Voice of Asia July 12 2013

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FRIDAY, July 12, 2013 Understand “Essential Health Benefits” Under New Health Care Law. Read on Page 18 OR Call 713-771-2900

Commemorating 25 years of dedicated service to the community

Vol. 26 No. 28 Friday, July 12, 2013 Published Weekly from Houston 713-774-5140 24 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

IACAN seminar explains Sewa International Houston ‘How Cancer is Diagnosed Chapter’s Immunization Drive and Treated’ I n collaboration with Alief ISD, the Sewa Houston summer interns volunteered twice a week in the elementary and high school-level classrooms during the month of June in hopes of maximizing the school’s efforts in acclimating the students to the English language and academics. When classes resume, Sewa will begin implementing a new volunteer service program for the regular school year.

Sewa’s partnership with Baylor College of Medicine has provided many new contacts in the non-profit community that is able to better assist families with medical related questions.

Continued on Page 3 Kanchan Kabad, President, IACAN, Dr. Mahmoud, Dr. Naik, Dr. Krishnamurthy, Dr. Sewa Legha, Dr. Sarva Mangala Prasad, Dr. V. K. Dorai and Dr. Shalin Shah. Photos by Bijay Dixit, UniquePhotoImages.com

by Radha Rani Dixit

T

he Indian American Cancer Network’s commitment to its mission as a resource network to educate and support the local Indian community about cancer was evident once again on Sunday, June 30th at India House where a panel of five medical experts came together to work through the timeline of events from a cancer diagnosis through treatment options. Over a hundred people took advantage of the opportunity to listen to the seminar entitled How is Cancer Diagnosed and Treated: The Process explained. Members of the audience also took the opportunity to ask pertinent questions about their own fears or thoughts about cancer when the panel welcomed questions from the audience.

The seminar was moderated

by Dr. Shalin Shah, radiation oncologist and medical director of MD Anderson Sugar Land.

He opened the seminar by stating that cancer is the number two cause of death in America. He also reiterated IACAN’s mission that no one should walk the cancer journey alone.

In that context he gave the public IACAN’s cancer hotline number through which patients can access a vast network of specialists. These specialists can help guide patients through any questions concerning their cancer diagnosis. Dr. Shah also explained how IACAN is working with local hospitals to provide spiritual counseling to patients and family members of all faiths.

Dr. Sagan Naik, a radiologist from St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospi-

tal educated the audience on the use of imaging to diagnose cancer. Different imaging methods such as X-rays, computed axial tomography (CAT) scans, positron emission tomography (PET) scans, ultrasounds, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were some of the imaging techniques explained by him. Imaging technology is a significant first step in locating the cancer. It also aids in seeing how far the cancer has spread to enable an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan for the patient.

Dr. Savitri Krishnamurthy, professor in the Department of Pathology at MD Anderson Cancer Center explained that the basic unit of a body is a cell. Cancer is an abnormal growth and differentiation of cells in the body.

Continued on Page 3

Sewa and Texas Children’s Hospital co-sponsored two immunization drives in the Alief-ISD area and the Los Arcos apartment community of Houston. Alief ISD was able to provide classrooms in order to successfully tend to the Alief summer program students and the nearby community. Emma Welch, a Public Health intern and Coordinator for the event said, “The first drive at Alief was a great way for the interns and volunteers to see the drive in action, and make us more prepared for Sewa events to follow.”

The final immunization drive in the Los Arcos apartments proved to be more challenging.

Unruly weather caused the mobile clinic to be out of commission after heavy rain had broken the awning, which posed a safety hazard and immobilized the immunization bus. While forced to wait for repairs, Sewa was able to host a free clothing drive for the Los Arcos community that had been scheduled for that day as well. Children and families in the waiting area received refreshments before

Interns of Sewa International Houston’s summer Get Inspired Program at the Alief ISD immunization drive. Photo (s) credit: Michael Shemenski.

Children’s Activities Intern Megan Nguyen (third from left) with students of the Alief ISD summer program. and after their appointments in the mobile clinic. In spite of extenuating circumstances, we were still able to immunize over 20 children in the community and those who were unable to receive immunizations have been directed to upcoming Texas Children’s Hospital dates and locations in the area. Both events have been able to vaccinate over 100 children in total.

Sewa strives to help refugees, specifically the Bhutanese, become acclimated to their new surroundings in the United States. We are currently looking for high school and college students who would like to volunteer with the refugee community. If you would like to get involved please visit us at www. sewahouston.org or email us at houston@sewausa.org.

Southwest OB / GYN is pleased to announce an addition to our group of caring professionals.

DR. SHIRLEY PENKAR

• Dr. Penkar received her Medical degree from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical school in Dallas, TX. • Dr. Penkar completed her residency training at Parkland Hospital/UT Southwestern in Dallas.

• She has received the Three Star award and the Excellence in Colposcopy award during her chief year of residency. Dr. Penkar later served one year as Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at UT South western.

Dr. Penkar will be joining Southwest OB / Gyn on August 19, 2013, where she will be practicing both Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is currently accepting appointments. To schedule your appointment, contact our office at 713-774-5131 or visit our website at www.swobgyn.com

DR. SHIRLEY PENKAR

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OP-ED/OPIONS/VIEWS

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EDUCATION

World Bank invests in online education

S

AN FRANCISCO, (AFP) - Online education service Coursera on Wednesday announced a fresh round of funding from the investment arm of the World Bank and other backers.

The Silicon Valley-based startup said that it took in $43 million from a group of investors that included the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation and Russian venture capitalist Yuri Milner.

“Coursera is on the forefront of transforming the $4.5 trillion dollar learning industry,” said Michael Moe, chief of GSV Capital, which also participated in the funding round.

“Coursera is democratizing access to the best universities and professors in the world.”

Coursera.org was created by Stanford University professors and launched in April of last year as an online venue for free university classes.

The startup is still working on ways to generate revenue with ideas such as fees for certificates of accomplishment or for tutoring.

Coursera works with 83 educational institutions in an array of countries and offers about 400 free college-level courses.

The startup got an initial round of $22 million in funding last year.

Uses for the latest infusion of cash will include expanding t more countries and developing mobile applications so classes can be access from smartphones or tablets, according to Coursera.

“We created Coursera in response to real and pressing demands for quality, accessible education around the world, and today we are proud to be part of a growing movement that is making a tangible impact on this global challenge,” said cofounder Andrew Ng.

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

t is not just the rupee that has weakened: the US dollar has hit a three-year high against major currencies, thanks to signs of stronger-thanexpected vigour in the US economy, as revealed by the better-than-expected jobs data released last Friday. US bond yields, artificially depressed, thanks to the Fed’s sustained, largescale purchase of bonds that is now expected to be scaled down, have nudged up. The US stocks are firming up. OECD data shows positive economic momentum in Europe as well, as also in India. All this is good news, in terms of economic fundamenby Rajiv Bhatia,

I

nstead of indulging in aggressive posturing, leaders of the region must recognise shifting dynamics and strengthen the East Asian Summit as the mechanism to resolve differences Three high-level meetings in the past month, between the Prime Ministers of India and China, of Japan and India, and the summit between the Presidents of the U.S. and China have placed an intensified focus on the new dynamics of Asian politics.

Before the previous century ended, many scholars rushed to predict that the 21st century would be “Asia’s century.” This view emerged partly from the theory of Asia’s turn, considering that the 19th was the “British century” and the 20th was the “American century.” In part, it was in recognition of the rise of China, India and other Asian powers.

A decade into the present century, however, enthusiasm for Asia stands diminished as realities of global politics assert themselves.

During my recent travels to Japan, China, Russia and three Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, I witnessed parts of this new Asian drama and picked up a few clues about the future.

India is a central player on the Asian stage. “Asia” of strategic literature may not really begin at the Suez Canal, stretching up to the Sea of Japan, even though many Indian experts prefer to define Asian space as “the Indo-Pacific Region.”

But, unlike in the past, even the narrower definition now unanimously includes India. To Asian governments and strategic communities, “Asia” means “Asia-Pacific” and its composition is seen as identical to the membership of the East Asia Summit (EAS), namely 10 members of ASEAN, six “dialogue partners” and two “Pacific” powers, viz the U.S. and Russia. How their internal dynamics work today came through, with remarkable lucidity, at the “Asia-Pacific Roundtable,” the major Track II conference held in Kuala Lumpur in early

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

Boost economy, rupee will move up in tandem tals. But it is refracted into bad news when it passes through a prism of India’s capital markets, specifically in the form of a weak rupee.

This can change. India’s capital markets are shallow. Minor flows of foreign portfolio investments can make big changes in both security prices and the exchange rate. This is essentially because India’s own long-term savings are

kept away from the capital markets: the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), which handles something like Rs 6 lakh crore, invests nothing in stocks.

This depresses earnings for workers and leaves the market vulnerable to herd behaviour by foreign funds, who know that contrarian behaviour will be punished, thanks to paucity of serious domestic money in the market. This must change. The state

can offer EPF a fixed return on new deposits and, in turn, entrust the deposits to fund managers at the National Pension System, who do invest in stocks in a prudent manner. In addition, Sebi can liberalise currency trading: allow longer-term contracts and longer trading hours.

Once markets are thus encouraged to respond to fundamentals rather than to foreigner whim, the pos-

itives of US recovery for India will filter through.

If the government stops merely monitoring project implementation and starts sacking non-performers instead, public investment would revive as well.

Remove state monopoly on coal, bring in private miners and break up Coal India — and watch power generation shoot up. The economy and the rupee will move up in tandem.

(The Economic Times)

Learning to live in a new Asia June.

China-U.S. relations China, the drama’s chief protagonist, is undoubtedly the single most important factor which has drawn world attention to the region, justifying the perception that power has been shifting from the west to the east. Until recently, the country was on its “charm offensive” engaged in developing cooperation with neighbours and sharing the fruits of its growing wealth with them. But with expanding treasures came the ability and will to spend huge sums on military hardware and technology, a desire to push old territorial and maritime claims, and consequent flashes of aggressive behaviour. This was a novel development which ASEAN, the main grouping of the region’s states — big and small, sought to address through “the ASEAN way,” i.e. through consultations and consensus, but it failed. Among many reasons for it, two important ones related to fundamental tensions between China and Japan and the complex situation in the Korean peninsula where North Korea, an erstwhile puppet of China, continues to defy everyone and head towards developing a nuclear arsenal of its own.

Apart from the robust U.S. response, these reasons may partially explain China’s insecurity, reflected in greater aggressiveness.

The U.S., the country which enjoyed unchallenged supremacy, looks at China somewhat warily.

It worries about devising the best strategy on how to grapple with China’s rising power at a time when economic interdependence

between the U.S. and China has assumed unprecedented proportions.

Responding to requests from ASEAN and the others, the U.S., under Obama 1.0, sought to stage “the pivot” towards Asia by ensuring to enhance its military footprint in the region. When Beijing complained that the U.S. was reverting to the Cold War era policy of “containing” China, the projection from Washington changed. The preferred vehicle now was a “re-balancing” of U.S. strategic responsibilities in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, although little substantial difference was detected between the two postures. At the Kuala Lumpur conference, Ambassador Christopher Hill, a top former U.S. official, asserted that there would be a further policy “re-calibration.” While hedging its bets, the U.S. has no option but to devise cooperative arrangements and avoid conflict in Asia. The U.S. and China are unlikely to advance towards “cold war” or “hot war.”

Their future relationship may be stamped by a blend of “cooperation, competition, rivalry and periodic tensions.”

Tier II powers It may hurt our pride but a realistic assessment shows that India, along with Japan, is a Tier II power, not exactly in the same upper category as China and the U.S. A frank recognition of the fact should help us to craft and pursue a dependable policy to handle Asia’s complexities. New Delhi gave a clear glimpse of how it intended to address the task as it hosted Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on his first visit to

India prior to Dr. Singh’s visit to Japan.

India wants cooperation, not conflict, with China. It aims at a relationship based on genuine mutual trust, respect and benefit. In essence, it seeks an equal partnership; it would optimally resist domination of the region by China. These motivations, combined with Tokyo’s own tortured relationship with Beijing, provide a strong foundation for the Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan that the two Prime Ministers proclaimed recently. Economic interests bring them closer together, reinforced by the strategic need to establish a viable balance of power in the region. They look to other democratic countries — Australia, South Korea, ASEAN — for their contribution to ensure that forces favouring cooperation prevail over those elements that could drag the region towards conflict. The proposed “alliance for democracy,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s favourite idea, cannot, however, work if it is structured in patently anti-China terms. This explains why India strives for creating a better balance of power, but stays in the forefront advocating an inclusive regional architecture. We need to strengthen East Asia Summit as the regional mechanism to resolve inter-state differences through negotiations. Proposals for a new friendship treaty, advanced by Indonesia and Russia recently, deserve favourable consideration in this context.

