many

ppl bein watched in such pathetic quality! Pls enjoy films in cinemas #SayNoToPiracy,” Sanon wrote.

It was accompanied by another picture of the passenger, who appeared to be enjoying the movie.

A third tweet followed, in response to a user who said that watching pirated movies was a criminal offence.

“Yup..told him politely tht he would enjoy the film more in a theatre. but he was busy showin off his projector!,” she wrote, this time including two angry emoji faces.

Rajkumar Hirani was reluctant to cast Ritika Singh in ‘Saala Khadoos’

UMBAI, Jan 10 (PTI) Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan, who turned 42 today, has decided to take up more than one project this year unlike the past when he would do one film at a time The actor said his upcoming period drama “Mohenjo Daaro” has taken the entire year which has made him reconsider doing more than one movie “’Mohenjo Daaro’ has taken the entire year. Again, it forces me to re-decide that this year I am going to do more than one film. I’ve planned it that way that this year I am going to do more than one film, let’s see,” Hrithik told reporters at his birthday celebration here The “Bang Bang” star said he feels very “special” on his birthday and thanked his fans for all the love “I had a party with friends last

night...I feel very special, very blessed that I am living such a fantastic birthday. Thank you to all my fans and friends, thank you so much,” the actor said Hrithik said he has come a long way from being a “shy, introvert” child to an outgoing person “Earlier, I was very shy, so it’s a very good sign of being from shy and introverted to the kind of what I feel now... To spread love. I think I’ve done well,” the actor said The “Guzaarish” star is very enthusiastic about year 2016 being a “special” for him “I’ve started this year on a very happy note, it’s going to be full of happy things. I am very enthusiastic that something special will happen for sure,” he said Hrithik also said that love is “all around” him and he feels it “everywhere” he goes.

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Rajkumar Hirani reveals that he was initially not sure of casting boxer Ritika Singh in “Saala Khadoos”.

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R Madhavan and Ritika Singh in ‘Saala Khadoos’

M

UMBAI - Wellknown Bollywood filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani reveals that he was initially not sure of casting boxer Ritika Singh in his upcoming production “Saala Khadoos”.

In the movie, R Madhavan essays the role of a boxing coach and national-level kickboxer Ritika Singh is the leading lady of the movie.

The makers auditioned nearly 100 athletes and zeroed in

on Ritika.

doos”.

“Initially, I was apprehensive about the acting part. I was reluctant (as) I wanted an actor as the film is not about boxing alone, it also has difficult scenes.

“They wanted me to see the auditions. I saw her (Ritika’s) clipping and I think she was good. We took a chance,” he said.

But Madhavan and (director) Sudha (Kongara) were adamant that they wanted a real boxer. Madhavan and Sudha wanted a real boxer so that the fights could (be) real,” Hirani told reporters here at the promotional event of “Saala Kha-

The film directed by Sudha Kongara is all set to release on January 29, 2016.

“I was surprised when I saw her (Ritika’s) work,” he quipped.

Hirani is known to make films that have a social mes-

sage, but “Saala Khadoos” is quite different.

“I make feel good films.

Sports films are inspiring, they are story of underdogs who

VOICE OF ASIA

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come out as a winner. In films there are no fights but people will love this film,” he added.

Like every film “Saala Khadoos” too would have a smes-

sage.

“It is about fighting odds, consequences and staying focused to achieve things,” he added.

VOICE OF ASIA 16

FRIDAY, January 15, 2016

HEALTHY LIVING VOICE OF ASIA

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

Deadly bacteria more prevalent than previously thought: study

Understanding Tests Covered by Medicare

for many international health organisations”.

“It kills many people and kills silently,” Direk Limmathurotsakul, Head of Microbiology at MORU and a co-author of the report, told AFP. The disease is caused by the bacteria burkholderia pseudomallei, which is present in soil and can enter the body through cuts in the skin as well as through inhalation.

In Thailand it is often caught by rice farmers who toil for hours in paddy fields.

