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FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

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Vol. 29 No. 40 Friday, September 30, 2016 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 20 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

Photo credit: Bijay Dixit

Indian Americans in Houston protest against Pakistan’s attack in Uri, Balochistan

T

he Indian American Community of Greater Houston and American Friends of Balochistan registered a strong protest outside the Islamic Republic of Pakistan consulate today. Protesters were outraged over the recent attack by terrorists on an army post in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, where 18 soldiers were martyred. Pakistan’s human right violations, abduction and murdering of civilians, rape of women and children of Balochistan were highlighted by the protesters.

The protest came in the heels of Congressman Ted Poe’s bill in the US House of Representatives which called for designating Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism, saying it was time America stopped funding the country for its “betrayal”.

Slogans were shouted against Pakistan - the epicenter of global terrorism, whose imprint has been found in myriad terrorist attacks around the world whether in Uri, London, New York, Paris or Madrid. A placard held by a soldier calling Pakistan as the Ivy League of Terrorism adequately captured the mood of the gathering. Slogan “Uri Martyrs Amar Rahe” (Long live Uri Martyrs) rent the air as participants voiced their displeasure at Pakistani complicity in the terrorist attack at Uri. Many protesters carried placards highlighting the oppression of minorities, women and children in Pakistan and urged the US govt to stop funding Pakistan.

mental in putting the protests together, minced no words in highlighting Pakistan’s role as the breeding and har-

boring ground of global terrorism by coining the slogan “Terroristan is the second name of Pakistan”.

The protesters thanked the Houston Police department for providing secu-

rity. The event ended with the gathering singing the national anthems of USA and India.

League City Onam Celebrations 2016

by Staff Reporterr

his comedy show, won the spectators’ hearts.

Other attractions such as the athapookalam, return of Maveli thamburan, pulikali, chenda melam and naadan pattu set a nostalgic mood for the day. Children and adults participated in the vadamvali, or tug-of-war, with lots of excitement and cheering from the onlookers.

This was followed by prize distribution for the winners.

T

he Malayalee Samajam of League City hosted their first-ever Onam festivities on Saturday, September 24, at the Knights Of Columbus Hall in League City. Hundreds of Malayalees dressed in their Onam finery participated in making it a gala event with a traditional touch. Events started at 9:30 am with a thalapoli and panchavadya melam procession escorting distinguished guests to the stage. Then came the lighting of the badra deepam with elders in the community narrating their childhood memories of Onam.

Everyone sat together to enjoy the flavors of a traditional Onam sadhya as one family, which emphasized the importance of family and community bonds during Onam. Participants thanked the organizers for giving them Malayalees recreate the golden age of the legendary king Mahabali as part of Onam celebration. Photo an opportunity to celecredit Sen Kurian brate Onam, the festival of happiness, prosperity Cultural perforchildren presenting various art forms. League City, with her melodious mances followed with adults and Reshmi Nair, the blessed singer of songs and Kalabhavan Jayan, with and wellbeing, with their parents, relatives and friends.

Gajanan Gaikwad, who was instru-

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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS

VOICE OF ASIA 2

US Needs to Regulate Immigration to Control its Destiny

VOICE OF ASIA Publisher:

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Columnists: Legal: Richard M. Alderman Legal: Sharlene Sharmila Richards Research: Prof. Meenakshi Bhattacharjee Health Insurance: Sudhir Mathuria Astrology: Hardik Vyas

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

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FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

immigration into the United States. Founders only meant to have legal immigrants in the country.

Chandra K. Mittal, B.S., M.S., Ph.D., FCP Professor, Biological & Biomedical Sciences, HCC, Houston

by Chandra K. Mittal

W

ith the US electorate getting deep into the 2016 US Presidential election and debating many issues including the slow economic growth, stagnant wages, decreased buying power, unemployment or underemployment, terrorism, national security and safety, no other matter of public policy is as charged, divisive and polarizing as the issue of illegal immigration. And this is being exploited quite effectively by the Presidential candidates from both political parties to reap benefit at the ballot box.

The first US immigration and naturalization law was passed

by US Congress in 1790. Since then several modifications and revisions have been made in the immigration laws to suit the needs of the country. The last major US immigration legislation was signed into law in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan, which granted amnesty to millions of illegal aliens in the United States and made new provisions to discourage and curtail future illegal immigration into US. But today after thirty years US again faces a new batch of illegals to deal with.

The whole debate and dispute about the immigration into US has its roots in the presence of large number of illegal (undocumented) aliens in the United States today due to US’s inability to control its borders and failure to implement present immigration laws. While nobody quite knows the exact numbers, present estimates of illegals range from 11 to 12 Million. But they are a significant source of debate in the American society.

Present day debate on illegal immigration is caught up in the election euphoria with high emotions that allow no logical discussion for possible solution of the problem. Both Democrats and Republicans are making their case with political expediency in mind. Some suggest making America an “open-border” country while others propose building a wall along the US southern border to physically prevent illegal entry into the country. And then some invoke high moral ground of compassion and love to deal with the situation. But all such prescriptions are political “talking points”. These are not solutions to serious problem but fallacies that cannot remedy the situation.

United States is indeed the country of immigrants as it was itself founded by European immigrants and their descendants.

The Founders knew and recognized the need for immigrants in their new country for its future development and survival.

So, to continue with tradition of immigration the Founding Fathers provisioned the legal immigration into the US Constitution under Article 1, Section 8 Clause 4 which charged the US Congress to make laws to control and regulate future

Illegal immigration into the United States has serious negative repercussions for US at multiple levels. First and foremost – it is the blatant violation of American “rule-of-law” which is the soul of the country. A nation without laws is an anarchic state. Second, the national borders are the most sacrosanct and inviolable assets of a country which have to guarded again all invasions. Its control and defense is the primary responsibility and prerogative of the government of a sovereign

nation. Furthermore, illegal aliens put undue burden on the social services provided by local municipalities already stretched financially.

United States can afford to ignore the issue of illegal immigration into its territory without jeopardizing its internal peace, security or economy. People should enter and remain in the the country only legally. As a matter of fact the foreigners who enter United States illegally or over-stay their visas cannot be ejected out of the country for humanistic and logistical reasons. These individuals sooner or later get legalized and absorbed in the United States as has happened repeatedly in the past. This intractable problem can be only solved by firm resolve and unity among various political interests.

US needs to take a comprehensive look at all sources of illegal immigration and pass a bipartisan revised legislation which is compatible with the present day realities. But more importantly it requires sincerity,

political will, cooperation and strict resolve of all stakeholders including the government, businesses, political parties, and citizens to implement the law.

To avoid mistakes or deficiencies of the past, compliance to new immigration laws needs to be enforced strictly and forcefully without patronage to gain political advantage in exchange from any group of the American society.

If US cannot commit or make good on this resolve, the illegal immigration will continue to haunt America on a regular basis ultimately threatening its sovereignty while its custodians (i.e. politicians) remain occupied with bickering, finger-pointing and political deflection to fulfill their personal objectives. A tall order indeed, but a nation without border controls cannot control its destiny.

Dr. Chandra Mittal is Professor at Houston Community College and Co-Founder of IndoAmerican Association (IAA).

Contact: drckmittal@yahoo. com: Twitter: @drchandramittal

ERRATUM In our last week’s issue, the article “1st Health Expo by HealthLine, Local Media Lauded” on page 11, the part on Keynote Speaker Dr. Hardeep Singh should read as: Recipi-

ent of the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from President Obama for his groundbreaking multidisciplinary research, Dr. Singh pointed out that Indians in US were at a very high risk for cardiovascular disease. Sadly people are not very aware of many of the health related issues. His presentation at the Health Expo focused on three primary messages:1. Empowerment in health care 2. Be engaged consumers in health 3. Be a proactive citizen for health of our planet. He noted that global warming and land, water, air pollution has major consequences. He concluded by encouraging small steps toward reducing carbon footprint that would help for a better tomorrow.

The report had unnecessary, details on his keynote address that could have confused the reader from the actual message.

The intention was to not to confuse or mislead our reader.

Our sincere apology for the oversight. It has been corrected online since.

Editor

- The Publisher

THE STORY OF MAHATMA GANDHI

National tragedy follows Independence

A

fter the defeat of Japan in August 1945, Britain agreed to a planned withdrawal from India in friendship and with no bitterness. All through his life Gandhi had worked for unity between Hindus and Muslims, without much success. There was a large section of nationalist Muslim in the Congress but leaders of the Muslim League were drifting further and further away. Gandhi was not the man to give up hope, however, and he pursued his efforts to bring about a settlement. On the other hand, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the Muslim League, was hostile to the idea of unity. This is the concluding installment of the story of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Viceroy invited all leaders to Simla and tried to find a solution and bring about Hindu-Muslim accord. Jinnah would not agree to anything except a separate Muslim state of Pakistan.

Britain announced an election in India and the election was held. The Congress won most of the nonMuslim seats and the Muslim League won most of the Muslim seats. The deadlock continued.

“We can settle the Indian problem in ten minutes if Mr. Gandhi agrees to the creation of Pakistan,” said Jinnah.

“Cut me in half,” cried Gandhi, “but do not divide India in two.”

He spoke to the deaf. In February 1946, the British government sent a Cabinet Mission to India. It consisted of Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps and A.V. Alexander.

The task of the Cabinet Mission was to study the situation and make recommendations.

After careful consideration, the Cabinet Mission issued a statement proposing the withdrawal of British authority from India.

They had the idea of a united India.

On August 24, 1946, the Viceroy announced the formation of an Interim National Govern-

ment to replace the Viceroy’s Executive Council. Jawaharlal Nehru was the Vice-President of the Interim Government.

The Muslim League declined to join on the ground that it had not been given the right to nominate all the Muslim members.

After the installation of the Interim Government, Gandhi was anxious to return to Sevagram, his ashram near Wardha, but the Congress leaders prevailed on him to stay longer in Delhi because they wanted his advice. Then the Muslim League decided to join the Interim Government and an announcement was made to that effect on October 15, 1946.

Gandhi once again felt free to return to Sevagram. He was about to leave Delhi when news came of disturbances in Bengal.

There was widespread communal rioting in Calcutta and in the Muslim majority district of Noakhali in East Bengal, with murder, arson, looting, forced conversions, forced marriages, and abduction.

Gandhi was confused and griefstricken. Instead of returning to Sevagram, he set out for Noakhali to try to bring peace there. The communal riots spread. There were similar riots in Bihar and the Punjab. Several thousand were killed and injured. Gandhi was greatly distressed by these events. He tried to calm and reassure the people.

He walked from village to village and from house to house

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Wherever he was, there was peace, at least outwardly, but the general situation in India was worsening. Rioting spread from the towns to the villages.

In Bihar the Muslims were suffering and Gandhi went there to instil courage into the Muslim minority. The situation in India was so dreadful that the Congress leaders realized that the best way open to them was to accept Jinnah’s demand for a division of the country. Nehru met Gandhi to inform him of this decision.

Gandhi asked him, “Is there no way out? No hope of a united India?” Nehru was sad and grave. “Bapuji,” he replied, “unity is impossible... we have to accept it (division of India). Otherwise this deadly turmoil will never cease.” Gandhi bowed his head to hide his despair. On June 3, 1947, British Prime Minister Attlee announced the plan for partition.

The Congress and the Muslim League accepted it. For Gandhi it was a spiritual tragedy. With infinite sadness he said, “All of India must accept Pakistan in loving resignation. We have no choice. Hindus must lead the way to a friendly settlement.”

Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy, was anxious not to delay the ushering in of independent India and independent Pakistan. He shortened the time limit for the British to quit India. The date for the declaration of Indian independence was fixed for August 15, 1947.

Thus on August 15, 1947, India’s long struggle and suffering for freedom was over.

A new nation, although split in two, was born. Lord Mountbatten hailed Gandhi as “the architect of India’s freedom through non-violence.” Gandhi had never given his approval to partition, but when it was done he accepted it and did everything possible for the attainment of Hindu-Muslim friendship. Yet the tension between Hindus and Muslims continued to increase. As a result of partition over 700,000 Hindus, Sikhs, and other non-Muslims, fearing the Muslims, in Pakistan left their homes and set out towards security in India. From India

about the same number of Muslims, fearing the Hindus, left their homes for Pakistan. The miseries attendant on this mass migration, one of the greatest in history, were manifold.

One and half million people on the move were exposed to starvation, disease, and death on the way. Gandhi was on his way to the Punjab when he stopped in Delhi, hoping to quell the riots that had broken out there. Gandhi’s gospel of forbearance and forgiveness towards Muslims marked him as a traitor in the eyes of many Hindu extremists. In the face of fanatical opposition, Gandhi redoubled his efforts and the major disturbances in Delhi subsided, but there were still disturbances here and there.

