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VOICE OF ASIA The Largest Asian-American Newsweekly in Texas
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Vol. 32 No. 27 • FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
Published Weekly from Houston
20 Pages (2 sections)
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FRIDAY, July In Section 213, 2018 l HEALTHLINE Medicare Savings Program l LEGAL Amul Thapar shortlisted but not selected for Supreme Court l HOME & REAL ESTATE The Do's and Don'ts of home equity loans
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World Telangana Convention 2018 in Houston by American Telangana Association Makes History by Shobana Muratee
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piece of history and a slice of springtime spectacle from the city of Telangana in South India was showcased at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, where the 2018 World Telangana Convention (WTC) was held on June 29, 30 and July 1, 2018. Hosted by the American Telangana Association and Co-hosted by the TAGH, TCA and Telugu Bhavanam, the Convention was dedicated to Late Dr. C. Narayana Reddy, a legend and visionary scholar of Telegu literature. Over 8000 Houstonians experienced Telangana culture, the language, the people, and above all the hospitality, complete with the region’s famous Continued on Page 3
Bangar Reddy, Convention Convenor presenting Shobana Muratee, Editor-in-Chief, Voice of Asia,with American Telangana Association Excellence Award - Print Media.
Indian student from Telangana shot dead in Kansas City
World Telangana Convention Committee members seen accompanying priest Sri Hanuman Chary with auspicious offerings during the opening of Convention at the Gearge R. Brown Convention Center. Photos credit: WTC
New Community Center and Chapel Opens in Stafford, TX His Grace Dr. Zacharias Mar Aprem, Diocesan Bishop of the Southwest (center) and His Grace Dr. Youhanon Mar Demetrios (left) performing the consecration services at the opening of the new Community Center and Chapel in Stafford, TX on June 30, 2018. Read Report Page 6
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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS
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by Lisa Rosenberg
VOICE OF ASIA Publisher: Associate Publisher: Editor-in-Chief: Austin Correspondent: Marketing Director: Office Manager:
Koshy Thomas Sherly Philip Shobana Muratee Sherine Thomas Susan Pothanikat Priyan Mathew
Contributors: Legal: Sharlene Sharmila Richards Mala Sharma
VoiceofAsiaOnline.com Editor Online:
Shobana Muratee
All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the consent of the publisher. Voice of Asia assumes no liability resulting from action taken based on the information included herein. Published weekly by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713-7745143. Email for editorial submissions: voiceasia@aol. com; Email for advertising inquiries and submissions: ads@voiceofasiagroup.com
It is the policy of Voice of Asia to publish letters to the editor which evidence a variety of viewpoints. The opinions expressed in any particular letter to the editor are not necessarily those of the management. Voice of Asia welcomes letters in reply to issues raised in letters to editor. In as much letters to the editor are not articles written or researched by members of Voice of Asia, it is not the policy of the Voice of Asia to perform any investigation or confirmation of any facts or allegations contained in letters to the editor. Moreover, Voice of Asia reserves the right to edit letters to the editor as necessary to correct errors of fact, punctuation, spelling and to comply with space constraints.
T
he Trump administration has torn an estimated 2,500 children from their asylum-seeking parents – and the damage to America’s reputation across the globe cannot be undone. Some are now terrified that children might disappear into the system and never see their families again. While the children and their parents are suffering the trauma of not knowing when, or whether, they will be reunited, the billion dollar private prison industry is expected to reap massive profits as a result of the administration’s proposal to spend billions more in federal taxpayer dollars to warehouse children and their families. It’s worth noting that in 2017, the private prison industry spent almost $3.5 million on lobbyists to influence lawmakers, and in 2016 gave almost $1.6 million in contributions to outside spending groups, parties and candidates, some of whom approve requests for federal funds to implement immigration detention policies. The two biggest companies in the industry, GEO Group and CoreCivic, each also donated $250,000 to President Trump’s inaugural fund. Taxpayers, meanwhile, are left in the dark in terms of conditions inside the detention centers, and whether their money is being spent efficiently or effectively. Even nonprofits are poised to benefit from taxpayer dollars spent on child and family detention. One such group, Southwest Key Programs, gained notoriety after Sen. Jeff
Demanding accountability from private companies detaining children the law or abuse or mistreatment of detainees may remain hidden from public scrutiny. The lack of transparency means it is harder to guard against waste of taxpayer dollars.
Cartoon by Matt Wuerker
Merkley (D-Ore.) was denied entry to the group’s facility holding at least 1,500 children in Brownsville, Texas. Southwest Key is currently set to receive more than $458 million in contracts with the federal government this year, $173 million more than the year prior. All the while, the administration refuses to disclose how many children they are actually holding, or even where they are being held. At least 100 children who have been taken from their parents are under the age of five, and the administration is struggling to match children to parents, in part because “records linking children to their parents have disappeared, and in some
cases have been destroyed,” according to immigration enforcement officials who spoke to the New York Times. Congress needs to act to address the policies that hide from the public who profits from child detention. Right now, it must demand accountability from the detention industry, as well as federal agencies that support it. Congress can start by passing legislation to force private contractors to adhere to the same public disclosure laws as their federal counterparts. As it stands, private prison companies are exempt from the public’s premier tool for transparency and accountability, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), meaning violations of
In addition to forcing private contractors to adhere to FOIA, Congress should also demand a prompt investigation into all cases of family separation and treatment of asylum seekers. It should require the immigration enforcement agencies to adhere to existing reporting requirements (which they systemically ignore), publish new, quarterly reports on all family separations that have occurred at the border, and call for disclosure of information on all policies and guidelines relating to family separation and detention that are of interest to the public – including whether and what policies were put in place to ensure families could be reunited. Rather than wasting taxpayer dollars to reward private prison companies, the government needs to protect children from the trauma of family separation and incarceration. Only by exercising its authority can Congress begin to remedy the secrecy and confusion rampant in the immigration detention system. Congress should reject the administration’s requests for funding to expand the private detention industry. It’s time to mandate real accountability mechanisms to end the trend of waste, secrecy, abuse and impunity.
If BJP wins in 2019, it will tear apart constitution, India will become Hindu Pakistan: Shashi Tharoor
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FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday sparked a row after he said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will tear apart constitution and turn India into a Hindu Pakistan if it comes to power after 2019 Lok Sabha elections. "If they (BJP) win a repeat in the Lok Sabha our democratic constitution as we understand it will not survive as
they will have all the elements they need to tear apart the constitution of India & write a new one," reported ANI quoting Tharoor.
The Congress leader also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is more interested in political campaigning than in running the country.
Tharoor further said that the saffron party will write a new constitution which will turn the country into Hindu Pakistan.
Tharoor's remark came after Modi launched a scathing attack at the Congress Party while addressing a farmers' rally in Punjab.
"That new one (Constitution) will be the one which will enshrine principles of Hindu Rashtra, that'll remove equality for minorities, that will create a Hindu Pakistan and that isn't what Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad and great heroes of freedom struggle fought for."
Earlier in the day, Modi alleged that Congress had betrayed the peasantry and used them as a vote bank to further the interests of "one particular family".
However, hitting back at Tharoor, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "Shameless @INCIndia doesn’t lose any opportunity to demean India and defame the Hindus! From “Hindu terrorists” to “HinduPakistan” the Pak appeasing policies of Congress are unparalleled!."
Addressing the farmers who had gathered from different parts of Punjab and neighboring Haryana and Rajasthan, Modi said, you have toiled very hard, but despite so much hard work, your life, which should have been happy, was of despair and despondency for decades. "The reason for this was that over the past 70 years, for most of this period the party to which farmers gave responsi-
bility to improve their living standard, did not give respect to farmer or the hard work put in by them. Only promises were made to the farmers and if they (Congress) had any worry, 70 years history says this, it was only for one particular family and how to make them comfortable," Modi said. - DNA news
ERRATUM Our last issue dated July 3, 2018 carried a front Page story titled "IMAGH hosts 9th Annual Eid Milan" In the 4th para where it reads "CARE Houston Chapter bestowed IMAGH with 2018 Stellar Award", the word CARE was wrongly spelt. The correct spelling is CAIR We sincerely regret the error and apologize to the organizations CAIR and IMAGH
K. V. Doraiswamy Bhattar 281-489-0464 or 281-948-8368 kvdoraiswamybhattar@yahoo.com kvdoraiswamy60@gmail.com
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VOICE OF ASIA 3
Section 1
Community Email: voiceasia@aol.com
FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
Tel: 713-774-5140
World Telangana Convention 2018 in Houston by American Telangana Association Makes History Continued from Page 1
Treasurer, Ram Mohan Konda (past-President), Mahidhar Reddy, Joint-Treasurer and Raghuveer Maripeddi, Joint Secretary stirred the course of the Convention for last six month. They were supported enthusiastically by American Telangana Association Board of Trustees, Advisory Board, Adhoc Committee with Bangar Reddy as Convention Convenor, Jagapathi Veerati Convention-Coordinator and host of Committees Chairs, and the volunteers who made the event a grand success.
Hyderabadi biryani. Festivals of Telangana: Bonalu, Bathukamma and Kolatam were showcased. Traditional folk dances of Telangana featured on Saturday night were highly enjoyable. A welcoming décor of blooms in vibrant colors greeted the visitors, who were also treated to Telangana delicacies courtesy Biryani Pot over the 3 days of the Convention. A miniature replica of Charminar, the historic monument of Hyderabad city, was conspicuous at the entrance to the gallery of booths where vendors displayed jewelry, ethnic apparel (including beautiful sarees), artifacts from India, and much more. In the center of all was a thatched hut representing a farmer’s abode, symbolic of the Convention’s theme ‘Raithe Raju’ (Farmer is King). A special program Rachchabanda featuring agricultural experts, scientists, policy-makers like Dr. GV Ramanjaneyulu, Dr. Praveen Rao, Dr. Dudekula, and Kodanda Reddy facilitated common dialogue focusing on low acreage farmers of India and spreading awareness on high-yielding organic crop in watershed areas. There was something for everyone at the Convention: Literary session, Immigration, Women’s Forum, Ashtavadhanam, Medical, Matrimonial, and Political Forum were conducted professionally. A health fair catered to many uninsured and underinsured attendees. Sports and activities for children and youth were equally engaging while the exhibits/ booths and performers kept the visitors entertained throughout. The spectacular Bhadrachalam Sri Sita Rama Kalyana Ma-
A line up of the American Telangana Association’s Executive Committee,Board of Trustees, Advisory Board, Adhoc Committee and Chairs of Committees being recognized at the WTC. hostavam performed in the heart of downtown Houston was a unique divine experience. The Convention was sans celebrities; instead scholars, scientists, students took center stage. Dr. Kamlesh Lulla, an internationally acclaimed NASA chief scientist, gave a virtual tour of the space to the guests on the opening night as a fitting welcome to Houston, Space City. Among the many highlights was the program PallePaata ATA-Nota. After conducting a successful nationwide talent hunt for singers in junior and senior category with Parthu Nemani and Sumangali as the judges, ATA Telangana held the finals in Houston and announced the winners at the WTC. The Convention dedicated on Global Awareness on Human Trafficking and Abuse featuring Dr. Sunitha Krishnan, a world-renowned activist
as the keynote speaker at the Women’s Forum. American Telangana Association Awards Committee chaired by Dr. Rajender Aparasu recognized the contributions of individuals of Telangana origin (India and US) and honored the following with American Telangana Association Excellence Awards: Sreedhar Kanchanakuntla - Community Service, Ramchandra Reddy Banapuram - Community Service, Dr. Padmaja Reddy - Lifetime Achievement Award for Performing Arts, Dr. Ratna Kumar - Lifetime Achievement Award for Performing Arts, Sri Gajam Anjaiah - Handloom Arts, Uma Bharati - Performing Arts, Lalith Gannavaram – Youth Achievement, Dr. Sandeep Rangineni – Young Entrepreneur, Dr. Samba Reddy – Science & Technology, Dr. Surya Raguthu – Medicine, Dr. Venkata N. Raju – Emerging Literature, Asha Reddy – Legal, Dr. Nik Nikam
– Community Media, Shobana Muratee - Print Journalism, Venu Nakshathram – Short Films, and Yadagiri Reddy Beeravolu – Hospitality. American Telangana Association’s Executive Commit-
tee led by its President Satyanarayan Reddy Kandimalla, Chairman Karunakar Madhavaram and President-Elect Vinod Kukunoor, Narender Reddy Chemaria, Director, Vishnu Madhavaram, Secretary, Pratap Chinthalapani,
The Grand Finale had the crowds cheering until the wee hours. Performers Karthik & Friends will be long remembered and so will be the catchy inaugural song on ATA that had everyone singing. The Telugu community in Houston has grown phenomenally over the last few years. Today, Houston is home to over 10,000 families representing all areas: social, economic, political, educational, medical, IT, engineering and are part a major part of the Bayou City’s diversity.
Festivals of Telangana showcasing: Bonalu, Bathukamma and Kolatam were the highlights of the Convention.
Read in Section 2 of Voice of Asia
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COMMUNITY
VOICE OF ASIA 4
FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
CHYK camp - Fun and insightful reHCC announces new flections at Chinmaya Mission Houston leadership selections by Satchitananda Photos and CHYK Camp organized by Jayakrishna Gundamaraju Carrying the tradition of imparting Vedantic wisdom to the youth, which was very close to the heart of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda, Chinmaya Mission Houston(CMH) conducted a power-packed intense summer camp for CHYK. From June 15th to 17th, 35 youngsters aged 1728 had a reflective weekend guided by the dynamic Acarya Vivek Gupta of CM Niagara Falls and inspiring Brni. Shweta Chaitanya of CMH. Themed aptly as “Evolution Within – From Prosperity to Peace,” the camp introduced the participants to their own minds. The Acaryas, through interesting exercises, interactive sessions, insightful workshops and enlightening discourses, empowered the participants to observe their own minds. At the end of the camp, all were able to make a paradigm shift in making the normally distracted or even negative mind to be trained as focused, creative and constructive. Vivekji elaborated on the six sacred verses of the Siva Sankalpa Suktam, the Vedic hymn that highlighted the way toward an auspicious mind. The participants unraveled the ‘What’, ‘Why’ and ‘How’ of their thinking faculty. As the Acaryas distilled the Truth of the text into simple, practicable and easy-to-remember messages, they also guided the attentive youth into deep introspection. The participants played exciting games like “Ego Erasers” which helped them to see their similarities with others whilst respecting the differences. Every day, each participant completed the “Reflective Activity of the Day” (RAD) which made them examine their own minds deeply.
