Voice of asia july 05 2013

VOICE OF ASIA 1

10,000 copies every week

VOICE OF ASIA

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013 MEDICARE COSTS UNDER PPACA. READ ON PAGE 15 OR Call

713-771-2900

Commemorating 25 years of dedicated service to the community

Vol. 26 No. 27 Friday, July 5, 2013 Published Weekly from Houston 713-774-5140 20 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

FAAA’s XII Annual Convention India says it has turned In Houston, A Grand Success down Snowden’s asylum request

by Shaheer Khan, Ph.D.

H

OUSTON - The twelfth annual convention of the Federation of Aligarh Alumni Associations (FAAA) was held on June 28-30, 2013 at Crown Plaza Huston River Oaks, Houston, TX. The theme of the 2013 convention was “New Generation Alumni & Aligarh Movement” and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Alumni Association of Texas hosted the convention. Representatives from across the United States and Canada attended the convention. It has been one of the most widely attended conventions of the Federation.

The program started on Friday, June 28th with alumni reunion and dinner followed by a cultural program in the evening in which participants showed their talent.

The Saturday program started with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an. The official proceedings of the convention were kicked off with the first session chaired by Mr. Perwaiz Jafri, and a welcome address by Dr. Moyeenul Haque, Chairman of Board of Trustees of the host Association followed by the presentation of annual reports

by Drs. Irfan Beg (Treasurer), Nausha Asrar (Secretary), Tariq Haqqi (President), and Mr. Perwaiz Jafri (Chairman, Board of Trustees). The second session was chaired by Prof. Wasi Siddiqui and included the introduction of various Alumni Associations’ official representatives from across USA. Each representative presented a brief account of the background and activities of their associations in the previous year.

The theme of the third session was “Alumni and Alma Mater”, chaired

by Mr. Ali Rizvi and included a presentation by Mr. Faisal Saleem, entitled, “Interaction between alumni and AMU”. Mr. Saleem summarized the results of recently conducted survey among the random sample of alumni

N

Hon. Consul General P. Harish gave his message on the occasion.

N

EW DELHI, July 2, 2013 (AFP) - India said Tuesday that it had refused an asylum request from fugitive US intelligence analyst Edward Snowden, joining Poland in publically rebuffing him as he seeks an exit from a Moscow airport.

“Our embassy in Moscow did receive a communication dated 30 June from Mr Edward Snowden. That communication did contain a request for asylum,” foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin told AFP.

Chief Guest, Vice Chancellor Lt. Gen. (Retd) Zameer Uddin Shah giving his keynote address at the Convention. to determine how they can help their alma mater which will have the maximum positive impact. The second presentation of the session was given by this writer, entitled, “Contribution of alumni towards AMU”. In this presentation, contributions of various

alumni associations and individuals for the spread of Aligarh Movement in general and their contributions towards their alma mater and its student community were highlighted.

Continued on Page 5

Amid spying saga, India unveils cyber security policy

EW DELHI: The government on Tuesday unveiled the National Cyber Security Policy, aimed at protecting the public and private infrastructure from cyber attacks.

The policy also intends to safeguard “information, such as personal information (of webs users), financial and banking information and sovereign data”.

This is particularly relevant in the wake of US National Security Agency (NSA) leaks that suggested the US government agencies are spying on Indian users, who have no legal or technical safeguards against it.

Ironically, the policy was released on

Edward Snowden, a former contractor for the NSA, during an interview with The Guardian in Hong Kong, June 6, 2013 (Guardian/AFP/File, The Guardian)

“We have carefully examined the request. Following that examination we have concluded that we see no reason to accede to the request,” he added. Transparency campaign group Wikileaks said Monday that Snowden had submitted asylum requests to 21 nations including India, Russia, China and Brazil as well as his preferred destinations Ecuador and Iceland.

The Kremlin announced Tuesday that he had abandoned his bid to stay in Russia after learning of demands from President Putin that he stop leaking intelligence reports.

Snowden, whose passport has been revoked by the US, has been holed up and in legal limbo in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport for more than a week trying to find a safe haven.

the day when foreign minister Salman Khurshid defended the surveillance of Indian web users by US agencies saying there was no snooping and only “cyber scrutiny”.

The new cyber policy could also pave way for India acquiring a better mechanism to deal with threats from countries like the US and China, which in the recent years have bolstered their offensive and defensive cyber capabilities.

Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Communication and IT, releasing the National Cyber Security Policy-2013 in New Delhi on Tuesday. - Photo: S. Subramanium

“This policy is a framework document and it gives you a broad outline of our vision. The real task or the challenge is the operationalisation of this policy,”

Elsewhere in Asia, a spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry Hua Chunying said Beijing had been “following the developments” but declined to comment further.

“I’ve seen some reports of his petition for political asylum in some countries but I have no information about that,” Hua said.

The US wants Snowden, who has leaked information about the National Security Agency’s vast Internet and phone surveillance programmes, extradited so he can be put on trial.

India, which has moved closer to the United States since signing a landmark nuclear power pact in 2008, has also defended Washington’s surveillance programmes.

“Some of the information they got out of their scrutiny, they were able to use it to prevent serious terrorist attacks in several countries,” Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters in Brunei in a broadcast interview.

“This is not scrutiny and access to actual messages. It is only computer analysis of patterns of calls and emails that are being sent... it is not actually snooping on the content of anyone’s messages or conversations,” he added.

minister of communications and IT Kapil Sibal said while releasing the document in Delhi.

He said, “Critical infrastructure such as air defence system, power infrastructure, nuclear plants, telecommunications system have to be protected otherwise it may create economic instability.”

The policy states it aims to “provide confidence and reasonable assurance to all stakeholders in the country (government, business, industry and general public) and global community, about the safety, resiliency and security of cyber Continued on Page 8

OP-ED/OPIONS/VIEWS

VOICE OF ASIA 2

Publisher: Koshy Thomas Associate Publisher: Sherly Philip Editor: Shobana Muratee Austin Correspondent: Sherine Thomas Marketing: Jacob David Production: AR Vadlamani Office Manager Priyan Mathew Voice of Asia Online Online Editor:

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: 713-7745140. Fax: 713-774-5143. Email for editorial submissions: voiceasia@aol.com; Email for advertising inquiries and submissions: advertisingvoa@aol.com

REPORT U.S. spied on Indian embassy too, says report The U.S. National Security Agency snooped on the Indian embassy and considered it a “target” along with 37 other embassies and missions here, according to the latest revelations by The Guardian, which has steadily been trickling out data obtained by the fugitive whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

This week, the newspaper reported that the NSA used “an extraordinary range of spying methods” against the Indian and other diplomatic posts in the U.S., deploying everything from bugs implanted in electronic communications gear to taps into cables to the collection of transmissions with specialised antennae.

U.S. intelligence bosses, including National Intelligence Director James Clapper, have defended the Obama administration’s mega-scale surveillance of global Internet and telephone communications authorised by the shadowy Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court as a necessary process for protecting American national security interests.

However, this week, the news that foreign embassies of allied and friendly nations were also put under surveillance here caused outrage, with a spokesman for the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, warning that “bugging friends is unacceptable.”

While the Indian embassy could not be reached for comment in time for this report, The Guardian exposé on the spying methods used against embassies said a key method was code-named ‘Dropmire,’ which, according to a 2007 document, is “implanted on the Cryptofax.”

This is said to be a reference to a bug placed in a commercially available encrypted fax machine used at missions such as that of the

European Union.

It is unclear whether the Indian embassy uses such a device.

According to The Guardian, the NSA documents noted that the machine was used to send cables back to foreign affairs ministries in the home countries.

In addition to India, nations friendly with the U.S. were placed under surveillance, according to the NSA documentation, and these included the EU missions and the French, Italian and Greek embassies, as well as a number of other American allies, including Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and Turkey.

“Traditional ideological adversaries and sensitive Middle Eastern countries” were also on the list of targets, the report noted. (The Hindu).

T

hree conclusions stem from the exposé by Der Spiegel of documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden on the extent of American spying on foreign governments.

Like the revelations themselves, they should not come as a surprise to our readers. First, the dichotomy of ‘civil liberties versus national security,’ which the United States — and other governments — have seized upon, is not only false but also a front for expansive surveillance.

The U.S. National Security Agency, whose star rose in the aftermath of 9/11, has simply used techniques endorsed by the ‘War on Terror’ to camouflage its traditional espionage op-

L

ike countless tragedies before it, Uttarakhand has been reduced to a spectacle by competitive showing off verging on the absurd. The flash floods that brought death and devastation to the hill State were still expending their fury when attention got diverted from the shock and horror of the main event to a string of political shows organised on the sidelines.

Unfortunately, the theatrics this time has gone beyond the usual one-upmanship to interference in official relief and rescue efforts. Uttarakhand’s terrain and weather are regarded as treacherous and have proved forbidding even for trained Air Force and Army personnel; the crash last week of an IAF

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

Head in sand on Snowden erations. Second, there exists no such concept as a “friend” or “ally” of the U.S. — partnerships be damned, especially when it comes to spying on the internal deliberations of other governments. Leaked NSA documents show the European Union, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and South Korea, all partners of the U.S., had their embassies and offices bugged, telephones tapped and computers hacked into. Third, Washington continues to consider international law as applicable to others, but not unto itself. Spying on embassies is a blatant violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic

Relations, 1961. While the Obama administration decries cyber crimes and “economic espionage” by China, Iran and North Korea, it has perpetuated the very same acts, only more brazen in that they exploit the trust of friendly countries.

While courting India as a key Asia ally, the U.S. has deployed its covert machinery to watch over New Delhi’s shoulder. The latest tranche of NSA documents reveal the Indian embassy in Washington D.C. too was targeted. The Guardian had previously reported, based on Mr. Snowden’s

leaks, how British and American agencies had spied on leaders at the 2009 G20 Summit — with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in attendance — in London. India is also among the biggest targets for illegal American intelligence gathering under the NSA’s datamining programme, “Boundless Informant.” It is unclear, but not unreasonable to speculate, whether such information includes official correspondence.

Yet, while many countries at the receiving end of U.S. espionage, including France and Germany, have threatened to retaliate with stern measures, India’s re-

Exploiting a tragedy helicopter underscores the risks involved in undertaking an authorised search mission in the region, not to speak of misadventures by unguided missiles. But politicians intent on heroism and adventure will hardly be deterred by the prospect of danger. One such daredevil was Congress MLA from Madhya Pradesh, Sanjay Pathak, who claimed to have rescued many stranded pilgrims by flying into Uttarakhand in his own helicopter. Other politicians made a beeline for Dehradun’s airport, adding to its already considerable problems by pressing into service their own fleet of aircraft and stampeding

to be the first to organise return passage for the rescued pilgrims. A Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh and two Telugu Desam Party MPs fought bitterly over who should get the first right to ferry back pilgrims from their State.

Nothing captures the black humour in all this as much as the drama around Narendra Modi’s much-quoted derring-do in allegedly pulling off the rescue of 15,000 Gujarati pilgrims. The story, published in a national daily and since denied, had it that the Gujarat Chief Minister flew into the State right in the middle of the raging flash floods and

flew out with his contingent. As bravery goes, this was hard to beat, and sure enough the ‘heroics’ got the online world buzzing with excitement. There was much exclaiming over a single determined man being able to do what the Indian Army could not.

Though the story has been denied, several versions of it are now in circulation, minus the implausible figure of 15,000 but nonetheless full of dazzling details on how the rescue was organised.

There has also been some angst over the Uttarakhand government’s refusal to accept from Mr. Modi the offer of two dozen heli-

Voice of Asia (USPS 010-215) (ISSN#10705058) is published every Friday (for a subscription rate of $30 per year) by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713-774-5143. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Voice of Asia, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074

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. - The Publisher

� � i Udipi Cafe � � a S ’� � a R

* Sugar Land location open 7 days. * Chaat - served at all locations.

pure vegetarian indian cuisine

• Authentic Taste • Healthy Alternatives • Pure Jain Food • Delicious Dishes

t Sugar Land: 281-313-2700 t CATERING: 281-914-2716

www.udipicafeusa.com SUGAR LAND Ph: 281-313-2700

3551 Highway 6, Sugar Land, TX 77478

HILLCROFT

UDIPI CAFE

Ph: 713 - 334 - 5555 5959 Hillcroft, Houston, TX-77036

sponse has been woolly at best. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has parroted the U.S. line on the NSA’s surveillance programme, saying “it is not actually snooping.”

He has also peremptorily dismissed Mr. Snowden’s asylum request, reflecting the establishment’s callous attitude to the leaks themselves. That the U.S. spies on other countries is no revelation; but the fact that our government is choosing to react in such a supine manner and refusing to stand up for the privacy of its citizens and the confidentiality of its official communication is truly shocking. (The Hindu)

Krishna chaat

Ph: 832 - 251 - 9000 5959 Hillcroft, Houston, TX-77036

KATY

Ph: 281 - 829 6100 943 S. Mason RoadKaty, Tx., 77450

RICHARDSON Ph: 469-330-1600 35 Richardson Heights village

Richardson Texas, 75080

copters, besides assistance to rebuild the Kedarnath temple. It can be nobody’s case that a Chief Minister or an individual politician should not offer help in a national crisis. But there is a time and place for it.

Excessive help and excessive publicity for the help can be counter-productive.

(The Hindu)

VISIT US ONLINE www.voiceofasiatvnews.com

VOICE OF ASIA 3

COMMUNITY VOICE OF ASIA

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

Second Front Page

Friday, July 5, 2013

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

DAV Montessori celebrates Graduation Day

Graduating students of DAV Montessori School

Tamal Krishna Goswami’s Vyasa Puja Celebrated at ISKCON Houston

Devotees at the Hare Krishna Dham, Houston where the celebrations took place.

by Rajeev Khanna

M

by HG Sarvabhauma Das

ay 19th , 2013 was a memorable day for the little graduates of DAV Montessori School (DAVMS) as they walked across the stage in their sky blue graduation caps and gowns to receive their graduation certificates from Chief Guest – Mr. Ramesh Bhutada. The awards ceremony was followed by a cultural program, centered around the theme of Nature, our environment and the mother earth.

The Arya Samaj Greater Houston complex was teeming with students, parents and grandparents to celebrate the momentous event. The stars of event were the young graduates and their fellow students who put together the stupendous cultural program that followed. The different classes of the school presented dances related to the theme of Nature; celebrating the fruits and joys provided by Mother Nature and warning against the damaging effects of the human behaviors on nature.

The dazzling music and the dances had the whole audience gyrating and tapping their feet – wishing they were on the stage as well. The flawless presentation showcased the beauty, talent and innocence of the children and the hard work and dedication of the teachers. DAVMS children have a multitude of opportunities to perform on stage in front of audiences throughout the year, and this gives them an edge by building their self-confidence and a foundation for future success. The whole performance was enacted as a

O

Children display their talents at the beauty and talent show. labor of love, the music, the choreography, the colorful costumes, and the makeup were simply breathtaking.