Gandhi decided to do penance by fasting, which he thought would bring about a change in the attitude of the Hindu fanatics. The fast began on January 13, 1948. There was gloom all over India at the news of Gandhi’s fast. People thought that he would not be able to survive another fast.

The whole world watched as

Gandhi, 78 years old, fasted to save his country from destruction. On January 18 a peace committee, representing all communities, met and signed a pact pledging unity and the protection of life, property, and faith to the Muslim minority.

Gandhi was informed of the pledge and he broke his fast.

Gandhi was staying at Birla House. Every evening he held a prayer-meeting in the grounds.

During his prayer-meeting on January 20, a bomb was thrown at him, but it missed its target.

Gandhi continued his prayer meeting as if nothing had happened. “Bapuji, a bomb exploded near you,” said a voice.

“Really?” Gandhi said. “Perhaps some poor fanatic threw it. But let no one look down on him.” On January 30, after a midday nap, Gandhi woke up at 3.30 p.m.

The whole day he had had a stream of visitors. Sardar Patel went to see him at 4 p.m.

Nehru and Azad were to come after the evening prayer. Gandhi left his room at 5 p.m. and went towards the prayer hall.

He passed through a cordoned-

off path, accompanied by Manu and Abha, his grand-daughters.

As he was walking along a youth came forward as if to seek his blessings.

But he stood in front of Gandhi and at point-blank range fired three shots in quick succession. All the bullets hit him.

Gandhi fell, uttering the prayer, “Hay Ram.” Gandhi was dead.

The assassination gave the world a tremendous shock.

Nehru went on radio to tell the country of Gandhi’s death, his voice choked with emotion: “Friends and comrades, the light has gone out of our lives and there is darkness everywhere.

I do not know what to tell you and how to say it. Our beloved leader, Bapu as we called him, the Father of the Nation, is no more. Perhaps I am wrong to say that. Nevertheless, we will not see him again as we have seen him for these many years.

The light has gone out, I said, and yet I was wrong. For the light that shone in this country was no ordinary light. The light that has illumined this country for these many, many years will illumine this country for many

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C OMMUNITY VOICE OF ASIA

FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

Second Front Page

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Houston Indians pay homage to Uri’s martyred soldiers asked everyone to expose the sympathisers of the terrorists and support Indian Army and the Government in their fight against the menace of terrorism. Highlighting soldiers’ sacrifice he quoted the words from the epitaph at Kohima War Cemetery in Nagaland, India, “When you go home, tell them of us and say, for their tomorrow we gave our today”. No eye was dry when pictures of the bodies of the dead soldiers coming home were shown on a big screen.

Consul-General of India, Houston Dr. Anupam Ray addressing the gathering at India House on Sunday, September 25, 2016.

by Sahana Singh

W

hen four heavilyarmed terrorists attacked an Indian Army base camp on September 18th at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir, India the anger was felt not just in India but all over the globe. 18 Indian Army soldiers made supreme sacrifice on that fateful night.

India House in association with India American Community organized a prayer meeting on September 25th to pay their respect to the martyred soldiers. Large numbers of Indian-Americans and representative from Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan congregated at India House holding flags

of both India and the United States to mourn the deaths of soldiers.

A minute of silence was called for by Dr. Manish Rungta, President of India House to honor the memories of soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice. He reminded the audience that the reason civilians were leading normal, comfortable lives was that soldiers were guarding our borders and braving adverse conditions.

The program began with soulful patriotic songs by Global Desis.

Vipin Kumar, Executive Director of India House, a retired Colonel of the Indian Army,

A packed audience of supporters and sympathizer gathered at the India House for Shradanjali, Photo credit: Bijay Dixit

Retired Colonel Raj Bhalla, past president of ICC and Board of Director of India House recounted the challenges that he experienced in the 1971 India-Pakistan war. “We should never forget the unselfish sacrifice of our brave soldiers whether they are in India or in the US,” he asserted.

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Makhan Rattan Singh of Sikh Regiment, visiting from India narrated his active duty experiences and the glories of his Regiment. He stressed the urgency for immediate financial assistance and rehabilitation of bereaved families.

Achalesh Amar, a prominent community activist lauded the action of Congressman Ted Poe, the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, along with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher

L-R: Achlesh Amar Colonel Raj Bhalla, Dr. Anupam Ray Col Makhan Singh Col Vipin Kumar and Vijay Pallod. Photo credit: Bijay Dixit

who has introduced a bill to designate Pakistan as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. Signatures are also accumulating for a petition created on the White House petition page for the same. He also noted that Texas Congressman Pete Olson has strongly condemned the Uri attack. Olson has is-

sued a statement calling India a strong partner and ally, and said that every effort should be made to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice.

Calls of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, “Jai Hind”, “Vande Mataram” reverberated as everyone present acknowl-

edged the immense debt to the motherland. The ConsulGeneral of India Dr Anupam Ray assured everyone that India would prevail over the forces trying to disrupt peace and spread terror. He thanked the Indians of Houston for being so supportive of the Indian government.

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FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER

The People’s Lawyer

Answers to your Immigration Questions

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

www.peopleslawyer.net

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT IMMIGRATION PROCESSING

Richard M. Alderman Interim Dean of the Law Center

Sharlene Sharmila Richards

Truck owner not responsible for cracked windshield Q. I was driving down the road when the large truck in front of me kicked up a small stone from the road into my windshield. I filed a claim with the owner of the truck, and it refused to pay. Do I have a case for small claims court? My friend was with me and can testify that she saw the stone thrown from the truck into my windshield.

A. In my opinion, successfully suing the owner of the truck will be difficult, even if you can prove that its wheel threw up a small stone. The mere fact that the truck threw a rock from the tire does not make the owner or driver liable. To be liable, the person driving the truck must have been “negligent.” This means he was not acting reasonably, and that is why the wheel threw a stone into your car. For example, carrying a load of gravel in the bed of a truck without a cover could be considered “negligent.” If a rock blew off the truck because there was no cover, the driver or owner could be liable. Cars and trucks, however, often throw up a rock or piece of gravel no matter how safely the driver acts. Therefore, the driver or owner of the car or truck usually is not responsible for damage.

The owner was not at fault, he was not negligent, and the law does not impose liability simply because he was driving or owner the vehicle.

Q. My apartment lease was up in December. Since that time we have had a month-tomonth agreement. I am now moving out. I gave proper notice. I am afraid my landlord will not return my security deposit. Can I require the landlord to use my security deposit for the last month’s rent?

A. A security deposit is designed to compensate the landlord for damage to the apartment or unpaid rent.

Under the Texas Security Deposit Law, assuming you gave proper notice and a forwarding address, a landlord must either return your security deposit or give you written notice of why it is being withheld within 30 days of when you move out. A landlord who violates this law is considered to be acting in bad faith, and can owe the tenant three times the deposit plus $100.

You cannot, however, require the landlord to use the deposit to cover the last month’s rent. In fact, if you do, the landlord has the right to sue you for three times the deposit plus another $100.

My advice is to pay your rent, give a forwarding address, and if your security deposit is not properly returned, use the Texas Security Deposit Law. Q. I looked at a house and it was such a good buy I offered to pay exactly what the owner was asking. The owner, however, refused my offer and said he wanted even more. Can someone who puts

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a house on the market refuse to sell the house after an offer to buy it for exactly what he was asking? Don’t we have a contract?

A. Good question. As far as the law is concerned, you do not have a contract when you offer to buy a house at the asking price. To have a contract, you need an “offer” and an “acceptance.”

The seller did not offer to sell the house. By placing it on the market, the seller was only soliciting offers. Your “offer to buy” the house is just that, an “offer.” The seller may accept it or reject it. Until your offer is accepted, there is no contract. As a buyer, you are the one making the offer. Although most sellers will accept an offer at their asking price, there is no legal requirement that they do so.

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My employer has told me any leave will be without pay.

A. Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, you may be entitled to up to 12 weeks leave, depending on the size the company and how long you have worked there. The law, however, does not require that the leave be with pay. All you may be legally entitled to is an unpaid leave.

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A: USCIS, ICE and CBP are three different agencies under the Department of Homeland Security. USCIS or United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is the Government agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States by granting immigration and citizenship benefits. You will deal with USCIS if you file an application seeking immigration benefits. ICE or Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the other hand enforces federal laws relating to border control, customs, trade and immigration such as those related to the apprehension, detention and removal of illegal and removable aliens. You will most likely deal with ICE if you are in the United States and you have violated U.S. immigration laws which could result in your removal from the United States.

Lastly, CBP or Customs and Border Protection is an enforcement agency that is charged with facilitating lawful international travel and trade and protecting the United States border security. You will most likely deal with CBP at the United States port of entry after foreign travel.

Q: How do I obtain the necessary forms to request for an immigration benefit such as to become a US Citizen?

A: You can obtain the forms online at USCIS’s website at www. uscis.gov under “Forms” or you may call USCIS’s National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 to request for the forms to be mailed to you.

Q: My permanent residence case has been pending for a very long time. How do I obtain information about the status of my case?

A: You can first go online to USCIS’s website at www.uscis.gov and click on the link for “Check Your Case Status” and enter your receipt number. If the information merely says that the case is still currently being processed, then move to the next online information tool which provides USCIS current processing

IMMIGRATION

A: If it is not a priority date issue which is causing the delay in the approval of your case, you may want to do an Infopass appointment to see an immigration officer at the field office to try to find out more information about your case. You will have to go online to www.uscis.gov and click on the Infopass link to make the appointment.

Q: My mother has received her Biometrics Notice for her biometrics appointment. She fractured her leg and is unable to attend the biometrics appointment. What should she do now?

A: If you look in the Biometrics appointment notice, there is a section which says that if you need to reschedule the appointment, you may write in to request to reschedule. Please follow the instructions on the letter and write to request for the biometrics to be rescheduled.

Q: I petitioned for my mother for permanent residence. My mother only speaks Mandarin. She has

A: Usually for such interviews, USCIS will permit the relative petitioner who is present to translate the questions and answers in Mandarin to English.

However, if USCIS requires sworn statements from an applicant who does not speak English, USCIS will normally provide their own interpreter to assist in getting such testimony from the applicant.

Q: I just arrived as a visitor and the officer at the airport stamped my passport with six months validity to stay but when I went online, it says I have just 1 month validity to stay. What do I do about this? Who at USCIS do I speak with to correct this mistake?

A: An error at the Port of Entry by a Customs and Border Protection agent can only be corrected

by CBP not USCIS. I suggest that you visit the nearest designated Customs and Border Deferred Inspection office to request that they correct this discrepancy in your authorized period of stay. If you are in Houston, the closest designated CBP deferred inspection office is located at 19581 North Road, Humble, Texas 77338. The telephone number is 281-230-4600.

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

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

My Bio Sharlene Sharmila Richards is a licensed Immigration lawyer practicing in Houston, Texas. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2000 and is a member of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and a member of the US Supreme Court. You may contact her at telephone number 713-623-8088 or by email at srichardslaw@ aol.com to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

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Q: I have done the USCIS referral for my case and the updates seem to say that my case is still processing.

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times for that type of case. In order to do this, you will want to scroll down the page to Related Tools and click on the box which says USCIS Processing Times. This will take you to USCIS’s processing times schedule and you will need to select the correct location where your application is currently located. For this information, look at the bottom of your filing receipt and it will indicated where you case is located. Select the correct processing location for your case and you will see a chart which provides all the current processing times for each type of case. If your case appears to be outside normal processing time, you may then go back to the Related Tools page and select “Submit a Case Inquiry” to report a problem with your case. The other way is to call USCIS at their National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 to check if there there is a problem with your case and if your case if outside normal processing time, USCIS will make a case referral for you and will provide you with an update on the status of the case by mail within 30 days.

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VOICE OF ASIA 5

COMMUNITY

FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

iAM4 Hillary Host Debate Watch Party

Jin Lakshmida, Hasu Patel, Ramesh Anand, Roopa Gir, and Jagat Kamdar.

by Shobana Muratee HOUSTON - Just minutes away from the much-awaited first presidential debate between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump got started on Monday night, September 26, host organizer of iAM4Hillary were getting ready to welcome friends and supporters and at the hall at Neeta’s Indian Cuisine on Hillcroft for the Debate Watch Party.