Dr. Janet Wormack
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CHYK Campers Complementing the talks that raised questions like “What is willpower?,” and “How can you develop willpower?,”the reflective excursions into the mind gave an opportunity to not only apply the wisdom but also internalize it. More reflective time was interspersed between discourse sessions through mounam (silence) and meditation. While the focus was intense, fun did not take a back seat during the camp. From watching Incredibles 2 movie to building towers of cards, the enjoyment was palpable. Open Mic Night gave the youth a perfect platform to showcase their talents like standup comedy, singing/dancing to bhajans and social commentary. The powerful message of the camp got assimilated into the young minds as they resolved to slow down, step back, see more, and smile more as they take firm steps in their spiritual evolution. Both the Acaryas helped the youth translate rich ancient philosophy into practice by
Participants during a lecture session from the Acharyas. giving them a variety of tools to transform mindlessness to mindfulness, apathy to empathy, and prosperity to peace. As the attendees left with a firm resolve to work on their self development goals, their subtle minds were naturally filled with gratitude for the countless volunteers behind the scenes and the amazing legacy of Acaryas Gaurang and Darshana Nanavaty. Jayakrishna Gundamaraju’s extraordinary coordination
made the camp a real success. This article was sourced with reports from excited camp attendees, Suriya Sharma and Saaketh Rao. Tradition steeped in wisdom, diffused with fun is the norm at Chinmaya Mission Houston, located at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353, Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX-77498. For more information, visit www. chinmayahouston.org or call Jay Deshmukh 832 541 0059.
OUSTON (July 6, 2018) – The Houston Community College Board of Trustees has approved the appointments of Dr. Janet Wormack as vice chancellor of finance & administration and chief financial officer and Dr. Norma Perez as vice chancellor of instructional services and chief academic officer. Dr. Wormack currently serves as senior vice president for administrative and fiscal services at Montgomery College in Rockville, Md., where she is responsible for finance and budgeting, auxiliary services, capital planning, procurement, human resources and information technology. Her accomplishments include leading the consolidation of administrative functions and expansion of internal collaboration. Under her leadership, Montgomery College achieved a results-oriented integration for college operations that involved everything from instruction and student support to the use of input from university and business partners in the design of new instructional environments. This innovative approach to delivering the college experience has increased student transfer and completion rates while also providing additional revenue for the college. "Dr. Wormack has a proven
Dr. Norma Perez record of success as a leader in higher education and a history of many accomplishments that mirror the work underway at HCC around innovation and shared services," said HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado. "She shares our bold vision for elevating HCC to new heights in student success through innovation." Dr. Wormack holds a doctorate in community college leadership from Morgan State University, a master’s degree in administrative management from Bowie State University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University. She will begin her full-time duties Sept. 1. Dr. Perez has served in an interim capacity since July 2017. "Dr. Perez is a strong champion for student success," said Maldonado. "She has represented Houston Community College very well with our local partners as well as at the state and national levels." Dr. Perez has been with HCC for over 30 years and has served in several leadership positions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Stephen F. Austin State University, a master’s degree in educational psychology/ guidance and counseling from the University of Houston, and a doctorate in educational administration from Texas A&M University.
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VOICE OF ASIA 5
Fort Bend View
FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
Sugar Land, Katy, Stafford, Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenberg and Meadows Place Section 1
Email: voiceasia@aol.com
Sugar Land Court Clerk earns certification
Beverly was recently recognized during a City Council meeting as one of only 86 people in Texas to earn Certified Municipal Court Clerk Certification.
S
UGAR LAND – The Texas Court Clerks Association in conjunction with the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center and Texas State University awarded Sugar Land Municipal Court Administrator Kendra Beverly with Certified Municipal Court Clerk Certification. She joins an elite group of court clerks in Texas as one of only 86 people to earn the certification. The Certified Municipal Court Certification Program is comprised of Certified Court Clerk I, Certified Court Clerk II and Certified Municipal Court Clerk.
Beverly previously obtained Certified Court Clerk I and II certifications, which both require the completion of 40 hours of education and a threepart exam. The requirements for the Certified Municipal Court Clerk certification include: • Certified Court Clerk II in good standing; • 40 hours of court observation; • an essay about court observations; • an exam covering 16 books on topics such as management, leadership, court security, di-
versity, case-flow management, etc.; • 28 hours of continued education and an assessment clinic; and • attendance at a court administrator seminar. Certified court clerks such as Beverly are a tremendous asset to Texas municipal courts. Their expertise ensures that all defendants receive due process and proper legal options. This not only results in excellent customer service, but it also provides a better experience for defendants, attorneys and the public who visit the city’s court.
Tel: 713-774-5140
Girl Scouts present Cookies4Heroes at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital
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ast week, Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospitial was presented with Cookies4Heroes by Girl Scouts Troop #157134.
Girl Scouts Troop #157134 (Photos: HMSLH)
The program was created as a way to thank local volunteers, municipal fire stations, police departments, hospitals and churches who had a significant outreach during Hurricane Harvey. This troop chose them based on their dedication to continue serving our community during and after the storm as the only hospital to remain open in Fort Bend.
Chris Siebenaler, CEO of Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital with the Girls Scouts Troop at HMSLH.
COMMUNITY
VOICE OF ASIA 6
FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
New Community Center and Chapel Opens in Stafford, TX STAFFORD, TX - St. Thomas Community Center and a new Chapel were consecrated by His Grace Dr. Zacharias Mar Aprem, Diocesan Bishop of the Southwest and His Grace Dr. Youhanon Mar Demetrios in the presence of Hon. Mayor City of Stafford Mr. Leonard Scarcella on June 30, 2018.
duced His Grace Dr. Zacharias Mar Aprem for the presidential address. Mr. S.K Cherian introduced Hon. Mayor Leonard Scarcella. In his message, the Major admired the community for their support and contribution to the city and the people. His Grace Dr. Youhanon Mar Demetrios gave an inspiring message and expressed his vision to establish a university college in the name of the church in United States.
A large gathering of church members and friends attended the ceremony. Community Center include one Basketball court and a beautiful chapel. New Chapel was officially named as “St. Ephrem Chapel” The huge center is built in the property owned by the Church at a cost of over $3 million. The new Community Center will hold Sunday School classes for over 200 students. After the dedication Mr. Thomas Ipe, Secretary welcomed the gathering. Mr. Jaison John gave an overview on how they were able to complete the project on time.
Rev. Fr. Mamen Mathew introduced Rev, Dr. C.O. Varghese, Retd. Senior Vicar of the Diocese.
From Left to Right: Very Rev. Gheevarghis Aroopala Corepisc, Rev. Fr. Dr. C.O. Vargis Address, Grace Dr. Youhanon Mar Demetrios, Grace Dr. Zacharias Mar Aprem, Mayor, City of Stafford, Mr. Leonard Scarcella and Rev. Fr. Mammen Mathew at the opening of the new Community Center and Chapel in Stafford, TX.
Mr. Manoj Thomas intro-
A view of the congregation.
Very. Rev. Gheevarghese Aroopalla Cor Episcopa, Vicar of the St. Thomas India Orthodox Cathedral Church since its beginning, serving all their spiritual needs gave an emotional message. Mr. Manoj Mathew and Mr. Koshy P. John proposed a Vote of Thanks. The ceremony concluded with benediction by His grace Dr. Zacharias Mar Aprem.
Another section of the congregation.
Houston based entrepreneur Amit Bhandari donates $50,000 to Ekal’s Digital Literacy Program
NATA Honors Texas A&M Neuroscientist
Drs. Prem Reddy (left), Samba Reddy, Raghava Reddy & Sridhar Korsapati & Narayan Reddy Gandra (right). Amit and Arpita Bhandari with Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan
by Manu Shah
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ouston based entrepreneur Amit Bhandari and his wife Arpita shaped their own American dream but along the way they also nurtured the aspirations of thousands of children, whether in the remote village of Rampura or the slums of Mumbai. Ekal was one of the first charities the Bhandaris supported and they have consistently raised this support. They recently topped it by donating $50,000 dollars to outfit a bus with 10 laptops for the Ekalon-Wheels Mobile Computer Labs program. The Ekal movement which started in 1989 to transform India, one village at a time, today, has a school in 70,000 villages offering free schooling, vocational training, digital competence and agricultural education. It has impacted 4 million children and 10 million families to date. The Mobile Computer Labs initiative is working to enhance digital literacy and has helped over 50,000 children become computer literate. The solar powered bus has pre-installed self-learning software developed by IIT, Mumbai and accommodates two students per computer. One dedicated trainer, assisted by the local Ekal teacher provides two and a half hours of training in one village. The bus, which will serve the
Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh near Indore, was inaugurated by Amit and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Amit was impressed by how “coachable and open to learning the children were.” However, this isn’t the first time the Bhandaris have opened their checkbook. They support the Jain Society of Houston, donated six acres of land for the Gujarati Samaj center in Houston, wrote a quarter million dollar check to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Fund for Hurricane Harvey relief work, paid off the loans of a temple in Phoenix and raised $3 million for Magic Bus, an NGO that is deeply personal to them and aims to bring children out of poverty through a unique sports based curriculum. Amit attributes this empathy to his modest upbringing. He is a native of Indore, Madhya Pradesh. His parents were professors but the family was always stretched financially. Despite this, his parents supported a handicapped school and were always ready to provide a helping hand. entrepreneurial Amit’s leanings kicked in as early as middle school when he and a friend made paper bags and sold them to local vendors. At 17, he was accepted in the Rotary Student Exchange Program and attended High School in Hicksville, Ohio. America turned out to be “a
tremendous experience” so much so that he got his aunt to sponsor his green card. He headed to Drexel University in Philadelphia for Chemical engineering and footed his tuition by waiting on tables. The job was a formative lesson in “time management, juggling priorities and dealing with people.” The engineering degree landed him a job at ExxonMobil but Amit’s afterhours were spent scouting for a good business idea. He plunked his savings into a daycare, rental properties and a convenience store and in 2006, started his own company BioUrja (Urja in Hindi means energy.) The company trades in ethanol, petroleum products, crude oil, grains, metal tubing for the oil production sector and now renewable energy. It is ranked as one of the most successful companies in Texas. There’s parental pride in his voice when he talks of his daughter and son who spent weeks as Magic Bus Youth Leaders in slums and villages engaging with the children. The experience moved Aanya, 16, to present a paper at the United Nations outlining ways of providing nutritious food and educating farmers on employing better agricultural methods. Ansh, 14, on his part, is looking forward to spending more of his summers supporting Magic Bus programs worldwide.
HILADELPHIA, July 10, 2018) - North American Telugu Association (NATA) felicitated neuroscientist Dr. Samba Reddy at the NATA Mega Convention in Philadelphia for his brilliant research achievements in discovering new medicines for brain diseases.
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NATA is one of the biggest non-profit organizations that has been in the forefront of promoting the Telugu culture and com-
munity services in the US and Canada. NATA has organized this biannual convention as part of its core mission. Indian-American billionaire businessman and famous cardiologist Dr. Prem Reddy, who is the Chairman of NATA, has honored Dr. Samba Reddy at the grand finale of the NATA Mega Convention held at the Philadelphia Convention Center on July 8, 2018. Dr. Prem Reddy has also made an announcement about Dr. Samba Reddy's research record. "We are honoring our proud
member Dr. Samba Reddy in recognition of his exceptional scientific record of over 180 papers in prestigious medical journals," said Dr. Prem Reddy, a grand sponsor for the 2018 NATA Mega Convention which attracted several thousands of Telugu people from across the country and many dignitaries from India. Dr. Samba Reddy is a Professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine. His publications are available worldwide (http://orcid. org/0000-0003-2735-9550).
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COMMUNITY
VOICE OF ASIA 7
Gayatri Consciousness Center Celebrates 3rd Patotsav and Gayatri Jayanti On June 24th, 2018, Gayatri Consciousness Center of Katy, held a 11 Kundi Yagna event for the sole purpose of celebratingthe 3rd Patotsav -anniversay of the Gayatri Temple and for celebrating Gayatri Jayanti.
rasad! This was one of the many c elebrations and puja rituals that are held here regularly. GCC is also a temple with the idols of Gayatri Mata, Hanumanji , Ganeshji and Lord Shiva.
Gayatri Jayanti is the Day when the knowledge of the Gayatri mantra and Vedmata Gayatri was revealed to the world by sage Vishvamitra! Gayatri Jayanti is a celebration to worship the mother of Vedas , Ma Gayatri. Attendees participating in the event performed Gayatri Hawan and listened to soulful bhajans and prayers and spiritual discourse during the hawan by SriO P Jadhavji and his wife Laxmididi.
This was also a celebration for the Center's three year anniversary! GCC was founded at 20914 Park Row, Katy, Texas, 7 th 2015, with the on June 2 purpose of spreading the message of "Yug Nirman Yojana" through Vichar Kranti abhyan--- Thought Revolution!"
Gayatri Consciousness Center is apart of the organization AWGP (All World Gayatri P ariwar). The headquarters of AWGP is located in ShantiGayatri Consciousness Cen- kunj, Haridwar. The founder is their gurudev, Pandit Shriram teris open every day, with satsang gatherings held every Sharma Acharya. Sundayfrom 4:30 to 6:30pm The Gayatri Consciousness followed by Arti and Mahap-
Center also offers Bal Sanskar Shala classes for children ages 3 to15 years with the goal of teaching Religion, Culture and Spirituality along with Character building and Personality Development through the study of scriptures, moral stories and real life lessons! Classes in yoga and other areas like Art, Music and Dance are also offered at the temple! The temple priests are available to perform all Pujas, Sanskars and Hawans, including Marriages in Hindi, Gujrati and English.
Some of the devotees receiving Deeksha during the Hawan ritual.