To top it all the school director, Mrs. Arti Khanna, in her annual school report, informed the gathering of the top-rate academic performance of DAVMS students in the Iowa tests that measures nationwide performance.

DAVMS students scored in the top 1 percent of national average, and most of them were performing 2-3 grades higher. This year the school also held its very first science and geography bee for the first grade students.

The past school year started with anticipation and eagerness, for the completion of the new school building. Thanks to Arya Samaj Management and the generous donations of

Tel: 713-774-5140

supporters, the school inaugurated its building addition at the start of the year in September. This building addition fulfilled the need for more space due to the growing enrollment. To keep pace with the growth, the school will be adding another KG class in the coming school year. The school building addition has also allowed the school to fulfill another long standing wish of the school parents. Mr. Shekhar Agrawal, on behalf of the Arya Samaj Management, announced that the school will be growing vertically and adding a 2nd and 3rd grade class in the coming school year.

Not only do the students excel academically, they are also very active in a multitude of extracurricular activities and community outreach events.

n Saturday June 29, 150 devotees gathered to honor the Vyasa Puja (Appearance Day) ceremony of His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami [1946-2002] at ISKCON Houston’s Hare Krishna Dham. Goswami served as secretary to ISKCON Founder-acarya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, was an initiating guru with disciples in India, America, Philippines, Fiji, Europe and Israel, helped develop the Houston and Dallas temples, and wrote many books including Living Theology, published recently by Oxford University Press. Notable speakers included HH Kesava Bharati Goswami of Bhaktivedanta Ashrama in Govardhan, U.P., Sikhi Mahiti Das of ISKCON Atlanta, Radha Jivan Das The audience saw an impressive video presentation chronicling the various school activities and events - like the annual Halloween carnival, the book fair and trike-a-thon to raise money for the St. Jude’s children research hospital. We take our hats off to Mrs. Arti Khanna and her dedicated team of teachers and parent volunteers – for all they do to give these children such a grounded education.

The DAV Montessori was started in the year 2000 as a unique school providing academic excellence with spiritual growth to the children ages 21/2 yrs. to 7yrs. This concept blends a suc-

of Alachua, Florida who heads an international campaign to complete ISKCON’s massive Temple of Vedic Planetarium in Mayapur, West Bengal by 2016, Kriya Sakti Dasi, caretaker of Tamal Krishna Goswami’s mother Lore who recently passed away in Houston in the presence of chanting devotees, Vatsala Das, Manikundala Dasi from Vrindavan, as well as many disciples of Goswami from Dallas and Houston.

A full scrumptious prasadam feast organized by Padaduli Dasi, Radha Krishna Das and Visakha Dasi, assisted by Hare Krishna Dhama’s youth group, was served. Hare Krishna Dham located on 1320 W 34th Street, Houston TX – 77018.

For more details, please visit www. iskconhouston.org or Call 713-686GITA (4482) cessful Montessori curriculum with instructions on Indian Culture, Traditions, (Moral Science), Yoga, music, dance, art and Hindi language.

Mrs. Arti Khanna thanked the management committee members, Acharya Surya Nanda ji and Acharya Praveen Gulati ji, the parents, and reminded everyone that, though only a few were mentioned by name, she has an army of teachers, volunteers and others who make it possible for DAVMS to be successful in its mission.

The function concluded traditionally with a beautiful rendition Aarti and Shanti Path by the DAVMS children.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 4

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

Your wages may be garnished for a student loan

Q. I owe money for a student loan. I was told that if I did not promptly make arrangements to pay they would garnish my wages. I thought wage garnishment was illegal in Texas?

A. As a general rule, wage garnishment is prohibited in Texas. There are, however, a few exceptions to this rule. Wage garnishment is permitted for child support, certain taxes, and student loans. In other words, what you were told is true.

Q. I own a condo. Recently the tenant upstairs left the water running and caused damage to my unit. I called the owner and he filed a claim with his insurance company, but it denied the claim.

The tenant has no renter’s insurance, and my own insurance isn’t enough to cover the cost of damages. What can I do? I really need to get my place repaired but the owners are now not returning calls. I feel I shouldn’t have to come out of pocket.

A. For someone to be responsible for damage done to your condo by the leak, he must have been negligent. There is no liability simply because someone owns or rents the unit. As far as the owner is concerned, I don’t see any way he has liability. He did nothing wrong. Whether he has insurance does not matter. The insurance company pays only what the person insured would be responsible to pay. The tenant, on the other hand, appears to have been negligent by allowing the water to run and flood your unit. Negligence means not acting reasonably, and a reasonable person would not leave the water running. Based on his negligence, the tenant is responsible for all the damage caused by the water. If he had insurance, he could file a claim with his insurance company to cover this liability. If even if he does not have insurance, he is still liable. Whether someone has insurance does not affect liability. I suggest you demand the tenant reimburse you.

If he doesn’t, consider small claims court.

Q. How much notice is an employee entitled to before he is fired? I showed up for work last week and was fired. Am I entitled to two week’s notice? This doesn’t seem fair.

A. As a legal matter, you are not entitled to any prior notice. Unless you have an employment contract or union agreement that says otherwise, you may be fired with no prior notice. Your employer may not have treated you fairly, but from a legal standpoint, it had the right to do what it did.

Q. My daughter had a baby and is living with the baby’s father. Are they common law married?

He says they are not. What rights does she have if he leaves? He is taking care of her and the baby but is threatening to leave her.

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

NASA Chief Scientist Dr Kamlesh Lulla celebrates 25 years of accomplishments at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas

D

r Kamlesh Lulla, an internationally acclaimed NASA chief scientist was recently honored for his 25 years of service to the nation’s space agency and to the United States government. Dr Lulla is currently the director for technology development and innovative research for future human space exploration missions.

Dr Lulla’s 25 year distinguished career at NASA includes serving as chief scientist for Earth Observations for the Space Shuttle missions, training astronauts in earth science payloads, serving as the chief of ight science ofďŹ ce and as principal scientist for the International Space Station observational facility.

Dr Lulla has received more than 180 scientiďŹ c and professional awards including the NASA’s highest honor- the Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2005 and the Astronaut Ellison Onizuka

Dr Kamlesh Lulla and his wife Marianne at the NASA awards ceremony on June 11th 2013.

Immigration Law George R. Willy P.C is now

A. Under the law, if he is the father of the child, she has the right to receive support for the child.

She is entitled to child support regardless of whether they are married.

You seem to believe, however, that because they are living together with a child, they are married. That is not the law. For them to have a common law marriage based on living together, they must agree to be married and hold themselves out as married. If they are just “living together� and have not agreed to be married or held themselves out as married, they are not married.

Q. Two years ago, I had a car accident. Now the driver of the other car is suing me. My insurance company refused to pay, so he is suing me. What should I do?

A. The first thing you should do is contact your insurance company. It should provide you with an attorney to defend the lawsuit against you. If your insurance company refused to pay because it did not believe you were responsible, you probably have no liability, and the insurance company will pay the costs of defending you. On the other hand, if your insurance company was wrong and you are responsible, your insurance company will pay your liability. Either way, you should not have any individual liability beyond your deductible.

Want to know more about your legal rights? Check out my website, www.peopleslawyer.net

1200 Soldier’s Field Dr., Suite 100, Sugar Land, TX 77479

r IOUFHSJUZ r DJHOJUZ r Competence

r Over 25 years of Immigration Law Practice. r Now taking family law cases, employment cases and select criminal matters. r Former District Directors of Immigration, Thomas Fischer, Roger Piper and Former Consul General, Thomas Hutson serve as Special Advisors to the firm. r Member - American Immigration Lawyer’s Association since 1989. r Providing representation for Canadian Immigration through our Alliance with a prominent Canadian law firm. r Former IRS Attorney Mike Azad available for represen tation in Estate Planning, Probate Law, Asset Protection and Tax Law. r Handles Legal Needs in India Related to Sale and Purchase of Property, Estate Planning and Marital Matters, in Association with an Indian Law Firm.

GEORGE WILLY Principal Attorney

Over 16 languages spoken by our Firm’s staff. r &NQMPZNFOU r 1SPGFTTJPOBM 7JTBT r %FQPSUBUJPO r 'BNJMZ r 4LJMMFE 8PSLFS 7JTBT r /BUVSBMJ[BUJPO r 4FMFDU $SJNJOBM r $BOBEJBO *NNJHSBUJPO r *OWFTUNFOU 7JTBT

Thomas P.Fischer Roger Piper Thomas R.Hutson *Special Advisors to the Firm* • Houston • Atlanta • Canada • Ahmedabad, India

r

XXX HSXQD DPN r JNNJHSBUJPO! HSXQD DPN

.BTBMB 3BEJP ! ".

Every Wednesday at 5PM

LI EN o t VE

E

!

LY

IL

W

5BNJM .JSDIJ ! ". &WFSZ SE 4BUVSEBZ ! QN

RG

"OEISB .JSDIJ ! ". &WFSZ OE 4BUVSEBZ ! QN

ST

(FFUBOKBMJ 3BEJP ! ". &WFSZ TU SE 4BUVSEBZT BU QN

FREE CONSULTATIONS EVERY THURSDAY!

LI

8303 Southwest Freeway, Suite 855, Houston, Texas 77074

.VTJD JO UIF #PY ! ". &WFSZ ăVSTEBZ BU ".

EO

(713) 981-5500 contact@e-mgi.com

Call or go online to make an appointment!

G

MERCHANTS GROUP INC

Pauline Appelbaum *Of Counsel

* Board Certified in Estate Planning & Probate Law

Auto-Home-Commercial-Life Syed Jafri Insurance Agency

281-733-2695 • sjafri@farmersagent.com www.farmersagent.com/sjafri Visit our website 24/7 for a Quote!

Discounts for Teachers, Nurses, Engineers, Ask for other professions.

9100 SW Freeway, Suite:233, Houston, TX 77074

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 5

FAAA’s XII Annual Convention in Houston, A Grand Success

Dr. Nausha Asrar, “Nash” seen presenting a framed copy of his Nazm (poem) to Vice Chancellor Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Zameer Uddin Shah.

Dr. Moyeenul Haque

Continued from Page 1 The fourth session started after lunch break, Chaired by Prof. Habib Zuberi included a presentation by the Vice Chancellor.

Vice Chancellor Lt. Gen. (Retd) Zameer Uddin Shah spoke at length and made a PP presentation. Highlights of his talk included the need to improve the facilities at AMU especially the housing which he said was in pathetic state. As a result of which foreign student’s numbers had declined, he said. He informed the audience that the government has sanctioned funds for the construction of a hall of residence for 1000 boys and another one for 1500 girls. He mentioned that additional assistance from the government and the Aga Khan Foundation was being sort for upgrading the campus infrastructure.

The VC expressed pride in Aligarh Muslim University Alumni all over the world and hoped that they could assist him in his mission to achieve top spot for AMU in the nation. He added that the Alumni’s help will be appropriately acknowledged, and complete transparency will be maintained in financial matters. The VC the federation for the invitation and providing the opportunity to interact with AMU alumni spread across North America. A Q & A session followed his address.

The fifth session was chaired by Mr. Umar Farooq and included the Panel discussion. Panelists included, Profs. Habib Zuberi, Wasi Siddiqui, Tariq Haqqi, and Tahir Hussain The proceedings of the day were concluded in this session with the election for the post of president.

The names of all office bearers of the federation along with their contact details will be listed on federation’s website (www.aligs.org). This marked the closing of the day-long sessions of the convention.

The evening program began with the recitation of Quran by Mr. Shakeib Mashood followed by welcome by Dr. Syed Abuzar, President of the host association.

The guest of honor Mr. P. Harish,

Inaugural Session in progress.

Consul General of India (Houston) was introduced by Mr. Latafath Hussain. Mr. Harish spoke eloquently and suggested the AMU alumni should move from ritual of Sir Syed Day celebration to spread of Sir Syed’s mission of imparting modern education. His speech attracted a great deal of interest from Aligarh alumni and local Houston community.

Chief Guest Mr. Shah was introduced by Prof. Tahir Hussain, the newly elected president of the Federation. Mr. & Mrs. Shah were presented with bouquet of flowers and symbolic gifts. Dr. Nausha Asrar, “Nash” presented a framed copy of his Nazm (poem) which he recited the previous night.

Community Service Awards were presented to Dr. Moyeenul Haque and Mr. Omar Farooq by the Vice Chancellor.

After a vote-of-thanks by Mr. Perwaiz Jafri, the official proceedings of the convention concluded with the singing of university anthem, “Tarana-e-Aligarh”. Vice Chancellor, Zameer Uddin Shah enthusiastically participated in the singing of the Tarana.

In the last part of the day long program Ugayan Parikh took the center

stage and mesmerized the audience with his captivating voice. His magical and soulful vocals transported the Houston community and visiting alumni into an evening of fun and loud cheers. He was ably assisted by Alaap on Tabla.

The next day was marked by a semi-formal round of discussion with Vice Chancellor Shah who urged the AMU community to support their alma mater in every possible way. He discussed his plan to organize World Alumni Summit in Aligarh in March 2014 to coincide with the annual convocation.

He invited the alumni to Aligarh Muslim University for participation in the summit in large numbers.

Dr. Saif Sheikh also invited every one to XIII annual convention of the federation of Aligarh Alumni Associations to be held in Chicago from June 20-22, 2014.

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

Greater Houston Ratha Yatra at Discovery Green

H

are Krishna Dham Houston and Char Dham Temple are delighted to extend invitation to all Houstonians to attend Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra Festival and Parade, also known as Festival of Chariots, in downtown Houston @ Discovery Green on Saturday, July 13, 2013 from 5PM – 8PM. Jagannath means “The Lord of the Universe” and is worshipped around the World as a very pleasant and benevolent Deity of Supreme Divinity. The Annual Rath Yatra Festival at Jagannath Puri commemorates the summer vacation of Lord Jagannath, with His elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, from the Main Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri, India to a neighboring temple, Gundicha Mandir. A glimpse of Lord Jagannatha on the chariot is considered to be very auspicious and scriptures have repeatedly glorified the sanctity of this special festival. The sanctity of the festival is such that even a touch of the chariot or even the ropes with which these are pulled is considered enough to confer the results of several pious deeds or penance for ages.

Devotees from ISKCON centres all over the world, enthusiastically participate every year. The Skanda Purana glorifies the sanctity of the Rath Yatra in the following words- Gundicha mandapam namam jatrahamajanam pura Ashwamedha sahasrasya mahabedi tadadvabat. Those who are fortunate to see the deities of the Srimandira in the Gundicha Temple, the final destination of the procession of the chariots, derive the benefits of a thousand horse sacrifices, an immensely pious deed.

To glorify Lord Jagannath all over the planet earth, His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder acarya of ISKCON, made Lord Jagannath’s mercy accessible to people outside India by introducing the tradition of celebrating Lord Jagannath’s Ratha Yatra outside India. Following the same spirit and tradition, ISKCON has been celebrating Ratha Yatras for more than 35 years, across India and in all major cities of the world - London, Paris, Moscow, Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Toronto, Durban, Sydney, and many other metropolises to fulfill one of it’s core purposes to systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all people in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.