Ramesh Anand welcomed the gathering and recognized iAM4Hillary, a volunteer-based initiative and the members that put the event together: Roopa Gir, Jagat Kamdar, Hasu Patel, Jin Lakshmida, Ashok Rao, Manisha Gandhi and a few others. “The ‘iAM’ can individually be I am and can also be Indo-American,” he pointed. It was intended to get Indian Americans ‘out of the woodwork’ and get them involved in politics, “and get Hillary elected. An unexpected turnout,” Anand said, considering the event was planned in three days and 60 people confirmed, but had to stop due to space constrains. The next debate party he said would be at a bigger place. He said they had a face book and twitter by the same name iAM4Hillary.

Roopa Gir encouraged guests to go the Hillary’s detailed website and look up on her vision, issues she stands for. She urged that people clearly understand the

two candidates and for that they should visit both of their websites. “I actually wanted to make a comparison between Hillary’s and Trump’s vision but when I looked up Trump’s website there was really no vision,” she said. She specified that iAM4Hillary members would not be collecting any donation but she directed them to go to Hillary Clinton’s website, where they can make their contributions.

At the debate party were Trump supporters as well. Ramesh Cherivirala, spoke in support of the Republican candidate.

Chaya Thimmaraju, a die hard supporter of Hillary said that has been following her work for nearly 25 years and was convinced that there was no better leader other than her. Also, her daughter Mini Thimmaraju is involved with Hillary’s campaign.

Raoul Garcia, Attorney was doing his part for voter registration.

Neeta Sane, HCC Chairman also spoke on the ocassion encouraging all to be active in politics.

The AM4Hillary members thanked Neeta and Dinesh, owners of the restaurant that served the guest delicious refreshments and drinks. Special mention was made to Dharshak fo Krishna Sounds for arranging the sound system.

A section of the audience at the Debate Party on Monday, September 26 in Houston.

Neeta and Dinesh, owners of Neeta’s Cuisine

Chaya and husband Thimmaraju supporting Hillary. Also seen behind them are Parul Fernandes and Neeta Sane.

Guests socialized until the hour of the Debate 8PM that day.

It was very encouraging to witness such enthusiasm among Indian American being shown in politics in so many years. This election is certainly unusual and so was the iAM4Hillary Debate Watch Party!

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 6

FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

Stop Diabetes Movement Yoga Camps conclude on a positive note

By Nikhil Jain

cal Resort” in Sugarland, and Meena Kankani of Swath Yoga Studio in Katy. A delicious and nutritious potluck meal was served to end the program on a high note.

S

ewa International and VYASA organized two ten-day yoga camps from Sep 16th to 25th. The camps were held simultaneously at two locations in the Houston area (Sugar Land and Katy). The camp is specially designed for diabetic and prediabetic people to help them manage and control diabetes with yoga routine and holistic approach. SDM camps are being conducted all across the country with 11 Camps conducted in Houston area so far and 20+ camps in USA. More than 160+ people have participated in these camps, from all walks of life, since the time these camps started in Houston area.

The ten-day camp included daily yoga routine, lectures from doctors and specialist on diabetes, stress, food habits, and, how to manage better. At the closing ceremony held at Keshav Smruti, participants shared about the transformation the yoga camp brought in their lifestyle and in managing diabetes. One of the participants John, said “I got to know importance of Yogasana sequence and therapists put it all together very well. I am more flexible after the camp. I would encourage young peo-

The yoga camp was extremely successful and the participants are now looking forward to keeping up with the practice and come back for a follow up session in October. Sewa will conduct the next set of camps in various parts of Houston, from Feb 24th to March 5th of 2017. All these camps are free of charge and have a deposit which is refunded once participants complete all the sessions. For those who want to know more about SDM Diabetes Yoga camp or want to participate or volunteer, please email us at info-sdm@sewausa.org or contact (713)834-4909 / (281) 546-8202.

Members of Sewa International and VYASA that organized yoga camps in Sugar Land and Katy. ple to do Yoga”. Bhakti mentioned “It (SDM Yoga) was a wonderful experience for the last ten days, I will continue to do Yoga as much as I can”.

Another participant, Satyajit, mentioned that his blood sugar levels dropped in these 10 days, he was feeling energetic and “not tired” and his stiff shoulder become normal by

adhering to the yoga routine every day.

Raghu Iyer presented information on VYASA and showed the results of this camp. The fasting Blood Glucose level dropped by an average 5% and post prandial levels dropped by an average 9% (based on the readings provided by participants before start

of camp and 9th day of the camp). Dinesh Shah informed audience about the wonderful community work which Sewa has been doing locally, nationally and internationally. The program concluded with Nikhil Jain offering vote of thanks to all the participants, doctors (Dr. Sudha Rajan, Dr. Ulupi Choksi, Dr. Heena Pandya,

Dr. Kairav Shah and Dr. Namrata Rathod), camp yoga therapists Daksha Shah and Meena Kankani, SDM core organizing team (Vibhuti Shah, Arvind Thekdi, Anuja Deshpande and Noopur Saptnekar), VYASA Houston Director Vishwarup Nanjundappa and his team of volunteers, Dr. Bhadresh Shah and Anar Vyas of “The Medi-

Sewa USA is 501 (c) (3) Hindu faith-based non-profit, charitable organization.

All donations (cash, cars, clothes, securities, etc.) are tax-deductible. (Tax Id# 200638718).

Sewa serves humanity regardless of race, religion, color, gender or nationality.

South Asian Drum Roll at Rice radio’s 50th Anniversary Celebration an astounding blend of Western and Indian instruments. The audience cheered a unique tabla duet with the sole female percussionist Jasmeeta Singh accompanied with tabla artist Justin Lasiewicz.

Next, Ali Tarkesh Esfahani‘s mesmerized the audience with his barely visible Daf as it moved swiftly through the air, the Daf was accompanied with the tranquilizing sound of santoor by Mahtab Nadalian.

Dholi Toki Singh’s incredible dhol rhythms created enthusiasm among the diverse audience.

Rice University Shepherd School

of Music Associate Professor Karim Al-Zand and avant-garde musician SPIKE the Percussionist were the respected two guests of honor. They asserted their appreciation and gratitude for a diverse musical experience at the university campus.

Attendees celebrated the conclusion of the concert with Indian vegetarian food provided by ISKCON Houston and the Govindas restaurant.

Deep Foods and Britannia presented delicious snacks that proved popular with the audience. Many also left the event with complimentary henna tattoos.

Varsha conveyed her sincere gratitude towards the grand sponsors ISKCON Houston, Discount Power, Mr. Jugal Malani and Deep Foods and the other sponsors - Heartfulness, Sewa International, India Culture Center, Imagine A Museum, Daya, West University Area Democratic Club, Britannia, Hindus of Greater Houston, Indian American Cancer Network and the Gujarati Samaj of Houston.

All local artists interested are encouraged to contact Varsha through email at KTRU at ktrudotorg. The Navrang show airs Saturday from 1012noon on 96.1 FM, on ktru apps and online at ktrudotorg

L to R: Mahtab Nadalian, Prof. Karim Al-Zand, Ali Tarkesh, Varsha Vakil, Spike, Krishna Sharma, Saugat Aryal and Sunit Pradhan

by Ethan Hasiuk

A

s a celebration of the 50th anniversary of KTRU and the 24th anniversary of the KTRU’s specialty show Navrang, KTRU hosted “Fantasy of Exotic Drums – Tala Mahotsav” on September 24, 2016, at Rice University, Grand hall. Varsha Vakil, the host of the Navrang show was the brain behind this spectacular free concert.

This concert offered a platform to a total of 30 performing artists thus em-

barking audience on a mesmerizing journey of South Asian percussion beats.

The show began after Ganesh vandana by Ajay Subramanian’s mridangam accompanied with Neethi Nayak’s vocals. ISKCON Houston’s youth performers then proceeded down the aisle featuring mridangam in an ensemble setting as the audience welcomed them. The talented Raja Banga and his multigenerational Essence of Prana Ensemble created

Talented Houston Artists showcased at the “Fantasy of Exotic Drums – Tala Mahotsav”

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 7

A

rya Samaj is a worldwide phenomenon since it was founded

by Maharshi Dayanand in 1875 - the first one in Mumbai.

It has spread out as a wildfire wherever Indians went and also opened newer sectors of operation besides patriotic fervor, social reforms and eradication of superstitions. Education and service to the humankind continue to be its two wheels of dynamism. Education is imparted via classical gurukuls and modern schools - the DAV has become a well known brand.

Arya Samaj Houston celebrated its Silver Jubilee in the weekend of 24-25 September.

It is deeply involved in all such endeavors. Its flagship is DAV Sanskriti School founded a couple of years after its own founding in July 1991. Not waiting for long, it took the bold courageous step to run the only Vedic elementary school in North America - the DAV Montessori School, to impart vedic values in early childhood. Its involvement in the orphanages at Gujarat and Pondicherry is almost as if the Arya Samaj Houston is its founder.

The 25th Anniversary was celebrated in three parts guided by its own principle that it works for the society’s physical, spiritual and social progress - sharirik, aatmik aur samajik unnati. Saturday morning was devoted to a health fair after 5 km walk by 100+ young and old, men and women, including some elderly walking with a stick.

Prominent doctors and health associates came together to test health parameters and consult privately. Quest Labs provided free blood testing services, as well as Dr. Suneja provided EKG and consultation to a number of attendees. Two topics for in-depth talks by leading doctors were the most relevant for the Indian population - heart disease and diabetes.

The Q&A became so absorbing that the emcee had a difficult time managing the sessions. As usual and true to the Indian culture, Yoga and meditation were keenly practiced as the prevention measures.

FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

Glorious 25 Years of Arya Samaj Houston,

by Acharya Harish Chandra, Ved Ratna Saturday evening witnessed the presentations by the 3-9 year kids of the DAV Montessori School. It was amazing to hear their perfect recitation of the Vedic mantras that could match any Gurukul in India.

Their music and dance performances drew applause and appreciation for the simple reason that they hardly had time to practice since the school reopened after the summer break.

A special DVD was premiered narrating the 25 year story of the Arya Samaj Houston. Dev Mahajan was humble enough in his characteristic style to dedicate the success story to Arya Samaj team of dedicated

DAV Montessori Children Performing

Arya Samaj Acharya ji & organizers with Dr. Renu Khator & Dr. Suresh Khator

5k-walk (45) - Volunteers and a group of walkers volunteers and their team spirit.

The Honorable Mayor of Houston had declared the day as the Arya Samaj Greater Houston Day in recognition of the multi faceted contributions to the Houston ‎community including refugees help, meals on wheels, food bank, etc. His proclamation received huge applause.

The next morning was showcased by the DAV Sanskriti School and was a fitting tribute to Maharshi Dayanand from beginning to the end. The middle portion was another climax when Ms. Renu Khator,

the Chancellor of the University of Houston, reminisced her schooling in an Arya Samaj school in Farrukhabad, UP. She shared her secret of success: 1) her association with Arya Samaj helped her to develop a belief system that she uses as anchor whenever she faces storms, and 2) she advised to maintain humility as you climb up the success stairs. The last song by 100+ kids in unison Dhanya hai ‎Tumko Aie Rishi mesmerised one and the all. It was a memorable weekend for 250+ kids, their parents, spectators and volunteers.

Yoga sessions were a part of the ASGH 25th anniversary celebrations.

