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Vol. 27 No. 7 Friday, February 14, 2014 Published Weekly from Houston 713-774-5140 20 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com
India ranks 140th in Preet Bharara’s office recovers world press freedom nearly $ 4 billion since Jan 2013 index; Pakistan at 158th WASHINGTON: India has been ranked 140th in the list of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index 2014, whereas China and Pakistan were placed at 175th and 158th position respectively. “India experienced an unprecedented wave of violence against journalists, with eight killed in 2013. They are targeted by both state and non-state actors,” Reporters Without Border said in its latest annual report yesterday. “Almost no region is spared but Kashmir and Chhattisgarh continue to be the only two where violence and censorship are endemic,” it said. “Those responsible for threats and physical violence against journalists, who are often abandoned by the judicial system and forced to censor themselves, include police and security forces as well as criminal groups, demonstrators and political party supporters,” said the report.
Annual FBISD WATCH Your Wellness Health and Fitness Fair, Saturday, March 1
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ORT BEND ISD - Fort Bend ISD will join the Fort Bend Medical Society Alliance in hosting the annual WATCH Your Wellness Health and Fitness Fair. The free event will be held on Saturday, March 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Sugar Land Town Square. The fair will feature more than 40 family friendly health and wellness booths, giveaways, cooking demonstrations, fun activities, and entertainment provided by FBISD student groups. The fair kicks off WATCH Week, which will be observed March 3-7 in FBISD schools. Event sponsors include: Fort Bend ISD, Fort Bend Medical Society Alliance, MetLife, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, the Fort Bend Community Prevention Coalition, Activate4Kids, the Texas Medical Association Foundation, Sugar Land Town Square, Houston Methodist Hospital-Sugar Land, Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital, The Oliver Foundation, KBRZ Sports Radio, the American Diabetes Association, and Care Van.
Finland has been ranked first in the list followed by Netherland and Norway. The ranking of the US has dropped to 46th position from last year’s 32nd, while China has been ranked at the 175th position and Pakistan at 158th. Pakistan remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists as besides the armed groups, the country’s intelligence agencies, especially the ISI, also represent a danger, the report said. “There was lack of interest in rendering justice in Pakistan where the government seems powerless against not only the Taliban, Jihadis and other armed groups but also the military apparatus, which international observers describe as a ‘state within the state’,” it said. The 2014 index underscores the negative correlation between freedom of information and conflicts, both open conflicts and undeclared ones, the report said. Continued on page 7
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EARLAND - It was a cold and crisp evening with the wind chill making it feel colder than the forty degree temperature on Friday 7th 2014. Inside the main sannadhi of the Sri Meenakshi Temple, Pearland, the devotee’s heart were warmed to the serene atmosphere created by the “Villaku” (Deepa or Lamp) puja, worshipping the Goddesses, Sri Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi, invoked in the form of “Jyothi swaroopa” (form of light), as symbolized by the three silver Kuthuvalaku (lamps). The annual Deepa puja is performed for Sri Meenakshi during the Tamil month of Thai on a Friday evening.. After the invocatory prayer, the lamps were lit and the Kumkum archana for the Lamps started with the recitation of Lalitha Saharanamavali. Sri Manickasundara Bhattar led the beautiful chanting along with SriPawan Kumar and Sri Kalyanasundaram with the devotees accompanying them, thus creating a beautiful reverberation of the sacred sloka. At the end of the Namavali, Devi stuthi was recited, followed by Deeparaadhanai. Flowers, Prasadam and fruits were brought by the devotee to offer the Goddess. Nearly 50 ladies partook in the deepa puja and archana, all resplendent in fine attire braving the cool weather and keen on getting blessing of the Almighty Goddess. The event concluded with the distribution of Kum kum and flowers to the devotees. Mala Gopal, Cultural committee lead from MTS
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EW YORK (PTI) - Indianorigin US prosecutor Preet Bharara’s office has recovered nearly $ four billion from criminal and civil cases since January 2013, including significant forfeitures from JPMorgan Chase, SAC Capital Advisors and jailed hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam.
The US Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York obtained recoveries of more than $ 2.7 billion in forfeiture actions, entered into agreements to recover $ 1.06 billion in restitution, criminal fines, and special assessments, and has recovered $ 149.8 million from civil actions since January last year. Bharara said the penalties and fines stand for the “principle that those who break the law or commit civil offenses, whether institutions or individuals, must not be allowed to profit from their misconduct. It is fair to say the taxpayers have gotten a great return on their investment – almost 8,000 per cent,” since the $ four billion represents nearly 80 times the office’s annual budget. He said the forfeiture “is not only a
The US Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York obtained recoveries of more than $2.7 bn in forfeiture actions. Reuters matter of deterring bad conduct” but a significant portion of the money recovered would go toward compensating victims of crime or other misconduct who suffered real financial loss. Forfeited funds are generally deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund and the Department of Treasury Forfeiture Fund.
Baltej Singh, Chef
Niranjan Singh, Owner
Continued on page 7
Thai Sukravara Deepa Puja celebrated at Sri Meenakshi Temple
Devotees offering Sri Lalitha Shasranamavalli slokas involking Goddess in the form of Light (Jyothi swaroopa) during the Thai Sukravara Puja at Sri Meenakshi Temple
board coordinated the wonderfully organized event. The devotees
left to go home late night content in partaking in the auspicious puja,
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The $ 149.8 million collected in civil actions came from a combination of cases in which the office collected government money lost due to fraud or other misconduct, collected fines imposed on individuals and corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights, or environmental laws.
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