For more information on Bal Sanskar Shala, future programsor to perform a Puja or Sanskar, please call the temple @ 281 717 4895 or email at awgp.houston@gmail.com and visit Gayatri Consciousness Center's website, http:// texas.awgp.org/
Significance of Yoga Poses in Surya Namaskar by Raj and Krishan Gupta
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urya Namaskar or Sun Salutation is a set of twelve physical postures (Yoga Asana) which can be performed in less than three minutes per set. These asana provides a good cardiovascular workout, detoxifies, and stimulates almost every organ of the human body and brings suppleness to the spine. Backward and forward bending postures flex and stretch the spinal column through their maximum range giving a profound stretch to the whole body. The International Day of Yoga (Antarāshtriya Yoga Divas) is celebrated annually on June 21 since its inception in 2015. The day was declared unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 2014 and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his UN address, suggested June 21, as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares special significance in many parts of the world. On this day, Surya Namaskar – “Surya” means “Sun” and “Namaskar” means “to bow down” or “Salutation to the Sun”- is performed throughout the world. It is an exercise sequence, which has both the physical and the spiritual aspects. Physically, it involves a series of yogic postures, which provide the body with complete exercise in which virtually all the parts of the body, including the thoracic and abdominal organs are exercised and rejuvenated with vitality. Spiritually, Surya Namaskar is a method of propitiating the Sun-God and enjoying His blessings and helps to progress meditation, a sharp intellect, sound health, and acquisition of spiritual wisdom. There are three important elements – body postures, breathing, and incantations or mantras – each of which needs to be carefully attended to for maximum possible benefits. The logical conclusion is that the Sun is the life or energy source for this planet and is an element in everything we eat, drink or breathe. The Earth and the Moon are significant in the way they affect life, but the Sun is the source of all energy and when one is in tune with the cycles of the Sun, physical health, well-being, vitality, and energy are all yours. Solar energy is fundamental, even within your body. Your body maintains a certain temperature and it generates heat upon this planet – whether in the form of life or in the form of inanimate material – and all of it is solar energy, finding its expression in many different ways. Surya Namaskar is therefore a process to harness this solar energy within you so that your physical cycles become in sync with the Sun’s cycles of twelveand-a-quarter years. So it is by design there are twelve different body postures in Surya Namaskar, which is best done at sunrise. It signifies the twelve signs of zodiac through which the passage of the Sun results in the formation of the twelve months of a year. This exercise involves six postures in one direction and
another six in the other, which mark the return to the original position. It is virtually equivalent to the Sun traversing six signs of the zodiac to give rise to one ‘Ayana’ of six months and returning through another six signs to give rise to another Ayana, thus constituting the
Northerly course and Southerly course. The completion of a cycle of Northerly and Southerly brings the sun back to its original position from where the next solar cycle starts. Inhalation,
exhalation,
or
Continued on Page 9
Devotees performing the Gayatri Hawan!
FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
DIASPORA
VOICE OF ASIA 8
Slain UMKC student from India shot in back fleeing from restaurant robber, worker says by Max Londberg and Kaitlyn Schwers
FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
Indian-American Inducted Into Key Aviation Team In Trump Administration Vivek Lall is a globally renowned aerospace scientist and will be advising govt on wide-ranging topics concerning US and the global aviation community
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ISSOURI-Kansas City - (July 08, 2018 ) A 25-yearold University of MissouriKansas City student from India was fatally shot in the back as he ran from a would-be robber at the restaurant where he worked, a man working at the restaurant said Saturday. Kansas City police identified the victim as Sharath Koppu. He was shot about 7 p.m. Friday at J's Fish and Chicken Market near 54th and Prospect. Men at a nearby motel said they heard five gunshots from the direction of the restaurant. Police released a brief video of the suspect inside the restaurant moments before the shooting and asked for the community's assistance in identifying him. Koppu was a software engineer who came to the United States in January to pursue his master's degree, wrote a cousin who established a GoFundMe account on Saturday in Koppu's name. The account, created to pay for Koppu's body to be returned to India, raised $25,000 in three hours. "He had the same dreams like everyone else, to make it BIG in the land of opportunity. He had a great sense of humor and always made people laugh and was always eager to lend a helping hand," wrote the cousin, Raghu Chowdavaram, in the description of the GoFundMe account. "Little did anybody know that life is about to take a big unfortunate turn on a fateful day of July 6th 2018." On Saturday afternoon, the restaurant remained closed during normal business hours, with corrugated metal concealing its windows. A sticker on the front door announced surveillance cameras are in place, presumably as a means to deter crime. The worker at the restaurant didn't wish to be named, but he described to The Star what he saw on extended surveillance footage that has not been made public. The suspect, wearing a brown shirt with white stripes,
Sharath Koppu, 25, was shot and killed inside J's Fish and Chicken Market Friday, June 6, 2018, according to Kansas City police. Courtesy of Kansas City Police Vivek Lall with President Donald Trump. Photo credit: Sunday Guardian. demanded money and pulled out a gun.
a chance to say goodbye to his parents.
"He's scared he's going to die," the man said of Koppu.
UMKC has reached out to Koppu's family in India, and counseling services are available to the university community, according to a statement released Saturday afternoon.
As people ducked or ran for cover around him, Koppu bolted directly away from the suspect, toward the back of the store. "(Koppu) ran, so he shot him" in the back, the man said, shaking his head. He said Koppu didn't know how to work the register.
"We offer our sincere sympathies to Sharath’s family and friends in the wake of this senseless tragedy," the statement said.
Koppu died shortly after being taken to a hospital.
UMKC Chancellor C. Mauli Agrawal offered his own condolences in a tweet Saturday evening.
Capt. Lionel Colón, a spokesman with Kansas City police, said he has only seen the video released by police and thus couldn't confirm the man's account of the incident.
"Sharath and I share an Indian heritage, but all of us at UMKC share in the grief such tragedies bring," Agrawal wrote.
The worker said Koppu was related to the owner of J's Fish and Chicken, which has three locations in Kansas City. Three or four customers were in the store at the time of the attempted robbery, the man said, as well as several employees behind the counter. Another worker at the restaurant Saturday, tears streaming down her face, screamed at the unfairness of Koppu's early death, how he didn't have
I wish to share my deepest sympathy and condolences with the family and friends of Sharath Koppu, a UMKC student who fell victim to senseless violence. Sharath and I share an Indian heritage, but all of us at UMKC share in the grief such tragedies bring. Anyone with information about the identity of the suspect is urged to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477 or through the app at www.kccrimestoppers.com - Kansas City Star
14 Punjabis among 15 Indians saved from gallows in UAE
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ASHINGTON: PTI, July 02, 2018 - IndianAmerican Vivek Lall has been named to a key federal aviation advisory committee which provides guidance to the Trump administration on the future of the airspace system. Lall, 49, currently vicepresident at Lockheed Martin, would be representing the viewpoints of defence tech-
nology organisations in the NextGen Advisory Committee of the Department of Transportation. The committee advises the government on topics including, but not limited to, NextGen investment priorities, capability deployment timing, equipage incentives, specific technologies, and deployments such as DataComm, National Airspace System performance metrics, and air-
space design initiatives. Mr Lall, a globally renowned aerospace scientist, has been appointed for a two-year term on the committee that provides guidance on wide-ranging topics affecting the US and the global aviation community. He has been a top official at Boeing and General Atomics in the past and successfully led over USD 12 billion of USIndia trade.
Help pours in for 'poor' Indian family of 7 in UAE; Indian mission assures assistance DUBAI: The touching story of an Indian family of seven, which was "living like prisoners" in the UAE, has led to several people coming forward with job offers and assistance from the Indian mission here.
and live in a dilapidated twobedroom house in Sharjah.
Officials of India's Consulate in Dubai approached the family in Sharjah on Friday and offered them help in "documentation as requested by the family", Sumathi Vasudev, Consul (consular and labour) and Acting Consul-General of the Indian Consulate General in Dubai, told.
"Community members have come forward and given employment offers to the children and Madhusudhanan," Vasudev said.
Madhusudhanan, 60, from Kerala, and his Sri Lankan wife Rohini, 55, had claimed to be "living like prisoners" in Sharjah and sought help from the UAE government to legalise their residency status fearing arrest and deportation. Their four daughters - Ashwathy, 29, Sangeetha, 25, Shanthi, 23, Gauri, 22 - and one son, Mithun, 21, have never been to school in their lifetime. They all are unemployed
Vasudev said that "four out of five children have passports. But the passports have expired since 2012. However, Madhusudhanan has a valid passport."
On the receipt of formal (job offer) letters, the family would be approaching the Indian Consulate for renewal of their passports, she said, adding that the renewal will be done as per the Government of India procedures. Asked how would Madhusudhanan's wife be assisted as she is a Sri Lankan national, the official said that she will be assisted by Sri Lankan Consulate once Madhusudhanan's status is legalised. Earlier, Khaleej Times reported last Thursday that the family do not even have enough to eat and there are
days when they have to survive on a packet of quboos (Arabic bread). Madhusudhanan came to the UAE in 1979 as a worker. He married Rohini in 1988. All the children have been homeschooled by their mother and now can read and write. When asked why he did not want to leave the country by availing the general amnesty declared in 2003, 2007 and 2013, Madhusudhanan had said he did not want to split his family. "How could I go to India leaving my wife behind? She is a Sri Lankan and does not have an Indian passport. My children are attached to their mother and they cannot live without her. I had to stay to keep my family together," he had said. The couple said they hope to legalise their status and enroll children in some vocational courses as they have lived in the UAE for nearly four decades.
Help pours in for 'poor' Indian family of 7 in UAE; Indian mission assures assistance Dubai-based S P Singh Oberoi (in blue turban) with rescued youths (standing behind). Image source NRI News Today. DUBAI (Jun 23, 2018) Fourteen Punjabis and one person from Bihar, who were awarded capital punishment in two separate cases of bootlegging and murder, were saved from the gallows by Dubai-based hotelier and philanthropist. While 14 have already been reunited with their families, one is expected to return in a few days as his documents are still being prepared. Presenting them before the media here, Dubai-based S P Singh Oberoi said Punjabi youths who go to UAE should learn to not fall into the trap of bootleggers. He said bootlegging was leading to clashes between groups and if somebody dies in a clash, it would lead to capital punishment due to tough laws of the land. He said that five men — Harvinder Singh of Ajnala in Amritsar district, Ranjit Singh of Jinsra in Nawanshahr, Dalwinder Singh of Mahilpur in Hoshiar-
pur, Sucha Singh of Jasso Majara in Patiala and Dharmendra Kumar of Chhapra district of Bihar — were facing capital punishment in Sharjah for murder of Virendra Chauhan, who hailed from Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh in November 2011. In another case, 10 Punjabis faced the gallows for murder of Pakistani national Mohammad Farhaan in Al Ain of Abu Dhabi. They were sentenced to death in October 2016. These men included Satminder Singh of Thikriwala village of Barnala, Chander Shekhar from Nawansahhr, Chamkaur Singh from Malerkotla in Sangrur, Balwinder Singh from Cholang in Ludhiana, Dharmveer Singh of Samrala in Ludhiana, Harjinder Singh of Mohali, Tarsem Singh of Mudh village in Amritsar, Jagjit Singh of Gurdaspur and Kuldeep Singh of Tarn Taran. Oberoi said he had ap-
proached the families of the deceased and negotiations were held to persuade them to accept the blood money as provided by the law there. He said a hefty amount was paid through Sarbat Da Bhala Trust as blood money and the courts in UAE accepted the compromise after which the men were released. ‘Check company credentials’ Oberoi, who has till now saved 93 Indians, most of them from Punjab, from gallows in UAE after paying blood money of around Rs 20 crore, said his trust had offices in all districts and before going to UAE people could check with them to know the credentials of companies and the genuineness of employment offer. “Most of the youths reach there after taking loans and many are not able to earn much. In desperation to pay back the money, they get into bootlegging and get caught in the vicious cycle of illegal activity,” he said.
D
UBAI: The touching story of an Indian family of seven, which was "living like prisoners" in the UAE, has led to several people coming forward with job offers and assistance from the Indian mission here. Officials of India's Consulate in Dubai approached the family in Sharjah on Friday and offered them help in "documentation as requested by the family", Sumathi Vasudev, Consul (consular and labour) and Acting Consul-General of the Indian Consulate General in Dubai, told. Madhusudhanan, 60, from Kerala, and his Sri Lankan wife Rohini, 55, had claimed to be "living like prisoners" in Sharjah and sought help from the UAE government to legalise their residency status fearing arrest and deportation. Their four daughters - Ashwathy, 29, Sangeetha, 25, Shanthi, 23, Gauri, 22 - and one son, Mithun, 21, have never been to school in their lifetime. They all are unemployed
and live in a dilapidated twobedroom house in Sharjah. Vasudev said that "four out of five children have passports. But the passports have expired since 2012. However, Madhusudhanan has a valid passport." "Community members have come forward and given employment offers to the children and Madhusudhanan," Vasudev said. On the receipt of formal (job offer) letters, the family would be approaching the Indian Consulate for renewal of their passports, she said, adding that the renewal will be done as per the Government of India procedures. Asked how would Madhusudhanan's wife be assisted as she is a Sri Lankan national, the official said that she will be assisted by Sri Lankan Consulate once Madhusudhanan's status is legalised. Earlier, Khaleej Times reported last Thursday that the family do not even have
enough to eat and there are days when they have to survive on a packet of quboos (Arabic bread). Madhusudhanan came to the UAE in 1979 as a worker. He married Rohini in 1988. All the children have been homeschooled by their mother and now can read and write. When asked why he did not want to leave the country by availing the general amnesty declared in 2003, 2007 and 2013, Madhusudhanan had said he did not want to split his family. "How could I go to India leaving my wife behind? She is a Sri Lankan and does not have an Indian passport. My children are attached to their mother and they cannot live without her. I had to stay to keep my family together," he had said. The couple said they hope to legalise their status and enroll children in some vocational courses as they have lived in the UAE for nearly four decades.
ASIA/SOUTH ASIA
VOICE OF ASIA 9
Thais rejoice at success of dramatic cave rescue
FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
Government to allow spouses of Indian nationals to convert visa category even if married abroad However, the facility will not be offered to the nationals of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan and Iraq, and citizens of Pakistani origin and stateless persons.
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EW DELHI, PTI, July 09, 2018 Spouses of the Indian nationals getting married abroad will no longer have to face difficulties in converting their tourist visa to dependent visa as the government plans to change existing rules.