Direk said skilled lab work was needed to diagnose a melioidosis infection, something Thailand was better equipped to do than many of its less wealthy neighbours like Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia.

Deadly bacteria more prevalent than previously thought: study ANGKOK, Thailand | AFP - An often deadly and difficult to treat bacterial disease is much more prevalent than previously thought and kills tens of thousands of people worldwide each year, researchers said Monday.

The disease, which often affects the rural poor working in fields, is notoriously difficult to diagnose because it mimics many other bacterial infections but only responds to a handful of antibiotics. As a result, misdiagnosis is common.

Melioidosis, also known as Whitmore’s disease, has long been known to be endemic in parts of South and East Asia, the Pacific and northern Australia.

The mortality rate –- around 70 percent -- is shockingly high, greater even than the H5N1 bird flu.

B

But a new analysis by a team of international researchers suggests the disease is also present across swathes of South America and sub-Saharan Africa and likely present in parts of Central America, southern Africa and the Middle East.

“Our estimates suggest that melioidosis is severely underreported in the 45 countries in which it is known to be endemic and that melioidosis is probably endemic in a further 34 countries that have never reported the disease,” researchers led by Oxford University, the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) in Bangkok and the University of Washington in Seattle wrote in a report.

It was published Monday in Nature Microbiology.

It is the first time scientists have attempted to map the disease’s global spread using computer modelling based on data from known outbreaks going back to 1910.

Researchers estimated that as many as 89,000 people out of the the 165,000 people who caught melioidosis in 2015 died from the disease.

But even with Thailand’s more advanced hospitals and labs, the government’s own figures only noted seven deaths from the disease last year, likely a major underestimate, he said.

They noted that annual global deaths from the disease were nearly as high as measles (95,000) and greater than deaths from leptospirosis (50,000) and dengue (12,500) -- “two current health priorities

“This is an under-appreciated and under-reported disease,” Direk said. “The bacteria is difficult to diagnose, difficult to treat and resistant to many antibiotics. We need more awareness and diagnostic tools.”

Having more children could have an effect on rate of aging says new research Simon Fraser University, Canada, looked at 75 indigenous Guatemalan women from two neighboring rural communities and collected data on the number of children the women had given birth to.

To find a link between number of children and the rate of biological aging, the team also looked at the length of each woman’s telomeres, the protective tips found at the end of More children can slow down biological aging- study. © wavebreakmedia/ each DNA strand shutterstock.com that indicate how cells are aging. The ew research suggests her body ages, with more chillonger the cells, the better it is that the number of dren leading to a slower rate of for aging and longevity. children a woman biological aging.

To assess the length of the could affect the rate at which A team of researchers from women’s telomeres the team took saliva samples and DNA swabs from the inside of the cheek. A second set of samples was collected 13 years later.

N

In the first study to look at a direct link between the length of telomeres and the number of children, the results showed that the women who gave birth to more surviving children had longer telomeres, going against the theory that producing a larger number of offspring speeds up biological aging.

The researchers believe that these results could be explained by two factors.

As the women were from communities where mothers

Primary Care Physician

Colorectal cancer screenings How often is it covered?

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers several types of colorectal cancer screening tests to help find precancerous growths or find cancer early, when treatment is most effective. One or more of these tests may be covered: • Screening barium enema: When this test is used instead of a flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy, Medicare covers it once every 48 months if you’re 50 or over and once every 24 months if you’re at high risk for colorectal cancer.

• Screening colonoscopy: Medicare covers this test once every 24 months if you’re at high risk for colorectal cancer. If you aren’t at high risk for colorectal cancer, Medicare covers this test once every 120 months, or 48 months after a previous flexible sigmoidoscopy.

• Screening fecal occult blood test: Medicare covers this lab test once every 12 months if you’re 50 or older.

• Multi-target stool DNA test: Medicare covers this athome test once every 3 years for people who meet all of these conditions: • They’re between 50–85.

• They show no signs or symptoms of colorectal disease including, but not limited to, lower gastrointestinal pain, blood in stool, positive guaiac fecal occult blood test or fecal immunochemical test.