“DIWALI - NOW & FOREVER” An Outdoor Diwali Program Saturday, October 22, 2016

ÐǁNjȮ -NjɥŬǤNj ƝɭȠƝȤNjƝDZƎƝ sǻɰ ŬDZƕ -NjɢNjDZNjȹɰ͒ ȹǁƝŬȹȤNjƎŬǤ ȠȤǻƹȤŬǭ ɥNjȹǁ ǤNjƹǁȹȮ ŬDZƕ ǭɃȮNjƎ ȹǁŬȹ ɥNjǤǤ ǤƝŬɢƝ ȹǁƝ ƝDZȹNjȤƝ ƷŬǭNjǤɰ ɥNjȹǁ ƷƝƝǤNjDZƹȮ ǻƷ ɃDZNjȹɰ ŬDZƕ ƝȹƝȤDZŬǤ ƊǤNjȮȮ DZǻɥ ŬDZƕ ƷǻȤƝɢƝȤ͒ bDZ ȤƝǭƝǭƊȤŬDZƎƝ ǻƷ ǻɃȤ ƊƝǤǻɢƝƕ ƹɃȤɃ YNjȮ YǻǤNjDZƝȮȮ ·ȤŬǭɃǞǁ ÅɥŬǭNj ŬǁŬȤŬǜ ȹǁNjȮ ɰƝŬȤ͋Ȯ -NjɥŬǤNj ȠȤǻƹȤŬǭ ɥNjǤǤ ƝDZƕ NjDZ Ŭ ȮȠƝƎNjŬǤ ȹȤNjƊɃȹƝ ȹǻ ǁNjȮ ǤNjƷƝ ŬDZƕ ǭƝȮȮŬƹƝ NjDZ ǤNjƝɃ ǻƷ ƷNjȤƝɥǻȤǞȮ͒

Diwali Fireworks | Food Booths Rangoli | Colorful Lights

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM - “DIWALI - NOW & FOREVER” A Cultural Theatrical Program

DIWALI EVENTS

Outdoor Diwali Program

Kid’s Diwali Celebration

Saturday, Oct 22, 2016

Saturday, Oct 15, 2016

6:30 PM - Sandhya Arti 6:45 PM - 8:45 PM - Mandir Darshan Closed 8:45 PM - Shayan Arti

2:30 PM 7:00 PM

Kali Chaudas / Hanuman Pujan

Diwali Samaiyo

Saturday, Oct 29, 2016

Saturday, Oct 29, 2016

11:30 AM - Rajbhog Arti 11:45 AM - Hanuman Pujan

5:00 PM - Diwali Samaiyo

Nutan Varsh - Annakut

Chopda Pujan/Diwali Arti

Monday, Oct 31, 2016

Sunday, Oct 30, 2016 3:00 PM - Chopda Pujan 7:00 PM - Diwali Arti

7:30 AM - Maha Arti & Sneh Milan 11:30 AM - Annakut Thal & Arti

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COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 8

FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

Houston Super Bowl Host Committee Seeks Live Entertainment Auditions to be held at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital for Super Bowl LIVE performers and talent

H

OUSTON (Sept. 27, 2016)— The Houston Super Bowl Host Committee announced today it will hold open auditions in October for live entertainment acts interested in performing at Super Bowl LIVE. Super Bowl LIVE is the Host Committee’s signature 10-day fan festival leading up to Super Bowl LI in Houston. The festival, a free event with music, food, games and attractions, will be located in and around Discovery Green Park in downtown Houston from Jan. 27 to Feb. 5, 2017. Live entertainment, such as local bands, musicians, dancers, comics and specialty acts, will be performing throughout the entirety of the festival.

The performers will be located in an area of Super Bowl LIVE that will focus on Houston as the city of the future, highlighting its innovation, arts and culture, and entrepreneurial spirit.

“Super Bowl LI is an incredible opportunity to showcase Houston in a number of ways,” Houston Super Bowl Host Committee President and CEO Sallie Sargent said. “The ability

to shine a spotlight on local artists and performers at Super Bowl LIVE is an example of how we will highlight the diverse cultures and incredible talent Houston has to offer to the fans and visitors in town for Super Bowl. The opportunity to tap into our own homegrown talent allows us to get everyone involved. To grow a sense of pride and ownership in our community is one of the key benefits of hosting the Super Bowl.”

More than a million people are expected to attend Super Bowl LIVE over the 10 days.

Open auditions will be held from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 22-24 at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital located at: Medical Plaza 2 The Learning Center 7737 Southwest Freeway Houston TX 77074.

Memorial Hermann is the exclusive and official healthcare provider for the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee.

Interested performers must sign up for a time slot through http://www. housuperbowl.com/super-bowl-liveauditions.

If performers are unable to make the auditions, they may submit a video audition to auditions@housuperbowl. com.

All styles and genres of live entertainment are invited to audition. Local talent is preferred. All talent must satisfy the following requirements:

All talent must be willing to perform multiple five to 10 minutes “shows” (maximum length) with two to three shows per hour for a fourhour commitment per day.

War in his apartment, officials said.

confusing.

It’s an image that surprised members of the 46-year-old’s fraternity at the University if Houston, which DeSai attended in the early 1990s.

“The Nazis almost alienated my entire race,” Rosenberg said.

“You can read anything you want into it. The fact is, none of us will know.”

Nathan DeSai. eLINKEDIN

H

OUSTON, September 28, 2016, CBS - Houston shooter who cops say wore Nazi emblem was in Jewish fraternity.

Officials describe Nathan DeSai as a “disgruntled” lawyer. DeSai was wearing historic military-style apparel featuring Nazi symbols on his clothing when the shooting spree ended with police killing him​, officials said Monday.

Investigators also said they found vintage military items dating to the Civil

“I don’t know what to think. (It’s) dumbfounding,” Rosenberg said, noting that those who were not Jewish were and still are allowed to join the fraternity.

Rosenberg said DeSai helped to restart Sigma Alpha Mu at the University of Houston, years after the campus’ chapter originally closed.

“The group of guys were successful enough to get the national Sigma Alpha Mu to give us money left in the account from that fraternity to fund our efforts,” Rosenberg said.

Rosenberg remembers all of his frat brothers embracing their diversity, which makes the end of DeSai’s life so

All talent must be willing to participate in a background check for credentials.

Talent may be requested to participate in original ensemble performances which will require rehearsals in January 2017; specific schedule is TBD and based on talent interest and availability.

Individuals and talent acts chosen to perform will receive a one-time stipend of $1,000.00 for the entire performance schedule.

Memorial Hermann is a proud Founding Sponsor of the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee.

For more information, please visit housuperbowl.com or follow the Host Committee on Twitter @HouSuperBowl.

All talent must be at least 16 years of age. All ensemble talent cannot exceed three performers.

Houston shooter who cops say wore Nazi emblem was in Jewish fraternity

Back then, DeSai was known as Niren, said Ian Rosenberg, who was DeSai’s fraternity brother. Court documents show DeSai changed his first name to Nathan in 2001.

All talent must be willing to commit to a five-day performance schedule during the ten-day event.

In a statement to KHOU, Sigma Alpha Mu executive director Andy Huston confirmed that DeSai was in the fraternity from 1990 to 1993.

“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of yesterday’s tragic events in Houston and their families.

We condemn this senseless act of violence,” Hurston said.

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VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

SOUTH ASIA/US

VOICE OF ASIA 10

FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

India-Pakistan tensions threaten South Asia summit

by Claire COZENS

ducive for a meeting.

N

EW DELHI, India | AFP | 9/28/2016 - A key South Asian summit was in doubt Wednesday after India and three other countries pulled out following a deadly attack on an army base that New Delhi blames on a Pakistan-based group.

India has sought to isolate Pakistan in the wake of the raid on its base in the disputed region of Kashmir, which killed 18 soldiers and triggered public fury.

On Tuesday it said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not attend the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Islamabad in November, in a major snub to its neighbour.

In Islamabad, a senior Pakistani foreign ministry official who declined to be identified said the meeting would be postponed following the four withdrawals.

Without naming Pakistan, India’s foreign ministry said “increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in the region and growing interference in the internal affairs of member states by one country” had created an environment that was not con-

Hours later, Bangladesh said it was also pulling out. Afghanistan and Bhutan -- both close India allies -- have since followed suit, according to an official with the Nepali government, current chair of SAARC. “Pakistan has been interfering in our internal affairs for some time,” a senior Bangladesh foreign ministry official told AFP, requesting anonymity.

“That’s why we have pulled out of the SAARC summit.”

Under pressure to act after the Kashmir raid, Modi warned Pakistan in a major speech on Saturday that India would push to make it a pariah state.

Pakistan denies any involvement in the September 18 attack, the worst of its kind in over a decade.

But India’s army has blamed Jaish-e-Mohammad, a Pakistan-based militant group that was also implicated in an audacious assault on an Indian air force base in the northern town of Pathankot in January.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since partition in 1947, two of them over

Kashmir, where the two countries regularly exchange fire across the disputed border.

At the last SAARC summit in 2014 a newly-elected Modi shook hands with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, raising hopes of warmer ties.

Just over a year later Modi made a surprise Christmas Day visit to Pakistan for a meeting with Sharif.

But those hopes were dashed by the Pathankot attack in which seven Indian soldiers died, and peace talks have been on ice ever since.

- ‘Closer to China’ -Current SAARC chair Nepal said it hoped the issues would be resolved but could not comment on whether the summit would go ahead.

“The host will take decisions regarding the summit,” said Jhabindra Aryal, joint secretary with Nepal’s foreign ministry.

The foreign ministry official in Islamabad, speaking on condition of anonymity, said SAARC officials “will reorganise future dates for the conference”. A formal announcement postponing the summit “has to come from the SAARC secre-

tariat and not from us”, the official said.

The leaders of the eight SAARC countries -- which also include Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives -- expressed frustration after the last summit in Kathmandu with the slow pace of progress towards greater regional integration.

Analysts say this is due to the mutual mistrust between Pakistan and powerhouse India.

Cyril Almeida, a columnist in Pakistan’s English-language daily Dawn, said India’s move to exclude Pakistan from regional discussions was not unexpected.

“Diplomatically, (it’s) maybe not a big deal for Pakistan given that SAARC is widely perceived as ineffective,” he said.

“But (it’s) a fresh sign of Pakistan not being in a comfortable place in its own region.”

Analyst Ashok Malik said the withdrawals would have little practical impact on Pakistan.

“It basically scores a symbolic and a political victory. As for Pakistan, this will push it even closer to China,” said Malik, head of the Delhi-based Ob-

A key South Asian summit was in doubt after India and three other countries pulled out following a deadly attack on an army base that New Delhi blames on a Pakistan-based group. AFP photot server Research Foundation’s regional studies initiative.

Pakistan said it remained “committed to peace and regional cooperation” and accused India of perpetrating “terrorism” on its soil.

“As for the excuse used by India, the world knows that it is India that has been perpetrating and financing terrorism in Paki-

stan,” tweeted foreign ministry spokesman Nafees Zakariya late Tuesday, citing the capture of an Indian intelligence officer in Balochistan earlier this year.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused India of interference in the southwestern province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan and is afflicted by Islamist militancy and a separatist insurgency.

Indian American Scientists To Get Macarthur Fellowship

W

ASHINGTON: Two Indian-American scientists are among 23 scientists who have won this year’s prestigious MacArthur Fellowship for showing exceptional creativity in their respective fields.

The Indian-Americans — Mr Manu Prakash and Mr Subhash Khot are alumunus of Indian Institiute of Technology (IIT) in Kanpur and Bombay respectively.

Mr Prakash works as an Assistant Professor in Department of Bioengineering at the Stanford University, while Mr Khot is a theoretical computer scientist at the New York University. The MacArthur fellowships, popularly known as “genius grants,” are awarded to scholars who

show exceptional creativity in their work and the prospect for still more in the future.

It includes a stipend of USD 625,000, given over five years, designed to provide the recipients the flexibility to pursue their activities in absence of specific obligations.

The MacArthur Foundation recognised Mr Prakash for his research that is “driven by curiosity about the diversity of life forms on our planet and how they work, empathy for problems in resource-poor settings, and a deep interest in democratizing the experience and joy of science globally.”

“Mr Manu Prakash is not only one of the most innovative scientists of our day, he is also using

his interdisciplinary expertise to improve human health around the world,” Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne said.

He said the scientist harnesses a wide array of technologies, including optical physics, computer science, fluid dynamics, biology and chemistry, to solve tangible human and scientific problems.

It is fitting that his creative approach to applying scientific principles has been recognized as true genius by the MacArthur Foundation, Lavigne said.

The Stanford University, in a release said many of Mr Prakash’s ideas come from his travels and from his childhood growing up in India.

“Being in the field gives

meaning to working in global health. It teaches you empathy, a driving force so strong that it transforms ideas into actions,” Mr Prakash said.

Mr Khot is a theoretical computer scientist whose work is provides critical insight into unresolved problems in the field of computational complexity.

His continued ingenuity and tenacity in exploring the potential of the UGC will drive this important and fruitful area of research for many years to come, the MacArthur Foundation said in a statement.

Mr Khot received a B.Tech (1999) from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and a PhD (2003) from Princeton University.

Mr Subhash Khot and Mr Manu Prakash are alumunus of Indian Institiute of Technology in Bombay and Kanpur.

Sri Lankan-American Ahilan Arulanantham is the third South Asian to bag this prestigious award. He is an attorney

working to secure the right to due process for individuals facing deportation.

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Vol. 29 No. 38

Lifestyle VOICE OF ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 11

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

How our lifestyle choices are creating new jobs

G

iorgio Armani took centre stage at the Milan fashion shows on Friday with the veteran designer unveiling a flirty, exotic look for Spring-Summer 2017.

T

he economy shapes our lives, and we—through all the economic activity we generate— shape it. CareerBuilder and Emsi recently released some new data on the ways changes in the American lifestyle, new technology, and increased globalization have shaped the labor market and created new jobs over the past few years.

#2 Taxi Driver and Chauffeur. Over 80% of Americans live in large cities.

As a result, navigating traffic and parking your own car can be a pain. Many city dwellers use public transportation or ride sharing. Since 2012, 37,000 new driving jobs were created across the US. Some 280,000 people list ridesharing, taxi, or chauffeur jobs as their primary source of income.