Thailand is celebrating the successful rescue of the Wild Boars, a young football team that became trapped in a flooded cave (AFP Photo/TANG CHHIN Sothy)
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HIANG RAI, Thailand | AFP | 7/10/2018 - Thailand celebrated the successful mission to free 12 boys and their football coach from a cave Wednesday, with the nation heaping praise on the rescue team as the triumphant tagline "Hooyah" pinballed across social media. The nerve-shredding threeday mission ended on Tuesday with the final group of four boys and the coach emerging from the cave which had held them captive for 18 days. The rescue received blanket coverage in Thai media with newspapers The Nation running a "Hooyah! Mission accomplished" and the Bangkok Post emblazoned with "All Wild Boars saved" Their ordeal gripped the world, with the lives of the boys aged 11 to 16 and their 25-year-old coach hanging the balance as the threat of heavy rain injected urgency to an already perilous extraction bid. Rescuers had weighed up several options to save the boys, including keeping them in the cave through the months-long monsoon season. But they were prodded into the dangerous task of 'diving out' the team through sub-
merged chambers and claustrophobic passages as oxygen levels in the cave plummeted and rains menaced. The group were led out in three batches by a team of 13 international divers flanked by the Thai Navy SEALs, who greeted each successful rescue with a "Hooyah" on their Facebook page. That sign off quickly turned into a hashtag shared across social media, where luminaries of business, politics and sport extended their best wishes to the team and the rescuers. The boys and the coach are in quarantine in Chiang Rai hospital, apparently in good spirits despite their ordeal. On Wednesday a few hundred school children gathered opposite the hospital, looking up at the building that will be home to the rescued football team for the coming days. Their teacher led them in a chant thanking "everyone who came to help make the mission succeed," in a small reflection of a wider gratitude towards the foreign experts who helped extract the stricken group. Authorities have shrouded the details of the rescue bid in secrecy, with fragments of information emerging about the
heroic efforts of the dive team. The dangers of the rescue were brought into sharp relief last Friday by the death of a retired Thai Navy SEAL as he ran out off air in the flooded cave complex as the extraction plans were being laid. "I'm very happy and relieved. I haven't been able to sleep for days. I'm happy that the boys are out too," Khamluh Guntawong grandfather of the team coach Ekkapol Chantawong said. "Ekk really loves and cares for the boys," he added, of a figure who is emerging as something of hero despite being the only adult to accompany the boys into the cave on June 23. The group became trapped in rising floodwaters and were found nine days later emaciated and dishevelled on a muddy ledge, with water lapping ominously below. The saga captivated a global audience for over two weeks, rewarding them with a remarkable happy ending. French football star Paul Pogba dedicated his country's World Cup semi-final victory over Belgium to "the heroes of the day, well done boys, you are so strong" he tweeted.
India's top court reviews homosexuality ban
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EW DELHI, India | AFP | 7/10/2018 - India's top court began reviewing Tuesday petitions against a colonial-era ban on homosexuality, in the latest chapter of a legal tussle between social and religious conservatives and more liberal Indians. Section 377 of the penal code, a relic from 1860s British legislation, bans gay acts as "carnal intercourse against the order of nature" and allows for jail terms of up to life, although prosecutions are rare. In 2009 the Delhi High Court effectively decriminalised gay sex, saying a ban violated fundamental rights, but the Supreme Court reinstated it in 2013 after religious groups successfully appealed. The Supreme Court said the High Court had overstepped its authority and that the responsibility for changing the law rested with lawmakers not the courts. Efforts to introduce legislation however came to nothing. In January this year however, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge by a clutch of high-profile Indians who said
The move came after the Philipino spouse of an Indian national, who married outside the country, faced difficulties in converting her tourist visa to X2 (dependent visa) as the existing visa rules did not permit to do so. The husband had complained to Home Minister Rajnath Singh. "We are doing away with
A ruling was not expected imminently, with Tripti Tandon, a lawyer for one of the petitioners in the case, saying the hearing would last "two weeks if not more". Her client, Aris Jafer, was arrested and sent to prison for 50 days in 2001. Manvendra Singh Gohil, an openly gay Indian prince who is an ambassador for the AIDS
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With the amendment of the visa rules and streamlining the process, the conversion of
around the stand-off between former PML-N prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the military.
Instead the military, which is the most powerful institution in the country and has ruled it for roughly half its 70-year history, will deploy more than 370,000 soldiers on polling day to help ensure the vote goes smoothly, Major General Asif Ghafoor said.
He has since repeatedly accused the military and judiciary of wanton political interference, and has said that intelligence agencies are pressuring his candidates to change their loyalties.
I
"The Pakistan armed forces have no direct role," he told a packed press conference at army headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, adjacent to the capital Islamabad, adding: "Let me make it clear, that we have no direct role." He further denied involvement in the political process by either the army or its intelligence agencies. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has entrusted the army with the task of conducting the vote "in a free, fair and transparent manner", he said, saying that as many as "371,388" army personnel will help in the process. Ghafoor spoke after the military has been widely accused by the media, analysts, rights activists and ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party politicians of using pressure and intimidation in what one think tank called a "silent coup" against the PML-N.
Gay sex has long been taboo in conservative India, particularly in rural areas where nearly 70 percent of people live, with homophobia widespread. Some still regard homosexuality as a mental illness. Hindu right-wing groups supportive of Prime Minister Nar-
Sharif, who at times appeared to seek a better relationship with arch-enemy India, was ousted by the Supreme Court last year following corruption charges and banned from politics for life.
Last week Sharif, who is in London as his wife receives cancer treatment, was given a 10-year jail sentence in abstentia over corruption. He has vowed to return to Pakistan on Friday. Though he cannot hold office, Sharif remains a hugely powerful talisman for the PML-N, and his return could boost his party's troubled campaign, now led by his brother Shahbaz -even if he is arrested and jailed. The PML-N faces a challenge from cricketer-turnedpolitician Imran Khan, whose Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (Movement for Justice, or PTI) party is seen as receiving the biggest boost from any attempt to manipulate the vote against the ruling party. Ghafoor also refuted rumours the elections could yet be postponed, vowing it was up to the people of Pakistan to vote for their leaders. "We will accept anyone elected by the people as their prime minister. He can be anybody," he said.
endra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been especially vocal, calling gay relationships a disease and a Western cultural import. Last month, a lesbian couple committed suicide by jumping into a river in the western state of Gujarat, in just the latest tragedy as gay men and women struggle to conform to societal norms.
tourist visa to X2 would be allowed even if the marriage takes place on foreign soil. However, the facility will not be offered to the nationals of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan and Iraq, and citizens of Pakistani origin and stateless persons. Addressing the Parliamentary Consultative Committee last week, the Home minister had said that the government would facilitate safe and convenient entry inside the country to legitimate international travellers and provide all visarelated and consular services to foreigners staying in India in a faster and convenient mode.
...Surya Namaskar Continued from Page 7 retention should be natural during various postures. It requires some extra attention in the beginning to be able to synchronize the breathing with the physical posture. With practice, the sequence of posture and breathing will get integrated and appear natural. Obviously, the best results from the practice can only be expected when the posture and the breath proceed in harmony. These postures help tone the muscles and can relax the system and meditative if done at a slower pace. If done fast, it provides a good cardiovascular workout. Regular practice of Surya Namaskar improves the functions of the heart, liver, intestine, stomach, chest, throat, and legs – basically, the whole body. The process purifies the blood and improves blood circulation throughout the system and ensures proper functioning of the stomach, bowel, and nerve centers. Practicing Surya Namaskar daily also helps balance the three constitutions – Vata (Space & Air), Pitha (Fire & Water) and Kapha (Water & Earth) – which the body is made up of, according to Ayurveda science. These asana strengthens abdominal muscles and tones up the digestive system by the alternate stretching and compression of abdominal organs. This also acts as detoxifying agent, by getting rid of enormous quantity of carbon dioxide and other toxic gases. Tones up the nervous system, improves memory, muscle flexibility, prevents loss of hair and graying, makes the spine and waist flexible, produces health, strength, efficiency and longevity. Pregnant women should avoid practicing this after third month of pregnancy. People suffering from back conditions should seek proper advice from the doctors.
"The law doesn't affect only the gay community," he told AFP. "In fact it violates the fundamental right of every Indian." "(If) this law continues it would mean we are still slaves of the British." The gay community was emboldened last year when the Supreme Court referred explicitly to the issue in a landmark ruling
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Healthcare Foundation charity, said on Tuesday he hoped the "draconian" law would be changed.
Contrary to that, if anyone wants to do so has to go back to his or her country and come back on X2 visa.
SLAMABAD, Pakistan | AFP | 7/10/2018 - Pakistan's military has "no direct role" in nationwide elections due July 25, the army spokesman said Tuesday, after widespread allegations it is pressuring media and the ruling party in a bid to manipulate the polls.
upholding the right to privacy.
the law created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation in the world's largest democracy.
As per the visa manual, tourist visa can be converted to X2 visa only when the marriage takes place in India and gets registered within the validity of the present tourist visa.
Pakistan army says it has 'no direct role' in July 25 election
Much of the tension centres
Section 377 of India's penal code, a relic from 1860s British legislation, bans gay acts as "carnal intercourse against the order of nature" and allows for jail terms of up to life, although prosecutions are rare
the particular rule and simplifying it so that irrespective of the place of the wedding , the foreign spouse can convert their tourist visa to dependent visa," a senior Home Ministry official said.
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Two Republican women could sink Trump's US Supreme Court pick by Michael Mathes ASHINGTON | AFP | 7/11/2018 | The fate of Donald Trump's US Supreme Court nominee increasingly appears to lie in the hands of two Republican senators, pro-choice moderates with a penchant for rebellion -- and who have bucked the president before.
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But despite extraordinary pressure already heaped on Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski by liberal groups, and Democrats who warn that confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh could spell disaster for women's rights and health care, the pair have given little indication that they will reject him. With Trump's Republicans clinging to a narrow 51-49 Senate majority, and Senator John McCain battling brain cancer and unlikely to vote, a single GOP defection could sink Kavanaugh if all Democrats unite against him. Collins, from Maine, and Alaska's Murkowski are two genuine mavericks in the Republican Party, and all eyes have turned to them. Both voted against Trump's effort to repeal the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, and they objected furiously to a measure that would have stripped funding from women's health organization Planned Parenthood. Now Democrats -- who as the minority party have few options to block the Kavanaugh confirmation process -- are desperate for their support once more as they weigh what many see as one of the most consequential decisions of Trump's presidency. Kavanaugh, 53, has been picked to fill the vacancy left by retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, who for years was positioned at the very center of the court, giving him a place of prominence among the nine justices.
He was making the rounds on Capitol Hill Wednesday, paying courtesy calls tp some of the senators who will decide his fate.
FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
Pfizer reverses some drug price hikes after Trump tweet
A Kavanaugh confirmation would spell a decisive shift to the right for the top judicial body. While Collins has praised Kavanaugh's "impressive credentials," which include a dozen years as a federal judge, she said she would vote against any nominee who is "hostile" to Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that cemented the legality of abortions nationwide. And yet she is unlikely to press the issue directly with Kavanaugh. "I do not apply an ideological test to their personal views," Collins told reporters Tuesday. "I obviously want the opportunity to sit down with him one on one to get a better sense of his judicial philosophy." Kavanaugh has not openly expressed a position on abortion, and tradition suggests he will not during his upcoming confirmation hearing or in meetings with lawmakers. But Trump campaigned on a pledge to nominate antiabortion judges to the Supreme Court, and all potential nominees on his short list were vetted by the pro-life conservative Federalist Society. - Under pressure Collins has backed all three conservative justices nominated by Republican presidents while she has been in office. "She has tended to vote for the nominees, and I think it's pretty likely she'll do that again," said professor Amy Fried, chair of the University of Maine's Department of Political Science. Murkowski, for her part, has signalled that Kavanaugh is more palatable than other choices on Trump's short list.
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Democratic Senator Kamala Harris has sought to rally lawmakers, including moderate Republicans, in opposition of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to be the next justice on the US Supreme Court. AFP Photo. "Let's put it this way: There were some who have been on the list that I would have had a very, very difficult time supporting," she told Politico. While the Kavanaugh pick may have assuaged some of Murkowski's concerns, she says she will comprehensively review the nominee, whose written opinions on more than 300 court cases, and years in president George W Bush's administration, provide a lengthy paper trail for lawmakers to scour. The White House meanwhile has leaned on them, with Trump meeting separately with the two shortly after Kennedy's resignation announcement. Democrats have launched a massive pressure campaign in Alaska and Maine. The group Demand Justice is conducting a reported $5 million push, while NARAL Pro-Choice America has taken out full-page ads in Maine newspapers highlighting the issue. Conservative groups are on the counterattack, with Judicial
Crisis Network announcing a $1.4 million pro-Kavanaugh ad buy in three states that heavily backed Trump in 2016, and where Senate Democrats face tough re-election fights in November. Senators Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and West Virginia's Joe Manchin will no doubt face massive pressure from their own party to toe the line and vote no. "I will talk to my colleagues," Democratic Senator Kamala Harris told AFP, referring to Collins and Murkowski, as well as the three red-state Democrats, each of whom voted for Trump's first Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch last year. "They're in a difficult situation," said the University of Maine's Fried. "You don't want to make your own base angry." Collins and Murkowski will also need to weigh those concerns ahead of the Kavanaugh vote.
EW YORK| AFP | 7/11/2018 - Pfizer has reversed price increases on some drugs following White House pressure and the US drugmaker on Wednesday pledged to decide soon whether to sell its consumer drugs business. A day after President Donald Trump threatened action on drug prices, and said on Twitter drug companies should be "ashamed" for boosting costs, the pharmaceutical giant said it would reverse price increases that took effect July 1. In a news release late Tuesday, Pfizer said drug prices would return to their levels of prior to July 1 and would stay at that price until the end of the year, or until Trump enacts a "blueprint" on drug prices. "Pfizer shares the President's concern for patients and commitment to providing affordable access to the medicines they need," Pfizer chief Ian Read said. A Pfizer spokeswoman said the price hikes that have now been reversed affected about 40 medicines and included a number of instances in which prices were dropped. The changes were in the "low single digits" and in some cases would not have affected the prices consumers pay because of rebates, the
spokeswoman added. The Trump administration in May outlined a plan for lower drug prices but critics have said it does not go far enough. Share prices of leading pharma companies rose the day the plan was announced, suggesting investors did not view the changes as a significant worry to industry profits. Pfizer's stock price dipped 0.4 percent to $37.26 in afternoon trading on Wednesday, while other leading drugmakers including Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb were off by similar amounts. Pfizer also announced Wednesday it would reorganize the company into three divisions instead of two: innovative medicines, established medicines for legacy and generic products, and consumer healthcare, which will include over-the-counter drugs. Pfizer said in October it was considering a possible sale or spin-off of the consumer healthcare business but some news reports have chronicled difficulties completing a deal. Pfizer said it was expected to make a decision on the consumer healthcare business this year, reiterating a timeframe it had previously laid out.
VOICE OF ASIA 11
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US hits Chinese firm Sinovel with $1.5 mn fine for stealing technology
Stocks tumble as global trade war flares up by Roland Jackson
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EW YORK | AFP | Wednesday 7/11/2018 - World stocks fell Wednesday after Washington threatened to hammer Beijing with tariffs on a further $200 billion of Chinese imports, ratcheting up the global trade war. Washington’s announcement came just days after the world’s two biggest economies exchanged punitive measures on a range of goods worth tens of billions of dollars. “Markets are panicking about the impact of a tit-for-tat trade war on economic growth,” Manulife Asset Management investment analyst William Hamlyn told AFP.