• They’re at average risk for developing colorectal cancer, meaning: • They have no personal history of adenomatous polyps, colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis.

• They have no family history of colorectal cancers or adenomatous polyps, familial adenomatous polyposis, or hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer.

• Screening flexible sigmoidoscopy: Medicare covers this test once every 48 months for most people 50 or older. If you aren’t at high risk, Medicare covers this test 120 months after a previous screening colonoscopy.

Who’s eligible?

All people age 50 or older with Part B are covered. People of any age are eligible for a colonoscopy.

Your costs in Original Medicare receive a large amount of social support from friends and family, this could enable the body to devote more of its energy to looking after and maintaining body tissue, therefore slowing down the biological aging process. However although this level of support is a social norm for communities where the study took place, it may not be seen across all cultures or societies.

Sudhir Mathuria Contact: Sudhir Mathuria Licensed Professional Health Life 360 6650 Southwest Freeway Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900 www.MyMedicarePlanning.com • For barium enemas, you pay 20% of the Medicareapproved amount for the doctor’s services. In ahospital outpatient setting, you also pay a copayment.

• You pay nothing for a multi-target stool DNA test.

• If a screening colonoscopy or screening flexible sigmoidoscopy results in the biopsy or removal of a lesion or growth during the same visit, the procedure is considered diagnostic and you may have to pay coinsurance and/ or a copayment, but the Part B deductible doesn’t apply.

• You pay nothing for the screening fecal occult blood test. This screening test is covered if you get a referral from your doctor, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist.

• You pay nothing for the screening colonoscopy or screening flexible sigmoidoscopy, if your doctor accepts assignment.

Diabetes screenings How often is it covered?

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers screenings to check for diabetes. You may be eligible for 2 diabetes screenings each year.

Who’s eligible?

Part B covers these lab tests if you have any of these risk factors: • High blood pressure (hypertension) • History of abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels (dyslipidemia) •Obesity •History of high blood sugar (glucose).

To select right health plan for individual, family or business contact Sudhir Mathuria @ 713-771-2900.

More details on www.voiceofasiaonline.com In addition, the results could be explained by the primary female sex hormone estrogen, which has a strong antioxidant effect on the body. Levels of estrogen rise significantly during pregnancy, leading the researchers to believe that it thanks to its antioxidant effect, estrogen may protect the mother’s cells against telomere shortening.

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BP says to axe 4,000 jobs globally on oil price slide

L

ONDON - British energy major BP said Tuesday that it will axe more than 4,000 jobs worldwide over the next two years in response to collapsing oil prices.

The company said in a statement that it would “reduce BP upstream staff globally from 24,000 to somewhere below 20,000 by year-end 2017”.

The cutbacks will include 600 job losses at BP’s North Sea activities.

London-listed energy giant BP had already slashed 4,000 jobs last year as it prepared for a prolonged period of low prices.

Brent North Sea crude prices tumbled to fresh 12-year lows on Tuesday and have shed more than 15 percent so far this year.

The oil market had plunged by 35 percent in 2015, its third consecutive annual decline, plagued by chronic oversupply.

Mark Thomas, regional president for BP North Sea, said that “given the well-documented challenges of operating in this maturing region and in toughening market conditions, we need to take specific steps to ensure our business remains competitive and robust”.

“An inevitable outcome of this will be an impact on headcount and we expect a reduction of around 600 staff and agency contractor roles by the end of 2017, with the majority of these taking place this year,” he added.

Oil dived close to $30 per barrel on Tuesday on global oversupply, as OPEC member Nigeria called for an emergency meeting to address col-

lapsing prices that has ravaged revenues and hurt the profits of energy majors.

BP stressed however on Tuesday that it is “committed to the North Sea”.

The group said it would invest about $2 billion of capital into North Sea projects this year.

“This will sustain many hundreds of supply chain contractor jobs going forward,” it added.

- ‘Prices still falling’ - British production of oil and gas rose in 2015 for the first time in 15 years but may struggle to maintain the performance amid low energy prices.