Understanding China Madam Fu Ying, a leading political figure in China today, was vocal, at the

Kuala Lumpur conference, in defining “the Chinese dream.” She explained that China’s new leadership simply wanted a better life for every Chinese citizen, stressing that “the Chinese dream” was part of “the larger Asian dream.” She revealed how her political colleagues often wondered why the world could not understand China’s friendly approach and why China’s neighbourhood is “so unquiet.” I asked her whether it occurred to Beijing’s political elite that tensions in the neighbourhood might have something to do with China’s policy and actions too. Her response was that she “had not heard anything about it.” But our exchange confirmed the chasm between China’s words and actions. If the chasm narrows, trust may enhance, but if it widens, trust will be a further casualty.

Way ahead In short, the chances of an “Asian century” materialising are mixed at present.

They may improve only if Asia’s leading powers begin to do what they are saying and say frankly what they are doing. They also need to reread Europe’s history.

To reconcile conflicting national interests, war is not the only option. Sustained dialogue, backed by strong political will, can work. The EAS conference room is where Asian leaders should be spending more time rather than plotting to send soldiers to remote Ladakh, naval ships to the South China Sea and fishing vessels to the East China Sea. (Rajiv Bhatia, a former ambassador, is directorgeneral of the Indian Council of World Affairs.

The views expressed are personal.). The Hindu

VOICE OF ASIA 3

COMMUNITY VOICE OF ASIA

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

Second Front Page

Friday, July 12, 2013

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

IACAN seminar explains ‘How Cancer is Diagnosed and Treated’ sue can be extracted and studied on a slide by a pathologist to see if it is cancer and if so what type, the state and extent of spread. The pathology report will give all the important details which will help to decide what treatment options are best for the patient. Usually if the cancer has not spread, removal of the cancer through surgery is the best option.

Dr. Sewa Legha during his presentation at the seminar Continued from Page 1 When the cancer cells move to different parts of the body from the original location, it is said to metastasize.

She discussed basic facts about cancer being a multifactorial disease which could be caused by a number of factors including heredity, environmental, sporadic and even infections. Usually when a screening test comes out abnormal a suspicion for cancer starts. Clinical symptoms and signs such as lesions or an abnormal loss of weight can also indicate that further testing is necessary.

Colonoscopies, mammograms, and blood tests are significant screening tests. Oftentimes a biopsy such as a fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) or a core needle biopsy is performed so a small amount of tis-

The next speaker was Dr. Ali Mahmood, colorectal surgeon at Methodist Hospital. Colon cancer is the third most common type of cancer and is easily preventable if a colonoscopy is scheduled. His area of expertise being colon cancer, Dr. Mahmood clearly explained the importance of a colonoscopy. Colon cancer starts as a polyp. Usually, cancer polyps are removed during the colonoscopy so they will not enlarge and lead to cancer. Through his slide presentation of colon cancers he continually stressed the importance of early diagnosis for any type of cancer especially colon cancer.

Tel: 713-774-5140

New Leadership in Houston Mar Thoma Churches

M

ar Thoma Church in the US has a tradition of transferring the priests from one place to another place, mostly from India.

Now we have three new priests as the spiritual leaders to lead the 2,500 strong members of the Mar Thoma Church.

They will be in Houston for three years living with their family.

Rev Kochu Koshy in charge of Trinity Mar Thoma Church, and Rev. Saju Mathew for Immanuel Church. He is also known as the magic achen who performs and teach es the Bible through magic, He performs about 600 programs a year, and Rev. Roy Varghese, Chaplain, to guide and lead the youths of Houston parishes.

Picture Right: Rev Saju Mathew, (Immanuel Church ) with wife Binsy, son Joel (Tejus) and daughter Joanna (Shoba).

Below Left: Rev. Roy Abraham Thomas (Mar Thoma Sabha Council Member) with wife Dr. Rachel Thomas (Jiby), sons Isaiah and Jeremiah and daughter Faith.

Below Right: Rev. Kochu Koshy Abraham, (Trinity Mar Thoma Church) with wife Gigilu and sons Eligah and Abyah.

Dr. Sewa Legha, medical oncologist and IACAN board member spoke next about different cancer stages. Stage one and two are early stages of cancer and have a better cure rate. According to Dr. Legha, culturally, South Asians have a huge disadvantage in cure rates simply because we do not go to the doctor for routine screening exams and wait till we feel pain. As cancer is a silent disease, by the time we feel physical pain, it may be in a later stage than is curable. Stage three usually means the cancer has spread to regional areas such as the lymph nodes. Stage four means it is widespread affecting different

A section of the audience who attended the seminar on cancer.

organs, multiple areas, or even the blood and bones in addition to the original location of the cancer. This is the most dangerous stage. Stage one and two of cancer can usually be treated with surgery. Sometimes a radiation oncologist may be necessary to make sure all the cancer cells which remain after surgery are killed. Stage 3 and 4 cancer usually needs treatment with drugs and different types of therapies including chemotherapy, radiation therapy and immunotherapy. As a medical oncologist his role usually involves stage three and four cancers which are treated with drugs. He also acknowledged that in recent years molecular targeted drugs are being tailor made for specific cancers.

IACAN, thanked the speakers for their time with token gifts. She also spoke lovingly about her father and wished she had the knowledge imparted today to help with her own father’s bout with colon cancer.

She was also excited to introduce SAHNA, South Asian health needs assessment. It will start August 15th and the survey would require about 1500 people of South Asian descent o fill out questionnaires about South Asian health needs. Mrs. Kabad described how the data is necessary in order to acquire grants, and funding for further research. She encouraged the community to come forward and be part of SAHNA which in turn would help patients in our own community.

Kanchan Kabad, president of

Dr. Shalin Shah ended the educa-

tional outreach seminar by covering the subject of radiation oncology and its role in treatment. He described the differences between proton therapy, X-Ray radiation, and Brachytherapy, Proton therapy costs are much higher than traditional radiation but may be more suitable for pediatric patients. In Brachytherapy small seeds of radiation are deposited in the body as another form of targeted radiation therapy. The medical panel of experts welcomed questions and explained the disease of cancer in terms that could be understood by all.

For more information about IACAN visit iacannetwork@gmail. com or contact 713-370-3489. To participate in the SAHNA survey contact sslegha@gmail.com.

VOICE OF ASIA 4

COMMUNITY The People’s Lawyer

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

Swami Mukundananda to visit Houston

www.peopleslawyer.net Richard M. Alderman Interim Dean of the Law Center

Landlord must re-key a lock Q. I recently moved into a new apartment and I am worried the former tenant still has a key.

I asked the landlord to change or re-key the locks and he refused. He told me I could do it myself as long as I gave him a key. This doesn’t seem fair. Why should I have to pay for this?

A. Assuming your lock was not changed or re-keyed when you first moved in, you should not have to pay. Under the law, a tenant is entitled to have an apartment lock changed or re-keyed, as often as the tenant wants. The first time a lock is changed or re-keyed, the landlord must bear the cost of the change. After that, the landlord must make the change, however, he has the right to charge the tenant for any costs incurred. Based on what you say, your landlord must change the lock or re-key it and cannot charge you. I suggest you speak with the landlord and let him know you expect him to do what the law requires.

Q. A creditor in N.Y. is calling and harassing me over a very old debt. I’ve asked them to mail me the information and to stop calling me. Now they are saying they are going to serve me papers and file a lien against my paid-off car. If they do get a judgment and lien can they take my car? Or will I just not be able to sell it unless the lien is paid? This is my only transportation to work.

A. Based on what you say, the company may not have the right to take any legal steps to collect, and may be violating Texas debt collection laws. Under Texas law, after four years the “statute of limitations” has run. If a lawsuit were filed after this time, you could easily have it dismissed. Also, the threat to file a lawsuit on a debt after the four years probably violates our debt collection laws. Additionally, even if a creditor has the right to sue and receives a judgment, he can only take “non-exempt” property. In Texas, your homestead and up to the $30,000 of personal property, $60,000 for a family, is exempt. This would include your car. I suggest you let the creditor know you know your rights, and that you will speak with a consumer attorney if he files suit.

Q. I just started a new job. I get two weeks of vacation a year. My employer tells me the vacation is unpaid, until I have worked there for two years. Is this legal?

A. There is no requirement in the law that employers give their employees any vacation time, paid or unpaid. I suggest you ask your employer to reconsider. If he does not, you must work on his terms, or look for another job.

HH. Swami Mukundananda

S

wami Mukundananda, a world-renowned teacher of Spirituality, Yoga, and Meditation is set to visit Houston on July 26th.

Swami Mukundanda would be conducting two week-long programs from July 27th to August 3rd at India House at 8888 W Bellfort Ave, Houston, TX 77031 and from August 15th to August 21st, at Houston Durgabari Temple at 13944 Schiller Rd, Houston, TX 77082. Each day’s program will include Yoga sessions & Spiritual discourse.

The first part of the session focuses on Yoga & Meditation.

The second session focuses on devotional chanting and spiritual discourses. The topic of the discourse is “Bhagavad Gita for Everyday Living”.

Swami Mukundananda, received his degrees in Engineering and Management from two world famous institutes in India- Indian Institute of Te c h n o l o g y (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM).

However, the call of God was so strong that a short while after landing a top corporate job, he renounced his professional career to take Sanyas, in the quest for God-realization. For the last two decades, Swamiji has been travelling far and wide in various states of India and also in Nepal, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, USA, and Europe, awakening hundreds of thousands of seekers. He is the senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj and founder of JKYog. JKYog is a non-profit organization dedicated to the spiritual, mental and physical wellness of Humankind, through true Yoga and Spirituality.

Building Program.” It includes character building, yog, meditation, devotional singing and religious training.

For children, he has established a special personality development program, called “Bal-Mukund Character

For program details visit http://www.jkyog.org or call 281-630-5982 / 713-4123503.

Swami Mukundananda has been invited to speak at various Fortune 500 companies like Google, Oracle, etc. For the youth, he has has conducted programs at prestigious universities such as Princeton, Stanford, Kellogg, MIT, and Duke University.

In his programs, Swami Mukundananda chants the sweetest bhajans that inspire devotional love and transport human consciousness to subliminal heights. His warmth and humility touch all those who associate with him. It is been said by many that the very presence of Swami Mukundananda radiates grace and bliss.

Year after year, Swami Mukundananda has touched thousands of souls across USA with his soul-stirring lectures and devotional songs. His enlightening discourses clarify the deepest concepts of the Vedic scriptures, with wit, humor, and logic.

He has inspired people all over the world on the path of spirituality, holistic health, yoga, meditation, service to society and God realization.

Q. My stepfather died without a will. He married my mother when I was only two, and I always thought of him as my dad. Am I entitled to any of his property?

A. He may have treated you like his other children, but as far as the law is concerned you are different, and you do not inherit any of his property. When a person dies without a will, the law determines who inherits his or her property. A stepchild is not included within the list of people to whom property passes after death. If a stepparent wants a stepchild to inherit property, he or she should prepare a will.

Q. I moved here from Kentucky, where I was ordered to pay child support as part of my divorce. I have not been paying, and my ex is threatening to sue. Can my wages be garnished for child support imposed by another state?

A. As you appear to know, in Texas, wages may be garnished for child support payments.

Most states have agreements with Texas making it very easy to enforce a child support obligation from another state. If the Kentucky order were enforced in Texas, it could be enforced through wage garnishment.

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

Call Voice of Asia 713-774-5140 and ask for Special Promo Rates Online. Send your amateur videos for posting on our website: www.voiceofasiatvnews.com

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FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

Sri Govindaji Gaudiya Matha Hindu Temple of The WoodTemple Inauguration and lands honors flood victims

H

Deity Installation

ouston is a fortunate city with so many beautiful temples.

And now Houston will have a new temple – Sri Govindaji Gaudiya Matha (SGGM), which will be inaugurated during a four day festival from July 11th – July 14th. SGGM is part of the International Pure Bhakti Yoga Society (IPBYS) founded by His Divine Grace Srila Narayana Goswami Maharaja. IPBYS has temples and centers in over 100 countries around the globe.

Govinda means ‘The Supreme Lord who gives pleasure to the cows and attracts our senses’. Govinda Devaji was the worshipful deity of Sri Rupa Goswami, the foremost disciple of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Describing the beauty of Sri Govinda Deva, Sri Rupa Goswami writes in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu: “My dear friend, if you are indeed attached to your worldly friends, do not look at the smiling face of Lord Govinda as He stands on the bank of the Yamuna at Kesighata.

Casting sidelong glances, He places His flute to His lips, which seem like newly blossomed twigs. His transcendental body, bending in three places, appears very bright in the moonlight.” Now the same transcendentally beautiful Govinda Devaji is arriving in Houston to steal the heart of the Houstonians.

The Gaudiya Matha temple will be special as it will have the three Purushottamas (a) Maryada Purushottam Sri Ramcandra (b) Lila Purushottam Sri Krishna (Sri Govindaji) and (c) Prema Purushottam Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Following ‘maryada’, the rules and regulations and the principles of dharma, one should hear and remember the ‘lila’, the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. One thus achieves,

Devotional songs were sung during the Atma Shanti puja

A

tma Shanti Puja and Bhajan program was held at the Hindu Temple of The Woodlands on Sunday, July 7, honoring the victims of the recent North Indian flood victims.