US prosecutors said that China’s Sinovel used technology stolen from AMSC, a US-based company formerly known as American Superconductor, to produce its own wind turbines and retrofit existThe news shattered the uneasy calm that had descended on markets and ing turbines. (© AFP/File photo )
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ASHINGTON (AFP) - A US court on Friday imposed the maximum fine of $1.5 million of Chinese firm Sinovel for stealing trade secrets from an American company producing wind turbines, the Justice Department said. The decision comes on the day Washington unleashed 25 percent import tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese products to punish the country for what President Donald Trump has said is the rampant theft of American technology. After being charged in 2013, Sinovel was convicted in January by a US court of stealing the trade secrets of AMSC, a US-based company formerly known as American Superconductor, which lost $550 million and 700 jobs -- more than half its global workforce -- as a result, the Justice Department said in a statement The two companies this week reached a settlement and Sinovel has one year to pay $25 million to AMSC, after paying $32.5 million this week.
The Chinese firm also will repay $850,000 to other victims. “Rather than pay AMSC for more than $800 million in products and services it had agreed to purchase, Sinovel instead hatched a scheme to brazenly steal AMSC’s proprietary wind turbine technology, causing the loss of almost 700 jobs and more than $1 billion in shareholder equity at AMSC,” acting Assistant Attorney General John Cronan said in statement. “As demonstrated by this prosecution, intellectual property theft poses a serious threat to American companies.” Sinovel used the stolen technology, including software, to regulate the flow of power from turbines to electrical grids, to produce its own wind turbines and retrofit existing turbines, prosecutors said. The company also hired away an AMSC engineer to help steal source code for the key software in 2011, the statement said.
The US is running out of Chinese exports to tax
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he United States could soon run out of Chinese goods to tax if a trade war continues to escalate. On Tuesday, it released a 195-page list of Chinese exports worth $200 billion facing a 10% tariff. The move came after China retaliated Friday against US tariffs on $34 billion worth of goods by taxing American exports to the same value. US tariffs on a further $16 billion of Chinese exports are coming soon, taking the total under threat to $250 billion. President Donald Trump has threatened to go much further — possibly targeting as much as $550 bil-
lion. But that number exceeds the total value of Chinese goods imported by the United States last year ($506 billion) and there are signs that US officials are already beginning to struggle to compile new lists of targets. Tuesday’s list includes live trout, which hasn’t been imported from China for decades, as Bloomberg first noted, as well as obscure items such as badger hair. It also includes more recognizable exports, such as soy sauce and rice. They’re among thousands of things that could soon get more expensive to import from China.
FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
Section 2 Tel: 713-774-5140
Ina C. Patel named to New York Life’s Chairman’s Council
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OUSTON, Texas, July 1st, 2018– Ina C Patel has been named a member of the 2018 Chairman’s Council of New York Life today. Members of the elite Chairman’s Council rank in the top three percent of New York Life’s elite sales force of more than [12,000] licensed agents in sales achievement. Ms. Patel has been a New York Life agent since 2005, and is associated with New York Life’s Houston General Office in Houston. She is also a Qualifying MDRT Member 2018 A member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA),
allowed them to regain some of the ground lost in recent months as the trade war slowly escalated.
A member of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA)
Bourses in London, Paris and Frankfurt all lost more than one percent.
She currently resides in Richmond, TX with her husband, and 3 sons.
US stocks also finished decisively lower, ending a four-day streak of gains. Some of the biggest declines came from Boeing, Caterpillar and John Deere, all major exporters to China. “The last thing investors want right now is a trade and tariff problem that could eventually hurt the stock market, which has held up so well,” said Gorilla Trades strategist Ken Berman. President Donald Trump’s administration late Tuesday launched the process to impose the latest round of levies, only days after duties on $34 billion in goods took effect. China meanwhile said it was “shocked” and warned it would impose countermeasures “to safeguard the core interests of the country and the fundamental interests of the people”. - ‘Geopolitical game of chicken’ “It is going to get much worse before it gets better,” Rabobank senior strategist Michael Every told AFP. “It will get worse because nobody will back down: it’s a game of geopolitical chicken, and nobody wants to swerve as nobody can afford to lose.” Crude oil prices also sank heavily, in part due to worries the trade conflict would sap growth. The bigger factor in the oil market, analysts said, was the resumption of oil exports from four eastern ports in Eastern Libya following a disruption due to a clash between rival authorities in the war-torn country. The trade war jitters also rocked Asia. Tokyo’s Nikkei index dived 1.2 percent, with exporters hurt as the safe haven yen climbed against the dollar. Hong Kong lost 1.3 percent and Shanghai ended off 1.8 percent.
New York Life Insurance Company, a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States* and one of the largest life insurers in the world. Headquartered in New York City, New York Life’s family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance. New York Life has the highest possible financial strength ratings currently awarded to any life insurer
INA C. PATEL
from all four of the major credit rating agencies**. Please visit New York Life’s website at www.newyorklife.com for more information. **Based on revenue as reported by “Fortune 500 ranked within Industries, Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual),” Fortune magazine, 6/1/18. For methodology, please see http://fortune.com/fortune500/ **Individual independent rating agency commentary as of 8/1/2017: A.M. Best (A++), Fitch (AAA), Moody’s Investors Service (Aaa), Standard & Poor’s (AA+) ***New York Life Investments is a service mark used by New York Life Investment Management Holdings LLC and its subsidiary, New York Life Investment Management LLC. Bates 465825
US autoworkers urge Trump to take action on GM
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ETROIT, Michigan | AFP | 7/11/2018 - A union leader is urging President Donald Trump to take action to get General Motors to protect jobs at an Ohio plant rather than shipping them to Mexico, according to a letter obtained by AFP on Wednesday. Trump, who has frequently chastised companies publicly for off-shoring, raising prices or other perceived transgressions, has not yet responded to the letter from a leader of the United Auto Workers union in Ohio.
letter. “Ironically this was also the very last day our second shift, another 1,200 workers were laid off.” He said the cutbacks have happened despite the fact the company received “huge tax breaks” from the tax cuts last year. “The fact that many of our workers here in Ohio voted for you and for you to remain silent on this issue is disturbing,” he said, calling on Trump to ask GM “to reinvest their tax savings in the Lordstown Complex.”
David Green, the newly elected president of UAW Local 1112, said GM is scaling back its Lordstown Complex which builds the Chevy Cruze, laying off two-thirds of the workforce.
GM said in late June that the decision to produce the revived Blazer, a midsized SUV, in Mexico was made several years ago but the company remained committed to “investing and growing jobs in the US.”
“You campaigned on the promise to keep Americans working, yet on June 22, 2018, GM announced they would build the new Chevrolet Blazer in Mexico,” Green said in the July 6
The Mexican-made vehicles will be exported to the US market where demand has surged in recent years with lower gasoline prices and GM said it would be available in early 2019.
We made it a kitchen-focused design.
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FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
BOLLYWOOD - HOLLYWOOD Section 2
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Let the Games begin: Netflix releases first Indian series
George Clooney hurt in Italian scooter crash
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OME, Italy | AFP | Tuesday 7/10/2018 - Hollywood superstar George Clooney was treated in hospital on Tuesday for minor injuries after a scooter accident in Sardinia, Italian media reported.
“Sacred Games”, a Netflix adaptation of Vikram Chandra’s 2006 novel of the same name, releases Friday. (Photo: AFP )
The “Ocean’s Eleven” actor hurt his leg when a Mercedes car allegedly turned without giving right of way and collided with his scooter, Italian press agency AGI said.
Amazon has also released a host of original Indian content, including crime drama “Breathe” and several successful stand-up comedy shows.
Clooney, 57, was reportedly thrown from his two-wheeler on to the windscreen of the vehicle in Costa Corallina on the island’s northeast coast at around 8am (0600 GMT).
by Peter HUTCHISON UMBAI | AFP - Netflix’s first original Indian series premieres on Friday as the US streaming giant battles with Amazon Prime for a slice of the country’s fast growing on-demand video market.
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“Sacred Games”, an adaptation of Vikram Chandra’s 2006 novel of the same name, stars Bollywood stalwarts Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Saif Ali Khan and Radhika Apte. Analysts say the gritty underworld thriller sets a new benchmark for Indian-produced internet shows as providers seek to capitalise on the country’s burgeoning number of smartphone users. “’Sacred Games’ is probably the most high-profile content that has been made. Others have not been on the same scale,” Girish Menon, who tracks media and entertainment for KPMG, told AFP. Revenues from India’s entertainment streaming industry are expected to be $823 million by 2022, up from $297 million in 2017, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report released this month. Netflix, which is blocked in China, is investing millions in the world’s second-most populous country to attract young consumers with access to cheap mobile data and an appetite for something different. “India is seeing the biggest and fastest investment in content for any country we have launched in,” said Erik Barmack, vice-president of international originals at Netflix. “Sacred Games” is also a punt that high-quality Indian content will prove popular overseas and forms part of Netflix’s worldwide drive to produce programmes in many different languages, including Spanish and German. The eight-part series -- filmed mainly in Hindi -- centres on the attempts of police officer Sartaj Singh, played by Khan, to capture mafia boss Ganesh Gaitonde (Siddiqui). - ‘Lust Stories’ “Sacred Games” is the first release of eight Indian series that Netflix has commissioned. Last week the company announced it would adapt Salman Rushdie’s multiple-award winning novel “Midnight’s Children”. “Selection Day”, based on Aravind Adiga’s novel about cricket and corruption, is also in the works. “Sacred Games” follows Hindi-language movie “Love per Square Foot” and “Lust Stories”, a collection of four short films, which both came out on Netflix this year.
Experts say producing high-quality programmes in Hindi and regional Indian languages is essential if Netflix and Amazon are to make up ground on market leader Hotstar. “One needs to have local content. It’s a given,” Frank D’Souza, a media and entertainment analyst with PwC in Mumbai, told AFP. Hotstar dominates India’s streaming landscape owing to its huge catalogue of entertainment and movie channels owned by Star India, many of which are free to view. It also streams live cricket and English Premier League football. A yearly subscription for all content costs 999 rupees ($14.55), the same as an Amazon Prime membership. Netflix’s India subscriptions start at 500 rupees a month, something that experts say currently restricts its appeal to well-off Indians. “A challenge for Netflix is that their price points are significantly more expensive than anybody out there. That means their user size is very small at the moment,” said Menon. - Free from censorship India’s mobile entertainment market is a crowded one -- other players include Eros Now, Jio TV and ALTBalaji. Turning a profit is difficult with many platforms offering the same stock of movies and TV shows. Netflix and Amazon have signed deals with Bollywood megastars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan respectively to secure the rights to their films, setting themselves apart from their competitors somewhat. Industry watchers also expect the US duo to try to snap up subscribers by producing bolder content. India’s over-the-top (OTT) media providers, as streaming sites are known, are not subject to the country’s notoriously stuffy censor boards which regularly cut scenes from films at the cinema and on TV. “The content that appears on television is very homogenous. It’s typically soap operas aimed at women. We can expect slightly edgier, differentiated new-age type content on OTT platforms,” said KPMG’s Menon.
The car driver called an ambulance which took Clooney to hospital, AGI added. His wife Amal, a human rights lawyer, rushed to Clooney’s side in hospital, according to local newspaper La Nuova Sardegna, who reported he was later discharged and advised to follow a course of physiotherapy. A CAT scan revealed no broken bones, just minor trauma to one knee, Italian news agency ANSA said. The northeast coast of Sardinia is popular with the rich and famous, although Clooney is on location on the island to film a new mini-series “Catch 22”.
mid much speculations, Mithun Chakraborthy’s son, Mahaakshay got married to actress Madalsa Sharma on July 7.
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Their wedding plans hit a roadblock when a woman has alleged that Mahaakshay on the pretext of marriage, cheated and raped her. She alleged that when she got pregnant, he gave her a medicine that led to an abortion. Mimoh and his mother were granted anticipatory bail on Saturday and
the wedding took place at Mithun Chakraborty’s plush hotel in Ooty. A source close to the family told India Times that the guest list was reduced after the complaint. “The couple and their families had a small celebration on July 7, after Mimoh secured bail. In fact, Mimoh and Madalsa’s marriage was registered on the same day, and a traditional wedding will take place today. A sangeet ceremony took place on Monday.” (-WKND)
Why Varun Dhawan joined Bollywood
AGI said part of the road was closed following the collision. Police told AFP they were unable to comment while operations related to the crash were still under way. Clooney broke a rib in a motorcycle accident in New Jersey in 2008, while his then-girlfriend Sarah Larson suffered a broken foot.
Varun Dhawan (Photo: DNA)
The Handmaid’s Tale launches line of wines
The actor is all set for his next film ‘Sui Dhaaga — Made In India’
f The Handmaid’s Tale has been hitting a little close to home lately, here’s something that should help your viewings go down a little easier: The hit Hulu show is getting its own line of wines celebrating three of its strongest female characters.
“I just wanted to act... just wanted to do things in acting others haven’t. (I) wanted to explore parts of cinema no one has,” Dhawan replied.
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Blessed be the fruit, indeed.
Netflix, which has 125 million subscribers in 190 countries, will be hoping that “Sacred Games” and its other Indian dramas will become global hits like blockbuster shows “Narcos” and “Stranger Things”. “Netflix is trying to create original content which can travel across the world,” Menon said.
Here are all the details on each of the three wines:
www. voiceofasiaonline.com
The wedding took place in a plush hotel in Ooty (Photo: Instagram)
Clooney is known to adore Italy and owns a number of properties in the country. He officially married Amal in Venice in September 2014 a few days after a lavish party in Lake Como.
PEOPLE can exclusively reveal that beginning today, fans can purchase any and all of three Handmaid’s Tale varietals at Lot18.com. Naturally, Elisabeth Moss and Alexis Bledel‘s characters, Offred and Ofglen, both inspired reds, while Yvonne Strahovski‘s Serena Joy is a white.
Bollywood News online
Legendary Bollywood actor’s son gets married
ctor Varun Dhawan says his first thought when he started pursuing acting as a career was that he wanted to delve into seldom-explored parts of filmdom.
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Dhawan on Monday night treated his fans to a Q&A session on Twitter, where a user asked about his thoughts when he first started off pursuing acting.