Output is expected to have risen by as much as eight percent last year after a strong first 10 months, industry body Oil and Gas UK said last week.

BP profits meanwhile col-

N

Stabilization in China’s markets, including a firming of the yuan, sparked buying both in Europe and on Wall Street, after the worst opening week for a new year in history.

At the close the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 117.65 points (0.72 percent) at 16,516.22.

The broad-market S&P

500 advanced 15.01 (0.78 percent) to 1,938.68, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite surged 47.93 (1.03 percent) to 4,685.92.

in crude prices. ExxonMobil surprised with a 2.0 percent gain and Chevron added 1.7 percent.

Large tech stocks, at the core of the selloff last week, led the rebound.

But oilfield services companies slipped, with Schlumberger down 0.2 percent and Halliburton 0.4 percent.

“We’ve been waiting for a tech bounce for some time,” said David Levy of Kenjol Capital Management.

Other leaders included UnitedHealth Group, up 2.4 percent, and Wells Fargo bank, 2.7 percent.

Alibaba led the climb higher with a 4.0 percent gain, with Intel adding 1.9 percent and Apple 1.5 percent.

Meanwhile shares of the largest US coal miner, Peabody Energy, plunged for a second straight day after the number-two miner Arch Coal filed for bankruptcy protec-

Oil industry shares were mixed despite another drop

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Jackpot hits $1.5 billion in US lottery record

lapsed in the third quarter of 2015 as oil prices halved on the back of the stubborn global supply glut.

That forced the British energy giant to scale back investment and sell more assets, also after it was ravaged by the catastrophic 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

David Elmes, professor at Warwick Business School, said that the news was a reflection that energy prices would remain at low levels for some time.

“BP’s announcement of job cuts is sad news for the staff and communities involved but (they) are a reflection that world prices for oil and gas look set to be lower for longer,” he said.

“World prices have fallen in the past, but recovered soon after. The current drop in prices started more than a year ago and prices are still falling.”

US stocks hold up even as oil touches below $30 EW YORK - US stocks held onto early gains Tuesday despite a bout of mid-session selling pressure when oil prices dipped below $30 a barrel for the first time since 2003.

FRIDAY, January 15, 2016

tion.

Peabody shares lost 16.0 percent to $4.48 -- compared with $100 a share a year ago -- amid worries its heavy debt load and sinking coal demand could force it to seek protection as well.

Markets remained clearly on edge as fourth-quarter earnings season opens.

Levy said traders were “still feeling very uncertain as far as where we go from here.”

“We remain very guarded in our outlook for stocks going forward at the time being.”

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EW YORK - The largest jackpot in US history shot up to $1.5 billion on Tuesday, driven by record sales as people flock across state lines and international borders to buy tickets, a lottery executive said.

“Sales are doing exponentially more than we’ve ever done before,” he said, adding that they were more than double what they were before the last record US jackpot of $656 million in March 2012 -- won by ticket holders.

To win the jackpot, a ticket holder has to match all numbers on five white balls and one red ball selected at the twice weekly Powerball draw -- next due on Wednesday at 10:59 pm (0359 GMT Thursday).

“I’m hearing anecdotally and through news outlets, millions of people who have never played Powerball before are indeed purchasing a ticket,” said Grief.

The winner can choose to be paid the full jackpot in annual installments over 29 years -- or take a one-off cash payment of $930 million -- before taxes.

Through last Saturday about $1.75 billion in Powerball tickets have been bought since the last jackpot win on November 4, Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery and chair of the Powerball game group, told AFP. At the last draw on Saturday, 25 people matched the first five numbers -- winning $1 million each -- and three others had paid a bonus netting them $2 million each but no one claimed the then $950 million jackpot.

Grief said sales were record breaking and could not rule out that the jackpot would again rise before Wednesday’s draw.

Some retailers scoring the biggest sales are in states bordering the handful that do not participate in the Powerball, he said.