Hare Krishna Dham Houston feels par-

ticularly blessed by Sri Sri Radha Nila Madhava, who historically inspired the appearance of Lord Jagannath and, who has been steadily worshiped since 1986 at Hare Krishna Dham. Now Sri Sri Nila Madhava in His form as Lord Jagannath has mercifully agreed to perform His ratha yatra pastimes in Houston again.

Some of the highlights of the festival are: • For the first time three chariots are being used at any rath yatra in Houston.

• The Chariots were designed in Puri and assembled here (16 wheels for Lord Jagannath, 14 wheels for Lord Balbhadra, 12 wheels for Subhadra). The carts are replicas of the ones used in the famous Puri Ratha yatra.

• Special deities (2.5ft tall) have been ordered from Puri for this occasion.

It’s made exactly the same way as those in the Puri temple. There are seven layers between wood and paint which make deities living entities.

• Discovery Green as a central well known location to make the event accessible to all Houstonians. First time, an Indian cultural event celebrated at the beautiful venue.

• Ecstatic kirtan parties comprising of devotees from Houston, Dallas, San Antonio in front of each chariot • World renowned music group “Mayapuris” will be performing. Other multi-cultural performances include Indian classical, masala bhangra, Polish, Scottish country and Chinese folk dances and music.

• Free Dinner prasadam feast, and other types of ethnic food and drinks for purchase • Free health screenings like BP checks.

• Face Painting & balloons for children and air brush tattoos for all ages.

• FREE Fun filled event for the whole family, being done at such a grand level for the first time.

For the first time the ratha yatra is being made accessible to all local Houstonians

by The Hare Krishna Dham Houston, and SKAI Foundation, underscoring the fact that Jagannath is Lord of the Universe. This ancient and sacred festival at Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney Street, Houston, Texas 77010 on July 13, 2013 is a celebration of the cultural diversity of Houston hoping to improve interfaith tolerance, unity & understanding.

SOUTH ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 7

by Masroor GILANI ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif heads to China this week on his first foreign tour, eyeing highimpact Chinese infrastructure projects as an answer to economic malaise and an energy crisis.

Pakistan PM heads to China, eyes big investment

Weak growth, inflation, dwindling foreign exchange reserves and power cuts of up to 20 hours a day ruining industry are some of the biggest problems that Sharif faces as head of government.

He made fixing Pakistan’s woeful economy and energy crisis the mantra of his election campaign and since winning a comfortable majority in May, has sought to strengthen economic ties with Beijing, arguably Islamabad’s closest ally.

During his July 4-8 visit, Sharif is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, financial and corporate leaders, and visit major industrial centres and special economic zones.

Before even being sworn into office, Sharif hosted Li as the first foreign head of government to visit since his election victory.

In June, Sharif asked stateowned China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) to install solar power plants, look into mining and explore iron ore, and he discussed the building of underground train networks in Pakistan’s largest cities.

Sharif said Saturday that plans to build a trade corridor from the Chinese border to the Arabian Sea would be a “game changer” that would bring development and prosperity to three billion people.

“Pakistan has to come out of its difficulties and we want to

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

an extension of cooperation on hydropower projects and nuclear cooperation, which he said looks like moving into the 1000MW range, China’s first such reactors overseas.

it comes to the still-sensitive questions around Sino-Pakistani civil-nuclear cooperation,” he told AFP.

“How much gets formally announced during the visit is another matter - especially when

Any route to Gwadar lies through the southwestern province of Baluchistan, which is

But China will also raise concerns about security.

plagued by separatist, sectarian and Taliban violence.

On June 22, gunmen shot dead 10 foreign climbers, three of them Chinese, at a base camp in the Himalayas, the worst attack on foreigners in the country for a decade.

The mountaineers were killed in a region not only supposedly safe but not too far from where some Chinese hydropower and infrastructure projects are underway, Small said.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stands during a press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron at the Prime Minister’s house in Islamabad on Jun. 30, 2013. AFP File PHOTO cooperate with each other on... infrastructure and in the field of energy,” Sharif added.

Chinese investment is popular in Pakistan where Sharif, himself one of the richest businessmen in the country, won plaudits for pulling off high-impact infrastructure projects such as a high-speed motorway during his two previous tenures in office.

“A trade corridor really could be transformative in parts of our ailing economy and it is here that the technocrats and business acumen of the new government are going to be shaping future foreign policy for Pakistan,” wrote newspaper The News on Monday.

China-Pakistan trade last year reached $12 billion and is targeted to rise to $15 billion in the next two to three years.

During his visit to Islamabad, Li said Beijing was ready to speed up work to upgrade the Karakoram Highway, a vital link to any future economic corridor into Pakistan from the

Chinese border.

China this year acquired Pakistan’s Gwadar port, which through an expanded Karakoram Highway could connect it to the Arabian Sea and Strait of Hormuz, a gateway for a third of the world’s traded oil.

On Monday, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters that Beijing attaches great importance to Sharif’s visit and welcomed the agreement on an economic corridor.

“I believe that such a cooperation project will help both countries as well as the development of the whole region,” she told reporters.

Analyst Andrew Small of the German Marshall Fund of the United States said Pakistan was hoping for “substantive agreements”.

He said the most important areas were the economic corridor to Gwadar, particularly proposed new infrastructure links,

India launches satellite for new navigation system

In this Monday July 1, 2013, photo, Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C22) carrying dedicated navigation satellite, IRNSS-1A lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh state, India. —AP Photo BANGALORE, July 2, 2013 (AFP) - India launched the first of seven satellites for its domestic satellite navigation network Tuesday, its space centre said, in the first step to creating a scaled down version of the US Global Positioning System.

A rocket took off in the early hours from a site in the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh and injected the 600-kilogramme (1,300-pound) satellite into orbit 20 minutes later.

Once fully operational in 2015, the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) will provide accurate positioning services for civilian and military users across India and up to 1,500 kilometres (937 miles) beyond its borders.

“The remaining six navigational satellites will be launched at every six months over the next 30-36 months,” Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K. Radhakrishnan said after the launch.

The United States’ GPS is the most widely used network by consumers with 24 satellites, but other countries including Russia, the European Union and most recently China have developed rival positioning systems.

China’s Beidou, or Compass, navigation system started providing services in the region in December, and is expected to offer global coverage by 2020.

Beijing began building the network in 2000 to avoid re-

WORLD WIDE VIDEO & APPLIANCES Next to: SARI SAPNE 5655 Hillcroft, Houston, TX 77036 • 713-975-1257

SUMMER CLEARANCE ALL ORIGINAL AUDIO CASSETTES - $0.59 c ALL ORIGINAL PRE-VIEWED DVD - $2.99 ALL ORIGINAL NEWS DVD - $5.99 CITIZEN’s WATCH for MEN & LADIES REGULAR $45.00 NOW AT : $34.95 *Photo for Illustration only.

Actual watch models vary.

CHARLIE GOLD 100 ml. COLOGNE REGULAR $14.95 NOW AT : $ 7.95 * Not responsible for printing errors. We reserve the right to limit quantity. Sale only till stock lasts. Models and varieties may vary. No refunds. All sales final!

PRICED TO CLEAR ONLY TILL STOCKS LAST!!!

SPECIAL PRICES ON Unlocked Cell Phones, Panasonic Cordless Phones, Grinders, Tortilla Makers, Cross Pens, Parker Pens, Sheaffer, Irons, Blenders, Toasters, Food Processors, All 220 Volts

UPRIGHT LUGGAGE 24” Durable Weight REGULAR $35.00 NOW AT : $12.95 *Photo for Illustration only.

Actual travel models vary.

HAWKINS PRESSURE COOKER REGULAR $39.00 NOW AT : $22.95

FAMILY SIZES ALSO AVAILABLE

WORLD/US

VOICE OF ASIA 8

Amid spying saga, India unveils cyber security policy Continued from Page 1 space.” It said the country needs to “adopt a suitable posturing that can signal our resolve to make determined efforts to effectively monitor, deter and deal with cyber crime and cyber attacks.”

But the policy document is low on details on how government plans to achieve its objectives.

It notes that Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) will be the nodal

agency for all cyber security emergencies and would function round the clock. It also talks about operating sectoral CERTs and a National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre.

Other measures discussed in the policy include training five lakh cyber security professionals in the next five years, focus on the use of open source software for government services and proper validation of IT products

and services used by government departments.

The last measure is particularly significant in the wake of the NSA leaks that reportedly reveals the US government works with the technology companies to spy on foreigners. In the leaked material unnamed NSA official claimed that without the help from technology companies, the ability of NSA to monitor and spy on foreigners would be greatly reduced.

Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla accused of grave tampering

Nelson Mandela’s eldest grandson has been accused of illegal grave tampering, as the bitter row within the family grew increasingly acrimonious.

By Cole Moreton, Pretoria Members of Mr Mandela’s family laid the charge against Mandla Mandela at a police station in the Eastern Cape, according to a spokesman for the South African Police Service.

Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela of the Mthatha police said: “Members of the Mandela family opened a case of tampering with grave against Mandla Mandela at Bityi police station this afternoon.”

A public prosecutor will now decide whether to press charges, he added.

The accusations involve the bodies of three of Mr Mandela’s children, who were moved from a family graveyard about two years ago by Mandla Mandela.

The development came as a court case began in the Eastern Cape High Court where a judge is being asked to rule where the bodies of Mr Mandela’s children should be buried. A decision is expected on Wednesday and will likely decide where the 94-year-old South African former president is laid to rest.

The Nobel laureate is believed to be on life support in a Pretoria hosiptal, where his condition is “critical but stable”.

He has said that he wants to be buried on a hillside overlooking the home he built in his childhood village of Qunu after he was released from prison, alongside his children.

However, his eldest grandson, who inherited his position as a chief in the Thembu tribe, moved the bodies two years ago to his own village of Mvezo, 13 miles away.

The application to make Mandla put them back was made by 16 other members of the Mandela family including the former leader’s eldest daughter Makaziwe. She has taken a lead in family matters since her father was admitted to hospital with a lung infection in June.

Makaziwe arrived in court yesterday with two of Mr Mandela’s grandchildren, including 30-year-old Ndaba Mandela, who criticised Mandla in the press.

“Mandla is a power-hungry, self-obsessed man who is only concerned about himself,” he said, suggesting the family had been wrong to give him the title passed on by grandfather. “Unfortunately we realised that he wanted it for all the wrong reasons.”

Mandla Mandela has been involved in the creation of a visitor’s centre in Mvezo, which would benefit greatly from revenue if his grandfather was buried there.

Tribal elders have suggested that both sides are upsetting their ancestors by disrespecting the family name, while others fear the damage that is being done to Mr Mandela’s legacy.

Gwede Mantesha, the secretary general of the African National Congress, said: “The family must look at Mandela and see that Mandela was a unifier. They must reconcile.”

Separately, FW de Klerk, Mr Mandela’s fellow Nobel laureate and predecessor as president, entered hospital on Tuesday night to have a pacemaker fitted. The operation was successful.

(Courtesy: The Telegraph)

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

US delays portion of health care law WASHINGTON, July 2, 2013 (AFP) - President Barack Obama’s administration announced late Tuesday it will delay by one year enforcement of a part of the federal health care law that penalizes employers for not providing health insurance.

Employers with more than 50 workers were required to provide coverage to their employees from 2014, but the government was now pushing that back to 2015 to give them time to adjust.

“We have heard concerns about the complexity of the requirements and the need for more time to implement them effectively,” said the Treasury Department, which oversees implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“We recognize that the vast majority of businesses that will need to do this reporting already provide health insurance to their workers, and we want to make sure it is easy for others to do so,” Mark

Mazur, Treasury’s assistant secretary for tax policy, said in a blog post.

The landmark but controversial law, passed by Congress in 2010, aims to provide affordable health care for everyone, and enshrines certain protections including a ban on denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions.

But it has suffered severe criticism, especially from Republicans in Congress who view it as overburdensome and unconstitutional.

Some lawmakers warned that the policy would prompt companies to downsize their workforce or slash employee hours as a way to circumvent the new mandate.

Mazur acknowledged that the move would allow Treasury to come up with “ways to simplify the new reporting requirements,” adding that the department will publish formal guidance “within the next week.”

Treasury’s announcement prompted cheers from some quarters in the business community and Congress.

The Senate’s top Republican Mitch McConnell said that while “the White House seems to slowly be admitting what Americans already know,” repeal of the employer mandate should be just the first step.

“The fact remains that Obamacare needs to be repealed and replaced with common-sense reforms that actually lower costs for Americans.”

The National Retail Federation commended what it called the administration’s “wise move” -- a delay the group had long called for.

“This one-year delay will provide employers and businesses more time to update their health care coverage without threat of arbitrary punishment,” NRF Vice President Neil Trautwein said in a statement.

Mandla Mandela. (File Photo : The Telegraph)

Sari Sapne & 713-783-1480, 81, 82 Sapna Boutique HUGE Summer Clearance!

5651 Hillcroft St, Houston, TX 77036

HAKOBA SAREES

PRINTED CHIFFON

Regular Price $35.00

Regular Price $25.00 ON SALE $18.00

ON SALE $19.95

New 40 Colors in Pure French Chiffon

S E E R A EE S 5 R A Y BU T 1 S !

GE FREE FANCY BLOUSE & SAREES REGULAR $250.00 NOW $99.00

40 to 50% OFF on ALL SEMI-BRIDAL & BRIDAL LEHENGAS

* Not responsible for printing errors.

We reserve the right to limit quantity. Sale only till stock lasts.

Fashions, designs, and varieties may vary. These styles may be available!

No refunds. All sales final!

Crepe Printed Palloo Sarees Reg: $35.00 Sale $25.00

VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

VOICE OF ASIA 10

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

VOICE OF ASIA 11

LIFESTYLE

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

Vol. 26

No. 27

Friday, July 5, 2013

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

High-tech tombstones let loved ones live on, virtually

by Brigitte Dusseau

R

P

ARIS,- Asian designers on Thursday took to the catwalks at Paris fashion week with the sharp lines of South Korea’s Wooyoungmi’s scorched desertinspired collection vying for attention with young Japanese designer Yusuke Takahashi’s colourful exploration of traditional dyeing techniques for Issey Miyake.

But that’s not all.

Without leaving this vast cemetery in a suburb of Philadelphia, he can listen to the deceased’s favorite music, read remembrances, write in a guest book and even share pictures and feelings on Twitter or Facebook.

Here at Sunset Memorial Park, everyone equipped with a smartphone or tablet can do the same, provided they download the proper app.

In a collection described as a departure from Wooyoungmi’s “steady focus on her ideal man as a source of inspiration” the South Korean drew on winter thoughts of a “scorched desert landscape”.

All it takes is a simple scan of a QR code -- a square, black barcode stuck to the tombstone -- to learn about Lance Clinton Erb, laid to rest beneath a bronze plaque engraved with the years of his birth and death -- “1947-1990” -- and a picture of his beloved pet Labrador.