The opening prayer was by recent high school graduate,Yarlini Vipulananda.

Bhajans were by UH sophomore Srikar Vedula. Additional bhajan singers included

‘prema’, the pure love of the Supreme Lord. Thus, irrespective of the caste, creed, or community, the Matha will be a place for everyone to congregate, worship the Lord, hear His pastimes and progress in devotional life.

The temple inauguration festival will start on July 11th at 5 PM and conclude on July 14th.

Each day there will be bhajans, kirtans and lectures on various topics, such as, Guru Tattva, Bhakti Tattva, Vigraha Tattva, etc. On Friday (July 12th) evening, ‘Purna Kumbh Kalash Yatra’ will take place, where over a hundred ladies will carry ornately decorated kalashas on their heads in a procession around the temple which will be accompanied by chanting of the Holy Names. The water from these kalashas will be used for the abhishek and

installation of the Deities. Prana-pratishtha or ‘Deity Installation’ of Sri Radha Govindaji, Sri Gaura Nitai and Sri Sita Ram Laxman Hanumanji will start at 8 AM on Saturday, July 13th. In the evening there will be a grand cultural program wherein different local cultural groups will participate.

Several dignitaries and representatives from local temples will also grace the occasion.

The festival will conclude on July 14th, with a 108-kundi Vishnu Homa (yajna).

This is a festival not to be missed. So, please mark your calendars and join us along with your family and friends to welcome Their Divine Lordships to the city of Houston. If you would like to help or sponsor any event, please contact Vimlaji at (281) 499-3347 or email: contact@sggm.org.

a number of temple devotees: Sonie Mohanty, Manju Guglani, Jitu and Hema Chudasama, Jagan Allam, Ravi Bayas, Mamta and Madhukar Prasad and others.

Donations to the temple on Sunday will be used for relief and development work in the flooded areas. Hriday Shukla, a senior business major at University of Texas, currently doing a summer internship, made the

first donation, encouraging others to also donate. Over $3000 was collected from appeals.

Hindu Temple of The Woodlands is located at 7601 S Forestgate inThe Woodlands. It encourages service, education and devotion among the Hindu Americans of the north Houston and Montgomery County area.

See www.woodlandshindutemple.org for more information on the temple and its activities.

Hindu Americans condemn Islamist bomb attack on UNESCO heritage temple site in India

T

he World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) is shocked and saddened by the brutal bomb blasts at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya (India), one of the holiest sites for Hindus and Buddhists from around the world.

scenes such as Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, being bathed by elephants; and Surya, the Hindu sun god, riding a chariot drawn by four horses. The temple has figures of stupas (reliquary shrines) and garudas (eagles). The sanctum has a statue of Buddha.

Bodh Gaya, has a 3000 year old history as a place of meditation and peace and is considered a symbol ...of universal love. The Mahabodhi Temple a UNESCO World heritage site, is a Hindu/Buddhist temple at the location where The Buddha, the founder of Bouddha Dharma, and considered one of the nive avatars of the Hindu deity Visnu, is said to have attained enlightenment.

For over four decades, the World Hindu Council (VHP) has been involved in the maintenance of the temple complex.

Built during the Gupta period (300–600 CE), the temple has

On July 7, 2013, a series of small bombs went off in and around the temple, injuring two people, authorities said. Four of the eight explosions occurred at the Mahabodhi temple complex. The temple itself was not damaged. The other four blasts hit other sacred locations around Mahabodhi, said state po-

lice official S.K. Bhardwaj. A 50year-old Tibetan and a 30-year-old Myanmar national were injured in the attack, Bhardwaj said. While no one took responsibility for the attack, suspicion fell on the homegrown Islamist group Indian Mujahideen, Bhardwaj said. An offshoot of Pakistan based terror group Lashkar e Toiba, the group, designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, is blamed for dozens of deadly bomb explosions targeting Hindus throughout India since 2005.

VHPA demands that the Government of India abandon its policy of appeasement towards pan-Islamic terror groups, and take immediate steps to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 6

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

India leads in education, says Five Indian-American kids Cornell University President to join Michelle Obama for ‘State Dinner’ N EW YORK: A top American academician has described the drop in number of Indian students joining US universities as brain circulation rather than as reverse brain drain.

new concept of outsourcing to make India feel proud. It had mastered the technology,” he said.

“I call it as a brain circulation and in the past it was going in one direction. We see discoveries are coming in the field of medicine, agriculture, technology from places that we did not think of in the past.

On the Ithaca campus in New York alone nearly 20,000 students representing every state of the US and 120 countries choose from among 4,000 courses in 11 undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools.

“India has some of the finest and world class institutions such as IITs and Indian Institute of Science and there is no dearth of world-class quality education there,” President of Cornell University, David J Skorton, told PTI here on the sidelines of a meeting in Cornell Club in Manhattan.

Skorton said India is leading the world in cutting edge outsourcing technology and technological revolution of sorts is happening there.

“Look at some of the inventions in medicine and agriculture. Infosys has done whole

Cornell University is the most educationally diverse member of the Ivy League.

Many undergraduates participate in a wide range of interdisciplinary programs, play meaningful roles in original research, and study in Cornell programs in Washington, New York City, and the world over.

Skorton became Cornell University’s 12th president on July 1, 2006. He holds faculty appointments as professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City and in Biomedical Engineering at the College of Engineering on Cornell’s Ithaca

campus.

There are more than 100,000 Indian students studying in various universities across the US and according to one survey in the 1970s about 80 per cent of the IIT graduates migrated to the US then and now the number has fallen to less than five per cent.

The number of Indian students studying in the US has dropped for the second consecutive year, according to the annual Open Doors Report released by the Institute of International Education in the US. In 2011-12, there were 1, 00,270 Indians at American universities, down from 1, 03,895 in the previous year and 1, 04,897 the year before that.

In 2009-10, China overtook India for the top spot in terms of students at US universities.

Though India is still number two, the number of Indian students is down by about four per cent. Issues such as visa restrictions, slowdown of US economy and tough job market have been cited as reasons.

Indian pays Rs 36 lakh to rescue compatriot in Saudi Arabia

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UBAI: A Saudi-based Indian businessman has secured the release of a compatriot serving a jail term in the Gulf Kingdom for killing a local resident in Jeddah by paying blood money to the family of the victim.

Indian businessman Mohammed Alungal paid a sum of Rs 36,13,000 on behalf of Vinish Pappachan, who had been ordered to pay the money as diyah (blood money), Arab News reported.

Pappachan, who hails from Kerala and worked as a driver, was held guilty of causing the accidental death of a Saudi national in February 2012 when the earth-moving tractor he was operating collided with a car driven by the victim.

When the court directed that blood money be paid, Pappachan’s family from Idukki in Kerala approached the local government for help, who coordinated with social workers in Saudi Arabia to speak with the victim’s

family.

It was then that Alungal, chairman of Abeer Polyclinic Group, came forward to pay the full amount.

“I just want to fly back home as early as possible.

Every single hour seems to be a year or more for me now,” said Pappachan after his release from prison.

“I have a fresh lease of life thanks to Mohammed Alungal and Kerala chief minister Ommen Chandy. I feel like a free bird now,” he added.

W

ASHINGTON - Five IndianAmerican children are among 54 winners of a nationwide recipe challenge to promote healthy lunches as part of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! Initiative invited to a “State Dinner” at White House Tuesday.

The group will join First Lady Michelle Obama for a healthy lunch, featuring a selection of the winning recipes and a performance by singer Rachel Crow, followed by a visit to the White House kitchen garden, according to an official announcement.

“Our Kids’ State Dinner is one of my favorite events of the year, and the kid chefs who come from around the country never cease to impress and inspire me with their creativity and ingenu-

ity,” said Michelle Obama.

“I’m counting down the days until the winners join me at the White House to celebrate these healthy and delicious meals that kids everywhere will love,” she said.

For the second consecutive year, The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” invited a parent or guardian to work with their child ages 8-12 to create a lunchtime recipe that is healthy, affordable, original and delicious.

In support of Let’s Move!, launched by the First Lady to help solve the problem of childhood obesity, each recipe adhered to the guidance that supports US Department of Agriculture’s ‘MyPlate’ to ensure that the criteria of a healthy meal were met.

Entries had to represent each of the five food groups that are the building blocks for a healthy diet, either in one dish or as parts of a lunch meal, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy foods, with fruits and veggies making up roughly half the plate or recipe.

The Indian-American winners are: Shefali Singh, 12, (Falmouth, Massachusetts) “Shefali’s Scrumptious Spring Rolls”; Vijay Dey, 12, (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) - “Spring Rolls”; Anisha Patel, 11, (Blacklick, Ohio) - “Kickin, Colourful, Bell Peppers stuffed with Quinoa”; Ganesh Selvakumar, 9, (Broomall, Pennsylvania) - “Lentil Spinach Soup and Mint Chutney” and Devanshi Udeshi, 12, (Sugar Land, Texas) - “Slam Dunk Veggie Burger”. (IANS).

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NRI’s get 10 per cent remittance bonus with June salary MUMBAI: Non-resident Indians (NRIs) bee-lined in overseas exchange houses last week after getting their June salary to sent most of their savings back home. Thanks to the 10% remittance bonus that they received with June salary as Indian rupee had fallen by over 10% to over 60 against the US dollar in June alone.

NRIs got 10% more for every dollar they sent back home and that’s driving the Indian remittance story at a point of time when the foreign direct investment ( FDI) rate into India is falling as the government has failed to regain institutional investors’ faith in India’s groth story due to its flip-flop policies.

To put things in perspective,

India, the world’s largest

receiver of remittances with record $69.35 billion of remittances in 2012 is set to keep its position intact. Thanks to the falling Indian rupee against the US dollar, which breached 61 mark on Monday, making it lucrative for the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), especially the Non Resident Gujaratis (NRGs) and the Non Resident Mallyalis (NRMs), to remit money back home.

SOUTH ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 7

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

India police make Leaked report lambasts Pakistan failures arrest, study CCTV on bin Laden over temple bombs I

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ATNA - Indian police arrested a man on Monday over weekend bomb attacks targeting one of Buddhism’s holiest sites and were studying CCTV footage that appeared to show two men planting explosives.

The Indian government condemned the “terror attack” after multiple small bombs exploded at the historic Bodh Gaya Buddhist temple complex on Sunday morning, wounding two monks at the pilgrimage destination in eastern Bihar state.

“The police are doing everything to identify the two persons on the basis of the CCTV footage,” local police official Chandan Kushwaha told AFP. Security camera footage released of the complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site, also showed pilgrims running from the scene after one of the blasts.

Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said 10 bombs exploded at the site, increasing the previous number from nine, with three more devices discovered and defused.

“Today, I have the information of 10 blasts. A total of 13 bombs were placed there... (but) I will not go into details where they were kept,” Shinde told reporters.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but police arrested a local man who was being questioned in con-

Sodomy case: former MP Minister Raghavji arrested

A file picture of former Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Raghavji. (PTI)

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isgraced former Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Raghavji was on Tuesday arrested following sodomy allegations levelled against him by his domestic servant Rajkumar Dangi, police said.

“Raghavji has been arrested from a flat in Koh-e-Fiza locality in old city area of Bhopal where he was hiding,” Inspector General (IG) Bhopal Range Upendra Jain told PTI. The door of the flat was locked from outside and Raghavji was inside, police said.

Acting on a tip-off, police reached the flat some time back and knocked the door. “When nobody responded, police broke open the door and found Raghvaji,” the IG said.

After his formal arrest, he is being brought to the Habibganj Police Station, where an FIR against him had been registered two days back.

Soon after the registration of an FIR, Raghavji, who celebrated his 79th birthday on Sunday, went missing from Vidisha.

The FIR was filed by his servant, who alleged that Raghavji abused him for the last three and a half years on the promise of getting him a government job.

Mr. Dangi later confided in the suspended BJP leader, Shiv Shankar Pateria about his ordeal, who asked him to record the act.

The victim prepared 22 purported CDs, which showed Raghavji in the act, including one in Rewanchal Express Train.

After the exposure of the CDs, Raghavji resigned from the Cabinet. He was expelled from the BJP on Sunday.

The CDs have left BJP government red-faced, as it is aiming to score a hat-trick in the assembly elections due later this year.

nection with the blasts.

“A man identified as Vinod Mistri was taken into custody in connection with the serial bomb blasts in Bodh Gaya,” state police official S.K. Bharadwaj told AFP. Police picked up Mistri in the Barachatti area, a stronghold of Maoist insurgents 130 kilometres (80 miles) south of the state capital Patna, Bharadwaj said.

Delhi police said they had earlier warned officials that Islamic militants could target the temple complex as revenge for unrest involving Buddhists and Muslims in neighbouring Myanmar.