“People are flocking over from those states to stand in line and buy lottery tickets,” he said. “You do not have to be a citizen of the US, people are coming from Mexico and Canada to purchase tickets,” he added.

Forty-four US states take part in the Powerball along with the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

The world’s richest lottery is Spain’s annual Christmas “El Gordo,” which in 2015 handed out 2.2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) but which capped individual wins at 400,000 euros and handed out thousands of smaller prizes.

Read latest on Business Visit www.voiceofasiaonline.com

Million-dollar McLaren recalled; hood can fly open

W

ASHINGTON - The US auto safety regulator announced Monday a recall of McLaren’s $1.15 million P1 supercar, warning that its front hood can fly open while moving.

The recall by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration affects only a handful of car owners -- only 375 P1s were produced between 2013

and 2015 -- but cited a serious potential hazard for a car that can race to 400 kilometers per hour (250 miles per hour).

“The affected vehicles have a secondary hood latch that may not properly re-engage,” the NHTSA said in the recall notice.

“As a result, if the primary latch is released inadvertently, the hood may open while the

vehicle is moving.”

The P1 is a 903 horsepower hybrid electric-gas car with technology inspired by Formula 1 cars.

McLaren was founded as a racing team in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren who died in a 1970 crash after the back trunk of his racing prototype opened at high speed, destabilizing the car.

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BMW reports record sales in 2015, but sees slowdown in China RANKFURT - German top-of-the-range carmaker BMW said Monday that it sold a record number of vehicles worldwide last year, powered by new models, but its performance slowed in China.

vehicles were delivered to customers around the world last year, an increase of 6.1 percent on the previous year, the statement said.

“2015 was the most successful year ever for the BMW group with annual sales setting a new record for the fifth year in a row,” the group said in a statement.

“Our sales grew consistently throughout the year, despite headwinds in some markets.

We expect many of those challenges to continue into 2016,” said sales and marketing chief Ian Robertson, speaking at the North American International

F

A total of 2.247 million BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce

In December alone, however, sales slipped by 0.8 percent to 213,537 vehicles, BMW said.

Auto Show in Detroit.

Sales in Europe were up by 9.4 percent, sales in the Americas rose by 2.8 percent and sales in Asia climbed by 4.2 percent.

“Strong sales were reported worldwide, with the exception of mainland China where significant headwinds have impacted on the entire luxury sector,” BMW said.

In China alone, sales grew by 1.7 percent last year, the German group said.

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HOROSCOPE

VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, January 15, 2016

Your Horoscope for the Week of January 15, 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

Disappointments with friends and others in general will likely to happen. You are hypersensitive and need much affection, tenderness, and love but are not actively asking for it. Others’ heartlessness will affect you more than usual, and you are rather unrealistic in your hopes and expectations of them.

You will find stressful to balance needs for freedom and independence with needs for love and companionship. People or things which might offend your senses at other times now increase your appreciation and interest. This will not be a boring time if you can help it! But it is apt to be a tense time if you give quick reactions. So just go with the flow, be calm and happy.

Scorpio (N,Y) 23 Oct to 21 Nov

Taurus (B,V,U) 21 April to 20 May You are getting what you really want and moving toward achieving the things, which are important to you. It may involve surrendering something or eliminating something from your life at this time. Perhaps an attitude, a situation, or an attachment that has been impeding you is now released. You feel free to concentrate on the things that are most important to you now.

Unusual ventures, unexpected events which will create the need for considerable adjustment on your part. Whatever agenda you had planned is apt to be spontaneously disregarded for what may well be a better alternative. However, you are prone to be more than a little reckless now, so be certain you are not jeopardizing some areas of your life which are your support structure and which in fact enable you to experiment and do some of the things you want to do.

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

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June You will have the ability and stamina to concentrate, to work carefully and thoroughly, and to accomplish something modest, yet of real practical value and substance now.

This is an excellent time to eliminate whatever is unnecessary and outworn in your life from clutter and disorder in your environment to an unhealthy relationship or even a long-held attitude or belief which keeps you from going after what you really want in life.