Asked what he finds more challenging, comedy or action, the actor said: “Actually comedy is very difficult cause I have to try and be funny in new ways now. The 31-year-old is gearing up for his
rience you will never forget.” Ofglen, one of Gilead’s most rebellious
- Lot18 is releasing the wines Offred gets a 2017 Pays d’Oc Pinot Noir. Her label describes it as “rich and complex. Lush, fruit flavors of cherry and cassis are complemented by earthy flavors of mushroom and forest floor. We honor Offred with a wine that w ill s tay with you long after you’ve finished your glass and a powerful expe-
next film Sui Dhaaga — Made In India and says it deals with social issues in its own way. Talking about the shoot for the film, he said: “I shot in Bhopal for Sui Dhaaga; it’s a beautiful city.” A fan asked if Dhawan would like to work with his Judwaa 2 co-star Taapsee Pannu again. “Yeah! for sure she is doing such interesting work. Always pushing the envelope she is a lot of fun and very hard working,” he said. Dhawan is also gearing up for the shoot of film Kalank, which also stars Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Alia Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha and Aditya Roy Kapur. “I will shoot next month now... We (are) done with two big schedules... Really excited about it,” he said.
handmaids, inspired a 2017 Rogue Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, “a daring testament to the heights that Oregon Cabs can reach, featuring concentrated flavors of cherry, plum and coffee bean that give way to a warm, spicy finish.” Lot18 Serena Joy’s 2016 Bordeaux Blanc is considered “sophisticated, traditional and austere… While the wine may initially come off as restrained, a few sips reveal it to be hiding layers of approachable white grapefruit and lemongrass, backed by weight and concentration.” The three varietals all go on sale today at Lot18.com/TheHandmaidsTale, and will be available while the limited supply lasts.
The trio of Handmaid’s Tale wines
The Handmaid’s Tale season 2 is currently streaming on Hulu.
LEGAL
VOICE OF ASIA 13
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US near to lifting sanctions on ZTE
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As a favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump ordered Commerce to ease the penalties on ZTE, imposed after officials concluded the company repeatedly lied and failed to address violations of US sanctions on North Korea. Commerce had banned US companies from supplying ZTE with crucial components, forcing the company to halt operations. But in an agreement struck last month, Washington agreed to lift the export ban if ZTE paid an additional $1 billion fine, replaced its board of directors, retained outside monitors and put $400 million in escrow to cover future penalties. Irate US lawmakers have
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Indian-American judge Amul Thapar not in Trump's shortlist for US Supreme Court
ASHINGTON | AFP | 7/11/2018 - Chinese smartphone maker ZTE has taken one of the final steps needed to escape the severe sanctions that brought the company to brink of collapse, the US Commerce Department said Wednesday. ZTE signed an agreement to put $400 million in escrow to cover any future penalties for US sanctions violations, according to the statement.
FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
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AFP/ File photo moved to reinstate the ban, accusing Trump rewarding a company which has repeatedly broken US law and engaged in espionage. But with the escrow agreement signed, the ban will be lifted once the money is transferred, the Commerce Department said, defending the reprieve granted to the Chinese giant. “The ZTE settlement represents the toughest penalty and strictest compliance regime the Department has ever imposed in such a case,” the statement said. “It will deter future bad actors and ensure the Department is able to protect the United States from those that would do us harm.”
ASHINGTON PTI, Jul 07, 2018 - Prominent IndianAmerican judge Amul Thapar has failed to make it to the shortlist of the three candidates from which President Donald Trump is likely to pick his replacement for retiring US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, a media report said today.
Thapar, 49, a Cincinnatibased federal appeals court judge, was among the first four candidates interviewed by Trump on July 2. The three others were justices Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Raymond Kethledge. A day
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Talking to reporters travelling with him to Montana abroad Air Force One, Trump said he had interviewed some "extraordinarily talented and brilliant" people during the process. "I'm very, very happy with them and we will pick somebody who will be outstanding, hopefully for many years to come," he said. The US President has chosen prime time to make the announcement. "We're going to do it at 9 pm in the White House," he said. This will be 6.30 am - Tuesday - local India time on July 10.
Justice Kennedy, 81, recently announced his retirement from the US Supreme Court. He met Trump at the White House soon after he told his colleagues in the Supreme Court that July 31 would be his last day at the apex court. Trump is likely to announce his nominees to replace Kennedy on Monday. The US President interviewed seven candidates from his master list of 25 judges, the White House said.
of candidates after judge Antonin Scalia died in 2016. Trump finally nominated judge Neil Gorsuch.
Asked about the details of the selection process, Trump said he had it down to four people.
Amul Thapar (AFP/ File photo) later, Trump interviewed three other individuals.
tenders for the position, the report said.
According to National Public Radio (NPR), Trump has reduced the names of the potential nominees to three judges Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Raymond Kethledge.
While final nominees will be known only when Trump makes the announcement, this would be for the second time that Thapar might not be able to make the final cut after being interviewed by Trump.
The first two are the top con-
Thapar was on the shortlist
"I think of the four people, I have it down to three or two. I think they're all outstanding. Honestly, I could pick any of the 25 and they would be terrific. Those are very terrific people. The whole list is extraordinary," he said. "I'll have a decision made in my mind by Sunday. We'll announce it on Monday. I'll give you the answer," Trump said. Trump had discussed the nomination with Vice President Mike Pence in Bedminster, New Jersey yesterday.
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Young Life
H&M is the web’s most popular fashion brand
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he Swedish clothing giant, H&M, tops the list of the world’s most popular fashion brands, according to internet search data compiled by SEMrush. On average, H&M is the subject of more than 30 million Google searches per month worldwide.
FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
Stateless teen praised as ‘gem’ in Thai cave ordeal
The SEMrush ranking of web users’ favorite fashion brands is based on Google searches H&M is the world’s most popular fashion worldwide between June 2017 brand in terms of Google searches.(Photo: and June 2018. The data sees Saul Loeb / AFP) H&M come out on top as the web’s most searched-for fashion brand, ahead of Zara (25 wide. Louis Vuitton is the most popumillion searches), and adidas, Nike lar French luxury brand, with over 6 and ASOS (over 15 million each). million searches, ahead of Balenciaga The data also confirms the popular- (over 2 million) and Chanel (1.8 mility of French luxury brands world- lion). (-Relaxnews)
Camila Cabello channels Havana for debut L’Oréal makeup collaboration The plight of 12 Thai boys and their coach from the “Wild Boar” football team has transfixed Thailand since they became trapped in a cramped chamber of the Tham Luang cave complex on June 23, 2018 (AFP Photo/Handout) by Thanaporn PROMYAMYAI
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AE SAI, Thailand | AFP | Born in Myanmar, raised by Christian teachers in Thailand, and trapped in a flooded cave for 13 days, Adul Sam-on’s unflinching politeness and startling ability to speak English is capturing hearts. Images of the wide-eyed teen were beamed around the world when he was discovered alive with the rest of his young football team deep inside the Tham Luang cave. The final five members of a young football team were rescued from a flooded Thai cave on Tuesday after spending 18 harrowing days trapped deep inside, completing an astonishing against-the-odds rescue mission that captivated the world. Elite foreign divers and Thai Navy SEALs extracted the final batch of four boys, plus the 25-year-old coach, on Tuesday afternoon via a treacherous escape route that required them to squeeze through narrow, water-filled tunnels in darkness. “All 12 ‘Wild Boars’ and coach have been extracted from the cave,” the SEALs said in a Facebook post, referring to the boys by the name of their football team. “All are safe,” they added, then signed off with what has become their trademark “Hooyah” that they used to celebrate the successful extractions of the other eight boys over the previous two days.
L’Oréal Paris and Camila Cabello unveil new makeup collaboration: Havana (Photos: L’Oréal Paris)
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amila Cabello is honoring her hometown of Havana once again: not through song this time -- but with a makeup collection for L’Oréal Paris.
personally wear, but that would work well across various skin tones. For me, looking and feeling my best helps fuel my confidence and I hope to inspire other people to feel the same.”
The last four Thai navy divers, including a doctor, who had been with the boys emerged safe from the cave late Tuesday, rescue chief Narongsak Osottanakorn said. The children, aged from 11 to 16, and their coach, ventured into the Tham Luang cave in mountainous northern Thailand on June 23 after football practice and got trapped when heavy rains caused flooding that forced them to take shelter on a muddy ledge.
The singer and songwriter has joined forces with the cosmetics giant to create a limited-edition, 14-piece “Havana” makeup series spanning products for eyes, lips and face. The collection, which draws on naturallooking, universally-appealing shades, includes a bronzer, an eyeliner, and a liquid brow filler, lip gloss and eyeshadow all available in multiple shades. It will launch later this month. “I am extremely proud and excited about the Havana collection,” said Cabello in a statement. “I wanted to create products that not only I would
Cabello, who shot to fame as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony but has since seen huge success as a solo artist, was first named as a L’Oréal Paris spokesperson in July last year. In January, she landed a starring role in the brand’s new Elvive Hair Care “Comeback” campaign. She has also participated in the group’s annual “Women of Worth” celebration. The “Havana” makeup collection will launch on July 15 at Ulta. com, before rolling out globally and at drugstores in the US from August. (-Relaxnews)
They spent nine days in darkness until two British divers found them, looking gaunt but offering smiles to the divers and appearing to be in remarkably good spirits. The initial euphoria at finding them dissipated as authorities struggled to devise a safe plan to get them out, “I’m Adul, I’m in good health,” the rake-thin 14-year-old said in Thai in a vid-
eo that emerged hours after the group was discovered, offering a traditional Thai “wai” greeting -- trademark politeness, his teachers say. “The first thing that comes to mind when I talk about him is his nice manner. He gives a ‘wai’ gesture to every teacher he walks past, every time,” his instructor Phannee Tiyaprom at Ban Pa Moead School told AFP. Adul is also being praised for his English skills in a country where less than a third of the population speaks the language. He was the only one able to communicate with the British divers that discovered the boys on Monday night. “What day is it?” he shouted, telling the divers they were hungry, in footage broadcast around the world after the agonising search for the boys. Born in Myanmar’s self-governing Wa State, young Adul -- who also speaks Thai, Burmese, and Chinese -- has been at the school since he was seven years old. He left his family behind to get a better education in northern Thailand, but his parents still visit him at the Christian Church where he’s been taken in. Wa State, a self-ruled region not recognised internationally –- nor by Myanmar -– is not allowed to legally issue passports. Fighting between ethnic rebels from
United Wa State Army and Myanmar troops has historically driven thousands from the state seeking safety and greener pastures, including to nearby Thailand. Adul is among more than 400,000 people who are registered as stateless in Thailand, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) -- though some estimates put their numbers at 3.5 million. “Whilst some progress has been made, stateless people in Thailand continue to face challenges accessing their basic rights,” UNHCR spokeswoman Hannah Macdonald told AFP. With no birth certificate, no ID card and no passport, Adul cannot legally marry, get a job or bank account, travel, own property or vote. Thailand has vowed to register all stateless people by 2024, but until then people like him remain stuck in legal limbo. But he refuses to let his status hold him back. The passionate footballer also loves to play the piano and guitar, and is an accomplished student too. “He’s a gem,” school director Phunawhit Thepsurin told AFP. “He’s good at both studying and sports... he’s brought our school several medals and certificates from his achievements.”
VOICE OF VOICE OF ASIA ASIA15 15
FRIDAY, FRIDAY,July July13, 13,2018 2018
July is Hunger Prevention Month
Medicare Savings Program
Section 2
Tel: 713-774-5140
Nuts may boost male fertility: study
Expert tips for summer food safety
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f your enjoying picnics and barbecues this summer following food and safety advice, especially with high-risk foods such as mayonnaise, can help prevent any foodborne illnesses. As the weather heats up many of us will be planning to make the most of the sun by dining al fresco at barbecues and picnics. However, eating outdoors also brings with it the risk of food poisoning if dishes are not prepared and stored correctly, with summer’s high temperatures providing the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive. To help prevent foodborne illness ruining your event, here we round up some expert food safety advice for a safer summer. Take care with temperatures
Nuts are a key component of a Mediterranean diet.© Aleksandar Zoric/Istock.com ating nuts “significantly” boosted the number and health of sperm in young men in a scientific trial, researchers said Wednesday.
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The findings “support a beneficial role for chronic nut consumption in sperm quality,” they said, but stressed the study participants were all healthy, apparently fertile men. The potential benefits of nuts for men struggling with fertility have yet to be probed. For the study, researchers recruited 119 men aged 18-35, who they divided into two groups. One group ate 60 grams of almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts daily on top of their usual “western-style” diet, while the second group got no nuts. After 14 weeks, the nut group “had significant improvements in their sperm count, vitality, motility (movement) and morphology (shape)” -- all associated with male fertility, said a statement. “Moreover, the subjects in the nut group also showed a significant re-
duction in their levels of sperm DNA fragmentation, a parameter closely associated with male infertility.” The results were consistent with sperm improvement observed in other studies that looked at diets rich in omega-3, antioxidants such as vitamin C and E, selenium and zinc, and folate. Nuts are rich in many of these nutrients. The study results were presented at a meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Barcelona. Does this mean that men hoping to conceive a child should add nuts to their diet? “We can’t yet say that,” said study co-author Albert Salas-Huetos of the Rovira i Virgili University in Spain. “But evidence is accumulating in the literature that healthy lifestyle changes such as following a healthy dietary pattern might help conception -- and of course, nuts are a key component of a Mediterranean healthy diet.” (- AFP)
Trumps weighs in on breastfeeding debate, defends formula
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ASHINGTON | AFP | Monday 7/9/2018 President Donald Trump weighed in Monday to defend women’s “access” to formula milk, after an article accused the United States of seeking to torpedo a World Health Organization resolution on breastfeeding. A weekend report in The New York Times stated that US delegates to a recent WHO meeting sought to delete from a resolution on infant nutrition language that urged member states to “protect, promote and support” breastfeeding. The United States reportedly pressured Ecuador to drop sponsorship of the text, threatening trade sanctions and military aid cuts. In the end, the Times said, the Russians stepped in to introduce the measure -- and the final resolution preserved most of the original wording.
Noting that the US position aligned with infant formula manufacturers, the paper cited the case as an example of the Trump administration siding with corporate interests on public health and environmental issues. Trump hit out at the Times article, while saying the United States was committed to ensuring women are not “denied” formula. “The failing NY Times Fake News story today about breast feeding must be called out,” the president tweeted. “The U.S. strongly supports breast feeding but we don’t believe women should be denied access to formula. Many women need this option because of malnutrition and poverty.” Health experts said the president’s stance suggested a lack of knowledge about the issues.