N

his trademark working clothes of navy blue long-sleeved top and high-tech sweatpants to briefly return the audience’s applause.

With his deep tan, scrupulously

In his first collection since he moved to ensure his giant style empire will continue as an independent entity once he is no longer at the reins, the 82-yearold struck what he termed a “new balance between discipline and freedom.”

Cook jobs have grown by 16% since 2012.(File photo) A word of caution for these drivers. With so many major companies investing in driverless cars, experts fear massive job losses in the neighborhood of 4.1 million once this technology takes root. For now, driving is a great way to earn extra dough, but keep cultivating new skills in preparation for the robot take over! #3 Fitness Instructor. Staying in

shape is a big trend. Think about all the folks hitting boot camp and CrossFit classes during their lunch break or after hours. This has boosted the demand for fitness instructors, currently numbering 300,000. Since 2012, over 33,000 new jobs were added (13% growth), making fitness instruction one of the fastest-growing careers in the nation. (Fortune.com)

Out with hunks: fashion breaks codes for male models ew York (AFP) - Muscular, classically chiseled male models are a dying breed as men are ever more chosen for thinness, even androgyny, in a fashion world playing with the notion of gender.

Tel: 713-774-5140

Armani revels in new freedom with catwalk charm offensive

by Rob Sentz

#1 Chef. Millennials are into food, especially hip food (and the restaurants where it is served). Americans are also eating out more in general. As a result, cooks have grown by 16% since 2012.

In four years the US economy added 165,000 new jobs while full service (not fast-food) restaurants have grown 13%, adding 1.5M new jobs: servers, dishwashers, managers, etc.

FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

tle bit bigger... not so, so skinny,” said Tricia Romani, head of the Canadian branch of the Wilhelmina international modeling agency.

“And they’re designing the clothes in that way so if you had a model that was big and muscular, that wouldn’t fit.”

Hedi Slimane, while at Saint Lau-

Skinnier, the new ideal male model is also taller, hitting up to six feet two inches (1.90 meters), said Neil Mautone, founder and owner of the agency Red Model Management.

Along with the fading ideal of muscle is the classically beautiful face, formerly in demand for men as well as women.

Today, according to Romani, “a male model can be sort of interesting looking, or edgy or different” and be hired even if he does not fall into “a category of plastic, beautiful models.”

With the growing power of male fashion, seen in the 2015 launch of the first men’s shows in New York Fashion Week, demand for male models has exploded.

It only takes looking back a decade to male fashion shows -- at Versace, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton or Gucci -- to see the change on the catwalk.

rent and Dior, was among the designers who transfigured the dominant vision of the masculine look into lank, languorous and unique.

Shoulders have lost their squareness, chests have sunk.

Back then, “male models were a lit-

“For high fashion, that’s definitely what they want. Very thin, edgy-looking guys,” Romani said.

But there was definitely a sense of the master of soft precision tailoring cutting himself a little more slack than usual with a string of more overtly seductive pieces than is the Armani norm.

Charm was what it was all about, Giorgio Armani 2017 Spring / Summer collection. according to the designer’s notes on the collection, “in tended head of white hair and a silhouthe sense of elegance and sensuality, ette honed by daily workouts, Armani could easily pass for a much younger but also of magic and femininity.” man.

In practice what that meant was that But he has long been conscious that many of the pieces were designed to allow legs to be unveiled then covered there will come a day when he can no up again, frequently with the aid of longer be the hands-on controller of the empire he has run for over four long, swinging tassles. decades.

There were also exotic sarong skirts This summer he finally did someand shorts and trousers in soft, figurething about it by creating a foundation emphasising jersey fabrics. that will be charged with social and Jumpsuits were combined with wo- philanthropic activities but also with ven leather cropped jackets and there ensuring that the company continues were shawls resembling the chunky to be run on principles laid down by the founder. nets of tuna fishermen.

The easygoing, floaty feeling was accentuated by a range of delicate sandals, flat slippers and strappy boots that produced a fishnet stocking effect on the calf.

Armani is the sole owner of a group he founded in 1975 and, with no children of his own, does not have a natural heir, although a nephew and two nieces are involved in the company.

Purples and blues dominated the colour palette, offset by touches of white, greige and red.

Over the years he has flirted with the idea of a partnership with one of the major conglomerates that control much of the global luxury sector.

Between 10 percent to 15 percent of male models find enough work to be employed full-time, combining runway shows, advertising, catalogs and magazines, Romani said.

Micro-sequins and crystal embroidery abounded in sparkly evening wear predominately cut from ultralight fabrics, including georgette and organza.

The top-end models can earn more than $1 million a year, people in the industry say.

As ever, the show in the Teatro Armani concluded with the designer emerging briefly from backstage in

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A model displays fashions during the Michael Kors Spring 2017 Runway Show during New York Fashion Week (AFP Photo/Angela Weiss)

Whether it was down to this summer’s landmark corporate restructuring is anyone’s guess.

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Obama’s Vietnam noodle visit sparks feeding frenzy

F

our months after US President Barack Obama plonked down on a plastic stool at Bun Cha Huong Lien for a bowl of Hanoi’s signature pork noodles, the restaurant is cashing in on customers eager to taste what all the fuss is

Eager to tap the star power of her recent VIP diner, Lien has introduced a $4 “Combo Obama” lunch special of noodles, a side of deep fried spring rolls and a Hanoi beer -- but swears she has kept her prices the same.

FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

‘Man-goat’ among winners of spoof Nobel prizes

lauded the US leader for his chopstick skills as he expertly scooped up a mouth of noodles during an evening off from his diplomatic duties.

Obama seemed impressed with the local fare.

In a project supported by the Wellcome Trust, Thomas Thwaites spent nine months exploring the potential of becoming a goat, or as near to it as humanly possible (AFP Photo/).

N

EW YORK, | AFP | - A man who lived as a goat in the Alps and a scientist who studied how pants affect the sex drive of rodents are among this year’s spoof Nobel prizes.

The 26th edition of the annual Ig Nobel Prizes, which celebrate the silly side of science, were handed out Thursday at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The prizes aim to “celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative -- and spur people’s interest in science, medicine and technology,” organizers said of the event, which featured a traditional onstage paper airplane toss.

Customers wait for tables inside the Bun Cha Huong Lien restaurant in Hanoi (AFP Photo/Hoang Dinh Nam) about.

Previously a mainstay among a mostly local customer base, hungry foreigners are now coming in droves to the restaurant dubbed “Obama bun cha” for the Hanoi lunch staple: grilled pork patty and bacon in a sweet broth with rice noodles.

“People come here because they are curious about why Obama chose my restaurant,” said owner Nguyen Thi Lien, who has been running the eatery for 23 years.

“So many have come and we cannot serve them all,” she said at the two-storey restaurant, which is now plastered with photos of Obama and his dinner guest, globetrotting US chef Anthony Bourdain.

The pair stopped by during Obama’s May trip to Vietnam -- the third by a sitting president since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 -to film a scene for Bourdain’s CNN show “Parts Unknown” which airs Sunday.

In a teaser for the episode, Bourdain

“This is killer, this is outstanding,” he said.

The pork pit stop has seen the number of customers double, according to Lien, and the restaurant appears set to become a fixture on Hanoi’s tourist trail.

“I saw that Obama had been here, saw that Anthony Bourdain had been here, and I generally follow their advice, figured they’d have good taste, came here and found it to be true,” American tourist Andrew Lala told AFP.

The top honor in the reproduction category went to the late Ahmed Shafik from Cairo University, who died in 2007, for his work that showed how the sex lives of rats are affected by the fabric of pants they are fitted with.

Published in 1993, the study concluded that rats who wear polyester have less sex than those who don cotton or wool.

The biology prize went jointly to Charles Foster, who lived in the wild several times as animals including

a badger, an otter and a bird, and to Thomas Thwaites, who constructed prosthetic legs so he could live three days on all fours and roam the hills with goats.

The winners received a trophy in the likeness of a large clock and $10 trillion in cash prizes in essentially worthless, inflation-ravaged Zimbabwean money.

Like every year, the awards were presented by real Nobel laureates, with four attending Thursday’s ceremony.

Two New Zealanders and a Briton took the economics category for their work on the personalities of rocks, studying “brand personality” by letting students label the stones with human characteristics.

In a twist, Volkswagen -- caught for cheating US emissions law -- nabbed the chemistry prize for “solving the problem of excessive automobile emissions by automatically, electromechanically producing fewer emissions whenever the cars are being tested.”

The prize comes at a massive cost for the German automaker -- including a $14.7 billion settlement the company agreed to help resolve the dispute.

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FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

World’s largest radio telescope UN mobilizes to stop super-bugs starts operating in China

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EIJING (AFP) The world’s largest radio telescope began operating in southwestern China Sunday, a project Beijing says will help humanity search for alien life.

The rise of the ‘superbugs’: Is resistance futile? Photo credit: Al Jazeera

The Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), nestled between hills in the mountainous region of Guizhou, began working around noon, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

U

NITED NATIONS, United States | AFP 9/21/2016 - The United Nations on Wednesday launched a global effort to fight so-called super-bugs that resist antibiotics, warning of a mounting death toll without more research.

Built at a cost of 1.2 billion yuan ($180 million), The Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST)in operation in Pingtang, in the telescope southwestern China’s Guizhou province on September 25, 2016 ©STR (AFP) dwarfs the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico as forward for China’s astronomical - ‘Wildest imagination’ the world’s largest single-dish radio capabilities and will be one of sevtelescope, with twice the sensitivity eral “world-class” telescope projects Last month a “strong signal” deand a reflector as large as 30 football launched in the next decade, said Yan tected by a Russian telescope searchfields, it said.

Jun, head of China’s National Astro- ing for extraterrestrial signals stirred nomical Observation (NAO), accord- interest among scientists, but experts FAST will use its vast dish, made ing to Xinhua. said it was far too early to make conup of 4,450 panels, to search for signs clusions about its origin. of intelligent life, and to observe disIn a test run before the launch, FAST tant pulsars -- tiny, rapidly spinning detected electromagnetic waves emitBut the new FAST telescope could neutron stars believed to be the prod- ted by a pulsar more than 1,300 light- “lead to discoveries beyond our wilducts of supernova explosions. years away, state media reported an est imagination,” Douglas Vakoch, NAO researcher as saying. president of METI, a group seeking China sees its ambitious militaryto send messages to space in search run, multi-billion-dollar space proEarlier Xinhua cited Wu Xiangping, of alien life, told Xinhua. gramme as symbolising the country’s director-general of the Chinese Asprogress. It plans a permanent orbit- tronomical Society, as saying that the Construction of FAST began in ing space station by 2020 and eventu- telescope’s high degree of sensitivity 2011, and local officials relocated ally a manned mission to the moon. “will help us to search for intelligent nearly 10,000 people living within life outside of the galaxy”. five kilometres (three miles) to creChinese President Xi Jinping celate a quieter environment for moniebrated the launch, with reports SunExperts have been hunting for alien toring. Cell phones in the area must day that he had sent a congratulatory intelligence for six decades, pointing be powered off to maintain radio siletter to the scientists and engineers radio telescopes at stars in the hope of lence. who contributed to its creation. discovering signals from other civilisations, but have not yet found any In the past China has relocated The telescope represents a leap evidence. hundreds of thousands of people to make way for large infrastructure projects such as dams and canals.

Zuckerberg fund pledges $3 bn to banish disease

The area surrounding the telescope is remote and relatively poor. State media said it was chosen because there are no major towns nearby.

The villagers will be compensated with cash or housing. The budget for relocation is 1.8 billion yuan ($270 million), it was reported, more than the cost of constructing the telescope.

China has poured money into bigticket science and technology projects as it seeks to become a hightech leader, but despite some gains the country’s scientific output still lags behind.

At the beginning of this month, reports said 600 apartments had been built so far with the funds.

Mark Zuckerberg

S

AN FRANCISCO, | AFP | Mark Zuckerberg and his wife on Wednesday pledged $3 billion over the next decade to efforts to prevent, cure or manage disease, aiming to use the Facebook founder’s fortune for innovative research.

“This is a big goal,” Zuckerberg said at a San Francisco event announcing the effort of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative established by the couple.

or at least turn catastrophic illnesses from terminal to manageable.

Chan, fighting back tears at times, said that curing all disease within Max’s lifetime will not mean children won’t ever get sick, but it would happen less often and be less severe.

“But we spent the last few years speaking with experts who think it is possible, so we dug in.”

The first investment being made as part of what the Zuckerbergs hoped would become a “collective” effort will be the creation of a bio-hub in San Francisco where researchers, scientists and others will work to build tools to better study and understand diseases.