You are eager to discuss your thoughts and plans with others at this time. And you may have a very fruitful session of a spirited debate, or a very active meeting with others in which things really get accomplished. You are verbally assertive and can present your own plan or idea quite convincingly. Pay close attention to detail and don’t put serious issues on the back-burner.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July

to you now.

You will concentrate and focus on your work is which very good now. This is a time to attend to details, take care of practical business, and to make your life more stable and secure. It would be beneficial to consult advisors on investments and long-range plans and to put your affairs in order. Eliminating waste and inefficiency is important

Intellectual disagreements or differences of opinion and viewpoints with those in your inner circle will arise now. You may have to speak your mind in a way that challenges or unnerves someone else. However, your mind is very active and sharp, and your reasoning power is good, so this is a good time to do mental work. It is easy for you to talk about your feelings now and also to listen sensitively to not only what others are saying but also what they are feeling.

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

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August

your work.

With your serious mind and you are able to concentrate on work that requires patience, attention to detail, and precision. Practical concerns will dominate. It is a good time to learn practical skills, do your taxes, organize your files, and take care of business. You’ll want to avoid light social conversation or trivialities that distract you from

Your focus will be on voluntary activity at some social, welfare or religious organization. You may be asked to take responsibility or even a leadership role or to contribute and participate more fully than you have in the past. You will enjoy being part of a team or group effort now. Being part of a community or circle of friends and building your social network is important to you at this time. By the end of the week, you should have a much clearer sense of where you stand.

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

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September Your interactions with others and with the outside world in general can be confusing, and discouraging. It seems that whatever you try to do goes nowhere or gets lost in a haze of misunderstanding. This is not a good time for attempt to get personal recognition for your efforts. Taking time off, working quietly, or doing something primarily for the benefit of others without concern for personal gain is favored at this time.

QR

Your desire for harmony and gracious surroundings will lead you this week. It will be stronger than usual and you will avoid unpleasantness as much as possible. You’re inclined to use charm, gentle coaxing and loving persuasion rather than more direct, forceful methods to get what you want. At this time, pleasure and affection are more important to you than work, and you may be rather lazy, but pleasant.

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Harper Lee’s second novel tops 2015 US bestseller list

N

EW YORK - Harper Lee’s second novel “Go Set a Watchman” topped the US bestseller list in 2015, selling 1.6 million copies more than half a century after her Pulitzer-winning first book was published.

The figures were based on US print unit sales reported to Nielsen since the novel was published in July, snapped up by avid fans who for decades thought the reclusive author of “To Kill a Mockingbird” would never publish another word.

Pre-orders turned it into an instant bestseller at many retailers the moment its release was announced by publishers HarperCollins last February.

The novel features many of the characters of Lee’s 1960 masterpiece, which was turned into an Oscar-winning movie starring Gregory Peck.

Considered a 20th century classic that defined racial injustice in the Depression-era South of the United States, “Mockingbird” is standard reading in classrooms across the world.

Lee’s second published novel, which earned more mixed reviews, was seemingly discovered in her safe deposit box in still-unclear circumstances.

The 89-year-old is now confined to a nursing home, her sight and hearing deeply affected by a stroke, and has given no public interviews for years.

Lee wrote the manuscript in the late 1950s, but her then-editor suggested she recast the book from the childhood perspective of Scout, which became “Mockingbird.”

While some reviews have been charitable about its merit in plotting her development as a writer, others have been scathing about the unedited draft, set in the era of the civil rights movement.

Second and third bestsellers were the latest installments in Jeff Kinney’s “Diary of Wimpy Kid” series and British author EL James’ mommy-porn erotica “Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian.”

Each sold 1.48 million and 1.4 million copies respectively in the United States, according to data compiled by Nielsen.

In fourth place was nail-biting thriller “The Girl on the Train” written by Paula Hawkins, a former journalist based in London.

The same book topped the list of top 10 Kindle bestsellers on Amazon in 2015, on which “Go Set a Watchman” came sixth.

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VOICE OF ASIA 20

FRIDAY, January 15, 2016