Attacks on Buddhists are rare in India, but there have been tensions in the region recently following the clashes in Myanmar, as well as frictions in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka stepped up security on Monday for its holiest Buddhist temple, containing the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree, following the blasts in neighbouring India, police said.

“We have asked all units to be extra vigilant,” a police official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “We had a discussion with the chief monks and decided on a string of new measures.”

SLAMABAD - Pakistani collective failures, incompetency and negligence allowed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to live in the country undetected for more than nine years, a leaked report has revealed.

CIA spies tracked down bin Laden to the northwestern town of Abbottabad, where he was shot dead by US Navy SEALs on May 2, 2011 during a dramatic raid near Pakistan’s military academy.

It was one of the most humiliating episodes in Pakistan’s short history and exposed the country to allegations of incompetency or colluding with AlQaeda to hide the world’s most wanted man.

The government set up a judicial commission shortly after the raid to investigate after parliament demanded an independent enquiry.

It interviewed senior civilian and military officials and bin Laden’s three widows before they were deported to Saudi Arabia.

But its findings were kept secret until Al-Jazeera published them on Monday and the stinging criticism will deeply embarrass the intelligence and military authorities.

“Culpable negligence and incompetence at almost all levels of government can more or less be conclusively established by

the testimonies of witnesses,” the report said.

The commission said it had found nothing to support allegations of complicity but neither could it rule out the possibility of “’plausibly deniable’ support” from current or former officials.

“For an institution such as the ISI (intelligence agency), negligence and incompetence are far more serious charges than possible connivance by rogue elements,” it said.

The 336-page report also included some fresh details about bin Laden’s day to day life after he fled the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan, arriving in Pakistan in the spring or summer of 2002.

He stayed in Afghan border areas, the northwestern districts Swat and Haripur, and possibly other places before settling in Abbottabad in August 2005.

The widow of one of two Pakistanis who provided his core support network said they -- including bin Laden -- were once all stopped for speeding in Swat.

Her husband “very quickly settled the matter with the policeman and they drove on,” the report said without going into detail.

But in 2005, the same year that bin Laden moved to Abbottabad, the ISI closed the file on the hunt for the Al-Qaeda

Osama Bin Laden was killed in a night time raid in Abbottabad in Pakistan over two years ago. PHOTO: FILE supremo.

tract Pakistani attention.

Foreign accusations that bin Laden was probably in Pakistan, were not taken seriously by the government and nor were possible military implications ever considered, it said.

“How the entire neighbourhood, local officials, police and security and intelligence officials all missed the size, the strange shape, the barbed wire, the lack of cars and visitors etc over a period of nearly six years beggars belief,” the report said.

In Abbottabad, testimony from his wives said bin Laden wore a cowboy hat when he moved about the compound to avoid detection.

If he felt ill, he treated himself with traditional Arab medicine and “whenever he felt sluggish he would take some chocolate with an apple,” the report said.

But for nearly six years, unusual security arrangements at his villa, a lack of Internet and other abnormalities failed to at-

Had leads or abnormalities been followed up professionally the report cautioned, it might have led to a different outcome than the US raid that violated Pakistan sovereignty, it said.

While there were never fewer than 25 people living in the compound, it was listed on a housing survey as uninhabited, a level of incompetence the report described as “astounding”.

VOICE OF ASIA 8

China Red Cross in cash for organs allegations: media

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EIJING, - The Chinese Red Cross demands money from hospitals to help arrange organ donations, media reported Tuesday.

The fee charged by the staterun body varied by location and went mostly to pay donors’ medical costs, a Red Cross Society of China official told the Beijing News.

It cited a hospital employee in the southern city of Guangzhou as saying the average donation for obtaining an organ was 100,000 yuan($16,000).

“But exactly how this money is used, the public does not know,” the employee said.

Another hospital employee in the eastern province of Jiangsu said it gave the Red Cross 50,000 yuan intended for the donor’s family.

Ethical considerations are a key issue in many transplant programmes around the world,

ASIA

China police fire on Tibetans honouring Dalai Lama: groups

and under Chinese law it is illegal to trade in organs or to receive money for donations.

Chinese Red Cross officials were not immediately available to comment to AFP.

Demand for transplants in the country is high, with a vast and ageing population. But supply is low because many Chinese believe they will be reincarnated after death and so feel the need to keep a complete body.

The Shenzhen chapter of the Red Cross denied the Beijing News report in a statement to the official Xinhua news agency, saying it had worked on 25 organ donation cases with a hospital that decided to donate a lump sum of 150,000 yuan for donors.

Only one in 30 patients registered for an organ transplants receives one each year, the Global Times said Tuesday, citing the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

The shortfall opens the way to forced donations and illegal sales, while China still collects organs from executed prisoners, although it has repeatedly said it will stop doing so.

A new system in 2010 aimed to make transplants fairer and more open, but a year later it was used in only a third of operations, the China Daily reported last month.

There was no “100,000 yuan per case” arrangement, Xinhua quoted the statement as saying.

The China Red Cross previously faced accusations of a lack of accountability over 80 million yuan raised from works donated by artists for victims of the Sichuan earthquake in 2008.

State auditors have raised questions over discrepancies in its budgets, which it has insisted were not the result of corrupt practices.

Tata Motors to make Indonesia hub for exports to Southeast Asia

by Berni Moestafa & Siddharth Philip (Bloomberg)

T

ata Motors Ltd. (TTMT) will make Indonesia a hub to export vehicles to Southeast Asia as the country is set to overtake Thailand as the region’s biggest car market.

Tata Motors, which plans to start sales in Indonesia in two months, aims to sell enough vehicles in the country to make a local assembly factory feasible, Biswadev Sengupta, chief executive officer of the Indonesian unit, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV Indonesia July 8. The volumes would also help boost content of locally made components to 40 percent, a level that is required to sell to members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, at zero duty, he said.

India’s largest automaker is entering Indonesia as the country is set to become Southeast Asia’s biggest car market in 2014, according to IHS Automotive. Most of the region’s 600 million people -- the combined population of the U.S., Germany and Brazil -- will be middle class by 2020, and that will boost consumer demand, according to Bain & Co. “Indonesia can act as beachhead for Tata’s Asean strategy,” Ammar Master, an analyst at LMC Automotive based in Bangkok, said. “And allow the automaker to expand volumes beyond its home market.”

Tata Motors’ sales at home have plunged every month since November. Passenger vehicle deliveries at the Mumbaibased automaker fell 32 percent in June to 11,804 vehicles.

Shares of Tata Motors have declined 7.5 percent this year, compared with a 0.1 percent increase in the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex. The automaker’s stock rose 0.5 percent to close at 289.10 rupees in Mumbai yesterday.

Toyota Competition The Indian automaker will have to compete with Toyota Motor Corp. (7203), whose joint venture with PT Astra International controls about half of Indonesia’s market. Domestic vehicle sales in May rose 4.2 percent from a year earlier to 99,568 units, Astra said last month, citing data from the nation’s automotive industries association.

Tata Motors aims to make Indonesia its biggest market outside of India and will invest to achieve that target, Sengupta said without explaining whether he meant market size by revenue or volume. The initial focus will be on selling vehicles on the islands of Java and Bali, he said.

Over the next two months the company plans to open as many as seven dealerships and increase that number to 15 by March, he said. Tata Motors expects to sell enough vehicles in Indonesia in three to four years to justify starting an assembly line, he said.

The company will target Indonesia’s small car and pick-up van segments, Sengupta said. It will also sell passenger buses and mining related vehicles, he said.

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

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EIJING, July 9, 2013 (AFP) - Chinese police opened fire on Tibetans marking the Dalai Lama’s 78th birthday, shooting at least one monk in the head and seriously wounding several other people, two overseas groups said Tuesday.

Security forces disrupted Tibetans in Sichuan province’s Daofu county as they carried out rituals to honour their exiled leader, whom Beijing denounces as a separatist, said the USbased International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) and India-based phayul.com.

Regional authorities denied the allegations.

“Two Tibetan monks were shot in the head and several others seriously injured after Chinese police opened fire at a crowd,” ICT said, citing unnamed local and exile sources.

It named the monks as Tashi Sonam and Ugyen Tashi, and said both were in hospital.

Armed police and soldiers who arrived to block the group began shooting and using tear gas “without warning”, it said, citing two Tibetans in exile.

A young exiled Tibetan Buddhist monk watches festivities in Kathmandu on July 6, 2013. Chinese police opened fire on Tibetans marking the Dalai Lama’s 78th birthday...

At least 20 people were detained after the incident on Saturday, ICT added.

Phayul, a news site on Tibet, said police opened fire after a monk tried to “drive past the security blockade”, citing an overseas Tibetan. One monk was shot in the head, the site said.

Police and religious affairs authorities in Daofu both told AFP: “There was no incident of this kind”.

The county is part of Ganzi

prefecture, one of southwestern China’s Tibetan-majority areas.

Members of the ethnic minority have long complained of religious and cultural repression

by Beijing, and more than 100 have set themselves on fire in recent years in apparent protest at Chinese rule.

Beijing insists it respects ethnic minorities and has invested heavily to develop Tibetan areas. It blames self-immolations on overseas groups seeking to push a separatist agenda.

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VOICE OF ASIA 9

Obama revives broccoli-Gate

WORLD/US

Then-presidential candidate Barack Obama eats an ice cream in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2008 (AFP/File, Saul Loeb)

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Democrats urge Obama to end ‘inhumane’ force-feeding

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ASHINGTON - Two senior Democratic lawmakers called for an end Tuesday to the force-feeding of dozens of Guantanamo detainees, clashing with the White House which argued that they “don’t want these individuals to die.”

Of the 166 inmates at the US Navy detention center in southeastern Cuba, 106 have gone on hunger strike. Of those, 45 of them are being force-fed.

Number two Senate Democrat Dick Durbin said he and Senate Intelligence Committee chair Dianne Feinstein, who has long called for the closure of the detention facility, will write President Barack Obama asking him to “exercise his executive authority” and end the force-feeding.

“Detainees are restrained in a chair by body, by foot, by hand, and twice a day a tube is inserted -- perhaps covered with olive oil -- up the nose and down into the stomach,” Feinstein said.

“I believe Congress has been complicit in the current, complicated situation,” Durbin said in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Obama nominee James Comey to head the FBI.

“I haven’t liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it,” Bush said in 1990.

“The US condemns in the strongest possible terms today’s bombing in the Bir al-Abed neighborhood of Beirut which tragically occurred on the eve of the holiday month of Ramadan,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

US First Lady Michelle Obama picks broccoli from the White House garden on October 20, 2010 on the South Lawn (AFP/File, Mandel Ngan) “I’m President of the United States, and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli.”

Obama’s comments quickly sparked a political debate on Twitter. The president’s campaign guru David Plouffe predicted the president’s Republican foes would now come out swinging against the vegetable.

Two Asiana Pilots Hadn’t Flown Together Before, NTSB Says

By Alan Levin

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he two pilots operating Asiana Flight 214 when it crash-landed in San Francisco on July 6, killing two, hadn’t flown together before, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman said.

The flight was also the first as an

Several detainees are no longer considered a threat to the United States and have been cleared for transfer, including the petitioner in the latest legal case, Jihad Dhiab.

WASHINGTON, - The United States on Tuesday denounced a car bombing in south Beirut which injured at least 53 people, and voiced support for the Lebanese armed forces as they sought to restore calm.

The slim line Obama was asked by a guest at a “Kids State Dinner” event at the White House to name his favorite food, and nominated the pride of the cabbage family, which reputedly boasts more nutrients than any other vegetable.

Former president George H.W. Bush hated broccoli so much that he reputedly banned it from Air Force One, wielding the power of the presidency in a blow to healthy vegetable fans everywhere.

“This goes on week after week, and month after month.”

pression of acute hopelessness,” Feinstein said.

“Many of (them) are being force-fed to keep them alive,” she added. “In my view, this is inhumane.”

A day earlier, US District Court Judge Gladys Kessler ruled against Dhiab’s bid to have his force-feeding blocked, citing existing law which prevents intervention in aspects of detention at Guantanamo.

But Kessler described the forcefeeding of detainees as “a painful, humiliating and degrading process,” and said Obama was the one person who could “directly address the issue.”

Asked about the judge’s unusual move, the White House defended the controversial policy.

“We don’t want these individuals to die,” Obama’s spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday. “The action being taken is to prevent that from happening.”

US condemns Beirut car bombing

President Barack Obama on Tuesday sung the praises of broccoli, snubbing the cheeseburgers, hot dogs, pork chops and pumpkin pies he has munched to show common man credentials on the campaign trail.

Obama also reopened a long bubbling Washington debate, about the benefits, or otherwise, of broccoli.

Feinstein, who visited Guantanamo earlier this year and was briefed on the forced feeding, provided graphic details of the process.

But they remain in limbo, and some have gone on hunger strike as “an ex-

ASHINGTON- Michelle Obama’s healthy eating campaign is clearly hitting close to home.

The president with his wife close by, stayed faithful to the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign, which is designed to cut childhood obesity and tout the benefits of a healthy lifelong diet and exercise.