Zuckerberg and his doctor wife, Priscilla Chan, had their daughter Max late last year. Shortly after, they pledged to donate 99 percent of their Facebook holdings or some $45 billion to “advance human potential and promote equality.”

“Throughout the history of science, most breakthroughs have been preceded by the invention of some new technology that lets you see things in new ways,” Zuckerberg said, mentioning the microscope and DNA sequencing as examples.

At Wednesday’s event, Zuckerberg said their goal is to cure all disease,

“Tools also create breakthroughs in how we treat diseases.”

“Some scientists call it a slow-motion tsunami,” Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, told a first-of-a-kind UN meeting on the problem.

“The situation is bad and getting worse,” she said.

Government leaders at the meeting signed an agreement that called for more research and controls on antibiotics, improved public awareness and more consideration of alternative treatments.

The statement also called on each country to come up with its own national action plan on super-bugs within the next year.

“Antimicrobial resistance poses a fundamental, long-term threat to human health, sustainable food production and development,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said as he opened the meeting on the sidelines of the annual General Assembly.

“We are losing our ability to protect both people and animals from lifethreatening infections,” he said.

Super-bugs -- or bacteria that cannot be treated by the current crop of antibiotics and other drugs -- could kill up to 10 million people around the world by 2050, as many as cancer, according to a recent British study. y some 230,000 newborns die each year from infections that cannot be treated with antibiotics, according to UN estimates.

- Reversing fall in research -Ban pointed to the outbreak of a tough strain of typhoid in Africa as well as growing resistance to AIDS treatments and a form of tuberculosis found in 105 countries that has proven impervious to antibiotics.

“On current trends, a common disease like gonorrhea may become untreatable. Doctors will be forced to say, ‘Sorry, I can’t do anything for you,’” Chan said, referring to the sexually transmitted malady.

Superbugs “already haunt hospitals and intensive care units in every

region of the world. Nearly all of us know someone who underwent a routine operation only to die from a hospital-acquired infection,” she said.

Chan voiced concern about the lack of medical research, saying that only two new classes of antibiotics have entered the market in the past halfcentury.

For pharmaceutical companies, the returns from antibiotics have proven to be not worth the investment costs.

“Incentives must be found to recreate the prolific era of antibiotic discovery that took place from 1940 to 1960,” Chan said.

She urged coordinated action that brings together the public and private sectors, including governments, health professionals, laboratories and also consumers.

- Reducing use in animals -Superbugs are also aggravated by the overuse or incorrect use of antibiotics in humans as well as such drugs’ contamination of water supplies.

For the public, Chan said that consumers should avoid meat from animals treated with antibiotics, which are commonly administered to livestock, including fish, to prevent disease but also to maximize growth.

“Antibiotics used for growth allow gains in productivity, so there is obviously an economic incentive,” Monique Eloit, director general of the World Organization for Animal Health, told AFP. The European Union bans the use of antibiotics for growth but the practice is common in the United States and China, despite previous UN-backed calls to phase it out.

Eloit said there was resistance as breeders wanted more time to adapt.

“You can’t tell them to stop the next day. You need to show them that there is another way to do things that is feasible and economically viable,” Eloit said.

Eloit said the future path would be to administer antibiotics on a more selective basis and to look at better vaccination of farm animals.

“Reduction is possible. Like with human health, antibiotics should not be automatic,” she said.

Design world goes green and ‘meaningful’

P

aris (AFP) - Plastic chairs are sold around the globe. But today, that “plastic” might actually be a vegetable compound as the design world increasingly embraces “green” and “meaningful” production, experts in the field say.

“For both consumers and creators, interest in ‘the sustainable’ is growing each year,” said Franck Millot, director of the annual Paris Design Week -- a huge showcase for the latest trends in global furnishings and decoration.

“A designer doesn’t just create beautiful objects, they also think in terms of improving daily life,” he told AFP. Typical is French architect and

designer Patrick Nadeau, a pioneer in urban hanging gardens and plantbased design.

“Plants, vegetable material, with their colours, their matter, their translucence, they help create awareness, a living, evolving framework,” he said.

In France’s Champagne capital of Reims, he won kudos for an environmentally friendly social housing project.

Despite strict budget constraints, the homes were all made of wood and incorporated plants and sloping earthen walls -- as well as optimal orientation -- to enhance thermal insulation, lighting and harmony with nature.

The concept harks back to the 1920s, when visionary US architect R. Buckminster Fuller advocated that “less is more” and that design should be “anticipatory” to help solve world problems.

- ‘Energy transition’ Fuller’s notions hit home with the 1970s oil crisis. The embargo the Organization of the Petoleum Exporting Countries slapped on industrialised countries over US involvement in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War suddenly cut back supplies.

As a result, these nations began to rethink their dependency on oil.

Continued on page 14

VOICE OF ASIA 14

Section 2

Young Life

F

ORT BEND ISD (September 22, 2016) – Fort Bend ISD continues its partnership with China’s Foshan #2 High School, formed in 2012, and welcomes a 25member delegation for the educational exchange program this year.

Sponsored by the Fort Bend County Global Initiative in conjunction with Fort Bend ISD, the program gives our global scholars an opportunity to explore our educational system and take part in extra-curricular activities, develop their English language skills, tour cultural landmarks, experience living with host families, while gaining an appreciation of American culture.

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

For exchange student Zhuozuan Jayden Guo, the visit to America is his

K

ATY, TX - Katy Youth Cricket (KYC) young cricketers between ages 6-14 years, who firmly believed in KYC’s mantra that “we have two hands, one for ourselves & second to help others”, participated in Houston Food Bank (HFB) - Hunger Game 2016 from 22 July - 6 August 2016.

20th one selected.”

District hosts educational exchange group for a two-week experience in American culture

FBISD has planned several educational and recreational trips for the group, including a welcome dinner at Safari Texas Ranch, and visits to the Fort Bend County Fair, Rice University and Houston’s Museum District.

Exchange students pictured during welcome event and scavenger hunt at Kempner High School. first time being in a foreign country.

He and his parents were excited to

learn that he was selected to participate in the program.

“I am a lucky guy,” said Guo. “We have 20 students here and I was the

Katy Youth Cricketers raise 10,297 meals for Houston Food Bank

“We must embrace these questions, if not we’ll resign ourselves to old standards rather than consider new ways of living.”

One who has taken up the challenge is Kartell, the highend Italian design firm that has upheld plastics as a “vector” of modernity for 70 years. In April, it launched its first “bio-

vice to help others was evident on their face as they volunteered for multiple 3 hour shifts at HFB. Winston Churchill once said “we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give” is KYC’s way of living life said Milind Waghmare Parent Volunteer at KYC. Along with cricket coaching, KYC’s aim is to provide program that builds character, team work and promote healthy choices.

“Volunteering during Hunger Game made me realize how lucky & fortunate I am”, said Vinayak Belavadi, 12 year old KYC cricketer.

For more information, contact Dhaval Mehta, at 832-525-8906, or Organizer@Katyyouthcricket.com Katy Youth Cricketers celebrate their participationg in Hunger Game 2016, putting in a total of 124 hours.

Green, ‘meaningful’ For Nadeau, the post-oil “energy transition” is also a responsibility for designers and architects.

FBISD thanks the following individuals for coordinating activities for the exchange program: Dr. Audra Ude, Director of Student Leadership Experience; Lorelei Thorp, Kempner High School ESL teacher; Lisa Long, Assistant Principal at Kempner High School; Corey Stewart, Assistant Principal at Dulles High School; and Meng-Yu Wang, Foreign Language teacher at Dulles High School; and host families. We also appreciate the efforts of Principals Dr. Jennifer Nichols of Dulles High School and Chris Morgan of Kempner High School.

“We wish that HFB - Hunger Game never finishes as this is the best game we have played” said all KYC children participants. KYC, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit volunteer run organization based in Katy, provides an opportunity for young boys & girls to learn and play cricket through variety of skill based cricket coaching programs and participation in youth league in Houston and other cities of USA.

Young volunteers of KYC at Houston Food Bank.

Continued from page 13

While visiting America, Guo hopes to gain new friendships, practice speaking English and make great life memories.

“We are so excited to have the Foshan group here again,” said Lorelei Thorp, Kempner High School English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher.

“The Foshan students are bonding with our students and becoming familiar with American culture. They’re noticing the differences in the two cultures, while recognizing the similarities as well.”

“Serving our neighbors and communities is the best way our young cricketers could have spent part of their summer holidays. KYC’s vision is to instill these values of community service & charitable giving, which would empower them to good Citizens” said Dhaval Mehta, President KYC. These young cricketers spent 124 hours volunteering at HFB Portwall Warehouse location. Instead of spending time with their friends & family on a cruise or on a beach vacation, these young cricketers decided to go around in their neighborhood collecting food donation and raising money to help those less fortunate in our community. “It was fun filled experience volunteering at Hunger Game to help those that are less fortunate in our community” said Anish Havalimane, 10 year old KYC cricketer.

Pride of doing community ser-

Tel: 713-774-5140

Fort Bend ISD gives Foshan #2 High School students a Texas-sized welcome

“Fort Bend ISD is an innovator in the area of global partnerships for education,” said Dr. Audra Ude, Director of Student Leadership Experience.

“The District has developed a wonderful relationship with Foshan, China by sending and receiving students and educators who participate in cultural and educational activities which inspire and encourage us all.”

The Foshan delegation arrived to the U.S. on Monday, September 19 and will return to China on Saturday, October 1. Two FBISD high schools - Dulles and Kempner - serve as host campuses this year and have rolled out the proverbial “red carpet” to welcome the Foshan students.

FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

degradable” chair made from plant-based waste and microorganisms.

“Such eco-design allows you to produce without destroying, it’s part of our strategy for the future,” Kartell president Claudio Luti told the French daily Le Monde.

The switch often involves a high-tech reinterpretation of age-old plant matter like linen fabric from flax, hemp, jute, seaweed and vetiver, an easily woven fibrous root common in Madagascar now much in demand in Europe and the United States.

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VOICE OF ASIA 15

FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

Bollywood Masala

Section 2

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

Music knows no country: Ilaiyaraja

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egendary Tamil songwriter and composer Ilaiyaraja has said music transcends countries and knows no boundaries, in wake of the ongoing row over MNS threat to Pakistani artists to leave India.

Music maestro Ilayaraja. Photo credit: New India Express

“In music there is no country, there is no time... No nothing.

Music is music,” Ilaiyaraja told reporters during a news conference here yesterday. Ilaiyaraja, 73, is currently on a tour of several US cities.

was attended by thousands of Indian-Americans in a suburb of Washington DC, his first performance ever in the national capital area. The tour has been organised to commemorate Ilaiyaraja’s achievement of composing music for over thousand films, said Rjan Natarajan, a former Maryland Secretary of State and an official in the Clinton Campaign Ilaiyaraja refused to comment on his impression about A R Rahman, who at the beginning of his career worked with him.

A day earlier he performed live in New Jersey and his show

“Why do you ask me (about A R Rahman)? You have the

respect. You have an idea about him, you have it,” he told a popular local Indian American television anchor when asked about A R Rahman. “But you should not expect that I must have the same expression,” Ilaiyaraja said.

Days after the Uri terrorist attack in which 18 Indian soldiers were killed, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had asked Pakistani actors to leave India within 48 hours.

The threat came from Amey Khopkar of MNS Chitrapat Sena. (PTI)

Pakistan film industry to suffer huge Saiyami Kher’s journey from a Kingfisher calendar girl to losses if Bollywood movies banned Sahiban AHORE - Pakistan’s film industry fears it may suffer a 70 per cent business loss if Indo-Pak ties worsen and Bollywood films are banned in the country.

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The fear among the industry people has been growing as they feel if the situation does not improve there would be calls to ban Indian films eventually.

“I don’t want to sound pessimistic but the truth is there has only been a boom in the cinema industry in Pakistan in the last few years because of the release of latest Bollywood and Hollywood films,” said Nadeem Mandviwalla, a known exhibitor, distributor and owner of the Atrium chain of cineplexes.

“I just hope the ties don’t remain tense on long-term basis.

Even if there is a temporary ban we can survive but if there is any permanent ban you can expect lot of cinema houses and multiplexes to close down,” he said.

Omair Alavi, a popular film critic, said that due to the increase in cinema screens and revenues there had also been a resurgence of the Pakistani film

industry.

“We have seen number of Pakistani films release and do well and others are also lined up for release. But for a cinema industry to survive you need to produce at least 50 to 60 films in a year which we are not doing at present.”

Mandviwalla said 70 per cent of the business comes from Bollywood and Hollywood.