For almost a year now, Miller and his wife Lorie -- Erb’s stepdaughter -- have specialized in the sale of QR memorials through their “Digital Legacys” business -- one of just a few to offer such a service in the United States.

Giving a grave that high-tech edge doesn’t take much. All one has to do is email the couple photos, videos, documents and music linked to the departed, which they then assemble into a tribute on a secure website.

Surviving family members then get a tag with the QR code - complete with a heavy duty, weather-resistant adhesive -- in the mail.

“It’s very simple,” Miller told AFP. “It is a great idea for a lot of reasons, particularly for young children who have had family members that they never got to know.”

Using this technology, their young daughter can become familiar with her grandfather who passed away several years ago, he said.

“She can be at the cemetery and scan and remember somebody that she never met, and be able to see that person and learn about that person.”

-- Eternity for $149.99 -If loved ones want to update their online memorial, the Millers can take care of that, too.

“People love the idea,” Miller said in the grassy, peaceful setting marked by dozens of miniature US flags fluttering near the final resting places.

Asian designers centre stage at Paris fashion

by Helen ROWE

ick Miller kneels in front of a grave and uses his cell phone to scan a small barcode on a tombstone. Within seconds, he’s looking at photos and videos of a lost loved one.

The installation takes a mere 30 seconds.

Tel: 713-774-5140

Rick Miller, co-founder of Digital Legacys, reads a QR code on memorial plaque in Philadelphia, June 16, 2013 (AFP/File, Guillaume Meyer) “It is such a great way to mix technology with the legacy of somebody, and have the ability to remember them and see them up close.”

“It’s a kind of lighthearted way to remember,” Lorie Miller added. “People come to the grave, talk to people, look at the pictures, and say ‘I remember that wedding,’ or ‘I remember that suit’...”

And the price tag for this digital legacy? A lifetime subscription sells for $149.99 and encompasses the QR code and the online memorial. A year is $99.99.

Buyers can add a password so that only family members have access to the material.

The Millers started the project to me-

morialize their loved ones in a different way, but don’t plan to stop there.

Since starting their business, they have received inquiries from around the United States -- and even as far afield as Australia.

Some older cemeteries have an interest in the technology because they can display tags on historic graves, enabling visitors to learn about events long ago associated with those laid to rest there, according to Rick Miller.

Lorie Miller is also considering using QR codes to tell the stories of celebrities.

“People give us ideas, ask us about different possibilities,” she said.

Working with denim A model presents a creation by Wooyoungmi on June for the first time, Wooy- 27, 2013 in Paris (AFP, Patrick Kovarik) oungmi -- who was the first South Korean designer to venture into clothing to be imperfectly fitting and menswear - offered sharply tailored come in only one size included a short jackets, button-up shirts and stiff-bod- double breasted jacket teamed with ied t-shirts in cactus green, sky blue, wide-legged trousers cropped just sandy beige and python print. below the knee and a grey and white The 27-year-old Yusuke Takahashi print ensemble worn with a with highmeanwhile showcased a range of tra- necked shirt, tie and hair side plait. ditional dyeing techniques in his first Notably, the models included Swiss collection for the Issey Miyake Men fashion newcomer Tamy Glauser label. whose androgynous look has seen her Long flowing coats and Nehru join a small band of women who have jackets in intricate, irregular patterns, also found themselves in demand on stripes or large checks were teamed the men’s catwalks. with shorts or wide-legged trousers Friday will see shows by two more and caps.

Asian designers -- Juun J. of South Explaining one of the techniques, Korea and Junya Watanabe of Japan. the label said that after dyeing fabric Juun J. is known for his oversized black using the itajime method, blue garments layered together in one and red were then printed on top by piece, with military references said to silkscreen printing. be inspired by his national service in In another, the batik dyeing tech- the South Korean army. nique involved many layers of antiJunya Watanabe, meanwhile, likes dyeing glue being printed on cloth to experiment with cutting edge fabwhich was then hardened and broken rics and usually bases his collections by hand. around deconstructing and recon“The dye penetrates between the structing a single concept. cracks, leaving individual complex A show by another Japanese designpatterns,” it added. er, Miharayasuhiro, who first made Influential veteran Japanese de- his name in footwear with a collection signer Yohji Yamamoto also presented created while he was still a student, is a collection later Thursday with his also scheduled for Saturday. trademark black and grey offset with Noted for a muted, monochromatsplashes of yellow and sky blue. ic signature style, Miharayasuhiro Looks from the designer who fa- launched his first store SOSU (prime mously says he’d prefer all men’s number) in Tokyo in 1998 before expanding into menswear.

DESI MATRIMONIAL SERVICES Helping the Desi Community to find a dream boy / dream girl for their loved ones.

Meet your soulmate one on one in our office. All potential members are pre-screened for Immigration Status.

Background check, Employment Verification, Credit Check & Kundali Match For more information contact, Meenakshi Manik at: 713-541-4357 or E-mail: meetursoulmate1on1@gmail.com Call: 713-541-4357 Visit us today at: 6666 Harwin Dr, Suite:603 Houston, TX 77036

VOICE OF ASIA 12

Friday, July 5, 2013

by Fabienne Faur

W

hen April Burton explains the intricacies of French grammar to her American classroom, the students are at home, in front of their computer or smartphone.

Young Life Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

es like videos, games.”

TeachThought, an online platform for educators, forecast that teachers and schools would begin disappearing by 2028 due to the advent of learning simulations, with some pockets of resistance.

Burton, who teaches at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Missouri, decided last year to use the approach made popular in the United States since the Khan Academy began offering thousands of lessons and exercises online.

“We really have to change the way things used to be done,” said Burton, a Southeast Missouri State University graduate in French education who has 14 years of teaching experience.

“Madame” Burton, as she is known by students, now explains grammar rules or vocabulary in a five-minute video to be watched at home. Students do exercises in class.

“It allows us to have more work class time where I’m not standing in front of them, where they can work in groups on projects,” Burton told AFP. “It allows me to walk around the room and to talk to every student on a daily basis... see if they have questions. I actually feel that I know my students better because I’m not standing in front of them lecturing.”

Burton had to learn new skills quickly, like building a website, using a new type of PowerPoint presentation and tweaking software.

In a video explaining how to conjugate the verb “pouvoir” (“can”), students can hear her voice, see her

Tel: 713-774-5140

Lessons at home and homework at school in US

As for the homework, they will do it the following day, at school, thanks to the “flipped” classrooms approach made possible thanks to new technologies that are transforming education.

“There were so many things I wanted to do with my students but didn’t have the time, so many days I was spending lecturing.”

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

A student in front of his computer pencil writing words, connecting them, underlining them. In one for demonstrative adjectives, she added drawings and photographs.

Noosphere.

“Basically you talk through the PowerPoint that in a traditional classroom I would have shown in front of the class,” Burton explained.

Increasingly sophisticated tablets, media players and smartphones can host thousands of applications and images now available for teachers and students, products of both e-learning and brick and mortar institutions.

At home, students watching videos on their computer, tablet or smartphone can listen to the lesson as many times as necessary and at his or her own pace while taking notes.

And students can address any questions they had about the videos to the teacher in class the next day.

-- ‘Video is much easier’ -“In theory, we should have told students a long time ago to take their books home, read a chapter and do exercises in school,” said Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry, founder of market research firm

“If this had worked, practically speaking, we would have done that a long time ago. Video is much easier.”

New technologies have “changed education in ways that the Industrial Revolution changed society from an agrarian one,” said National Education Association senior policy analyst Mike Kaspar.

“That may be philosophical, but new technologies are changing culture overall: the way we think about the school day, the need for ‘brick and mortar’ schools, the use of a hard copy materials versus e-books and other e-resourc-

The YES Abroad program is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Through his participation in the YES Abroad program, Anirudh will be at

the forefront of citizen diplomacy, serving as a “youth ambassador” in his host country, promoting mutual understanding by building lasting relationships with his host family and friends, and through community engagement in volunteer service and leadership training.

The Kennedy-Lugar YES program was first authorized by the U.S. Congress in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, as an effort to increase dialogue and understanding between the U.S. and countries with significant Muslim populations.

Initially created as a program for international high school students to live and study in the United States, the YES program was ex-

IQ LEARNING Sugar Land

Where Excellence is the Norm, not the Exception

panded in 2007 to include YES Abroad for American high school students. The YES Abroad program provides opportunities for Americans to study for an academic year in select countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, South Africa, Thailand, and Turkey. The YES Abroad program is administered by a consortium of non-profit organizations led by American Councils for Interna-

Burton stressed that children today are not like their predecessors who just sat behind desks and took in the information teachers gave them.

Just as students need to do homework to reinforce the lessons from the school day, making good food choices at home has to happen as well. Parents should not dismiss the benefits of this campaign.

“They are so busy, they are playing videogames constantly, texting their friends, watching YouTube videos; they can’t sit in a classroom and we can’t expect them to just sit and listen,” she added.

“I want them to love French, to learn about the different cultures that speak French, and I think that just listening to me talk all the time doesn’t do. They need to be researching and finding out by themselves.”

Mackenzie Klotzbach, 15, said she liked the new approach.

“I liked the flipped classroom, it meant less homework most of the time.

I came to class prepared, because we would talk about the video and I could just zone out because I already had it down. I think I learned it better too,” she said.

“It was tough though. Learning object pronouns through videos, I would have liked to have learned that one in class.”

tional Education and including AFSUSA, AMIDEAST, and iEARN-USA. Exchanges taking place in Malaysia are administered by AFS. AFS is a worldwide, nonprofit organization that has been a leader in international exchange for more than 60 years. Visit www.afsusa.org for more information on studying abroad, hosting an exchange student, or bringing intercultural learning into the classroom.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 required the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish nutritional standards for foods sold at schools. This has been an ongoing process as the USDA works with school officials and nutritional experts to find an effective and affordable plan.

We support the recent announcement that more nutritional standards regarding fat, calories, sugar and sodium will be put in place. The new rules, proposed in February and made final last week, regulate snacks sold around the school and in the “a la carte” line in cafeterias.

Many local schools have already made improvements to their cafeteria offerings, so this may not be a dramatic change for all districts. However, at some schools these new regulations could mean that rather than just selling french fries or nachos in addition to the main “healthy” meal, more nutritious options like a low-fat hamburger or yogurt would be available.

The new guidelines don’t apply to snacks sold at concession stands at athletic games or theater events. It also doesn’t make the schools regulate what kids bring from home for classroom celebrations or their daily lunches.

That means teachers won’t be checking everyone’s brown paper bag to make sure they’re eating well. A kid can ignore whatever is on the lunch line and in the vending machines and eat candy bars and cookies if he wants.

Obviously, everyone has free choice.

However, the statistics on the health of New Jersey’s residents show a need for stronger efforts to promote better eating choices. (The Record)

The best place for Learning, Tutoring and Test Prep in Sugar Land www.iq-learning.com • Ph: 832-387-6250 • Email: contact@iq-learning.com

Summer Programs Now Open for Grades 4 through 12

PROOF ONLY

Our Credentials:

While this is a positive step in the effort to fight obesity, it won’t be effective unless families embrace the idea of building healthier eating habits in their kids.

Some may argue that the federal government is being a “super nanny” by telling kids what they can and can’t eat.

But parents send their children to school to prepare them to lead productive lives.

Examples of healthy eating can and should be part of their educational experience.

Regular tutoring available throughout the year. IQ Learning is open 7 days a week.

• • • • •

MORE CHANGES are coming to school cafeterias soon. Instead of chocolate bars and high-calorie sports drinks, kids will see granola bars and lower-calorie beverages in the vending machines.

“Remaining schools that refuse to adapt to new technology and cultural trends will cause splintering in some communities as the significant cost of technology integration increases socioeconomic gaps,” TeachThought’s curriculum chief Terry Heick wrote in a post.

Anirudh Suresh Wins U.S. Department of State YES Abroad Scholarship to Study in Malaysia for a Year Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of State has awarded Anirudh Suresh, a Sophomore at St John’s School in Houston, TX, one of 65 scholarships to study abroad on the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad program. The competitive, merit-based award covers the full cost of an academic year abroad, providing Anirudh a full immersion experience through living with a host family in Malaysia, attending a Malaysian high school, and helping develop the skills necessary to be a leader in the global community.

Eating smart in schools

SUMMER PROGRAMS: Enroll for: • Math, ELA, Science, GT program prep (Elementary and Middle school) • SAT/ACT Prep • All Pre-AP and AP-level Science and Math subjects (High school) • Our Summer Advancement courses prepare students for the coming year (www.iq-learning.com)

More than 95% of the enrolled school students improved their scores by more than a letter grade within a few weeks at IQ. 90% of the students have shown a 300 point minimum increase over their last scores in actual SAT tests.

Students scoring B- in Math have become toppers in Calculus AP courses after only a few weeks at IQ Learning.

Students who took the Physics Advancement Course at IQ Learning have represented their school in district level Physics tournaments.

Most of the enrolled Elementary and Middle School students are now placed in their school GT programs after attending IQ Learning.

Address: 3685 Hwy 6 S (@Settlers Way, next to Krogers), Sugar Land, TX 77478

Read what our students say in the testimonial section of our website!

VOICE OF ASIA 13

BOLLYWOOD MASALA

Friday, July 5, 2013

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Would act for fun but not as a career option, says Kiran Rao

Nayanika calls for changing ‘cholchhe cholbe’ mindset

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

Tel: 713-774-5140

Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor buddies once again?

Rueing ‘culturally vibrant’ Kolkata is not updated about contemporary global fashion trends, style diva Nayanika Chatterjee hopes to change the ‘cholchhe cholbe’ mindset by roping in fashion czars like Rohit Bal at her workshop in the city.

Nayanika, who sashayed the makeshift ramp at a Rohit Bal outlet, told PTI, “Before coming to the city, Rohitji had said, “You (Nayanika) belong to Kolkata, so you can be the best choice to talk about fashion and show the young people there what can be the best and contemporary in terms of style.”

“Me and Rohit Bal would certainly wish to collaborate more in future, along with other important names in the country’s fashion scenario including Sabyasachi (Mukherjee), and the leading designers here like Agnimitra Paul, Abhishek (Dutta), Sarbari (Dutta) and others, Nayanika said at Veda, the mughal-themed centuries old north-west cuisine outlet here.”

Kiran Rao

N

EW DELHI: She did a minute role in 2001 release `Dil Chahta Hai` before going on to become a producer-director but Kiran Rao does not rule out the possibility of acting again.

The 39-year-old wife of superstar Aamir Khan says she has never thought of acting as a career option but would not mind doing it for fun.

“I don`t know If I can act in a film.

I used to enjoy acting on-stage in college, it`s a great experience, good fun.

I would love to do it for the fun of it if there is an opportunity at some point but it is certainly not a career option,” Kiran told reporters.

The director is currently busy promoting Anand Gandhi`s `Ship Of Theseus`, which she is distributing in India.