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

instructor for the pilot in command, Hersman said at a media briefing. Asiana previously said it was the first time the pilot in control during the approach had landed at San Francisco International Airport in a Boeing 777 jet.

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“All (Republican) 2016ers will now have to pledge to never eat broccoli again,” he tweeted.

“We extend our deepest sympathies and concern for civilians wounded in today’s attack.”

The blast, in the stronghold of Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah movement, comes amid spiraling tensions in the

country over the war in neighboring Syria.

Hezbollah forces have joined ranks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to fight a mainly Sunni-led opposition movement to oust the Syrian leader, in a conflict which has cost some 100,000 lives.

There are increasing fears that Lebanon -- which is hosting hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees -- will be increasingly dragged into the conflict.

“We strongly support the efforts of the Lebanese armed forces and the internal security forces to restore stability and maintain calm in Beirut and throughout Lebanon and we condemn any activity that targets or puts at risk civilians,” Psaki added.

VOICE OF ASIA 10

COMMUNITY

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

Indian psyche and senior citizens

Houstonian dies at Miami Beach

Pension blues and post-retirement life are two scary areas which any middle-class employee would find perplexing

by V. Sriharsha ad Mark Twain lived in India and experienced the travails of senior citizens, he would have rephrased his words on a positive frame of mind. His quote, “Age is an issue of mind over matter.

If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter,” would have been revised as “Age does matter over mind, if you don’t mind you are in trouble” in India.

In fact, there is a sense of pity and anxiety the moment people retire from active service and are dismissed as old fossil in a maddening race for money, fame and name. They allow the near and dear to grab as much wealth as possible. They also realize that in this unpredictable lifestyle they may not even live to see the brighter morrow to throw money as they like, yet they chase that cushy bank balance which could see them through their unexplored post-retirement life.

H

Truly, none should grudge this thinking and people should also spare a thought for their elderly parents in the autumn of their lives. Sadly, it’s a vicious circle where the earning member and his wife struggle to provide a decent education to their kids and yet try to balance their lives with the well-being of elders.

An NGO study in a national daily gives a disturbing picture of the lives of senior citizens. One out of every two senior citizens in urban India is unhappy with his/her living conditions and 80% are looking for a better lifestyle that includes more shopping, socialising and holidays.

Perhaps, this may not be actually true since a majority of them prefer to visit temples/shrines and listen to discourses.

The nationwide survey of 1,900 senior citizens was conducted across 12 cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore by a market research firm over three months last year. It studied four parameters — socio-economic issues, security issues, healthcare and lifestyle needs. More than 80% of seniors seek to sustain their lifestyle

Mr. Sainath Parambath Mr. Sainath Parambath (Kurup) was one of the few delegates from Greater Houston who attended the 7th Biennial Convention of Kerala Hindus of North America during the July 4th Weekend at Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

How do they cope? Photo: N. Sridharan

with age or improve it, as they do not wish to ‘retire’ from a normal, active life, the study found. More senior citizens want to stay young at heart, with 75% respondents saying they wanted to socialise, engage in sports, go on a leisure outing and shop for luxury goods.

This may be true in cases where their savings can ensure that lifestyle but a majority of the pensioners make it doubly sure before spending their pension on any such luxurious getaways.

A regular morning walker with me, a D-G of a Government of India establishment, found himself lost in society the day he retired. He stopped appearing for the morning walk as preparatory to his retirement for the past 15 days and just two days after his retirement he looked totally haggard, lost and shaken.

I could read his emotions and forlorn

state, as if he was cut off from society.

He was a terror in his power-packed post and many of his colleagues disliked his behaviour. The day he retired, many were found celebrating, while the formal retirement function was on in another wing of the office!

Can we blame him for discharging his duties dispassionately and curtly? As my former boss used to say, “I am not paid to please all” ... true, but does he have to be a demon to be an upright and disciplined boss?

Pension blues and post-retirement life are two dark and scary areas which any middle-class employee would find perplexing. Sadly, the plight is more pitiable in the private sector where there are no good advisers to guide you on a contented life. Health is one big uncertain zone where one’s calculations go haywire if a retired person falls sick. Hospital expenses shoot up, drilling a hole into his savings. There is no national

social security or health plan for all.

The Central Government Health Scheme is one saving grace for retired employees, while the private sector has no such scheme. As American boxer George Foreman rightly said, the “question isn’t at what age I want to retire, it’s at what income.”

How true. Income and savings are interlinked bogies and invariably there is a yawning gap between what you earn and save. Sadly, the state has no plans for senior citizens and it feels its responsibility is limited to caring for pensioners of the central government. Social security schemes are a big disappointment and one has to fend for oneself. The condition is deplorable in rural areas and interiors of the country. It’s only the politicians who irrespective of their age survive the hardship thanks to their clout and power. The unsung and destitute senior citizens lead a pathetic life. (The Hindu)

The unfortunate incident occurred following the international meeting ( July 4-7) held at Bonaventure Resort & Spa, Weston Florida which was attended by many families from all over the USA and from India. As an extension of the trip to Florida, the group of families from Houston, which included several children was spending some time at Miami Beach on Sunday, July 7. The waves at the beach had turned into a dangerous level due to the strong rip currents at the beach capable to sweep people away. Immediate attempts by the lifeguards could not save him. He was 45 years old.

Sainath Parambath has been living in Greater Houston area for more than 10 years. He hails from Kannur, Vadakara in the State of Kerala. Sainath in his official position as one of members of the 2012-2013 Executive Board of Kerala Hindu Society, has played a major role in the current construction project of Sri Guruvayurappan Temple, Houston. He was elected to the Director Board of Kerala Hindus of North America for 2013- 2015, the day before he passed away.

He is survived by his wife Krishnaja Kurup, Harinandan (son), Krishnendu (daughter), sisters and mother.

Details of cremation are not yet been finalized, since the body has not been sent yet, although it is cleared for dispatch. (Forwarded by Chittoor K. Ramachandran

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VOICE OF ASIA 11

T

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

MTS Celebrates Anniversary Day – ‘Founders’ Day’

hirty five years ago Sri Meenakshi Temple Society was formed and its humble beginning was marked by the installation of its first deity, Prasanna Vinayakar, at the northwest corner of the current temple complex. The founders could not have imagined that only three years later, a huge main temple with three presiding deities came to be inaugurated – Goddess Meenakshi at the center, Her consort Sundareshwarar to her right and Her brother Venkateshwarar to her left. It is befitting that each year, in the month of July, the board of directors celebrated the temple anniversary. This year the anniversary was celebrated on Sunday, July 8.

ing this day, July 8, as the Sri Meenakshi Temple Anniversary Day. The Mayor acknowledged the services of the past board of directors and congratulated the past and present board for their dedicated service to the temple.

Past and Present board members of MTS attending the Founder’s Day Luncheon

This year, the Chairman Tupil Narasiman and the board of directors deemed this day “Founders’ Day” and took this celebration up a notch by inviting the founders and the past board of directors in honor of their dedicated service to the temple society. Close to a hundred members of the temple board, past and present, attended the celebration.

The event started with “Navakalasa Sthapanam” wherein a navakalasam (9 pots of water) for each of the three presiding deities was set up and mantras chanted along with homams to electrify the waters in the kalasams which were eventually

poured over the main deities; the bathed deities were decorated with new vastrams and flowers and ornaments and a maha arathi and archanai were performed.

The main temple wore a festive look with ladies making flower garlands for the deities

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and the fire of the homams creating a meditative ambience. The atmosphere was charged with energy from the Rudram chanting during the homam. The pooja events were organized by MTS board directors M. Sriram and C. Karunaker.

The Honorable Mayor of Pearland, Mr. Tom Reid, who has been associated with the temple almost from its inception and seen the phenomenal growth of the temple, was one of the invited guests for the event. The Mayor issued a proclamation from the City of Pearland mark-

The congregation witnessed the special puja until 12.30 pm and after receiving the prasadam moved to the Youth center for a special “Founders’ Day Luncheon. One of the dignitaries present was one of the founders of MTS, Dr. Sudarshan, a wellknown physicist from the University of Texas, and, in 2007, a recipient of Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award from the Government of India.

The past board of directors were greeted by the current board and were served lunch – sit down style organized by director Malar Narayanan – a nice way to thank the past board of directors for their contributions to the growth of this great institution – Sri Meenakshi Temple Society. It is hoped that the Founders’ Day tradition will continue to bring together all those who worked hard to grow this temple.

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FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

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VOICE OF ASIA 13

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

Vol. 26

No. 28

Friday, July 12, 2013

by Deepak Adhikari

K

ATHMANDU - Down a narrow, stone-paved alley a few minutes’ walk from Kathmandu’s bustling tourist hub of Durbar Square, Uttam Manandhar prepares a tapas-style array of buffalo brain, spine and testicles.

Section 2

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Kathmandu’s hidden diners

offer the real deal

falo brain, a greyish dish of boiled blood called rakti, phokso (lungs stuffed with minced meat), kachila (raw meat), baked buffalo skin, boiled spinal cord and fried intestines.

It might not look appetising to Westerners but dozens of indigenous Newars gather daily in his “bhatti” as part of a centuries-old social scene largely missed by the thousands of tourists who come to Nepal in search of culture.

But the tourists who throng the courtyards of the nearby 17th century temples and other attractions in search of the “genuine” Kathmandu experience hardly ever venture here, says Manandhar.

Hidden in the capital’s myriad labyrinthine alleyways are hundreds of these traditional hole-in-the-wall eateries -- “speakeasies” to the locals -serving potent home brew and various buffalo meat snacks.

“These are the daily staple of Newars.

I think the locals come here because, apart from being cheap, they are also nutritious and delicious,” Manandhar said, multi-tasking between a boiling pot of spinal cord and some fried intestines.

Both sides of the alley are dotted with these grimy, smoky coves which can be identified by those in the know by the greasy green curtain covering their doorways.

Inside, a dozen Newari dishes comby Deborah Bonello

M

EXICO CITY- On a recent rainy Sunday morning in a Mexico City neighborhood, people lined up under their umbrellas with bags of empty milk cartons, plastic bottles and cardboard at their feet.

The rain did nothing to dampen their enthusiasm for the Mercado de Trueque, or barter market, where recyclable materials are exchanged for points then used to buy organic food and products.

“It’s great because a lot of the time one doesn’t know what to do with all of this stuff and I think it’s really irresponsible to just throw it away,” said Maria Fernanda Vasquez, a photographer huddled under an umbrella with her friend Mina Moreno.

Moreno added: “We need to give a little something back to Mother Earth.”

A Newari bhatti seller prepares food for customers at his shop in Kathmandu on January 9, 2012 (AFP, Prakash Mathema) prising beaten rice and every conceivable part of a buffalo, are spread out before the hungry locals, who wash down their spicy barbecued, or sometimes raw, meat with a rice-gin concoction called raksi.

($1.83) for a filling meal while a double shot of home-distilled raksi -- so potent at more than 50 percent alcohol that you soon forget how many you’ve had -- costs little more than 40 rupees.

Locals part with around 100 rupees

The delicacies on offer include buf-

“These places might be dark and not polished if you compare them with the fine dining places in Kathmandu. But once your palette knows about it, it will be hard for you not to be tempted by them,” he told AFP. A typical bhatti might serve 60 people on a good day, making around 4,000 rupees after expenses are deducted, although staff costs are low, with the owner usually doubling as waiter, barman and chef.

“We are busy in the late afternoon and the evening when our customers, mainly local Newar people, come to eat and socialise,” Manadhar said.

Mexico City trash-for-food

market helps capital clean up

The Mercado de Trueque is among a slew of green initiatives that have been launched by the capital’s left-wing government in recent years to clean up this smoggy metropolis of 20 million people, which was considered the world’s most polluted city some 20 years ago.

The monthly market, which was inaugurated last year, aims to raise awareness about the value and use of items that would otherwise end up in landfills, and is growing in popularity in a city that generates more than 12,000 tonnes of trash per day.

The recyclables brought to market

by people are weighed by an army of apron-wearing helpers, and then heaped onto waiting trucks to be transported to a local recycling company.

Market-goers are rewarded with green points, a bespoke currency, depending on the quantity of materials they bring in. They then take their points next door to a produce market to spend on food and other products on sale.

The scheme means no one goes away empty-handed after bringing their trash in for recycling. It was the first time Andrea Gutierrez and her boyfriend Alan Riestro came to the market loaded

with newspapers and plastic bottles.

“We bought radishes and cottage cheese, and still have 40 or 50 pesos ($3 or $4) left to spend,” said Gutierrez at a recreational center within the site of the 1968 Olympic village.

Local producers also benefit. They sell all of their produce to the government, and then bring them here for exchange.

Pedro Jimenez, a local producer who was manning his stall of cauliflowers, said: “It’s good for us because the government pays above the normal market

Tel: 713-774-5140 Sitting under a naked bulb in a long room with wooden chairs and tables, Narendra Gopal Shrestha is enjoying a plate of potato stew and soya bean and cucumber pickle with a generous helping of chilli and vinegar.