“There is no alternative. If the ties worsen, it is going to affect everyone,” he said.

He, however, said that previously when Indian films were banned in Pakistan, business flourished underground with the sale of pirated DVDs and other such materials.

“Now you have cable operators as well but I think if there is any ban it will also affect their programming,” he said.

Saleem Khan, who has been in the business for years, thinks there would not be a ban but if this happens cinema owners might have to completely wrap up their business or shut a few screens to cut costs.

“We don’t produce enough films to sustain ourselves

throughout the year. We need to produce at least over 50 films annually,” Khan said.

Former Sindh Board of Film Censors chairman Fakhr-eAlam said any such ban would result in “going back to the days where our screens were shut down and converted into shopping malls or apartments because there weren’t enough movies.”

Alam feels there is only one hope for industry people in case of a ban on Bollywood films and that is the Pakistan government must provide funds for production of films.

Cinepax Cinemas Assistant Marketing Manager Abid Ali Zaidi said if there was a “temporary” ban the cinema chains would manage for a while by screening old Pakistani films.

“We are already planning to do that from October as an alternative,” Zaidi said.

Since Indian films were allowed to be imported and screened the cinema industry business has picked up rapidly in Pakistan with some Bollywood blockbusters even grossing the 100-crore rupees mark in Pakistan.

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s the granddaughter of actress Usha Kiran and niece of Tanvi Azmi, acting comes naturally to Saiyami Kher.

Bollywood film promotions, she admits, is a different ballgame altogether. So when the publicist walks in at the 15 minute mark, it is 24-year-old Kher who requests for more time on our behalf and apologises for the interruption. “If Rakeysh Sir knew this is how the interviews are being done, he wouldn’t allow it,” says Kher.

“It [promotions] is something I wasn’t mentally prepared for. You can’t train for this. You never know what will come your way.”

Despite having acting running in the family - Shabana Azmi is also family - Kher grew away from the limelight.

Her father, Adwait Kher, a former model, and mother Uttara Mhatre, a former Miss India, raised her and her sister, Saunskriti, in Nashik. Kher cherishes the middle-class upbringing in a small town. Says Kher, “They wanted to keep Continued on page 16

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VOICE OF ASIA 16

FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

HEALTHY LIVING VOICE OF ASIA

Section 2

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‘Morning sickness’ linked to lower miscarriage risk: study

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IAMI, United States | AFP | Monday 9/26/2016 - Morning sickness is linked to a lower risk of miscarriage, according to research out Monday that suggests a woman’s nausea and vomiting early in pregnancy may have protective effects for the fetus.

Between 50 and 80 percent of pregnant women report feeling nauseous or throwing up during their first trimester, said the findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine.

tion in the risk of pregnancy loss, said the report, led by Enrique Schisterman of the US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

The women had all had one or two prior pregnancy losses. They tracked their nausea symptoms in a diary, and their pregnancies were confirmed by urine tests.

Prior research has also suggested that nausea and vomiting are linked to a lower risk for pregnancy loss.

The condition is often called “morning sickness,” though it can affect women at all times of the day and night.

Some experts believe nausea may encourage a healthy pregnancy by leading women to eat less, thereby reducing the risk of exposing the fetus to toxins.

In a study of 797 women, nausea and nausea with vomiting were associated with a 50 percent to 75 percent reduc-

The reduction in food intake also appears to lower levels of circulating insulin and encourage growth of the

placenta, research has shown.

The new study did not delve into reasons why nausea and vomiting may lower the risk of miscarriage.

An accompanying editorial in JAMA

by Siripanth Nippita of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Laura Dodge of Harvard Medical School described its contribution to existing medical literature as “valuable for several reasons,” including its large size and rigorous methods for comparing symptoms among women who experienced an early pregnancy loss with those whose pregnancies continued.

“Given these methodologic advantages over previous investigations, we hope that such studies can further deepen our understanding of the underlying causes of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy,” they wrote.

M

IAMI, United States | AFP | Friday 9/23/2016 - The use of a controversial pesticide, sprayed from overhead on a Miami neighborhood, was a “key driver” in ending the local spread of the Zika virus there, US health officials said Friday.

Aerial spraying with naled, which is banned in the European Union, and with a larvicide called Bti provided a “onetwo punch” that helped wipe out Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, said Tom Frieden, chief of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Wynwood was ground zero for the first US outbreak of locally transmitted Zika, a virus which can cause birth defects and has spread rapidly through Latin America and the Caribbean.

From June 30 to August 5, 2016, there were 29 people with Zika virus infection who were likely exposed within about six blocks of the hipster art district north of downtown Miami.

Ground-based applications of pesticide showed little effectiveness, and mosquito counts stayed high, raising concern that they might be difficult to kill.

But aerial spraying led to a “rapid dropoff in the mosquito count,” Frieden said, describing the data as “really quite striking.”

“At this point, aerial application appears to be our strongest tool,” Frieden told reporters on a conference call.

“Aerial spraying appears to be a -- if not the -- key driver in this progress.”

A complete report on the situation was released in the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

“No increases in short-term health effects were associated with spraying,” it said.

Calls to poison centers did not increase, nor did visits to emergency rooms compared with time periods before the spraying occurred.

The Zika outbreak is not over in Florida. Miami Beach continues to experience local spread of Zika, and aerial spraying has begun there, too.

The mainland United States has so far counted more than 3,300 travel-associated cases, meaning they involve people who were infected elsewhere.

Zika can be spread by the bite of an infected mosquito or by sexual contact.

Florida is so far the only US state with local transmission, and has 95 such cases and more than 680 travel-related infections. A total of 90 pregnant women in Florida have been diagnosed with Zika.

The virus is linked to the birth defect microcephaly, which causes newborns’ heads to be abnormally small, and rare adult-onset neurological problems like Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

The US territory of Puerto Rico, which has seen more than 19,000 cases of Zika, recently decided not to pursue aerial spraying, Frieden said.

Naled has been used in the United States since 1959 as a common tool

Saiyami Kher Continued from page 15 us away from the film industry. What they succeeded in doing was to make sure we were level-headed and aware that the film world is just one part of a much bigger world.” Until she was 14, the only films Kher she had seen were Dumbo and Toy Story. Watching films really happened when she moved to Mumbai to study at St Xavier’s College.

It isn’t surprising then that Saiyami’s first love is sports. The lower you go on her Twitter page the more you will see proof of her interest in sports. She grew up playing badminton and cricket at state level. She was even called for selection in the national women’s cricket team. But she soon turned to modelling “because at one point I realised it doesn’t make sense to take it up [sport] professionally if I can’t make it

New CMS initiative may change the way senior citizens receive health care New initiative, designed to improve quality and cost, gives doctors and patients more control over health care delivery In a move that may drastically change the way senior citizens receive medical care from physicians, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) yesterday announced the the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model. It is “designed to provide doctors the freedom to care for their patients the way they think will deliver the best outcomes and to pay them for achieving results and improving care,” says the CMS news release.

“Its largest-ever initiative to transform and improve how primary care is delivered and paid for in America,” according to CMS..

Aerial pesticide ‘key driver’ of Zika’s end in Miami: US

by Kerry Sheridan

Tel: 713-774-5140

for mosquito control, despite concerns about its risks for human and environmental health.

The European Union prohibited its use in 2012, but the US Environmental Protection Agency assures it is safe if sprayed sparingly.

Some Miami residents have protested the use of naled, citing concerns for human and animal health.

Reports also surfaced earlier this month in South Carolina that millions of bees were killed after an aerial spraying of naled, following the confirmation of four Zika cases there.

Frieden said he understood concerns about the potential risks, but said that officials used an “ultralow volume” of less than one ounce per acre, and sprayed early in the morning to minimize exposure to people and bees.

Since there is no vaccine to prevent Zika, the evidence that aerial spraying could work was a boon to public health efforts. Such an approach “has never before been proven to stop the spread of human disease,” Frieden said.

to the main squad”. Around this time she also took to theatre in college and began travelling for shoots which she loved. She had done her first film Rey, a Telugu feature - when she was 19 but an opportunity from Bollywood didn’t come her way until Oct 2013 when she was approached for Mirzya.

“I have auditioned for hundreds of things, waiting in long queues in Aram Nagar. So when this film came along I was like one more audition,” she says.

“I did some eight to ten auditions. It was between me and another girl.

Rakeysh Sir sent me to Delhi where I trained with Dilip Shankar and Adil Hussain.”

Kher credits the three months she spent doing acting workshops with Shankar and Hussein in Delhi to prepare for as being a life-changing experience. “They have trained me for life. One of the days we were do-

The effort, CPC+, will be implemented in up to 20 regions and can accommodate up to 5,000 practices, which would encompass more than 20,000 doctors and clinicians and the 25 million people they serve.

“Strengthening primary care is critical to an effective health care system,” said Dr. Patrick Conway, CMS deputy administrator and chief medical officer.

“By supporting primary care doctors and clinicians to spend time with patients, serve patients’ needs outside of the office visit, and better coordinate care with specialists we can continue to build a health care system that results in healthier people and smarter spending of our health care dollars. The Comprehensive Primary Care Plus model represents the future of health care that we’re striving towards.”

Building on the Comprehensive Primary Care initiative launched in late 2012, the five-year CPC+ model will benefit patients by helping primary care practices: - Support patients with serious or chronic diseases to achieve their health goals

ing an intense exercise and I never in my wildest imagination thought I could reach emotionally there,” she says.

“For three days I was just blown away by what I had discovered about myself.

I realised that this is something I want to do all my life. Forget the glamour and fame, what really drives me is that you learn about yourself when you are acting and get to play so many different people. I did theatre with Nadira ji [Zaheer Babbar] in Ekjute [group] and did workshops with Neeraj Kabi [actor of Ship of Theseus and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy]. But these three months in Delhi I feel brought my life in the right direction. After I came back from Delhi, I had to test again. I was sitting with Rakeysh Sir and I told him, ‘If this film works out I will be really happy, but if it doesn’t it is fine because I have learned a lot.”

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This may include, as appropriate, a systematic assessment of their psychosocial needs and an inventory of resources and supports to meet those needs.

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In March 2014 she was finalised for the part.

In Mirzya, Kher plays both Soochi and Sahiban. Soochi is the contemporary, modern girl, more relatable to Kher because like her she is adventurous. “I was really fortunate that Rakeysh Sir is somebody who takes his time,” she says. “He is a very good cook. He says, ‘Mutton ko bhunne do’. We had four months between the contemporary world which was shot in Rajasthan and the fantastical folk tale segment which was shot in Ladakh. “Sahiban is very rustic and very sensual,” she says. Kher also learned horse riding for the part. “I fell off the horse three to four times and I have these sweet scars which will stay with me for life,” she smiles.

(Suhani Singh, Indiatoday.com)

Ibn Sina Foundation Supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October Offers Free and Low-Cost Screenings

T

his October, Ibn Sina Foundation Community Medical and Dental Clinics are proud to participate in National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in women. About 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point. However, many women can survive breast cancer if it’s found and treated early.

As part of that effort, Ibn Sina Foundation Clinics are offering free breast and cervical cancer screenings for qualifying low-income women who live in Texas.

The clinics are located at: Wilcrest Clinic - 11226 South Wilcrest, Houston, TX 77099 - Phone: 281-977-7462 South Post Oak Clinic - 16345 S. Post Oak Road, Houston, TX 77053 Phone: 281-438-7462 North Shepherd Clinic - 5012 North Shepherd, Houston, TX 77018 -

Phone: 713-695-7462 Clear Lake Clinic - 15132 Highway 3, Houston, TX 77598 - Phone: 281990-7462 Port Arthur Clinic - 8599 Ninth Ave., Port Arthur, TX 77642 - Phone: 409-724-7462 “We are committed to helping save lives from breast cancer and could not be more proud to support the American Cancer Society this October. With more than 3.1 million women in the U.S. with a history of breast cancer and approximately 246,000 new cases estimated to be diagnosed in 2016, it is a disease that touches the lives of many,” said Ibn Sina Foundation Executive Officer Dr. Naeem Ahmed.

Additional action that American Cancer Society encourages are as follows: • If you are a woman age 40 to 49, talk with your doctor about when to start getting mammograms and how often to get them.

• If you are a woman age 50 to 74,

be sure to get a mammogram every 2 years. You may also choose to get them more often.

Talk to a doctor about your risk for breast cancer, especially if a close family member of yours has had breast or ovarian cancer. Your doctor can help you decide when and how often to get mammograms.

For more information, visit w w w. i b n s i n afoundation.org or facebook.com/ ibnsinacommunitymedicaldentalcenter.