Kiran says she is not putting her support behind the movie for any financial gains but for the love of art house films.

“I am not taking any financial stake in the film. Initially, I didn`t think I could do anything for it (movie) or they needed me. But when Anand made it known that my association would be helpful, I thought that would be great because as an audience there is a certain kind of cinema that appeals to me and I would like to see more of that. We can`t be passive recipients of anything which comes out in the theater,” she said. `Ship Of Theseus` will release on July 19 and Kiran is trying alternative methods of promoting the film.

“We are not doing same sort of pro-

motion like any other film would do, which is constant trailers on TV, big hoardings, newspaper ads. We are relying more on Twitter, Facebook and online methods so that the target audience will engage with the film long before it releases,” Kiran said.

Kiran, who has long been demanding special screens to support independent and art house films, says she still has a long way to go before achieving her goal but is happy that at least a dialouge has started amongst other filmmakers.

“I know we have set out on this journey and I am hoping we are heading to the same place. But at least we have started a dialouge amongst ourselves about what we need if we are making films that are not traditional commercial cinema.

“We have so many other battles to fight but at least if we are assured that we won`t be thrown out of a cinema then we can put in money into marketing and all those costs,” she added.

After her directorial debut with 2011 release `Dhobhi Ghat`, Kiran hasn`t helmed any project but she hopes to return to work soon.

“There is a book that I like but I don`t think I am going to adapt it because it is a difficult book. I am certainly not ready for it. I am working on my own script. It is an original story idea which I have just started working on.

“Kolkata has so much rich cultural content like a diamond, but that has to be cut and polished properly to market the USP,” the internationally known super-model said.

Nayanika, who was wearing a stitched heavy embroidered outfit, a fusion of sari and lehenga, at the Victorian Vintage show in Veda, said apart from the known names there are lots of young city designers but still Kolkata didn’t seem to know how to reach out to a pan-Indian audience, and hence conspicuously absent in fashion marts which really matter.

Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor

N

EW DELHI: Ranbir Kapoor has made headlines innumerable times since he debuted in the Hindi film industry. Surprisingly, he gained more publicity for his linkup rumours with Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif than his commendable work. Ranbir’s rumoured relationship with his first co-star Sonam Kapoor remained a mystery though.

The charming actress, who is now flying high after garnering positive response for her movie ‘Raanjhanaa’, never accepted her brief romance with Ranbir. But, it was in Karan Johar’s show ‘Koffee With Karan’, where both Sonam Kapoor and Ranbir’s ex Deepika Padukone took potshots at the actor throughout the talk show.

Sonam ridiculing his fashion sense and calling him ‘unsexy’ on national television was more than enough to highlight her edgy relationship with Ranbir. They were apparently not in talking terms after this incident. However, now the actors are reportedly friends again.

According to a leading daily, both the actors seems to have forgotten the past and patched up at actor Arjun Kapoor’s birthday bash. Sonam reportedly met Ranbir warmly at the party and the two chatted like old friends.

Well, Ranbir after delivering a box-office hit with your ex, patching up with Sonam Kapoor is not a bad move.

Jiah Khan’s suicide: Bombay HC grants bail to Sooraj Pancholi

Coming to directors from Bengal, she said, “Rituparno Ghosh had great fashion sense. I liked his sartorial elegance. And I regret having never met him. I had sometimes back been approached by him for an event of his production team. We were supposed to talk over the issue in Delhi but that fell through.”

Nayanika donned the black, white, fusion-wear conceived by young citybased fashion-designer duo Rashi Agarwal and Ruchi Roongta.

Sooraj Pancholi (File Photo)

CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE

www.voiceofasiantvnews.com

“Baby (her son Azad) is keeping me busy and very happily so. I am really thrilled to be busy with the baby but now I think it`s time for me to get back to work,” she added. (PTI )

Call 713-774-5140 To Advrtise Online

N

EW DELHI: Celebrity son, Sooraj Pancholi, who was arrested by the police after being found guilty for abetting actress Jiah Khan’s suicide, has been granted bail by the Bombay High Court today.

However, the court has asked Sooraj to surrender his passport thereby barring him to leave the country.

Sooraj’s family had filed a bail application on June 21 before the session’s

court, but the plea was rejected after the police informed the court that they wanted to add some more sections to this case.

Jiah Khan hanged herself in her Juhu apartment on the night of June 3, 2013 and her mother Rabiya Khan is fighting to get justice for her daughter. On the other hand, Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab are fighting to get their son Sooraj clean chit from the court.

First look: Katrina Kaif, Hrithik Roshan in Bang Bang

A

fter their scorching hot romance in Zingagi Na Milegi Dobara, Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif are all set to blow us away with their sizzling chemistry in Bang Bang.

The first look of the film shows the lead couple sharing a romantic moment.

Bang Bang, directed by

Siddharth Anand of films like Salaam Namaste and Bachna Ae Haseeno, is the remake of Hollywood film Knight and Day, which had Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise in the lead.

Though the film has been kept under wraps, reports are that Hrithik and Katrina will share a steamy lip-lock scene on screen.

The duo have undergone intense physical training for the action-packed flick.

While the crew has wrapped up two shooting schedules in Thailand and Greece, the team will soon be on their way to Europe for the third schedule this July.

Film’s screenplay has been written by Sujoy Ghosh and

MERCHANTS GROUP INC Is now offering • DOMAIN SEARCH, REGISTRATION and TRANSFER • WEB HOSTING • WEBSITES • CHECK OUT CARTS • TURN KEY SOLUTIONS FOR E-COMMERCE • LOWEST PRICE- GREAT SERVICE

Please visit our website:

www.razahosting.com 8303 S.W. Freeway Suite 855, Houston, TX 77074 • Ph.: (713)-981-5500 • Fax: (713)-981-5507

Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif in Bang Bang

Suresh Nair and Abbas Tyrewala have penned dialogues for it.

Vishal-Shekhar will compose music for the action comedy.

Bang Bang, which also features veteran actor Danny Denzongpa, is slated to hit screens on May 1 next year.

LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 14

Many-headed dog, goddess lend names to Pluto moons

P

ARIS - Pluto’s fourth and fifth moons, discovered in 2011 and 2012, have been named Kerberos and Styx, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) said on Tuesday.

Formerly known as P4 and P5, the names were submitted by the astronomers who found them, with input from the general public in an open contest, the Paris-based organisation said.

Kerberos is the Greek spelling for the name Cerberus -- a many-headed dog that guarded the entrance to the underworld in Greek and Roman mythology.

Styx was the name of the

goddess who ruled over an underworld river by the same name.

The IAU acts as the arbiter in naming celestial bodies, advised by astronomers.

The moons were discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope.

“The IAU rules ensure that the names work across different languages and cultures in order to support collaborative worldwide research and avoid confusion,” it said in a statement.

“Kerberos lies between the orbits of Nix and Hydra, two bigger moons discovered by Hubble in 2005, and Styx lies between Charon, the innermost and biggest moon, and Nix,” said the IAU. Charon was the first moon to be spotted, in 1978.

“Kerberos has an estimated diameter of 13 to 34 kilometres (eight to 21 miles) and Styx is thought to be irregular in shape and is 10 to 25 km across.”

Pluto, once known as the ninth planet from the Sun, was declassified as a full-fledged planet in August 2006 and joined a new category of dwarf planets, although the decision remains widely contested.

At about 2,300 km (1,430 miles) wide, it is two-thirds the size of the Moon and has a mass less than one percent of the Earth’s.

In US, Asian immigrants better off than whites: study

W

ASHINGTON, (AFP) - Asian immigrants tend to live in highly segregated enclaves in the United States and their income level is often higher than that of white Americans, said a US study out Wednesday.

The nearly 18 million Asian immigrants to the United States are the country’s fastest growing minority group, more than doubling since 1990, said the research by Brown University.

Data from the US Census provided a snapshot of the Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese living in the United States and how trends have changed.

The report, “Separate but Equal: Asian Nationalities in the US,” found that Indians and Japanese were the most economically advantaged nationalities, while Vietnamese had the lowest incomes and the least education among Asian groups.

Still, Vietnamese tended to live in neighborhoods that were about on par with average whites, said the report.

Every other Asian nationality lived on average in neighborhoods with higher incomes and more college-educated residents than non-Hispanic whites did, it said.

“We are so aware of the disadvantaged situation of blacks and Hispanics that we tend to assume that segregation results in unequal neighborhoods for minorities,” said John Logan, a sociology professor at Brown University.

“This isn’t the case for any major Asian nationality. And that means there is very little incentive for Asians to assimilate into white neighborhoods.”

Chinese were the single largest national group, with more than four million people or a quarter of the Asian total, followed by Filipinos (3.4 million) and Indians (3.2 million).

Shahid Usmani, Sales Manager • 713-270-3900

“Indians and Japanese are the more advantaged nationalities, while Vietnamese have the highest unemployment, lowest income, and least education among these groups,” said the report.

Indians had the highest median household income among Asians, at $89,600 in 2010 compared to non-Hispanic whites at $54,000.

Filipinos were second highest, followed by Chinese and Japanese.

“Asians live separately but in some respects they live in better than equal neighborhoods compared to whites,” said the report.

“Although there are variations among the Asian national origin groups (with Vietnamese living generally in the least affluent neighborhoods, and Japanese, Koreans and Indians in the more affluent areas) the findings are similar for all groups.”

Los Angeles and New York have the highest number of Asian immigrants, with nearly 1.5 million in each metro area.

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

New York cracks down on teen drivers who text NEW YORK CITY, July 2, 2013 (AFP) - New York has introduced stiff new penalties for teenagers who send text messages while driving, saying the measures are necessary to tackle a “deadly” problem.

A recent study by the journal Pediatrics found that 45 percent of school-age drivers admitted sometimes sending SMS messages while driving.

In the United States, 69

Under a law signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo, drivers under the age of 18 will have their licenses suspended for a first offense of sending SMS messages while driving.

percent of drivers between the age of 18 and 64 have acknowledged speaking on the telephone while driving, with 31 percent admitting to reading emails or text messages while on the road.

SAVE BIG

The 60-day driving suspension will also apply to teenagers caught using mobile phones while behind the wheel.

“Statistic after statistic shows that texting-while-driving is a chronic problem in our society, particularly among teenagers, and it will only get worse if we do not take action to prevent this deadly behavior,” Cuomo said in a statement.

LIST OR BUY YOUR HOUSE WITH US & SAVE THOUSANDS WITH OUR REAL ESTATE REWARDS:

A second offense would be punishable by a six-month driving ban under the new law, which also applies to newly licensed drivers. It is legal to drive in New York from the age of 16.

More experienced drivers will be sanctioned by a system of penalty points.

Benish Thomas

Real Estate Broker Associate BThomas@TDECURealEstate.org

VISIT US ONLINE

281.732.8823

www.voiceofasiatvnews. com

5777 Sienna Parkway, Suite 200

+ TDECURealEstate.org TDECU Real Estate, LLC and TDECU Insurance Agency, LLC are wholly-owned by TDECU Holdings, LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Texas Dow Employees Credit Union (TDECU). TDECU Holdings, LLC also owns 95% of Century Oaks Title, LLC. The TDECU Real Estate Rewards offer cannot be combined with any other offers from TDECU and its affiliates. Not available for employersponsored relocations or other discount programs outside of TDECU. Member must be directly represented by a TDECU Real Estate agent or agent from our approved agent network and close the real estate transaction in order to receive any of these rewards.

Insurance products are not deposits; not NCUA insured; and not guaranteed by TDECU Insurance Agency, LLC or TDECU. Additional restrictions may apply. You are free to shop around to determine if you are receiving the best services and best rate for these services. Federally insured by NCUA.

Get the latest on S. Asia!

STERLING MCCALL TOYOTA www.sterlingmccalltoyota.com

Shad Osmani, New & Pre-owned Sales & Leasing • 713-444-6544

9400 Southwest Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074 Sarwar Khan, Fleet & Internet Manager • 713-253-3401

Thousands of vehicles to choose from.

Friendly Sales people.

Binesh “Bobby” Patel, New & Pre-owned Sales & Leasing • 713-927-5514

We speak your language!

George Kolacherril, Certi�ied Sales Consultant • 832-202-4332

M. Fatih, Finance Manager • 713-270-3774

Blazing RED HOT Deals!

Talha Zubair, New Car Sales • 832-277-1095

Bashir Sattar, Credit Union Fleet Sales & Leasing • 832-368-6798 2004 MERCURY G MARQUIS # 4KR34349 $ 6,999

Salim Adil, Internet Sales Manager • 832-758-9011

2012 HONDA CIVIC HYBRID CS002866 $ 299 @ MONTH

for most New Cars

2010 TOYOTA RAV4 # AW006869 $ 315@ MONTH 2006 Nissan Frontier # 6c403469 $ 9,999

2010 Toyota Tacoma # AM105750 $ 395@ MONTH

0%

Mohammed Mirza, New & Pre-owned Sales & Leasing • 832-715-5224

2005 TOYOTA SOLARA SLE # 5U056905 $ 9,990

$500

Off!

For Voice of Asia Readers. Please bring this Coupon with you! One per vehicle!

Omar Sattar, Used Car Sales • 281-912-8575

New & Pre-Owned Cars!

We have Certi�ied Used Cars!

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTH

VOICE OF ASIA 15

Friday, July 5, 2013

Section 2

Income-based premiums triple Medicare costs under PPACA By: Sudhir Mathuria f you have high net worth or consider yourself in upper middle class, Medicare planning has become a critical component of a well-executed retirement income plan. New rules put into effect under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) can impact your retirement income planning in ways you might not yet realize by increasing your Medicare premiums proportionally as income increases. The new rules will expand the pool of beneficiaries to which these monthly increases will apply. In today’s environment, it is more important than ever to consider Medicare premiums when planning for retirement expenses.

Medicare Income-Based Premiums Under Medicare’s incomeadjusted premium system, those with income that exceeds certain threshold levels pay a higher monthly premium for Medicare Parts B and D. Individual taxpayers with income that exceeds $85,000 ($170,000 for joint filers) are subject to income-based premium adjustment.

Premiums increase incrementally based on your income level. For example, a married couple earning more than $170,000 will pay a Medicare Part B premium that is $42 higher than the standard premium level ($104.90 in 2013) and an additional $11.60 above the monthly Medicare Part D premium. Married couples earning more than $428,000, however, will pay $230.80 above the standard premium level in 2013 (and $66.60 above the Medicare Part D monthly premium). The difference can be substantial—a Medicare beneficiary in the highest income bracket will pay

I

over $3,500 more in annual premiums than a beneficiary who does not exceed the income thresholds.

Medicare supplement products Before PPACA’s rules became effective, the income thresholds were indexed annually for inflation to ensure that lower income households did not become subject to Medicare’s incomebased premiums. PPACA froze the thresholds at the 2010 level so that more beneficiaries will become subject to higher premiums each year. It is projected that approximately 10 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries will become liable for incomeadjusted premiums by 2019.