“I grew up eating the Newari food at home and I can’t think of a day when I don’t have it. It’s found nowhere else except Kathmandu and it’s cheap and the best,” the 53-year-old tour guide told AFP. “My kids go out to expensive restaurants where they serve junk food like pizza and burgers. I think it’s only the older generation that knows the value of this cuisine,” he said.

Shrestha said the food reflected a rich culture that drew from his people’s unique mix of Buddhism and Hinduism and their agrarian past, when they supplied the food to their farm-hands.

Diners in Kathmandu’s bhattis are united about the quality of the food, but it’s the raksi or tongba, a rice beer sipped through a pipe, that really stirs their passions during the capital’s chilly winters.

Because bhattis are hard to find, they have never been counted. And although there were several bhattis in every alley ten years ago, their numbers are diminishing, according to food experts. price (for our products).”

Last year the project collected more than 170,000 tonnes of recyclable materials.

The city government overhauled waste management in 2011, requiring people to separate organic and nonorganic trash and closing an enormous landfill that received 6,000 tonnes of trash per day.

The barter market is another effort at sorting trash. It accepts a wide range of materials for recycling, from the obvious cardboard and glass to electric appliances such as old typewriters and computers that no longer work.

At least 2,000 people come to the event every month, which rotates around different locations throughout the city.

Enthusiasm for the concept is such that queues here are often long and slow.

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VOICE OF ASIA 14

Young Life

Friday, July 12, 2013

Section 2

Want your kids to eat more vegetables? Talk to them about nutrition: study

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

Tel: 713-774-5140

Irregular bedtime may lower your kids’ IQ

L

ONDON (PTI): Irregular bedtime routines can blunt your children’s minds and lower their intelligence, a new research suggests.

Irregular bedtimes could disrupt natural body rhythms and cause sleep deprivation, so undermining the plasticity of the brain and the ability to acquire and retain information, researchers said.

“Early child development has profound influences on health and wellbeing across the life course. Therefore, reduced or disrupted sleep, especially if it occurs at key times in development, could have important impacts on health throughout life,” they said.

Researchers looked at whether bedtimes in early childhood were related to brain power in more than 11,000 seven year olds, all of whom were part of the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS).

A new Stanford University study finds that teaching kids about nutrition boosts their desire to eat more vegetables.

A

fter three months of regularly talking to kids about why different foods are good for them, the children chose to eat twice as many vegetables at mealtimes as they had previously, a Stanford study found.

What’s the best way to get your kid to eat more vegetables? Smother the broccoli in sauce, cut cucumbers into fun shapes, or ban dessert until they’ve eaten their spinach? A new study reveals what could be the best approach -- simply teach them about nutrition.

Scientists from Stanford University have found that even very young children can benefit from a conceptual framework that encourages them to understand why eating a variety of foods is healthy, the researchers said.

The result: kids eat more vegetables

by choice.

“Children have natural curiosity -- they want to understand why and how things work,” the researchers explained. “Of course we need to simplify materials for young children, but oversimplification robs children of the opportunity to learn and advance their thinking.”

Researchers Sarah Gripshover and Ellen Markman developed five storybooks aimed at revising what children already know about various nutritionrelated themes, such as dietary variety, digestion, food groups, and nutrients.

In a study involving more than 160 children between the ages of four and five, the researchers assigned some preschool classrooms to read nutrition books during snack time for about three months, while other classrooms were assigned to conduct snack time

The research drew on regular surveys and home visits made when the children were 3, 5, and 7, to find out about family routines, including bedtimes.

Researchers wanted to know whether the time a child went to bed, and the consistency of bed-times, had any impact on intellectual performance, measured by validated test scores for as usual. Later, the children were asked questions about nutrition.

Findings showed that the children who had been read the nutrition books were more likely to understand that food had nutrients, and that different kinds of nutrients were important for various bodily functions (even functions that weren’t mentioned in the books), the researchers said. They were also more knowledgeable about digestive processes, understanding, for example, that the stomach breaks down food and blood carries nutrients.

These children also more than doubled their voluntary intake of vegetables during snack time after the

Researchers looked at whether bedtimes in early childhood were related to brain power

reading, maths, and spatial awareness.

Irregular bedtimes were most common at the age of 3, when around one in five children went to bed at varying times. By the age of 7, more than half the children went to bed regularly between 7.30 and 8.30 pm.

Children whose bedtimes were irregular or who went to bed after 9 pm came from more socially disad-

three-month intervention, whereas the amount that the control group ate stayed about the same.

Further research is needed to determine whether the conceptual intervention encourages healthy eating habits outside of snack time and whether it’s effective over the long-term, the researchers said.

The study, announced July 1, appears online in the journal Psychological Science.

A separate 2010 conducted by researchers from Penn State found that increasing the amount of vegetables in the first course of preschool lunch could be a clever way to get children to eat more vegetables.

vantaged backgrounds, the findings show.

When they were 7, girls who had irregular bedtimes had lower scores on all three aspects of intellect assessed, after taking account of other potentially influential factors, than children with regular bedtimes. But this was not the case in 7 year old boys.

Irregular bedtimes by the age of 5 were not associated with poorer brain power in girls or boys at the age of 7.

But irregular bedtimes at 3 years of age were associated with lower scores in reading, maths, and spatial awareness in both boys and girls, suggesting that around the age of 3 could be a sensitive period for cognitive development.

Girls who had never had regular bedtimes at ages 3, 5, and 7 had significantly lower reading, maths and spatial awareness scores than girls who had had consistent bedtimes. The impact was the same in boys, but for any two of the three time points, British Medical Journal (BMJ) reported.

“Sleep is the price we pay for plasticity on the prior day and the investment needed to allow learning fresh the next day,” researchers said.

Best cars for teens are big, slow and ugly

by Jayne O’Donnell (USA TODAY) hen John Ulczycki’s six children got their driver’s licenses in the 2000s, they drove their grandmother’s boring Buick or some car nearly as embarrassing.

They seldom even wanted to drive, much less speed, says the vice president at the National Safety Council, a safe driving advocacy group.

The teens often wanted to drive their mother’s far sportier Hyundai Tiburon, but the couple knew that would be a mistake. It was hardly a sports car, but Ulczycki knew the car’s sporty styling would bring out the cowboy in them, even without a high-powered engine.

“Big, slow and ugly.” That’s what parents should keep in mind when considering what car to give or buy a new teen driver, says Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

There’s another big consideration these days — whether the vehicle is new enough to have the latest safety features, if such considerations are within your budget. Grandma’s car might not cut it anymore.

Cars more than five years old may be too old if you really want to protect the person most likely to crash: a teen driver. That may mean driving that “beater” car yourself.

W

vehicle, run-off-theroad crash. These aren’t the most common crashes, but they are among the deadliest, because they often lead to rollovers. Side-impact air bags are a must, but side-curtain bags are, too, as they help protect the head if the car flips over.

• Front-collision warning or mitigation. Frontal collisions may not be the most deadly, but they are a type that teens are likely to get into. This feature uses sensors to detect other vehicles a driver may not see, then warns — and in some cars, The U.S. Olympic edition of the 1996 Buick Skylark like the one John Ulczycki’s teens had to brakes — when a drive after their grandmother was done with it.(Photo: Buick) crash is imminent.

Volvo, for example, Here are the most important safeAutomakers were required to start offered this feature in 2010 on its ty features for a teen’s car: installing stability control on cars XC60, then put it on most of its • Electronic stability control. This with the 2009 model year, and all 2011 models. feature uses braking and engine 2012 models had to have the feature.

Be sure a car is current on safety, power to bring a car back under It was already quite common by the but also remember Lund’s rules: time the government required it. control. It’s particularly impor• Big. An online search for “best tant for teens, because they tend to Even some 10-year-old used luxury cars for teens” will turn up severovercorrect when they start to lose cars have stability control. control of their vehicles, which of• Side air bags. Teens are among al lists, including suggestions for ten happens when they’re driving the most likely to get themselves in- small, inexpensive models. While too fast. volved in what’s known as a single- the price tags and fuel economy

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of such cars are appealing, the size should steer smart shoppers away, Lund and Ulczycki say. Stick to midsize cars or larger.

Compact and smaller cars “just offer less protection to their occupants,” says Lund. “It gets worse pretty quickly as you go smaller.”

• Slow. These days, it’s almost impossible to buy a car that doesn’t have at least 200 horsepower, even a plain old midsize sedan. That makes it hard to set a horsepower limit for a teen’s car. But experts warn to at least stay away from high-performance models that can bring out the worst in drivers.

“Parents have to realize the kind of car you’re driving tends to elicit certain driving behavior,” says Lund. “If it can go faster, it tends to be driven faster.”

• Ugly. When it came to Ulczycki’s kids, Grandma’s car “didn’t look like it wanted to go fast. They didn’t have the rush driving that Buick Skylark,” he says. It may not have been ugly, but it didn’t have the sexy, aggressive stance of a sportier car.

Safety also goes beyond a car’s features, size and style. Crash test ratings andConsumer Reports’ reliability ratings should also be consulted. Such data can be found at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Safercar.gov, at the insurance industry’s IIHS.org and at ConsumerReports.org

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VOICE OF ASIA 15

BOLLYWOOD MASALA

Friday, July 12, 2013

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

Shah Rukh Khan brings baby AbRam home, denies sex determination test

M

UMBAI (PTI) - Breaking his silence on the birth of his baby boy AbRam through surrogacy, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan today refuted reports of pre-birth sex determination test on the child.

and thank Dr. Jatin Shah for his expertise and contribution. We also wish to thank all the other doctors, nurses and medical staff who have made his life possible. As trying were the times, we never lost hope that life always brings with it.

Shah Rukh, 47, who is already a father to Aryan, 16, and Suhana, 13, said he did not comment earlier because he and wife Gauri were dealing with the health of the child who was “born prematurely.”

Just to put the record straight there was no sex determination for our child. The baby was born much before the speculations of ‘sex determination’ and other ‘issues’ pertaining to the same were being raised in the media by some organisations.

“Amidst all the noise that has been going around, the sweetest is the one made by our newborn baby, AbRam. He was born prematurely by several months but has finally come home.

Gauri and our whole family have been dealing with his health issues for a long time now,” Shah Rukh said in a statement.

Suffice to say his coming home puts to rest completely false and at times insensitive claims of sex determination and alleged illegalities.

We also apologise to all those other doctors and hospitals who had to face unwanted scrutiny and questioning by some parties.

He said the silence on the part of his family on the subject has been because of the personal nature of “emotional strife” that they have been going through due to the child’s health.

Thanking doctor Jatin Shah and the medical staff for helping them in nurturing AbRam during a difficult time, Shah Rukh said they never lost hope.

There have been reports that the Bollywood couple went for a sex determination test, which is illegal in India.

But Shah Rukh termed the speculation as “insensitive”.

“Just to put the record straight there was no sex determination for our child.

The baby was born much before the speculations of ‘sex determination’ and other ‘issues’ pertaining to the same were being raised in the media by some organisations,” he said.

The actor said he wanted to enjoy the private moment with his family.

“Our son is a surrogate baby and the entire process is bound by strict confidentiality. We would appeal to all, to allow us to cherish this private mo-

Our son is a surrogate baby and the entire process is bound by strict confidentiality. We would appeal to all, to allow us to cherish this private moment as a family.

It seems unfortunate that I have to explain/clarify so many aspects for our new-born baby. Wish it were just a simple message of happiness on behalf of the family.

Shah Rukh Khan with wife Gauri Khan. Photo DNA ment as a family. It seems unfortunate that I have to explain/clarify so many aspects for our new-born baby. Wish it were just a simple message of happiness on behalf of the family,” Shah Rukh said.

“They say a baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on. Post this statement, I hope we all move on too.”

Here is the full statement issued by Shah Rukh Khan: Amidst all the noise that has been going around, the sweetest is the one made by our new-born baby, AbRam. He was born prematurely by several months but has finally come home.

Gauri and our whole family have been dealing with his health issues for

a long time now.

As a family our silence on this subject has been because of the personal nature of emotional strife that we have been going through due to his health.

They say a baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on. Post this statement, I hope we all move on too.

Thank you.

We wish to make a special mention

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

Shah Rukh Khan

Who will be Salman Khan’s lady love in Barjatya’s next film?

M

umbai: As Salman Khan gets ready to team up with filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya again, names of lot of leading actresses have cropped up opposite him, but no one has been finalised yet.

There was a buzz that Salman will be seen romancing either Parineeti Chopra or Ileana D’Cruz, in the upcoming venture.

“We have not finalised any leading lady yet opposite Salman. We might go with known faces (established actress) or a fresh face but nothing is confirmed yet. Only Salman is on board,” a source close to the project said.

Rumours were also doing the rounds that the film will bring Salman and Katrina back on screen again. Even Anushka Sharma’s name had come up.

The yet to be titled film would mark the reunion of Salman and Barjatya after a gap of almost 14 years. The duo had last worked in 1999 family drama titled ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain‘.