Primary Care Physician

Our current hours are Monday thru Friday 8am till 5pm.

VOICE OF ASIA 17

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Marriott topples Taj Group to become top brand post merger MUMBAI (PTI) - The USbased hotel chain Marriott International has become the largest hospitality operator in the country with 18,000 rooms which translates into more than 11% in the domestic market, following its acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts globally today.

With this acquisition, the Taj Group, with over 14,000 rooms, has slipped to second slot. Prior to the merger, Marriott was the fourth largest hotel brand in the country while Starwood was the fifth.

The combined group has 15 brands, including the most premium Ritz-Carlton of Starwood and W of Marriott which

is coming up in Goa, and 79 operational properties across 19 cities.

The group, which follow an asset light model with managed properties, will be opening 80 more properties in 34 cities over the next four years, Marriott International’s Chief Operating Officer for Asia Pacific Rajeev Menon told reporters here this evening.

Marriott now has 30 brands globally with over 5,700 properties in over 110 countries.

Some of its key brands include Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, St Regis, JW Marriott, The Luxury Collection, Westin, Le Meridien, Renaissance, Sheraton, Courtyard, Four Points, Fair-

field Inn, Aloft, Element and Protea, among others.

The merged company will operate or franchise more than 5,700 properties and 1.1 million rooms, representing 30 leading brands from the moderate to luxury in over 110 countries. After acquisition, Marriott’s distribution has more than doubled in Asia and the Middle East.

When asked whether the merger has all the regulatory approvals in place, Menon’s answered in the affirmative.

Menon also said post merger, all the brands of Starwood will remain as they are, and the change is in the legal entity of their management.

BlackBerry hangs up on handset business

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EW YORK - BlackBerry will stop manufacturing the hardware for its smartphones and instead outsource that to partners, the Waterloo-based company said on Wednesday as it reported another loss and sharp drop in revenue.

Shares of BlackBerry gained more than five per cent on the TSX following the announcement. The net loss came to $372 million US, or 71 cents a share, on revenue of $334 million, as the company booked $147 million in charges from its reorganization. Secondquarter revenue fell 31.8 per cent from a year earlier.

A year ago, it reported a prof-

FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

it of $51 million, or 24 cents a share, on revenue of $490 million.

Excluding one-time items, the company said it broke even.

On that basis, analysts had on average expected an adjusted loss of five cents a share on revenue of $393.75 million, according to Thomson Reuters.

But beyond the numbers, the real news was the company announcing plans to stop building its own hardware devices, and instead focus on making the software that goes into them.

“The company plans to end all internal hardware development and will outsource that

function to partners,” BlackBerry said.

But beyond the numbers, the real news was the company announcing plans to stop building its own hardware devices, and instead focus on making the software that goes into them.

“The company plans to end all internal hardware development and will outsource that function to partners,” BlackBerry saiD. That means the company plans to work with other technology manufacturers to build devices that are branded as BlackBerrys and come with all the company’s software and internal workings.

Tel: 713-774-5140

Top 5 richest women in India

in the group. Two years ago, Crishna-Godrej made news when she bought a heritage bungalow that once belonged to Homi Bhabha, India’s atomic energy pioneer, for $60 million.

Billionaire Savitri Jindal leads the pack

By Sreekanth A Nair

T

he participation of Indian women in business is too less even now, despite having a tradition of excelling in it, given an opportunity.

But, due to changing socioeconomic conditions in the country, the number of women entering the business arena is increasing year-by-year. As the world is celebrating International Women’s Day, let’s have a look at some of the wealthiest women in India.

4. Leena Tewari

Fund, a new VC firm to invest in technology startups.

2. Indu Jain Indu Jain is the chairperson of the media conglomerate Bennett Coleman & Co. that publishes the daily newspaper

The fourth Indian woman billionaire in the list is Leena Tewari. Like Smita CrishnaGodrej, she is also making her debut on the billionaires’ list.

She was India’s 54th richest person in the Forbes list released in 2015. She has improved her ranking and is now ranked as the 46th richest Indian.

Following is the list of the 10 richest women in India.

1. Savitri Jindal Savitri Jindal and family has a global rank of 453rd and in India, she is the 16th richest person. Jindal’s ranking declined this year from 283th richest in 2015 but made an improvement in India ranking from being 23rd, last year.

According to Forbes, over the last five years, Savitri Jindal’s wealth has declined by close to $10 billion due to a downward slide in shares of her O.P. Jindal group companies. The most notable fall has been that of Jindal Steel & Power, run by younger son Naveen, which saw its shares halve in the past year.

The loss-making company recently suffered a downgrade by rating agency Crisil. JSW Steel, which Mumbai-based son Sajjan runs, is faring better after the government imposed import duties to protect domestic producers against cheap Chinese imports. Eyeing expansion of his cement interests, he’s bid for Lafarge’s Indian assets. His son Parth leads JSW Venture

Savitri Jindal (File photo) The Times of India, the world’s largest daily newspaper by circulation; The Economic Times, the world’s biggest financial newspaper after the Wall Street Journal, and the Indian edition of The Huffington Post. She also owns popular TV channels Times Now and ET Now. She has a global rank of 549 and her net worth stood at $3.1 billion.

3. Smita Crishna-Godrej Smita Crishna-Godrej has got a rank of 810 on the list, with a net worth of $2.2 billion., making her maiden appearance on the billionaires’ list by virtue of a one-fifth stake in family assets. Her brother Jamshyd runs consumer goods firm Godrej & Boyce. Her husband Vijay Crishna, a well-known theatre actor, and daughter Nyrika, work

“Me, Mucho Pinturo,”

According to Forbes, Leena Tewari chairs and owns privately held Indian generics maker USV, known for its drugs for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, among others. The firm has its roots in a small venture started by her grandfather, Vithal Balkrishna Gandhi, a noted social reformer and politician, to import medicines. It expanded into manufacturing in a joint venture with Revlon in 1961. Her late father took charge in the 1960s.

5. Vinod Gupta Vinod Gupta, the wife of late Qimat Rai Gupta, has assets worth $1.1 billion. She has maintained her rank of 74th richest person in India and she has a global rank of 1577.

says multi-talented artist Kartik Trivedi

Bio of the Artist, Kartik Trivedi: Kartik Trivedi moved to the United States of America in 1967, and since then he has been studying, teaching, performing, and painting. But nothing came that easily in his life. He was only twenty-six when he came to the US. In the freezing cold winter of Cleveland, he studied new subjects and found it even more difficult. He was allowed to work part-time but the money he was earning was not enough to continue his studies. He was by himself. No family, no friends. The blowing winter wind eventually crushed his spirit. A lonely bird was flying over the frozen Lake Erie. But he was not ready to give up his struggle for higher education and higher levels of achievements. He sees his life as a tale of blood, sweat and tears.

- My Story: The Story of Blood, Sweat and Tears

Achievements: Kartik Trivedi, Artist Photo Credit: Leticia Alaniz

• Held Major one man art show at the Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso, Indiana • Kartik Trivedi, in India, 2016 produced a film “Jab Sawan Barse” • Wrote 3 songs. Also, he composed this songs and back ground music

Awards and honors:

• Share & Care Foundation, New Jersey City, NJ • Life Long Achievement Award • Associate Member of “OPA” Professional Oil Painters of America and Associate Member of a Contemporary Impressionist Painters of America • US House of Representatives 2007 • FOSAAC 2007 “Longing” - A vocal and instrumental music of a Documentary film,

“Jab Sawan Barse.”

Upcoming and Current Projects:

• New Venture starting 2017 Our Gujarat State, “Asan Jo Gujarat Desh, Story of a Soldier” • Paranormal Science “Ek Aur Bhava Vesh” Art film on YouTube • Currently working on ‘Raas Leela’ dedicated to Lord Krishna. (total of 52 paintings on Lord Krishna)

Valpo

According to Sacopulos, “Trivedi has the ability to use synesthesia, which allows his piano playing to inspire his paintings and vice versa. “The first time I met him he told me, ‘I see colors flying off the keys when I play the piano,’ and then he said when he paints he hears songs from the colors on the canvas.” Sacopulos said.

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

Shrine Festival (2015) Oil color on canvas, 24” x 30” Collection: Artist’s Private Art Collection

Lady Talking to a Blue Bird (1983) Oil color on canvas 24” x 30” Collection: Dr. Ranjan Vijay Dave

Artist-Painter Kartik Trivedi working on “Hope” Oil color on canvas 30” x 40”

HOROSCOPE

VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, September 30, 2016

Your Horoscope for the Week of September 30, 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 It will be time to check everything in detail. Take care daily business in practical way and make your life more stable and secure. It would be beneficial to consult experts on your goals and long-range plans and to put your affairs in order. Eliminating waste and inefficiency is important to you now. There is much activity; you move rapidly from one thing to another and a hectic, somewhat stressful pace is likely.

Use your mind for thinking instead of feeling sorry later on. Love speaks to you and through you, you just have to listen. Mixed emotions are the starting point for a moving experience. Try to be more productive, stay focused and ignore the words of those who are jealous of you. Even though there are many things that you can’t control, you need to show your courage and begin to have more fun. Your vision of the future will encourage those who think the same way as you do.

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

Scorpio (N,Y) 23 Oct to 21 Nov

You will enjoy relaxed moments & that will help you to spend time to plan for your own or your children’s education prospect. There will be a passion of learning something new whether to helpful in your work or just for improving your knowledge base.

Your spouse will demand your attention & you will have no choice but to spare some time for happy moments. Your better communication skill will create balance in all aspects of your life. Your co-workers or your employee may ask for your advice on their personal issues.

You’ll receive an unexpected gift. New friendship or new connection will come to your support. Normally it takes time for you to get involved with new person but this time you will realize that someone is serious to be helpful to you. You need to use your intellect and philosophy to find your answers. You may be asking a question that has no answer. To you, you are stating the obvious, but for others you will be opening previously locked doors.

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

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June New dimension will be visible on horizon. You will feel a zeal of new self confidence building up from the bottom of your heart. You will pay attention on your home & homely matters, that may include home decorating or remodeling or cleaning as well.

You will plan buy new vehicle in coming months, as your thinking is very progressive this time. Motherly love will remind you to reconnect with your parents. You may spend your weekend with your parents or will have telephonic conversation if they are far.

Ego clash with higher authority or senior’s should be avoided. You will get very good recognition for your hard works, which will boost your self confidence. You may need to fulfill a family obligation that you almost forgot about. You’ll realize that your personal relationships need more attention than you’re giving them. Everybody will want to be your friend, but your words may hurt your cause. You’ll have to work on being more understanding without losing your winning edge.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July New thinking with positive ideas will lead you. 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. This is an excellent time to discuss your feelings and clear the air of any grievances you may be holding on to from the past. Your communication with women is especially good at this time.

More religious & spiritual thinking will rule you. Suddenly there will be thinking to connect yourself to the infinite, getting connected to the roots or back to basic or the multi dimentional universe. You will enjoy just you within you. This state of mind will make everything very easy for you, as you will see whole world with a different prospective. You need a break away from extreme solutions to dealing with simple problems. Stay confident in who you are and you’ll be ensured a smoother ride.

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

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August Your independent nature will help you to achieve your separate place. Outspoken talking should be avoided at any cost or it may backfire & bring you un success. You will be able to handle everything with confidence & better organizing skills. But verbal confrontation should be avoided, things may hurt your ego but working with patience only will keep you on track. You have the ability to listen, as well as help others to see things clearer.

It’s better to take feedback sometimes

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September Focus your energy, exhibit your generous nature & understand other’s feelings. Your rewards will far outweigh the effort. You’ll be able to achieve success, if you trust your gut feelings & remain loyal to your friends & family. Be sure to spend some quality time with those who really matter to you. Your alliances need strengthening, spread your positive influence. If you join forces with others, you’ll be able to produce great results. Try to reflect on positive influences rather than the negative ones.

QR

Your impeccable charm will help you to handle your responsibilities with strong authority and creative style. Important details may be overlooked by those who do not care. You need to oversee everything of any importance. Pace yourself so that you don’t get too tired or run down. Since you may not get the time to play that you wanted, find ways to enjoy whatever it is that you have to do. Even if you don’t accomplish much, at least you’ll have a good time doing it.

Pisces (D,CH,Z) 20 Feb to 20 March You will be the decision maker. People will trust your wordings & will have faith in your work. Your goodwill will enhance & others will simply follow you. A show of strength with the team work will improve your standing in your work. People with attitude problems shouldn’t even come into the equation, stay clear of them. Your dilemma is that everybody wants a piece of you. There’s usually a reason for everything that you do, but your creativity may be driven more out of necessity than talent. If you want to try to turn this situation around, you’d better start now.

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