Although people normally blame dishes such as potato salad for food poisoning, problems rarely arise from a food like mayonnaise alone according to Ben Chapman, a food safety researcher at North Carolina State University. For bacteria to become a problem there has to be combination of a food such as mayonnaise and other salad ingredients, plus poor hygiene and poor temperature control, which is when food isn’t kept below 41°F. “For example, above 90°F, foodborne pathogens in potato salad increase tenfold in as quickly as an hour,” Chapman says. “In ideal temperatures for bacteria, such as body temperature, bacterial populations can double in less than 20 minutes.” When it comes to meat, Dr. Ross Rodgers, an emergency medicine physician at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, advises using a meat thermometer to ensure that it is cooked to the appropriate temperature to kill any viruses or bacteria, and to always serve it hot. If in doubt use shop-bought mayonnaise A big reason that mayonnaise rarely causes foodborne illness nowadays is because most people buy their mayonnaise, rather than making it from scratch. “Commercially produced mayonnaise is acidified to reduce spoilage and kill off human pathogens,” Chapman says. “It’s really low risk on its own.” If you are making mayo at home then Chapman’s advice is “Pick a recipe that uses pasteurized egg products and incorporates acid -such as vinegar or lemon juice -- to reduce risk. And refrigeration is still incredibly important, as recipes may not incorporate enough acid to address risks.” Fruit and veggies also come with risks Although most people know to be careful with raw meat, seafood, poultry and eggs, Dr. Rodgers says some are not aware that the same types of viruses and bacteria can be present on produce and other types of food including fresh produce. “Fresh fruits and vegetables are responsible for more outbreaks of foodborne illness than any other type of food; they’ve been linked to 46 percent of foodborne illnesses between 1998 and 2008,” adds Chapman. To avoid any problems both recommend washing fruit and vegetables t h o r o u g h l y. Also make sure you wash your hands and do not use the same cutting board for meats and fresh produce. For more information on
Medicare Savings Program You can get help from your state paying your Medicare premiums. In some cases, Medicare Savings Programs may also pay Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance), deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments if you meet certain conditions.
Four kinds of Medicare Savings Programs If you have income from work, you may qualify for one of these 4 programs. They are Medicaid programs. Qualified Medicare 1) Beneficiary (QMB) Program QMB income & resource limits in 2018: Individual monthly income limit $1,032. Married couple monthly income limit $1,392 Individual resource limit $7,560. Married couple resource limit $11,340 Program helps pay for: Part A premiums, Part B premiums, Deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments Medicare providers aren’t allowed to bill you for Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments when you get services and items Medicare covers, except outpatient prescription drugs. Pharmacists may charge you up to a limited amount for prescription drugs covered by Medicare Part D. To make sure your provider knows you have QMB, show both your Medicare and Medicaid or QMB card each time you get care. If you get a bill for medical care Medicare covers, call your provider or plan about the charges. Tell them that you have QMB and can’t be charged for Medicare deductibles, coinsurance and copayments. If this doesn’t resolve the billing problem, call us at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). 2) Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) Program SLMB income & resource limits in 2018: Individual monthly income limit $1,234 Married couple monthly income limit $1,666 Individual resource limit $7,560 Married couple resource limit $11,340 Program helps pay for: Part B premiums only 3) Qualifying Individual (QI) Program You must apply every year for QI benefits. QI applications are granted on a first-come, firstserved basis, with priority given to people who got QI benefits the previous year. (You can’t get QI benefits if you qualify for Medicaid). • QI income & resource limits in 2018: Individual monthly income limit $1,386.. Married couple monthly income limit $1,872 • Individual resource limit $7,560. Married couple resource limit $11,340 Program helps pay for: Part B premiums only 4) Qualified Disabled and Working Individuals (QDWI) Program The QDWI program helps pay
how to stay safe and healthy this summer head to the websites of the World Health Organization, the Cen-
Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900
the Part A premium. You may qualify if any of these apply to you: 1) You’re a working disabled person under 65. 2) You lost your premium-free Part A when you went back to work 3)You aren’t getting medical assistance from your state 4)You meet the income and resource limits required by your state QDWI income & resource limits in 2018: Individual monthly income limit $4,132. Married couple monthly income limit $5,572 Individual resource limit $4,000. Married couple resource limit $6 ,000 Program helps pay for: Part A premiums only If you qualify for a QMB, SLMB, or QI program, you automatically qualify to get Extra Help paying for Medicare prescription drug coverage. What items are included in the Medicare Savings Program resource limits? Countable resources include: Money in a checking or savings account, Stocks, Bon ds. Countable resources don’t include: Your home, One car, Burial plot up to $1,500 for burial expenses if you have put that money aside, Furniture, Other household and personal items How do I apply for Medicare Savings Programs? If you answer yes to these 3 questions, call Texas State Medicaid Program to see you qualify for a Medicare Savings Program. 1. Do you have, or are you eligible for, Part A? 2. Is your income for 2018 at, or below, the income limits above? 3. Do you have limited resources, below the limits above? It’s important to call or fill out an application if you think you could qualify for savings—even if your income or resources are higher than the amounts listed here. For suitable Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and Medicare Prescription Drug plan enrollment contact Sudhir Mathuria at 713-771-2900.
ters for Disease Control and Prevention, and FDA.gov. (- Relaxnews)
VOICE OF ASIA 16
Say goodbye to travel sickness with Seetroën glasses
HEALTH
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The Seetroën glasses can be used by adults and children
Gonorrhea: Scientists’ discovery could bring hope of new treatments
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rench car-maker Citroën presents Seetroën, the first glasses designed to eliminate motion sickness in a matter of minutes. They’re available to buy for €99 ($116). The Seetroën glasses use technology developed by the French startup, Boarding Ring. The concept is surprisingly simple: the glasses contain a colored liquid that recreates the horizon line to resolve conflict between the senses. For the glasses to work, queasy travelers should put them on as soon as they start to experience the first symptoms of travel sickness. After around 10 minutes, the glasses enable the mind to resynchronize with the movement perceived by the inner ear. The user can then take the glasses off and enjoy the rest of their journey.
FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
onorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease with 78 million new cases worldwide each year, could be treated more effectively with antibiotics or, above all, a vaccine, thanks to a discovery made by researchers in the USA.
The Seetroën glasses are out now priced $116 (-Citroën Communication) over the age of 10. The glasses don’t have lenses and can be shared between members of a family, co-workers or travel buddies. They can also be worn over the top of regular glasses. The Seetroën travel sickness glasses are out now priced €99
and can be used in cars and buses, as well as on boats and planes. According to Citroën, over 30 million people in Europe suffer from chronic travel sickness. (-Relaxnews)
China’s organ transplant system feted despite transparency doubts
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ust a few years ago, China was persona non grata in the transplantation world over its use of organs from executed inmates, some of them prisoners of conscience.
Gonorrhea can have serious consequences, especially for women, and can lead to endometritis, pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, epididymitis and infertility. Babies born to mothers infected with gonorrhea are also at increased risk of blindness. As a result, the need for effective treatment is essential. Researchers from Oregon State University, OHSU College of Pharmacy and Ann Jerse’s lab at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, collaborated to discover a protein that combats enzymes in the body called lysozymes, found in epithelial cells on the outside of the body, as well as in bodily cavities and in certain cells in-
Could a vaccine prevent gonorrhea in the future? (Photo: Remains/ istock.com) side the body. These enzymes are effectively the body’s first line of innate immune defense when it comes to thwarting bacteria. However, gonorrhea bacteria have developed ways of fighting lysozymes. The lysozyme-inhibitor protein discovered by the researchers could be a prime new target for treatment, reducing the bacteria’s ability to cause in-
fection. After conclusive tests on mice, this discovery opens the door to the potential development of new-generation antibiotics and, above all, the possibility of a vaccine, according to study lead, Aleksandra Sikora. The study findings are published in the journal, PLOS Pathogens. (-Relaxnews)
Hummus milkshake new vegan, gluten-free alternative for beating the heat this summer
But at the Transplantation Society’s annual congress in Madrid this week, the tables turned as 150 Chinese experts took part -- an unprecedented number -- and one-time critics endorsed the country’s organ donation system despite allegations it is far from transparent. “That couldn’t happen just a few years ago,” said Francis Delmonico, a high-profile US transplant surgeon and former president of the society.
Just a few years ago, China was persona non grata in the transplantation world over its use of organs from executed inmates, some of them prisoners of conscience. (Photo: tcly / Istock.com)
The transplant society used to ban Chinese experts in the field from giving presentations at annual conferences, he told reporters at a press conference organised by the Chinese embassy in Madrid.
revenue, state funding and more, the China Organ Harvest Research Center, which has long scrutinised the issue, claimed there are thousands more being performed.
“The fact that there are so many Chinese professionals here reporting their experience is a very important testimony of the evolution of China,” Delmonico added. China banned the use of executed prisoners’ organs in 2015 and has set up a nationwide voluntary donation system instead. But there are fears the practice goes on, with prisoners being reclassified as voluntary donors to get around the rules. Huang Jiefu, the man in charge of overhauling China’s transplant system, strongly denies this and says there is zero tolerance now. He nevertheless admitted at a conference last year at the Vatican that organ transplants from prisoners may still be taking place. “China is a big country with a 1.3 billion population so I am sure, definitely, there is some violation of the law,” he said. - How many transplants? There are currently 178 hospitals for organ transplants in China. Last year China completed more than 16,000 transplants, ranking it second in the world behind the United States, according to an official statement handed out at the press conference. But in a report that examined transplant hospitals’ bed counts, bed utilisation rates,
China initiated its voluntary organ donation system in 2010 and rolled it out nationwide in 2013. “Official accounts indicate that the percentage of organs sourced from donations jumped from 23 percent in 2013 to 80 percent in 2014, with voluntary donations officially becoming the sole official organ source in 2015,” the centre said in a report. “It is not plausible that such a complete transition in this system could have taken place in just one or two years.” Apart from mistrust of authorities, many Chinese believe they will be reincarnated after death and feel the need to keep a complete body, making them reluctant to donate an organ. This raises the question of where the organs would come from. In its report, the China Organ Harvest Research Center alleges that organs are not just harvested from executed inmates but also from living prisoners of conscience. It alleges these include practitioners of the banned Falungong spiritual movement and people from the Uighur ethnic minority, which China has cracked down on. However, there is no firm evidence this is happening. Both Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International say they have been un-
able to verify the claims. “While the Chinese government subjects Falungong practitioners and Uighurs to harsh treatment, including the use of torture and imprisonment, so far there is a lack of convincing evidence that they are being executed for their organs,” HRW China researcher Maya Wang told AFP. Both groups, however, say the organ donation system’s lack of transparency makes it impossible to assess whether reforms have been successful. - Transplantation tourism? There are also concerns foreigners are travelling to China to get a quick transplant. Last year, a South Korean television team went to a hospital in Tianjin, a city near Beijing, where journalists spoke to foreign patients who had been told their transplant could take place within weeks. Huang told reporters in Madrid this practice was now illegal except as “humanitarian aid” and would be punished.
Hummus Milkshake © Instagram/thehummusandpitaco.
Move over bubble tea, frosé and Frappuccino, there’s a new dessert drink in town: A milkshake made with hummus is poised to become the frozen drink of 2018 in New York this summer.
S
ince making its debut in May for “International Hummus Day,” Pita and Hummus Co.’s hummus milkshake has become increasingly popular for offering a vegan, gluten-free alternative to ice cream milkshakes. Like the dip, the milkshake is made from a base of chickpeas and tahini, and blended with
almond milk, dates and bananas. A 12 oz drink comes in strawberry, chocolate, pistachio and butter pecan and costs $5. While the drink is only available at the company’s New York stores, more Pita and Hummus Co. stores are slated to open in Connecticut, Colorado, New Jersey, Michigan and California.
UK nurse arrested for murdering eight babies is bailed
A
British nurse arrested on suspicion of murdering eight babies as part of an investigation into a hospital neo-natal unit in northwest England has been released on bail, police said on Friday. Lucy Letby, 28, was arrested on Tuesday as part of a probe
into the deaths of 17 babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital. A spokesman said the nurse, whose identity has not been confirmed by police, had been bailed pending further enquiries. “We continue to recognise
that this investigation has a huge impact on all of the families, staff, and patients at the hospital as well as members of the public. “Parents of all the babies continue to be kept fully updated and are being supported throughout the process by
specially trained officers,” the spokesman said. The investigation includes the deaths and 14 non-fatal collapses of babies between March 2015 and July 2016. At the time of the arrest, Detective Inspector Paul Hughes said it was a “significant step forward”. Police have been searching Letby’s home in Chester since her arrest. Letby qualified as a children’s nurse at the University of Chester in 2011. (-AFP)
VOICE OF ASIA 17
FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
Home&Real Estate Lonely Planet names S. Korea’s Busan the best destination in Asia for 2018
The Do’s and Don’ts of Home Equity Loans by Vera Gibbons
H
ome equity is a valued resource, and if you have it, you might be tempted to tap that wealth for other purposes. A home equity loan, which allows you to use your home’s equity as collateral, is a great way to do this. But depending on your personal situation, it may not be the right thing to do. Here’s when a home equity loan makes sense — and when it doesn’t. DON’T: Fund a lifestyle Remember when homeowners yanked cash out of their homes to fund affluent lifestyles they couldn’t really afford? These reckless borrowers, with their boats, fancy cars, lavish vacations and other luxury items, paid the price when the housing bubble burst. Property values plunged, and they lost their homes.
Buddhist temple in Busan, South Korea, named best destination in Asia to visit in 2018. (© Guitar photographer / Shutterstock)
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he portside city of Busan, South Korea, has been named the best destination in Asia 2018 by the travel experts at Lonely Planet, who describe the bustling city as a confluence of culture and cuisine. For the third edition of LP’s “Best in Asia” list, editors rounded up 10 destinations worth visiting over the next 12 months, which span East, South and Western Asia. In May, Busan hosted an opening ceremony celebrating its title as East Asia’s Culture City 2018, as part of a joint agreement between Japan, China and Korea. Every year, three cities are selected to promote artistic and cultural development in the region. Busan shares the title this year
with Harbin, China and Kanazawa in Japan. The city also tops the “Best in Asia” list for offering travelers an “eclectic” offering of activities, from hikes up to Buddhist temples and hot springs to seafood feasts at the largest fish market in the country, editors say. Busan is the second-biggest city in South Korea after Seoul. In second spot is Uzbekistan, with its “dreamy mosaic-clad mosques and Silk Road lore.” Last year, the country announced new visa-free schemes, and introduced new air routes and extensions to its highspeed rail line in an effort to boost international tourism and attract tourists to its “jewelled sites” and “an-
Stamped out by war and communism, Polish luxury is back
Home equity burning a hole in your pocket? You may want to think twice about that boat. (Photo: istock.com)
Lesson learned: Don’t squander your equity! Look at a home equity loan as an investment — not as extra cash when making spending decisions.