The administration budget proposal for 2014 would continue the freeze until approximately 25 percent of all beneficiaries pay income-adjusted premiums.

To understand your enrollment options and choose the right Medicare plan contact:: Sudhir Mathuria Licensed Professional Health Life 360

Sudhir Mathuria

6650 Southwest Freeway Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900 www.MyMedicarePlanning. com

Fried fish dish crowned most unhealthy meal in America

W

by Kerry Sheridan ASHINGTON - A batter-laden fried fish dish packs two weeks worth of harmful trans fat in a single serving and was named worst restaurant meal in America Tuesday by a US consumer advocacy group.

The Big Catch meal, sold at the fast food chain Long John Silver’s, contains 33 grams of trans fat and 3,700 milligrams of sodium, said the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

People should limit themselves to two grams of trans fat daily, according to the American Heart Association, and most people should eat 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, the Institute of Medicine says.

“Long John Silver’s Big Catch meal deserves to be buried 20,000 leagues under the sea,” CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson said in a statement announcing the group’s pick of worst restaurant meal in America.

“This company is taking perfectly healthy fish -- and en-

tombing it in a thick crust of batter and partially hydrogenated oil. The result? A heart attack on a hook.”

The fish is battered and fried in partially hydrogenated soybean oil, and sold with onion rings and hush puppies, which are fried balls made of leftover batter drippings, cornmeal and onion.

Its total calorie count is low for a fast food meal -- just 1,320, CSPI said.

But its artery-clogging trans fat is twice the level of the worst KFC dish, which had 15 grams of trans fat before a 2006 CSPI lawsuit led the chicken chain to stop using partially hydrogenated oil.

“Trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil is a uniquely damaging substance that raises your bad cholesterol, lowers your good cholesterol, and harms the cells that line your blood vessels,” said Walter Willett, nutrition department chair at the Harvard School of Public Health.

“It might have been defensible

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

Oily fish helps fight breast cancer

E

ating a portion of tuna, salmon, sardines or other oily fish once or twice a week reduces the risk of breast cancer, according to a review published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on Thursday.

Researchers based in China looked at 26 previously published studies covering more than 800,000 volunteers in the United States, Europe and Asia whose health was monitored and who gave details about their eating habits.

Oily fish is rich in so-called n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, or n-3 PUFAs, which are involved in the immune system, blood-vessel activity and chemical messaging in the brain.

The group of n-3 PUFAs has four members, known by their initials of EPA, DPA and DHA, which are mainly found in oily fish, and ALA, which is chiefly found in nuts, seeds and leafy vegetables.

The analysis showed that women with a high intake of n-3 PUFAs had a 14-percent reduction in risk of breast cancer compared with those who to use hydrogenated oil in the 1980s, before trans fat’s harmfulness was discovered, but no longer.”

Long John Silver’s introduced the “Big Catch” in May, describing it as “the largest fish we have ever offered, weighing in at 7-8 ounces of 100 percent premium Haddock caught in the icy waters of the North Atlantic.”

But that claim did not stand up to the scrutiny of CSPI inspectors, who picked apart the breading from the fish and said they found “an average of about four and a half ounces of actual fish and almost three ounces of oilsoaked batter.”

Long John Silver’s, which calls itself the “largest quick service seafood restaurant in the world,” responded to an AFP request for comment by describing the dish as “a limited time only special that delivers tremendous value to value-hungry consumers.”

“The Big Catch can be paired with a variety of side items including corn, green beans, rice, cole slaw, fries, onion rings and hush puppies,” it said.

“We stand behind our published food data and will review any requests from CSPI that raise questions about our data.”

CSPI said it plans to sue the chain if it continues to use partially hydrogenated oil in its deep-fryers and if it continues to misrepresent the amount of fish in the meal and the nutrition information for the side items.

The group’s researchers found that the meal’s onion rings were advertised to contain seven grams of trans fat but actually contained 19.5 grams.

The threat to sue was described as “outrageous” by Baylen Linnekin, executive director of a Washington nonprofit called Keep Food Legal.

Alpha Lipoic Acid

had a low intake.

But the protective effect came only for fatty acids that come chiefly from fish, and not for ALA acids.

Those who showed the most benefit were women in Asia, whose diet was richer in fish than in Europe and America.

In statistical terms, every 0.1-gramme increase in fish fatty acids per day was linked to a five-percent reduction in breast cancer risk.

As a guide for daily living, this means one or two portions of oily fish per person per week.

Breast cancer has been dubbed a “silent killer” of women because it is often diagnosed too late.

The disease accounted for 23 percent of total cancer cases among women and 14 percent of cancer deaths in 2008, according to figures in the study.

Genetic heritage also plays a role in breast cancer, most notoriously in variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, although how this interacts or not with food, lifestyle and environmental factors is unclear.

David Jeyaraj, MD

A

LA is a naturally occurring anti-oxidant which declines with age. It is both water and fat soluble, thus rendering it very effective in all the tissues including the brain. It is easily able to penetrate the cell membranes.

It protects the mitochondria of the cells against oxidative stress and free radical damage.

Effective dosages range from 300-1800 mg per day. It is well tolerated and generally safe.

Uses of ALA: • Improves diabetes and metabolic syndrome • Improves blood pressure.

• Reduces insulin resistance.

• Improves lipid profile

• Reduces weight.

• Improves diabetic neuropathy.

• Protects against cataract, improves glaucoma.

• Reduces brain damage after a stroke.

• Protects retinal cells in combination with Vitamin E in retinitis pigmentosa.

• Removes toxic metals from the body.

• Reduces the frequency and intensity of migraines • Improves skin texture.

Dr. David Jeyaraj is board certified in Internal Medicine and has been in practice for 14 years. When he faced a personal health crisis, he at first turned to conventional medicine. He exercised, ate right, took his medications regularly.

He transitioned from conventional medicine to full time age management medicine .

Dr. Jeyaraj is certified in age management by Cengenics Institute, Las Vegas and is a member of the Age Management Medicine Group. He can be reached at: 713.271.0705 www.texasami.com

Muslim hajj pilgrimage in focus amid MERS virus fears

by Jonathan FOWLER

G

ENEVA - Virologists are casting a worried eye on this year’s Islamic hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia as they struggle with the enigmatic, deadly virus known as MERS which is striking hardest in the kingdom.

Little is known about the new pathogen, beyond the fact that it can be lethal by causing respiratory problems, pneumonia and kidney failure. It can be transmitted between humans, but unlike its cousin, the SARS virus, which sparked a scare a decade ago, it does not seem very contagious.

Even so, for any respiratory virus the mass gathering of the hajj provides a perfect opportunity to first spread at the two holiest Muslim shrines in the cities of Mecca and Medina, and then travel around the globe at jet speed as pilgrims return home.

Experts point first and foremost to figuring out the basics of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus.

director general for health security, told the International Conference on Prevention and Infection Control in Geneva this week.

Is it transmitted by contact -- if a patient contaminates his home or workplace with droplets containing virus? Or is it done by breathing in virus from coughs and sneezes? What is the best treatment for it? What about a vaccine? Are there risks of viral mutation? And is there an animal host which acts as a reservoir for the virus?

“We don’t know what the potential is yet, based on the information we have, for sustained human-to-human transmission. We don’t know what the full geographic extent of this virus is right now.”

The first recorded MERS death was in June 2012 in Saudi Arabia. The count has ticked up steadily, with a flurry this May and June taking it to 77, the bulk of them in the kingdom.

Forty MERS patients have died to date, an extremely high rate of 52 percent, compared to nine percent of the 8,273 recorded patients with SARS, which was centred on Asia.

The 2012 hajj drew 3.1 million people -- and this year’s event likewise occurs in October, as the northern hemisphere slides into the season for coughs and sneezes.

But again, the tally of people who have fallen ill with MERS but not been diagnosed with it, or who may have been infected but not developed symptoms, is simply unknown.

UN World Health Organisation (WHO) head Margaret Chan sounded the alarm to ministers at the agency’s annual congress in May.

As the fight for knowledge unfolds behind lab doors, the WHO is urging nations to monitor respiratory infections, especially among patients returning from the Middle East, but has held off calling for travel restrictions.

“We need to get the facts clear and get the appropriate advice to all your countries where your pilgrims want to go to Mecca. It is something quite urgent,” she said.

Texas Age Management Institute “Your Partner in Healthy Aging” • TAMI nutritional program • TAMI exercise program • Customized nutritional supplementation.

• Bioidentical hormone replacement.

• Telomerase activator.

Read Dr. Jeyaraj’s article weekly on this page

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

“This is really a new phenomenon that we’re dealing with,” Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant

Leading virologist Laurent Kaiser of the Geneva University Hospitals told AFP: “It’s really a balance between too much precaution and no precaution. At this time, we have to be worried, we have to be careful.”

While MERS centres on Saudi Arabia, there have been laboratory-confirmed cases originating in Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Tunisia have had cases who were either sent there for care or who fell ill after returning from the Middle East. France, Italy, Tunisia and Britain have also seen limited transmission among patients who had not been to the Middle East but had close contact with people who had.

So far, MERS has essentially been found in nations with health services capable of tracing and tackling such diseases. But the hajj draws a broad spectrum of Muslims, including from poor countries which struggle to cope even with commonplace diseases.

www.texasami.com Acheive optimal health through an individualized program that combines scientific principles with your physiological profile to identify and correct nutritional Dr. David Jeyaraj M.D. Board certified in and hormone deficiencies.

Schedule a visit: • 713.271.0705 • 10101 Southwest Freeway, Suite 205, Houston, Texas 77074

Internal Medicine Certified in Age Management Medicine

BUSINESS

VOICE OF ASIA 16

Friday, July 5, 2013

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Top Indian industrial groups apply for new bank licences its website in the next few days, according to a spokeswoman.

India’s banking sector is still dominated by state-run lenders and in the last 20 years only 12 private banks have been allowed to open.

The country has 26 publicsector, 22 private and 40 foreign banks.

Indian conglomerate Mahindra and Mahindra which had initially expressed interest, opted out due to “disadvantageous” and unclear guidelines.

The new lenders, which have a minimum capital requirement of five billion rupees ($85 million), will also have to favour “priority” sectors of housing, agriculture and education.

Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani at the company’s AGM in Mumbai on June 6, 2013 (AFP/File, Indranil Mukherjee) MUMBAI, July 1, 2013 (AFP) - India’s central Reserve Bank of India said on Monday that it had received 26 applications for new banking licences, in the first opening of the market in more than a decade.

Large industrial groups have for the first time been allowed to apply, with the Tata group, Anil Ambani Reliance, engineering giant Larsen and Toubro and the Aditya Birla group taking advantage of the new regulations.

The application deadline expired at 1215 GMT on Monday, with licences set to be handed out from next March.

The Bajaj group, LIC Housing, Religare Capital Markets, Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC), Edelweiss, India Infoline and Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) have also applied.

Other firms include SREI Infrastructure, Tourism Finance Corp and India’s state-run post-

al department, which has 90 percent of its 154,822 branches in rural areas.

The new opening, overseen by the central bank, is aimed at pushing banking services into rural areas with the new lenders obliged to have at least a quarter of their branches outside of cities.

Only 8-10 of the applicants will be successful, with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) set to publish the list of applicants on

US blacklists Myanmar general over N. Korea arms deals WASHINGTON - The United States placed a Myanmar general on its sanctions blacklist Tuesday for arms deals with North Korea that violated the UN Security Council embargo on buying weapons from Pyongyang.

Weeks after a landmark visit to Washington by Myanmar President Thein Sein celebrated the thaw in bilateral relations, the US Treasury named Lt. General Thein Htay, the head of Myanmar’s Directorate of Defense Industries, for the sanctions.

The Treasury said the general was involved in buying North Korean military goods despite his government’s support of the Security Council ban.

It said he acted on behalf of the Directorate of Defense Industries, a Myanmar military agency that was placed on the US sanctions blacklist in July 2012 for arms deals with North Korea.

The Treasury stressed in a statement that the Myanmar government, which until 2010 endured years of isolation and

condemnation by the international community for rights abuses, was not targeted by the sanctions.

“This action specifically targets Thein Htay, who is involved in the illicit trade of North Korean arms to Burma,” the Treasury said, using the former official name for Myanmar.

“It does not target the government of Burma, which has continued to take positive steps in severing its military ties with North Korea.”

The Treasury noted that the Myanmar government last November “publicly announced its intention to abide by” the UN Security Council resolution prohibiting countries from buying military equipment and support from North Korea.

“The international community has repeatedly condemned North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile proliferation activity,” the Treasury said.

“North Korea’s arms trade provides it with an important

source of revenue to expand and enhance its proscribed nuclear and missile programs, which are a threat to international peace and security.”

The sanctions announced Tuesday forbid any American from doing business with Thein Htay and freeze any assets he might have in the United States.

The general was until early this year Minister for Border Affairs, a position which linked him to the widely-criticized handling of anti-Moslem violence in one state and its brutal campaign against the Kachin minority in another.

The blacklisting came despite a warming of relations between the United States and Myanmar, after the government introduced democratic reforms.

In May, President Thein Sein, a former military commander, held talks with US President Barack Obama in Washington as Myanmar continued to gain distance from its former pariah status alongside North Korea.

About 480 million of India’s 1.2 billion people, mostly living in the country’s 630,000 villages, currently have no banking access, according to the RBI. To protect the new system, the RBI says that those seeking to set up a bank “should have a past record of sound credentials and integrity, be financially sound with a successful track record of 10 years”.

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

Tel: 713-774-5140

US auto sales accelerate in June

by Mira Oberman CHICAGO - US auto sales accelerated in June to one of the best performances in years as analysts forecast more growth in the months to come.

Preliminary numbers for June on Tuesday were running at an annualized sales pace of around 16 million vehicles, with all major automakers posting strong gains.

The sales pace hasn’t surpassed 16 million vehicles since December 2007 and fell as low as 9.1 million in the depth of the economic downturn.

“It’s remarkable to think the industry is within striking range of those pre-recession numbers,” said Michelle Krebs, an analyst with the automotive website Edmunds.com.

GM said it expects “continuing improvement in the auto market” as a result of an improving employment outlook, modest income growth and a booming stock market.

“American families are better off than they were at the beginning of the year,” GM sales Kurt McNeil said in a conference call.

“They also believe that the economic expansion is going to

continue, so they’re buying more homes, and more cars and trucks.”

While the automaker has not yet raised its forecast for total 2013 US sales beyond 15.5 million vehicles, it predicted a strong performance in the second half of the year.

“We have good momentum heading into the second half of 2013: the economic outlook is solid and our launch vehicles are performing well in the marketplace,” McNeil added.

Ford was also optimistic and said it will soon be updating its 2013 forecast of 15 to 16 million vehicles.

“In terms of the industry sales going forward, we see some positive turns here in terms of the economic fundamentals,” Ford economist Jenny Lin said in a conference call.

“With better economic fundamentals and improvement in job markets we think this will be supportive of our industry strength going forward.”