The new film will be a family drama with only one hero and heroine, the source said. The makers will start shooting for the film from June next year with the shooting taking place in Mumbai, Gujarat and Rajasthan. PTI

Pakistan bans Indian HinduMuslim romance film

I

SLAMABAD - Pakistan has banned an Indian film about the love affair of a Muslim-Hindu couple on the grounds that it could offend viewers in the conservative Islamic republic, officials said Friday.

“Raanjhanaa” was scheduled for release in June, but Pakistan’s Film Censor Board refused to clear it for cinema showings.

“The censor board did not clear this movie because of its controversial story,” Arshad Ali, a senior government official and chairman of the board, told AFP. “The board recommended that the movie’s storyline could offend the majority Muslim population in the country and a law and order situation could arise in response,” he said.

According to press reports the film is the love story of a Hindu man and a Muslim woman.

Raanjhanaa was scheduled for release in June, but Pakistan’s Film Censor Board refused to clear it for cinema showings.

While a huge array of Western and Bollywood films can be bought over the counter on pirated DVD in Pakistan, the censor board routinely bans productions deemed too sensitive for cinemas.

in Pakistan on May 2, 2011 to the country’s humiliating.

Pakistani movie distributors boycotted Hollywood film “Zero Dark Thirty” about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, who was killed by US troops

In 2012, Pakistan banned Agent Vinod, India’s answer to James Bond in which an Indian secret agent thwarts Pakistani spies from detonating a nuclear bomb in Delhi.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from British rule in 1947.

In 2010, censors also refused permission for Indian film “Tere bin Laden”, which poked fun at bin Laden. The board claimed it would incite suicide attacks.

Pakistan’s own film industry declined in recent years, finding itself unable to compete with the huge popularity of Bollywood productions.

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VOICE OF ASIA 16

ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

Indian sprint hero inspires Bollywood biopic

by Charlotte TURNER

M

UMBAI, - The courageous story of the “Flying Sikh” -- India’s most successful ever track athlete, who overcame childhood tragedy to seek Olympic glory -- is the latest Bollywood biopic to hit cinemas.

“Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” (Run, Milkha, Run) charts the journey of young Milkha Singh who lost his family during India’s tumultuous partition in 1947 and went on to compete at the 1960 and 1964 Olympic Games.

Actor Farhan Akhtar at the gala screening of Bollywood film “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” in London on July 5, 2013 (AFP/File, Andrew Cowie)

His rise to elite athlete made Singh a national hero and the film, which opens in theatres worldwide on Friday, joins the Bollywood trend of movies based on or inspired by real stories.

“We all grew up with the folklore of Milkha, he’s a larger-than-life figure for us,” said the film’s director Rakeysh Mehra.

“He’s like what Pele meant to football, or what Jesse Owens meant for track and field for the West.”

The movie title refers to the poignant last words spoken to Singh by his father. As he was dying, he told Singh to flee or he too would be killed in the post-partition riots sweeping the subcontinent -- Singh ran for his life and boarded a train with other refugees.

Mehra was drawn to Singh’s story not just for his sporting achievements but for the impact the athlete had on a newborn nation struggling to assert itself.

“At that time, we were looking for heroes outside politics.

Outside (Mahatma) Gandhi or (prime minister Jawaharlal) Nehru, there were none that the world knew. So he went out there and in a way conquered the world for us,” he explained.

Former athlete Milkha Singh attends a screening of “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” in Mumbai on June 19, 2013 (AFP/File) “This man never ran away from his fears, he ran along with them.”

Singh finished fourth in the 400 metres at the 1960 Olympics in Rome after a spectacular final that was so close it needed a photo finish to determine fourth place. A devastated Singh, who won gold at both the Asian and Commonwealth Games, never fulfilled his dream of winning an Olympic medal.

The director says his film is decidedly “un-Bollywood”, deviating from the typical plotline that aims to “serve a complete meal” by combining elements of dance, drama, emotion and action into one blockbuster.

“Here, drama is the key,” Mehra said.

He is the latest Bollywood director to experiment with a biographical story, following a string of true-life movies in

“I wanted them to believe that they’ve cast an athlete and taught him how to act, as opposed to the other way around.

And that comes from the kind of energy you exude when you walk onto a track and it feels like you belong to this space,” he said.

The former sprinter, now 77, told Akhtar he hoped the film would encourage future Indian athletes by showing just how close he came to Olympic glory, and perhaps inspiring them “to fulfil that dream for him”, the actor said.

recent years that have proven popular with wide audiences.

Among the most successful was “The Dirty Picture” (2011), starring Vidya Balan and inspired by the life of a South Indian erotic actress in the 1980s.

Last year’s critically-acclaimed sports biopic “Paan Singh Tomar”, starring Irrfan Khan, told the story of athlete Tomar who became a notorious bandit.

Currently in the pipeline are movies about playback singer Kishore Kumar and boxing star Mary Kom, a farmer’s daughter who became a fivetime world champion and won a bronze medal at the London Olympics.

Farhan Akhtar, who plays Milkha Singh in the new movie, said portraying a living person was a huge responsibility that required months of both physical and mental preparation.

92-year-old Iraqi weds woman seven decades junior

Brides and groom parade to their seats at a communal wedding on June 5 2008 at a hotel in central Baghdad (AFP/File, Ali Yussef) SAMARRA - A 92-year-old Iraqi farmer married a woman 70 years his junior in a village north of Baghdad, he said Friday, voicing happiness at getting hitched alongside two teenage grandchildren who also tied the knot.

Musali Mohammed al-Mujamaie married 22-year-old Muna Mukhlif al-Juburi on Thursday evening, three years after the death of his first wife of 58 years, with whom he raised 16 children in his home village of Gubban, which lies just south of the central Iraqi city of Samarra.

“I am so happy to get married with my grandsons,” Mujamaie told AFP after the ceremony.

“I feel like a 20-year-old!”

Mujamaie said the marriage of his two grandsons, aged 16 and 17, was repeatedly delayed while his own wedding was being arranged, so that the three could tie the knot on the same day.

The wedding carried on for four hours, with musical and dance performances and celebratory gunfire, and was attended by local tribal and religious leaders.

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LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 17

B

ANGKOK - From chickens catapulted across tables to meals dished up with a generous portion of sexual health advice, Bangkok is doing a roaring trade in unusual dining experiences.

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

Flying chickens, robot waiters: Facebook rolls out social ‘graph’ search feature bizarre dining in Bangkok

F

The Thai capital, renowned as much for its commitment to fun as it is for fiery cuisine, has embraced the odd, amusing and bizarre in a bid to lure customers through the door.

acebook on Monday began rolling out a tool for US English language users to mine the social network’s trove of experiences for anything from restaurant choices to photos of far-off places.

In the city suburbs, staff at Ka Tron restaurant delight customers by loading cooked chickens into a catapult and firing them across a stage where they are caught on a spike by a waiter riding a unicycle.

Facebook said that a “graph search” feature that it has tested since early this year is making a broader debut at its website and that a version tailored for smartphone and tablet applications is in the works.

Despite the pressure that comes with live performance, their catch rate is impressive.

“Everyone using US English should start seeing their search box automatically updated,” the California-based social network said in a blog post.

“We have been going 26 years and we have probably fired hundreds of thousands of chickens, but we have only dropped a few hundred,” said restaurant owner Nattaset Rattanapipob.

It may be far from an everyday restaurant job, but the waiters say the trick seems to be working for the punters.

“The way we do things is better,” said waiter Sorasak Pomkalong.

Across town a Japanese restaurant has deployed its own gimmick -- two large robots wheel up and down the tables delivering meals to diners.

A waiter on a unicycle catches a cooked chicken with a spear at Ka Tron restaurant in Bangkok on June 19, 2013. From chickens catapulted across tables to service by robots, Bangkok is doing a roaring trade in unusual dining experiences. (AFP/File).

Once the novelty wears off, customers at Hajime can then order the robots to dance.

But as with all things mechanical, robot waiters come with a risk of malfunction.

“During the first few hours of the day if the robot is stuck we have the support teams standing by,” said Pimol Paitaku, marketing manager at Hajime restaurant. “Most of the time though it works.”

Bangkok has plenty of unique dining experiences including Cabbages and Condoms -which serves sexual health and family planning advice alongside noodles -- with the tagline ‘our food is guaranteed not to get you pregnant.’

To emphasise the point, once customers have paid they get their changed returned with a complimentary condom.

And while Thais are serious

about their food, people in the City of Angels appear willing to try anything.

“They are looking for unique experiences, whether that is something no-one else has eaten or some kind of performance, or something that attracts the eye,” said food blogger Dwight ‘Bkk Fatty’ Turner.

“So I think all of those things combined makes Bangkok a very special city to eat in.”

“This is just the beginning,” the post said. “We’re currently working on making it easier for people to search and discover topics, including posts and comments.”

Graph search is designed to take straightforward questions and find answers by tapping

into users’ circles of friends as well as any public posts at the leading social network.

Typing “friends in San Francisco” in a graph search box atop a Facebook page will bring up members in the user’s circle who have made it known that they live in the City by the Bay. But the feature was intended to be more sophisticated. The query, for example, can be enhanced to seek “Indian restaurants liked by friends in San Francisco who are from India.”

Such a prompt generates a results page showing Facebook friends who have indicated they are from India along with restaurants that they “liked” and the respective eateries’ pages at the social network.

Users can also perform searches based on categories, such as which films or music are liked by people of similar age groups or political leanings.

Smelly monster ‘corpse’ flower in bloom in Brussels

Brain stimulation at any age may slow memory decline

by Cathy Payne, USA TODAY t's never too early to start protecting your brain power, a new study suggests.

Reading, writing and participating in other brain-stimulating activities at any age may protect your memory later in life, according to the research. Thestudy, which tracked 294 individuals, is published online in the July 3 issue of Neurology.

"Our study suggests that exercising your brain by taking part in activities such as these across a person's lifetime, from childhood through old age, is important for brain health in old age," said the study's lead author, Robert Wilson.

After adjusting for signs of brain disease, higher levels of cognitive activity across the life span were associated with slower cognitive decline, the study found. Mental activity explained about 14% of the differences between people in how much their memory and thinking skills declined.

The finding supports the hypothesis of cognitive reserve, which describes the brain's ability to cope with disease or damage. According to the hypothesis, mental activity helps delay the cognitive consequences of disease.

Neuroimaging research suggests that cognitive activity can lead to changes in brain structure and function that may enhance cognitive

I

A

Titan Arum, one of the world’s largest, rarest and smelliest flowers, is in bloom in a Brussels hothouse for the third time in five years in a rare botanical feat for a plant that generally goes years without blooming.

Variously known as a “corpse flower” in Indonesia where first found, or “huge deformed penis” under its scientific name, “Amorphophallus titanum”, the strange but spectacular specimen began to bloom Sunday in the national botanical gardens, the Jardin de Meise, on the outskirts of the Belgian capital.

Reading now may protect your memory later in life, a new study suggests. (Photo: Leigh Taylor, The Cincinnati Enquirer, via AP)

reserve.

"An intellectually stimulating lifestyle helps to contribute to cognitive reserve and allows you to tolerate these age-related brain pathologies better than someone who has had a less cognitively active lifestyle," says Wilson, a neuropsychologist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

He recommends that people have cognitively stimulating hobbies that they enjoy, such as photography and quilting.

Intellectually stimulating activities involve processing and using information.

Examples are reading a book and then predicting what will happen next, as well as watching a movie and then comparing it with other films, says Judy Willis, a neurologist based in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Willis says doing a variety of cognitive activities appears to be more protective of the cognitive reserve than focusing on one thing, even something like play-

ing chess. "More research is needed to look at how much time should be devoted to an activity or learning a skill and how often it should be

“Flowering is very brief, three days at the very most. Afterwards it will die and it’ll be several years before it blooms again,” the spokesman for the gardens Franck Hidvegi told AFP.

revisited," she adds.

Willis, who was not involved in the study, agrees that the activities should be motivated by pleasure. "Forc-

The plant, which looks a little like a giant ear of corn until the red-rimmed flower opens leaving a stench of rotting flesh or fish, stood 244 centimetres (eight feet) high Monday, attracting crowds.

Endangered in its natural habitat of the Sumatra tropical forest, Titan Arum is generally in flower every four or five years.

Yet the Meise specimen flowered in 2008 shortly after its arrival from the German city of Bonn, and then again in 2011.

“This is exceptional and has never occurred in other botanical gardens,” added Hidvegi.

Exported to Europe at the end of the 19th century for the first time, a specimen of the giant plant was first seen to bloom in 1889 in London but then flowered again only in 1926.

ing yourself to do something takes a lot of mental effort," she adds. "If you try something and don't like it, try something else.