DON’T: Pay for basic expenses or bills This is a no-brainer, but it’s always worth reiterating: Basic expenses like groceries, clothing, utilities and phone bills should be a part of your household budget.
DO: Make home improvements The safest use of home equity funds is for home improvements that will add to the home’s value. If you have a onetime project (e.g., a new roof), then a home equity loan might make sense.
If your budget doesn’t cover these and you’re thinking of borrowing money to afford them, it’s time to rework your budget and cut some of the excess.
If you need money over time to fund ongoing home improvement projects, then a home equity line of credit (HELOC) would make more sense. HELOCs let you pay as you go and usually have a variable rate that’s tied to the prime rate, plus or minus some percentage.
cient ruins.”
DO: Consolidate debt Consolidating multiple balances, including your high-interest credit card debts, will make perfect sense when you run the numbers. Who doesn’t want to save potentially thousands of dollars in interest? Debt consolidation will simplify your
their “Best in Asia 2018” list:
And rounding out the podium is Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, where vintage boutiques, independent coffee shops and innovative breweries are transforming the city into a buzzing Asian megalopolis, editors say. Here are the top 10 destinations in
A
grey Ferrari comes to a halt in Warsaw and a young woman emerges.
9. Sichuan Province, China
3. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 4. Western Ghats, India 5. Nagasaki, Japan
Meanwhile some Poles have many more than just one sports car.
The legendary Hotel Europejski, which was considered eastern Europe’s best in the 19th century, has just reopened after five years of renovation work spearheaded by the Raffles brand.
The general manager of the Bentley and Lamborghini dealerships in Poland, Piotr Jedrach, expects to sell around 50 British limousines in 2018 -- an increase on previous years thanks in part to the recent addition of an SUV model.
Decades on, a new class of wealthy Poles has appeared, whose members include heads of successful family businesses, real estate agents and high-flying bankers. Many of the elite live in the 44-floor Cosmopolitan apartment tower in the heart of Warsaw. Opened in 2014, the building boasts a minimalist design by German-American architect Helmut Jahn, who also designed the European Union’s headquarters in Brussels. Of the 100 most expensive realestate sales in Warsaw between 2015 and 2017, 79 concerned flats in the Cosmopolitan building, said Karolina Kaim, president of Tacit Investment, the Polish firm that financed the building’s construction.
- ‘Vertical village’ The apartments vary in price depending on the floor and view.
horse logo would have drawn a small crowd of onlookers, but today, Ferraris no longer stop traffic in Warsaw.
The most sought after units look out onto the Vistula River and the old part of town and cost nearly 10,000 euros per square metre -- a figure that may not shock Parisians or Londoners but is staggering to the average Pole who earns around 1,100 euros a month.
The Italian luxury car manufacturer has two Polish dealerships, one in the southern city of Katowice and another in the capital.
Most of the apartment owners are Polish but there are also a handful of foreigners living in the “vertical village”, which cost more than 100 million euros to build, according to Kaim.
Were it not for the company’s policy of limiting production, Poles would snap up “10 or 15 percent more” Ferraris, she told AFP.
Residents include pop stars, football players and actors. Other luxury symbols seen around town include high-end cars from brands such as Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce. Only a few years ago, the appearance of a sports car with the famous
Their marketing head Karolina Szulecka prefers not to reveal sales figures but says that client interest is constantly on the rise.
From the collapse of communism, a new social group of entrepreneurs rapidly emerged, often former managers quick to buy shares in the newly privatised companies and develop them, or small entrepreneurs and artisans who swiftly adapted to the new conditions to create or grow a family business. EU funds and foreign investment into the country followed and increased after Poland’s 2004 EU entry. Between 1990 and 2015, gross domestic product (GDP) more than doubled. Exports are growing and, according to International Monetary Fund forecasts, growth is expected to be
10. Komodo National Park, Indonesia For the full list visit lonelyplanet. com/best-in-asia. (-AFP)
6. Chiang Mai, Thailand
A land developer, who declined to be identified, admitted he had three Ferraris parked in his garage, while the brand’s biggest collector in Poland has 12. He also prefers to remain anonymous.
Luxury has become increasingly visible in Poland after a long absence due to the country’s devastating losses during World War II and the policy of egalitarianism later touted by the communist regime.
7. Lumbini, Nepal
2. Uzbekistan
Today, Poland’s wealthiest are often the third generation of those small business owners.
The lobby of the 44-floor Cosmopolitan apartment tower in the heart of Warsaw (Photo: Janek Skarzynski / AFP)
Remember, tapping into your home equity may mean it takes longer to pay off the loan. It also may delay your retirement or put you even deeper in debt. And as you get older, it will likely be more difficult to earn the money to pay back the loan, so don’t jeopardize your financial security. (-Zillow)
8. Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka
Her destination is the historic pastry shop Lourse, which is located at the hotel, where guests pay between 250 and 4,000 euros ($290 and $4,700) a night and can count on perks like a personal butler.
Poland’s first Hermes store could be housed at the site, a source told AFP, though the French luxury goods giant would only confirm that it was looking into a project “in Warsaw in late 2019, early 2020”.
DON’T: Finance college If you have college-age children, this may seem like a great use of home equity. However, the potential consequences down the road could be significant. And risky.
1. Busan, South Korea
just over four percent this year partly on “strong domestic consumption”.
Wearing Chanel sunglasses and carrying a little dog, she enters the Raffles Europejski hotel, a symbol of the luxury that has returned to Poland.
life, too, but beware: It only works if you have discipline. If you don’t, you’ll likely run all your balances back up again and end up in even worse shape.
Prices start at around 230,000 euros. As for Lamborghinis, displayed in Warsaw in a car dealership that looks more like a futuristic temple, they too are forecast to see a boost in sales, with 60 expected to sell in 2019, thanks to the SUV Urus. The average Pole has nothing against the ultra wealthy.
“If I had that much money, I’d also buy myself a Ferrari,” said Hanna Mrowiec, a retired middle manager who lives in a small one-bedroom apartment. “But to have three? That’s absurd. You can’t drive three Ferraris at once,” she told AFP. Nevertheless, luxury in Poland generally remains discreet, more the purview of cultural sponsorship than bling-bling excess. The Swiss owner of Raffles Europejski, Vera Michalski, paid for around 500 modern Polish works of art to adorn her hotel. She also lent some from her own collection. As for the Cosmopolitan, there was an art exhibition earlier this year on the 42nd floor. It featured work by the late painter and sculptor Wojciech Fangor, the only Pole to ever have a solo exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The Cosmopolitan exhibition was free for anyone to attend -- not just the happy few living there. (-AFP)
SMALL BUSINESSES
VOICE OF ASIA 18
B
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BUSINESS DIRECTORY
ACCOUNTANTS BOOK-KEEPING
FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
INCOME TAX
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ACROSS 1. “____ of time”
Week of JULY 13, 2018 21 March to 20 April Venus moves into Virgo and your lifestyle sector, helping to bring harmony to everyday relationships. And with jovial Jupiter turning direct in your sector of shared assets, money and business matters.
21 April to 20 May Do you feel like you don’t fit in to the current dating scene? There are a lot of people to choose from, Taurus, so it’s kind of hard to believe that you don’t have chemistry with anyone. But waiting to find “the one” will pay off eventually.
21 May to 20 June You can get frustrated with people who stubbornly refuse to do things according to established procedures. There’s an unsettled energy that encourages changing jobs or additional education or training.
21 June to 22 July This week the Universe affects your house of relationships. You may have some stress between trying to see everyone you want to see and getting all your work done on time and under budget.
23 July to 22 August Don’t try to rationalize your way out of working out or starting that eating plan. You can talk yourself in and out of any situation, but eventually you’ll need to start. Why wait? Get on with it now. A little effort will make a world of difference.
23 August to 22 Sept This is the perfect time to begin a new exercise or health routine. If you’ve been flagging recently, think about starting fresh. You have a good period in which to take the first crucial steps. You’re more likely to stick with it this time.
Astrology.com
23 September to 22 Oct Take time out from your work today and relax a little, Virgo. Let your romantic nature have some fun and don’t feel guilty about not being as serious as you think you should be. The winner of the day is the one who can smile the most.
23 October to 21 Nov Grab an opportunity to have some new experiences. Your mindset may be the only thing holding you back. Freeing yourself from influences that are keeping you stuck could enable you to make a bold move forward.
22 November to 21 Dec How do you feel about the basic concept of being in a relationship? You may have some out-there ideas you want to explore, but you’ll have to find the right partner to explore them with you. Someone with an open mind and a free spirit.
22 December to 20 Jan Do the best you can with what’s expected of you. You may wish you were self-employed. Do some research to discover your best options. This is a good time to explore the possibility of getting more education or advanced training.
21 January to 19 Feb you’re about to receive an important message about a new business or financial opportunity. Just make sure to return that call or answer that e-mail. This is a lucky period to network and make contacts.
20 February to 20 Mar your career and authority need more attention. Becoming the expert you seem to be means more money for your bank account and more room to grow. Astral aspects affect your money house in a good way.
6. Federal Communications Commission 9. Frosh, next year 13. “Vamos a la ____” 14. *Don McLean: “A long, long time ____...” 15. Par on a short golf hole 16. Whatsoever 17. Steadfast Soldier’s material 18. Art class support
DOWN 1. Pampering places 2. Chorus member 3. Indian flatbread 4. *He’s “Tangled Up in Blue” 5. Salt merchant 6. *”____” Domino 7. Computer-generated imagery 8. Urban dwelling 9. A fake in bed
19. Classical music composition, pl.
10. Guesstimate phrase
21. *One of his hits is a stadium favorite
11. Hammer part
23. *Paul McCartney’s 2013 album
15. Lipton package
12. Retained 20. Grammy, e.g.
24. Fat Man or Little Boy
22. Mischievous little rascal
25. Cul de ____
24. Theater tier
28. Prince of India
25. Caterpillar hairs
30. *”I Will Always Love You” creator 35. “Goodness gracious!” 37. *Chuck Berry’s “____ Over Beethoven” 39. Bird-made fertilizer 40. Beginner 41. Interior designer’s field 43. Come clean, with “up” 44. Meat jelly dish 46. Ad staple 47. What refugees do 48. *Best selling artist in 2000s in U.S.
26. Discrimination against seniors 27. Plural of carpus 29. *Piano man 31. 1600s neck wear 32. Chinese weight units 33. Beginning of illness 34. Offensively curious 36. “How you ____?” 38. Opera house box 42. House pest 45. Population count 49. Cow call
50. Type of tide
51. Kind of license
52. Pig pen
54. Condescending one
53. #34 Down, alt. spelling
56. Falstaffian in body
55. Bird word
57. Impromptu performances
57. *King of Pop
58. Miners’ passage
61. *Bruce Springsteen
59. Give a quote
65. “Farewell” from Emmanuel Macron 66. Bonanza find 68. Cone shaped dwelling 69. Dust-related allergy trigger, pl. 70. “Days of ____ Lives” 71. *Soul singer-songwriter Hayes
60. *Neil Young: “____ on rockin’ in the free world” 61. Type of seabird 62. October stone 63. *”Kiss From a Rose” singer-songwriter 64. Abbreviated seconds 67. “The Murders in the ___ Morgue”
72. Pavlova’s pas 73. X 74. Smallest units of life
SOLUTION on SINGERS AND SONGWRITERS on PAGE 19
CLASSIFIEDS
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FRIDAY, July 13, 2018
Hiring - Marketing/Web Master/Graphic Designer Looking for Receptionist Plus QuickBooks Operator for Invoicing Office Hours: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm M - F Call Lala 281 - 546 - 8964 and Email resume to
Voice of Asia is looking for a Marketing / Web Master / Graphic Designer person who can do it all to be part of the team leading the charge to take our digital efforts to the next level. Interested applicants can email their resume to ads@voiceofasiagroup.com
Job Posting 90% of Dignity Memorial employees believe “My work has special meaning: This is not just a job.” This is not just a job. It is a meaningful career that makes a difference in the lives of people we serve while providing you an opportunity you will love. Dignity Memorial is looking for Inside and Outside Sales Professionals. We offer Unlimited Income Potential via a commissioned incentive package and benefits! Please contact Marilyn Gonzales at marilyn.gonzales@dignitymemorial. com.
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Giving Back on Your Summer Vacation
H
itting the road this summer and want to do something good for the world along the way? Consider using your summer road trip as an opportunity to give back to the communities you visit. For some inspiration, check out these great ways Americans are rethinking vacations to include a touch of philanthropy. - Driving for Good All those miles you log on the road can be for a good cause, if you look in the right places. Check out organizations and brands hosting fun fundraising or volunteer events on the road. For example, “MINI Takes the States,” a biannual rally for
of food banks. In 2016, rally participants raised enough money to provide 1,301,969 meals to families in need, and this year’s goal is over 2 million meals. Occurring July 14 – 22 this year, MINI Takes the States will see owners kick off in either Orlando, Fla. or Portland, Ore. and converge in Colorado, passing through some of America’s most interesting and beautiful sites and cities. A portion of each registration fee is donated to Feeding America and participants are encouraged to start fundraising pages online and spread the word to friends and family to contribute to the cause. Each dollar raised will provide at least 10 meals to people in the
help, particularly their hiking trails. Volunteer opportunities abound for those who wish to combine a road trip with trail stewardship. After traveling to your favorite park, join a volunteer crew to build or maintain a trail, increasing accessibility to America’s most beautiful natural wonders.
PHOTO SOURCE: Image provided by Feeding America
MINI Cooper owners, gives participants an opportunity to explore America’s beauty while raising money for Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization dedicated to fighting domestic hunger through a network
U.S. struggling with hunger. To learn more, visit MINITakesTheStates.com or follow the conversation at #DriveForMore. - Transform Your Road Trip America’s parks need your
VOICE OF ASIA
Or, be someone who brakes for animals -- animal volunteer opportunities that is. Many animal sanctuaries welcome vacationing volunteers to provide extra hands. From socializing dogs to feeding horses, certain opportunities even include lodging to those giving their time. By giving back to the places you visit, you can take the concept of the ultimate summer road trip to new heights. (StatePoint)
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Theme: SINGERS AND SONGWRITERS from PAGE 18
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FRIDAY, July 13, 2018