Toyota led the pack with a 14 percent gain to 195,235 vehicles in June. Sales for the first half of the year were up six percent at 1.1 million vehicles.

FEATURE

VOICE OF ASIA 17

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

Your Horoscope

US summer camp instructs capitalists of conscience

(For week beginning Friday, July, 5, 2013)

Hardik Vyas, Astrologer Cell : 832-298-9950

by Donna Bryson

T

he consultant holds a russet ankle boot in his right hand, gesturing as if it were a conductor’s baton.

As per Indian Vedic Astrology the Moon sign is considered, in which every Rashi has control over certain letters, which are initials of your name. Whereas in Western system of Sun Sign, all the people born in one month belong to the same sign. For example, every year approximately around 21 of March to 20th April, the Sun is moving in the Aries Constellation. So all the people born in that month belong to the Sign of Aries. If you were born in between those two dates then you are a Aries born.

Robert Reich, a University of Colorado business professor, is providing some blunt-spoken mentoring at the Unreasonable Institute, a summer camp for capitalists who want to change the world.

Aries (A,L,E) 21st. March to 20 April

Facing Reich, a self-confessed serial entrepreneur, is Patrick Woodyard, whose Tennesseebased company markets shoes made by Peruvian craftspeople under the slogan “Join us, and wear change.”

You will have ability to reconnect with past friends & family. You will have no problem finding ways to get others interested in what you are doing. Organize events that require endurance. Spend time with those who have similar interests & morals. Channel your energy into making money. Debates will bring distance between you and your friends.

Flat tire, out of gas, road hassles or delays and other form of ‘challenge’ can make you late for important events; have a plan B ready! New expansion is indicated and building, remodeling, expanding or investing in big upgrades and items’ including vacation/travel plans are very likely this week!

Woodyard has told Reich that with each pair of shoes he ships, he includes information about the makers he hopes to help out of poverty.

“If you tried to convince me now that I should buy this shoe because of Pedro, I would say, ‘What do I care about Pedro?’”

Reich said.

“If you give me a pair of shoes that I love, then I will care about Pedro, and I will come back to you.”

“I’m coming at it not just from the social impact side. I want your business to succeed,” Reich said. “If you don’t succeed, the shoemaker doesn’t succeed. To succeed, the product has to come first.”

The Unreasonable Institute, founded by University of Colorado graduates Teju Ravilochan and Daniel Epstein in this college town at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, is an attempt to solve real-world problems by linking innovative thinkers from around the world.

The name was inspired by playwright George Bernard Shaw, who said: “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.

Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable.”

On a visit to India when he was about 10, Ravilochan, the USborn son of Indian immigrants, recalls seeing a boy his own age begging. It sparked a conversation with his father, a doctor, about why most people look away from poverty.

“He said people are sometimes unsure of how to solve problems that are so big,” said Ravilochan, who now is 26.

That day, the seed of what Ravilochan calls a “medical school for people who want to solve poverty” was planted.

Ravilochan said Epstein came to him with the idea that would become their institute after attending an international leadership summit in 2008.

Their institute provides a way

Taurus

Robert Reich, a University of Colorado business professor and serial entrepreneur, who serves as a mentor at the Unreasonable Institute in Boulder, Colorado, to young capitalists who want to change the world. Photo courtesy: AFP “to be a part of many different experiments,” Epstein said.

“Some will fail, but the learning is valuable.”

-- Human connections -In its fourth year, the institute drew 21 entrepreneurs to the camp, which holds its sessions from an ivy-covered fraternity house abandoned for the summer, dubbed The Mansion.

Some were looking for investors to help them grow. Some wanted management or other advice, or just the support of a network of like-minded people.

Their ventures included campaigns to turn gang members in Chicago into community leaders; disabled craftspeople in New Delhi into design trendsetters; and failing students in Kenya’s Rift Valley into high school graduates.

Reich was among 50 mentors who volunteered to offer legal and design advice and act as sounding boards for pitches.

Some mentors have ended up investors after staying as long as a week, sharing The Mansion, its worn leather armchairs, sand volleyball court and other backto-college-basics amenities.

Reich, who has been a part of every Unreasonable event since the first summer, said mentoring is his chosen form of charity.

The 48-year-old said he also takes part out of enlightened selfinterest, saying working with entrepreneurs in their 20s and 30s keeps him in touch with new global concerns and the latest thinking in problem-solving.

“It keeps me active and in the game and aware,” he said.

Attention New Home Buyers in Texas

Other mentors this year included Tom Suddess, a former director of development for the University of Notre Dame, whose Suddess Group designs fundraising campaigns for colleges and start-ups.

Entrepreneurs wanting to join the camp submit written applications and go through a series of interviews. Successful applicants pay $10,000 for a single and $12,000 for a pair to take part.

The institute helps participants raise the fee through crowdsourcing and the support of donors like Hewlett-Packard and Vodafone.

Kago Kagichiri, a Kenyan mobile phone application developer, and Toni Maraviglia, a teacher, co-founded a company that provides tutoring via cellphone instant messages to schoolchildren in rural Kenya.

“Kids are very open to the world. If you give them the best content, they might decide to change the world,” Kagichiri said.

Kagichiri said when he first arrived in Boulder this summer, he wondered if the institute was the best use of his crowd-sourced funds.

But his concerns disappeared as he listened to mentors and made connections with entrepreneurs who shared his vision about the difference that could be made by viable businesses and new technologies.

Kagichiri said he learned in Boulder that “human connections are the most important thing.”

“Three weeks ago, I would have said work, time spent on work, is the most important.”

Get 2% Contribution on your New Home Closing Cost

NEW HOME SPECIALIST

Over 23 Years of Real Estate Experience OUNTS Sellers Call for DISC

RON AGA 832 423-6973 Showcase Properties of Texas 1708 Washington Ave. Ste B. Houston TX 77007 Member Greater Houston Builders Assoc.

UMA MANTRAVADI

Your intention is to follow your dreams. You certainly are a master when it comes to learning the things that interest you, but a daydreamer when forced to listen to boring, tedious chatter. You are quick to respond and always willing to help others. You will be upset with those who don’t pull their weight, remain cool but don’t allow yourself to be used. You are used to giving your all and will be ready to blow up if you are forced to deal with lazy and inconsiderate individuals.

Bickering and small problems that require ‘a lot of talking’ are likely with spouse, in-laws.

Gemini

HOUSTON LOCATION: 6200 Savoy Dr., Ste. 414 Houston, TX 77036

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July Team work, friendships & accomplishments. Lucrative business opportunities are likely.

Take the plunge and get involved in a joint venture. Avoid detail-oriented tasks, try to work with others as much as possible. Try a little idea-generation and offer your assistance to colleagues. Don’t say things that may come back to haunt you. Personal problems will play on your mind. You must be willing to move on and let go of the past if you wish to get over the unpleasantness you’ve experienced. Spending WILL go on the rise for necessities, medical needs, food, clothing and ‘basic life needs’.

Leo (M) 23 July to 23 August Need to get away from reality, sometimes. You’ll be ready to try anything that promises to bring you a little excitement. Travel and adventure will be your prime concern. Take care of all the fine details and you will receive the praise you are looking for. You should lay your cards on the table and let those you care about know where you stand. You can get ahead financially, however the emotional side of your life may be more difficult. You’ll be able to organize functions at work and earn the admiration of higher ups. A raise or promotion may be in order.

Be willing to listen AND seek ‘compatible and agreeable compromises and solutions’.

Virgo (P) 24 August to - 23 September You know how to listen to the problems facing family members. Your experience and know-how will help them get back on track. Those experiences will provide insight and awareness that will come in handy in your day-to-day life. Satisfaction will be your reward. Financial investments will also be lucrative. You can persuade others to support your plans for the future. You will not be in a position to proposition others. Consider your personal needs before your professional ones. Challenges are likely to be financial shortages, disagreements, clashes of a short duration.

Libra

(713) 787-5297 NON-IMMIGRANT VISAS IMMIGRANT VISAS

REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS OTHER CASES

E-1 & E-2 Visas H-1B Visas H-1 Extensions L-1 Visas

Family Petitions Labor Certifications Naturalization Citizenship

BUSINESS CORP LAW

Cancellation Bond Determination Voluntary Departure

REAL ESTATE LAW

Extensions RFE Appear for Interviews

FAMILY LAW

FREE CONSULTATIONS ON FRIDAYS BETWEEN 1PM & 3 PM BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

We speak Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Malayalam & Spanish Not Certified by Texas Board Of Legal Specialization

(R,T) 24 Sept. to 23 Oct.

Your sense of belonging to something will be greater. Others may strive to win, you are happy just to belong. It doesn’t take much to remind you of how lucky you feel.

Incorporate your imagination into everything you do. The more you learn, the more eager you will be to use your knowledge. Original thinking will help you to see a broader perspective.

Beware of the troubles into which your insecurities could get you. Satisfaction could be a lot closer than you thought. Your fuse is prone to being ‘short’ on and off this week and then it breaks or ‘passes’.

When everyone will ‘draw a clear line’ and you’ll be able to know who to ‘back’ or believe!

Scorpio (N,Y) 24 Oct. to 23 Nov. A sense of excitement in your personal as well as your professional life. You’ll experience a surprising amount of passion. Life is interesting when there’s some mystery involved. Channel your desires into activities that are community oriented. Nothing is certain, but you’re in a good position for advancement. You’re wealthy and well-equipped spiritually. You’ll be able to find deeper meanings to your spiritual feelings. Your stars show a very significant ‘change’ and maybe an ‘omen’.

Cooperation improves quickly when a ‘mistake is corrected’ and things are ‘fixed’ possibly with a bit of ‘spending or mending’ and some ‘errands’ that may be unavoidable and necessary to ‘calm’ domestic life.

Sagittarius

(BH,F,DH,TH) 23. Nov. to 21 Dec.

You will be safe due to ability to see past the immediate and protect your own interests. Seek refuge from a world that’s obviously trying to annoy you. Security is very important to you right now. Once you feel more secure, you’ll have more room to move and more time to play. A partnership may be a little more demanding than usual. Running away from your problems will not help the situation. You need to resolve your confusion by applying patience and persistence. Your appear to pour tons of effort, heart, soul and emotions into, especially for a number of reasons, with tending to the “ill/needy” members, in-laws, travelers, pets and misbehaving youth heading the list of ‘neediest’.

Capricorn

(KH,J) 22 Dec. to 20 Jan.

You will be blessed this week by your ability to help others through an emotional time in their lives.

Domestic issues may threaten to put a damper on your passion. Keep a positive attitude and deeper understanding will prevail. No one will question your knowledge or skills, but maybe you should take on a new strategy. No one wants to listen to a ranting fool, so cool you heels and get down to the business at hand. Propose your ideas calmly and concisely. You want to help others, but you know they need to help themselves first.

Aquarius (G,S,SH) 21st Jan. to 18th Feb.

You are unusually persuasive where financial dealings are involved. You’ll be full of energy and full of yourself. Your timing may not be quite as good, but you’ll be able to find some safe ground if you proceed slow. Conversations about things that you know well will develop into discussions of ideals. Your performance could capture the attention of people who might want to hire or consult with you in the near future. Be very casual about your interest, but keep yourself focused on their needs.

Pisces

SAN ANTONIO: 6 8 51 C i t i z e n ’ s P k w y, S t e . 2 2 5 San Antonio, TX 78229 Te l # ( 2 81 ) 8 2 7 - 3 8 3 6

(K,CHH,GH) 22 May to 21 June

You have the ability to make connections that help you discover who you are and what your goals are. Do the best you can and try to enlist some help from other friends or relatives. Helping others will be rewarding to you. Uncertainties regarding finances may upset you. Take time off to discover what you really want to do. Don’t take on other people’s problems. Make suggestions and get on with your own life. By week’s end, things will start to turn in your favor. You may need patience big time, especially with elders, parents, in-laws and spouse, particularly near the more emotionally demanding.

Attorney and Counselor at Law

Experienced, Honest & Aggressive Email: uma@mantralaw.com

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

(D,CH,Z) 19th Feb. to 20th March

Pour yourself into what you love to do most. Whether it be writing or woodworking, you’ll excel by applying your passion to whatever you do. Plan, design and tinker your projects to completion. Your final product is far from ready, but your ideas are budding into reality. Prolong the process a little, it’ll be well worth the wait. Minor health/fitness mini-crisis situations appear plentiful but do fix fast if you use ‘creative’ input and ‘patient’ steadiness; most illness/injury situations are born out of worry, insecurity and ‘nerves’.

SR &

S&R

Travel

Lowest Fares and Best Service

• www.snrtvl.com • snrtvl@gmail.com • 281-674-3769

• Specialized Marine and Offshore (Oil & Gas) Discounted Fares • Domestic and International Air Fares • Discounted Hotel Rates (World wide) • Cruise Bookings • Vacation Packages

COMMUNITY EVENTS

VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

RELIGIOUS INSTITUTES & ORGANIZATIONS OF HOUSTON - call Voice of Asia 713-774-5140 Rath Yatra

BAPS

Sivalaya Temple

Sita Ram Foundation & Orissa Culture Center (OCC), Houston present Rath Yatra & Anoop Jalota at VPSS Haveli on 14th July 2013

Prog: Location: 1150 Brand Rd. Stafford, TX. Contact: 281-765-2277 Web:

Temple Hrs: 9 am to noon and 5 to 9 pm.

Sri Astalaksmi puja: 7 pm.

Sri Laksmi Archana will be performed on request all day.

Location:10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX77498.

Phone: 832.541.0059.

Website: www.saumyakasi. org;

Chinmaya Mission Prog: Jnana Yagna from July 6th -July 13th, 2013 with HH Swami Tejomayanada.

Location:10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX77498.

Phone: 832.541.0059.

Website:www.chinmayahouston.org.

Hare Krishna Dham (ISKCON) Prog: Jagannath Ratha-yatra or “Festival of Chariots, will be celebrated at Discovery Green on Saturday, July 13th 2013 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Everyday, 7 Aratis and bhoga offerings daily. Sunday Festival: 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Location: 1320 West 34th St, Houston, TX 77018.

Contact:281-433-1635/E-mail harekrishnadham@gmail.com Website: www.iskconhouston. org

Hindu Temple of The Woodlands Prog: Special service on Sunday July 7 from 11 am to noon honoring the victims of the recent floods in Uttarakand in northern India. Atma Shanti Puja will be performed.

Location: 7601 S. Forest Gate Drive at Woodlands Parkway, Spring, TX 77382.

Contact: info@woodlandshindutemple.org, 832-585-0001 Website: www. woodlandshindutemple.org.

VSNA, Houston Prog: Monthly Mahamane event. Puja, Vachana Sahithya discourses, Aarthi and Prasad Contact: vsnahouston@gmail. com/832-545-1185 (Jyoti Biradar) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VSNA.HOUSTON Website: https://sites.google. com/site/bsusorg/home

QR

Sri Meenakshi Temple Prog: Location: 17130 McLean Road Pearland, TX 77584 Contact: (281) 489-0358

Arsha Vidya Bharati Prog.:Sanskrit classes and special worship sessions for all ages Location: 2918 Renoir, Sugar Land, TX 77479 Contact: 281-606-5607 or AVB.Houston@gmail.com Web-site: https://sites.google. com/site/avbtexas/classes

ISSO Prog: Darshan daily from 7.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.; Aarti daily from 7.45 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Location: 10080 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77478 Phone: 281-530-2565 Web:

VPSS Houston Prog: Location VPSS Vallabh Hall, 11715 Belfort Village Dr. Houston 77031.

Contact:713-530-2900 Website:www.vpsshaveli.org

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Baitus Shri Satyanarayan Samee Mosque Sai Puja Darshan Prog: Friday Prayer - 1:30 PM Children’s Classes | Interfaith meeting | Location: 1333 Spears Rd, Houston, TX 77067 Imam - Mohammed Zafarullah Contact : Work: 281-875-3400 | Cell: 713-874-4363 Zafarullah_Hanjra@hotmail. com www.Alislam.org

Prog: Daily from 10:00 a.m. to 1:p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Every Thursday Abhishek Location: 16338 Kensington Dr, Ste 110, Sugar Land 77479.

Phone: 713-933-8821 / 9359.

Ashirwad - A Blessing Temple

Prog: Location:11625 Beechnut, Houston, TX 77072 Phone: 281-933-8100 Website: www.SRKT.org.

Prog: Regular prog :Sloka Classes for kids and teens.

Location: Katy, Hwy 249 & Sugar Land.

Contact: 281.995.0930/ 281.808.2159

Vedanta Society of Greater Houston Prog: Vedanta teachings Sundays at 10:30 AM Location: at 14809 Lindita Dr. Houston, TX -77083.

Website: www.vedantahouston.org

Sri Saumyakasi

Shri Radha Krishna Temple

Gurdwara Sahib of SW Houston Prog: Sundays Dewan 10:00 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Langar Location:14811 Lindita Drive, Houston, TX 77083 Phone: 281-498-5200 Website: www.gurdwaraswh. com

Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple Prog: Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra Parayanam: daily 6.30

p.m. Location:10098 Synott Road. Sugar Land, TX 77478 Phone: 281- 498-2344 Website: www.ashtalakshmi. org

Websites: www.pyptusa.org

Hindu Worship Society

Prog: Location: 3905 Arc St. Houston, TX 77063 Contact: 281-606-JAIN; Email: ecjsh@jain-houston.org Website:www.jain-houston.org

Prog: Open all days except Thursdays (by appt). Regular Puja and Prasad. Sunday Service 11:30 AM to 1:30 Location: 2223 Wirtcrest Lane Houston TX 77055.

Barsana Dham Houston Chapter Prog: Satsang every Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Location: India House, 8888 West Belfort 77031 Phone: (713) 855-9818 for details Website: www.jkphouston.org Weekly Radio Program-1460 AM Saturdays 10-11 a.m.

Shirdi Sai Jalaram Mandir Prog: Location:3845 West Bellfort, St., Sugar Land, TX 77498 Website: www.babamandir.org

Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Prog: Every Friday Satsangh from 7:30 pm to 9 pm. Bhajans and Devi Puja, Discourses.

Location: 12530 Ann Louise Road, Houston, 77086.

Phone: Contact Vishnu at (832) 309- 7181.

JVB Preksha Meditation Center Prog: Annual Family Camp “Understanding Joy & Sorrow” on March 29 - 31, 2013 (Good Friday Weekend) Bellville, TX. Location: 14102 Schiller Road, Houston TX 77082 Phone: 281.596.9642 Website: www.jvbhouston.org

Patanjali Yogpeeth Center Prog: Free Yoga Classes every Sat/Sun from 8 am to 9:30 am Location: Arya Samaj @Schiller Road.

Contact: 281-579-9433.

QUICK REFERENCE SERVICES DIRECTORY

Accountants

Electrical Service

NARESH SETLUR, CPA

Superior One Electric

Certified, Quickbooks Proadvisor

Accounting, Tax Returns, Cost Accounting, Peachtree, Sales Tax, Franchise Tax.

Visit our website www.karanika.net

Retail, Manufacturing, Construction, Franchise Accounting

(832) 620.4757 - Email: setlurn@gmail.com

BOOK-KEEPING INCOME TAX Personal and Business Tax Returns, Payroll

Sales Tax, Income Tax Audits and Representations

S. Ram and Associates

Tel: 832-877-9625 Free Consultation asu2020.com

M.D. Associates LLP A full service CPA firm

3 Locations to serve you

LEGAL SERVICE ACCESS QUALITY LEGAL ADVICE

SMALL BUSINESS: • 1-50 EMP - $75/M • 51-99 EMP - $125/M FAMILY PLAN: • $17/M to $26/M

CONTACT: J. SINGH

INDEPENDENT SALES ASSOCIATE for LEGAL SHIELD

Call 713-894-8771 Email Singh.j@sbcglobal.net

Bakery 5700A Hillcroft Ave. Houston, TX 77036 EGGLESS cakes Available

Computer Repair & Networking Home & Business, Microsoft & A+ certified, low flat rates, free estimates, pickup & delivery.

www.PCNetworkGuru.com Call Amit at 832-971-6807

Gayatri Pariwar of Houston Prog: Sundays Satsang, BalSanskar Shala, from 11am to 1pm.

Location: 5645 Hillcroft, Suite # 307, Houston, TX 77036.

Website: http://www.gayatripariwarhouston.org/ “

Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya Prog: Location: Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land -TX 77498.

Contact: 281.568.1690 Website: www.saumyakasi.org

Sri Guruvayurappan Temple Prog: Bhajans: Sat.7:00 -8:00 p.m.; Sundays 9:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.Location: 1620 Ormandy Street, Houston, TX 77035 Contact: 713-729-8994

Govindaji Gaudiya Math Prog:Satsang every Sunday evening from 5 - 7 p.m. Vedic heritage classes for kids 5-14.

Location: 16628 Kieth Harrow blvd. Houston, TX 77084 Contact: 281-499-3347/281491-4114.

Sathya Sai Baba Centers Prog: Sundays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at two locations

Become a Doctor

209-830-8266; 248-419-0284

EasyMedSchool@yahoo.com www.EasyMedSchool.com

Roofing 522),1* VEEDONE CONSTRUCTION, LLC. - ROOFING Roofing, Siding, Gutters and Fence WIND & HAIL INSURANCE CLAIMS SPECIALIST

Telugu Christian Fellowship Prog; Every third Saturday 6:30 PM. Worship is in English Location: The Triumph Church, 10555 West Airport Boulevard, Stafford, TX 77477.

Contact:713-301-6444 Website:

Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center Prog: Daily classes in Raja Yoga Meditation To register call or email.

Contact:832-379-8888/ Email: houston@bktexas.com Website: bktexas.com

Bethesda Houston Tamil Church Prog: Sundays Worship Tamil 5:30 pm-7:00 pm.

English 10:30am-12:30pm.

Location: 810 Murphy/FM 1092 suite F&G, Stafford, Tx.77477. Contact: 281-3177331 Website:bethesdahoustontamil church.org

Our Redeemer Church Prog: Sundays worship at 4:30 pm, Location: All Saints Lutheran Church 1211 West Belfort Avenue, Stafford, TX 77477.

Contact: 281-686-4135 / Email: pastorvj@linchouston. org

Houston Tamil Church Houston Tamil Church meets every Sunday at 11 a.m. at 1323 Phyllis St., Rosharon, TX 77583 just minutes from FM521 on HWY 6 and HWY 288. Service in Tamil and English.

Contact: 281 804 5930.

Website www. houstontamilchurch.org

VOICE OF ASIA GROUP

* Repair/ Remodeling * New Installation * Ceiling Fans * Light Fixtures * Electric Panel * Trouble Shooting * Services Upgrades

High School to Medical School Starts $45,000 for all 41/2 years INDIA, Europe, Carib, China etc

713-785-1212 www.houstonhotbreads.com

Prog: Sandhya Arati at 6:30 p.m.; Sunday: 9:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m.

Location: 13944 Schiller Road.

Contact: 281-597-8100 Website:www.houstondurgabari.org

To advertise, call:

Phone: 713-774-5140 E-mail: Adsvoa@yahoo.com Restaurants Bombay to Beijing

Commercial & Residential

Medical School

• BAKERY • CAKE SHOPPE • CAFE

Durga Bari Society

KHOA TRINH, Electrical Technician Tel: 832-359-5447 Free Estimate TECL# 27099

visit us at : www.mdassociatescpas.com

Houston 713-774-6533 Spring 281-251-2205 Dallas 214-722-7545

Jain Center of Houston

Locations: Contact: (North) 832-418-3842 or (South) 281-788-4786.

Website:www.saicenterofhouston.org

14025 Southwest Fwy. Sugarland.TX 77478 281-242-4242 www.bombaybeijing.com Indian Restaurant

Taste the difference! Cater your next event with us!

Gourmet India - Restaurant & Catering

for home and office parties, Dine in Business Lunches, conferences & parties, On-site dining, corporate lunch packages

Ph: 281-493-5435

India’s Restaurant & Catering

for special parties and corporate events. Preferred Wine list, Authentic vegetarian & non-vegetarian dishes, finest Indian cuisine with chef’s special dishes

Ph: 713-266-0131/ 0805

Shiva Indian Restaurant & Catering specializing in North Indian cuisine, Office and Corporate catering.

• 2514 Times Blvd. Rice Village, Ph: 713-523-4753 • 2130 Lone Star Dr. Sugar Land, Ph: 281-494-2981

Visit Us VoiceofAsiaOnline.com

(281) 701-7760 www.VeeDone.com

Call us today! 713-774-5140

CLASSIFIEDS

VOICE OF ASIA 19

Pizzeria for Sale In business for 20+ years, Carry out and Delivery only Located Southeast Houston.

Low rent, Asking $99K or best offer. Motivated Seller!

Call 832-875-5022

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013

JOB OPPORTUNITY Looking for a Couple to work as Motel Managers in Freeport Area.

Must Stay @ Motel.

Free Stay + Salary.

Owner may lease in future.

References Required. 713-502-8523

LIVE-IN NANNY WANTED Live-In Nanny Wanted for Indian couple staying in Houston, TX to care for a newborn baby and for light cooking/ cleaning.

If interested, please call (936) 355 -0284 or email us at lysistrata722@gmail.com.

Start a Rewarding Career With a Great Company 165 years of financial stability and strength

When you find some time, READ!

Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.

By becoming a sales agent at New York Life, you’ll help families achieve the financial security they need and desire.

You may also make a significant contribution to your community – and when you see the difference that can make, it’s more fulfilling than you might imagine.

Ramesh Cherivirala, Ph.D, LUTCF, CLTC Partner New York Life Insurance Company

READ DAILY!

3200 Southwest Frwy, # 1900 Houston, TX 77027 13135 Dairy Ashford Rd, Ste 550 Sugar Land, TX 77478

(281) 295-2726 rcherivirala@ft.newyorklife.com

© New York Life Insurance Company

www.newyorklife-india.com

EOE M/F/D/V

House for Sale!

15 - 30 minutes of reading daily helps your brain focus better. Grab a novel!

A Community message from Voice of Asia Group Read Voice of Asia for Community News

Houston Community College Request for Proposals (RFP) Project No. 13-43 Project Title: Armored Car Transportation Services

Houston Community College Notice of Procurement Opportunities REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS PROJECT: RFQ 13-44 - INTERIOR PLANT INSTALLATION AND SERVICES

Houston Community College (“HCC”) is soliciting sealed proposals from qualified firms to provide Financial Advisory Services on an “as needed” basis. To obtain a copy of the solicitation documents go to our website at: www.hccs.edu (Click on: Business & Community / Doing Business with HCC / Procurement / Current Bids and RFPs).

For assistance call: Jeffery Austin at (713) 7182777. Sealed responses to the above solicitation will be received in Procurement Operations, 3100 Main Street (11th Floor), Houston, TX 77002, until 3:00 pm (local time) on July 18, 2013. HCC is an equal opportunity/educational institution, which does not discriminate based on race, color religion, national origin, gender age or disability.

Responses Due: July 26, 2013 at 3:00 pm (local time) Pre-proposal: July 11, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. (local time) Submittal: July 2, 2013 Sealed responses to the above solicitations will be received in Procurement

Operations,

3100

Main Street (11th Floor), Houston, Texas

77002,

as stated under each project above and are due by the submittal date, July 26, 2013 at 3:00 pm (local time). To obtain a copy of the solicitation documents go to our website at: www.hccs.edu (Click on:Business & Community

/

Doing

Business

with HCC / Procurement Operations / Current Bids and RFPs). For assistance, call: 713.718.5014 HCC is an equal opportunity/ educational

institution,

which does not discriminate based on race, color religion, national origin, gender age or disability.

Franchise Opportunity!

Brow Art 23 Franchise Opportunities Available Now.

Low Start-Up Costs!

Call Erin Franks at 773-571-2667 or visit www.browart23.com to learn more.

• Immaculately Kept • Conveniently Located 2 story home, 2400 plus sq.ft, Alief ISD, 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage, great backyard, First floor - Tiles and Laminate, Second floor newly carpeted,

Roof in Good Condition, No known Defects, 1983 Built.

• Great backyard • MASTER BED Downstairs!!!

Master Bath has Stand-in Shower and Large Tub.

Great Restaurants, close to West Oaks Mall Shopping centers, 2 minutes to Fiesta & H-E-B

1 minute to Highway 6 • 7 minutes to Westheimer.

3 minutes to Westpark Tollway. Easy Access!

Good schools, home close to IMAM Academy (IMAM - up to High School grades available) Alief ISD - Good Elementary, Middle & High schools.

The value of money is taught early!

Earn Smart! Spend Wisely!

A community message from Voice of Asia Group

TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT EDITOR KTRK-TV, an ABC O&O located in Houston, TX is looking for an aggressive and motivated Assignment Editor for a temporary assignment. The successful applicant will be responsible for all facets of the assignment desk, which includes but is not limited to making beat-checks, answering phones, monitoring police and fire radios, getting information and developing stories. The candidate should be detail-oriented and able to handle many different responsibilities at the same time. Good news judgment, an even temper, patience and strong communication skills are essential. The candidate must be able to take directions, but should also be able to work without supervision. The candidate will work nights, weekends and must have a flexible schedule. The ideal applicant should have experience as a television news assignments editor. This is not a clerical or secretarial position. Only candidates with news experience will be considered for the position. All interested applicants must apply on-line at www.disneycareers.com by uploading a resume file, cover letter and list of references. Please Reference Job ID: 118531BR No phone calls please, and no third parties. Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V/D.

Quiet neighborhood and Clean subdivision!

www.voiceofasiatvnews.com

Serious, Pre-approved Buyers, Please contact: 832-419-7537 • $137,500/-

•News •Community Events •Classifieds •Jobs

Many fast food locations nearby!

VOICE OF ASIA 20

FRIDAY, July 5, 2013