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTH

VOICE OF ASIA 18

Friday, July 12, 2013

Section 2

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

Understand “Essential Health Pepsi contains too-high level of cancer-causing ingredient, Benefits”Under New Health group says Care Law By: Sudhir Mathuria set of health care service categories that must be covered by certain plans, starting in 2014. The Affordable Care Act ensures health plans offered in the individual and small group markets, both inside and outside of the Health Insurance Marketplace, offer a comprehensive package of items and services, known as essential health benefits. Essential health benefits must include items and services within at least the following 10 categories: ambulatory patient services; emergency services; hospitalization; maternity and newborn care; mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment; prescription drugs; rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices; laboratory services; preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management; and pediatric services, including oral and vision care. Insurance policies must cover these benefits in order to be certified and offered in the Health Insurance Marketplace, and all Medicaid state plans must cover these services by 2014.

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Wednesday that the caramel coloring used in Pepsi still contains a worrisome level of a carcinogen, even after the drink maker said it would change its formula.

In March, PepsiCo Inc. and Coca-Cola Co. both said they would adjust their formulas nationally after California passed a law mandating drinks containing a certain level of carcinogens come with a cancer warning label. The changes were made for drinks sold in California when the law passed.

The chemical is 4-methylimidazole, or 4-Mel, which can form during the cooking process and, as a result, may be found in trace amounts in many foods.

Watchdog group The Center for Environmental Health found via testing that while Coke products no longer test positive for the chemical, Pepsi products sold outside of California still do.

Pepsi said its caramel coloring suppliers are changing their manufacturing process to cut the amount of 4-Mel in its caramel. That process is complete in California and will be finished in February 2014 in the rest of the country. Pepsi said it will also be taken out globally, but did not indicate a timeline.

Meanwhile, the company said the FDA and other regulatory agencies around the world consider Pepsi’s caramel coloring safe.

Coca-Cola said it has transitioned to using a modified caramel in U.S. markets beyond California that does not contain Mel-4, so it wouldn’t have to have separate inventory of products for differ-

Test-tube baby treatment for 200 euros: fertility study

P

ARIS - A simplified lab can slash the cost of in-vitro fertilisation treatment to around 200 euros ($256), offering hope to millions of infertile couples in the developing world, a conference heard on Monday.

purification systems in which to culture the embryo in a lab dish.

The cost would be just 10 to 15 percent of western-style IVF programmes, according to the Belgian team behind the project.

The technique has been tried in Belgium on IVF patients under the age of 36 where there were at least eight eggs available for fertilisation, according to the presentation at the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) annual conference in London.

Their approach uses a scaled-down version of the typical IVF lab, using a simple two-tube system to replace special carbon dioxide (CO2) incubators, medical gas and air

When doctors compared low-cost IVF with conventional lab procedures, they found that the quality of the embryo and the chance of a successful pregnancy were comparable.

So far 12 healthy “low-cost” babies have been born.

“Our initial results are proof of principle that a simplified culture system designed for developing countries can offer affordable and successful opportunities for infertility treatment where IVF is the only solution,” said Elke Klerkx of the Genk Institute for Fertility Technology.

“This is a major step towards universal fertility care... an important breakthrough in terms of human rights, equity and social justice.”

In rich countries, a top-flight IVF system costs between 1.5

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ent locations. It also said all of its products, whether they have the modified caramel or not, are safe.

The watchdog group Center for Environmental Health said it commissioned Eurofins Analystical laboratory in Metairie, La., to test Coke and Pepsi products from California in May and from across the country in June.

The lab did not find the chemical in California products. And it found no 4-Mel in nine out of 10 Coke products outside of the state.

But it found levels of 4-Mel that are 4 to 8 times higher than California safety levels in all 10 Pepsi products purchased outside California, according to the Center for Environmental Health.

Trace amounts of 4-Mel have not been linked to cancer in humans.

The American Beverage Association said that California added the coloring to its list of carcinogens with no studies showing that it causes cancer in humans. It noted that the listing was based on a single study in lab mice and rats.

The Food and Drug Administration has also said that a consumer would have to drink more than 1,000 cans of soda a day to reach the doses administered that have shown links to cancer in rodents.

BOSWELLIA: • Improves symptoms of arthritis, both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

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oswellia is an ancient herb, grown in India, Africa, China and the Middle East. It is a powerful antiinflammatory agent, working by suppressing the pro-inflammatory enzyme 5-lipooxygenase, human leucocyte elastase and by inhibiting TNF alpha. It has none of the GI or renal side effects of NSAIDs or the cardiac effects of COX2 inhibitors and is well tolerated.

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‘Scent’ test can detect bladder cancer: study

W

ASHINGTON, July 8, 2013 (AFP) - British researchers said Monday they have devised a test that can detect bladder cancer from certain odors in the urine.

The technique was inspired by reports about how dogs may and three million euros, but a low-cost equivalent would be less than 300,000 euros.

After this proof-of-principle study, Genk plans to complete construction of a low-cost centre by November and provide training for clinics for developing countries, said Klerkx.

More than five million IVF babies have been born since the first, Louise Brown, in 1978.

But the high cost of treatment is a barrier in developing countries, where infertile women may well face stigma, abuse and ostracism.

“Infertility care is probably the most neglected health-care problem of developing countries, affecting more than two million couples according to the WHO,” said Klerkx.

be able to sniff out certain cancers, said researchers from the University of Liverpool and University of the West of England.

If wider studies can confirm the test’s effectiveness, the technique could offer a new way to test early for a cancer that is often costly to detect and treat.

“It is thought that dogs can smell cancer, but this is obviously not a practical way for hospitals to diagnose the disease,” said Norman Ratcliffe, from the Institute of Biosensor Technology at UWE Bristol.

“Taking this principle, however, we have developed a device that can give us a profile of the odor in urine. It reads the gases that chemicals in the urine can give off when the sample is heated.”

About 72,000 new cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States, and about 10,000 new cases are seen annually in Britain. Smoking is considered the leading risk factor.

“It is a disease that, if caught early, can be treated effectively, but unfortunately we

do not have any early screening methods other than diagnosis through urine tests at the stage when it starts to become a problem,” said Chris Probert, a professor at the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Translational Medicine.

The new device, called ODOREADER, contains a sensor that responds to chemicals in gas emitted from urine, said the study in the US scientific journal PLoS ONE. It analyzes the gas and reports on the chemicals contained in urine, which scientists can then read on a computer screen in order to diagnose cancer of the bladder.

“We looked at 98 samples of urine to develop the device, and tested it on 24 patient samples known to have cancer and 74 samples that have urological symptoms, but no cancer,” said Probert.

“The device correctly assigned 100 percent of cancer patients.”

The next step is to expand trials to a wider sample of patients to determine whether it is effective or not for hospital use, the study said.

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VOICE OF ASIA 19

By: Kristin Rushowy Education Reporter, Published on Mon Jul 08 2013

A

lmost half of newborns develop flat spots on their head from sleeping on their backs, says a new Canadian study that urges doctors and nurses to inform parents early on about how to prevent misshaping from occurring.

HEALTH, SC & TECH Flat spots on babies’ heads common result of sleeping on back, study finds tummy time during the day — though he stubbornly prefers his back — and alternates which end of the crib he sleeps on.

“He’s almost 9 months now, it’s not getting worse and I’ve noticed some improvement,” she said. “But it’s not back to normal.” However, once hair grows in, it won’t be noticeable, Brown added.

Called positional plagiocephaly, the condition occurred in 46.6 per cent of 2-month-old babies involved in the study, published Monday in Pediatrics.

Previous studies in the U.S. and Europe estimated it affects anywhere from 3 to 61 per cent of babies but none had Canadian data, says lead author Aliyah Mawji of Calgary’s Mount Royal University.

While it’s crucial that babies sleep on their backs to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, parents must be aware they need to take pressure off their newborn’s head during waking hours, she added.

“Ideally, we want to prevent this,” said Mawji. “Once plagiocephaly develops and it’s caught at two months, by the time an infant is referred to a special clinic it might be four, five, six months” before they are seen.

“It’s significant because the earlier the intervention, the easier it is to change the head shape.”

Flat spots are easily corrected when babies’ skulls are still soft and developing, but if treatment is left too late, head shape and facial features can be permanently altered, she said.

Carly Titus and daughter Nelly Paradis, 9 months, who wears a helmet overnight to prevent positional plagiocephaly, or flat spot on her head, from recurring.

Mawji, a nursing professor, first became interested in the flat head issue after a stint working in global health issues in northern Pakistan in 2006, where she saw how locals preferred flat heads.

Because of instability in the region, she could not return, so she instead began looking at the prevalence of it in Canada, finding little research.

Carly Titus and daughter Nelly Paradis, 9 months, who wears a helmet overnight to prevent positional plagiocephaly, or flat spot on her head, from recurring. Aaron Harris / For The Toronto Star Carly Titus noticed a flat spot on the right side of her new daughter’s head and asked her doctor about it at the baby’s two-month checkup.

Baby Nelly Paradis had a kink in her neck and favoured the one side because of it, Titus said. It affected Nelly’s facial features and at 5 months old, she required a plastic helmet to round out her head.

“When you looked down on her, you could see — her skull had developed like a crooked ball,” said Titus. “One of her cheeks was bigger, and her

eyes were not symmetrical.

Everything was not symmetrical.”

Nelly wore the helmet 23 hours a day for the next three months, and now, at 9 months, wears it overnight as a preventive measure.

“Her head was perfect after a month,” says Titus, who is from Oakville but now lives in Quebec. “You could see after 24 hours it had changed.”

When Toronto mom Heather Brown took her youngest to the doctor because of a flat spot, she was encouraged to try “po-

sitional therapy” before opting for a helmet, which in Ontario can cost about $2,000 and is not covered by OHIP. When Oliver was born, his head was round — “you could cup his head perfectly in your hand,” she said.

Then, “at about 2 months, I noticed he favoured one side over the other in the crib or the playpen or even the car seat.

His neck was always tilted to the right-hand side.” The back of his head “looked like it had been hit with a frying pan.”

Brown gives him a lot of

Her team looked at infants in Calgary who visited public health for vaccinations at 2 months of age.

While new moms there are given a booklet that includes advice on how to avoid flat spots, “we found that parents were not getting the message that even though they need to put babies to sleep on their back, they need to turn their heads,” she said.

In Toronto, new parents are informed during home visits from Toronto Public Health or during the popular postnatal parenting programs, said Bernadette Kint, manager of healthy families.

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

“It’s never too early to get this message out,” said Mawji, adding prenatal classes would be a good place to start.

“It’s best to do it as soon as we can. We don’t want to be seeing more of this.”

While there’s no evidence that flat spots affect brain development, some studies have suggested that those with plagiocephaly tend to be slow to hit developmental milestones, though they catch up by 18 months, said Mawji.

Mawji said there’s no evidence of an increase in flat spots because of babies sleeping on their backs, it is based on anecdotal evidence from doctors across North America.

How to avoid flat spots • alternate which end of the crib baby sleeps at every night • limit time in car seats, bouncy swings and other devices that put pressure on the head • give baby lots of tummy time, to not only to strengthen the upper body but also to take pressure off the skull. “Even when an infant is 1 week old, that’s not too early,” said study lead author Aliyah Mawji — even if it’s just for a few minutes at a time • parents must alternate the side they hold, carry and feed baby on • if baby favours one side, roll up a towel and place under the back to tilt baby the other way. Only do this while the infant is awake.

• Doctors and nurses must inform parents — during prenatal classes, before they leave the hospital or during mom-andbaby programs — about how to prevent flat spot.

Silicon Valley not waiting for U.S. immigration reform

by John Shinal, USA TODAY

S

AN FRANCISCO — While the path to U.S. citizenship sketched out in an immigration-reform bill passed by the Senate is a long one, a key part of one industry isn’t waiting to see whether Congress delivers what it wants.

Even while technology-industry lobbyists fight hard in Washington to nearly double the number of annual visas for skilled foreign workers — to 110,000, as the Senate bill calls for — the CEOs of some fastgrowing start-ups are already going overseas to find workers with the technical skills they need.

That includes Lew Cirne, CEO of New Relic, a San Francisco-based maker of software that boosts the efficiency of applications that run on corporate computer networks.

Of the 225 engineers working at its headquarters and Portland, Ore., office, just eight are foreign nationals in the U.S. on H-1B visas, Cirne says.

Yet two years ago, when he began to plan another product line — “one that can help take us from a $100 million company (in annual revenue) to a billion-dollar-company in a few years,” he says — he turned to a programmer who lives and works in Brisbane, Australia, to help develop New Relic’s next-generation software code.

“We have a bias to hiring here. We’re not looking to reduce costs by moving jobs overseas,” says Cirne, whose previous start-up, Wily Technology, had more than 400 employees when it was acquired

by CA Technologies, a larger rival, for $375 million in 2006.

“We’re competing for the top talent, no matter where it is,” says Cirne, a native of Canada and naturalized U.S. citizen.

He is far from alone.

A growing number of small, private U.S. technology companies — who, like, New Relic are late-stage start-ups with more than $100 million in annual sales — now have engineering offices overseas.

A decade ago, such offices were de rigueur for start-ups backed by marquee venturecapital firms, who pushed their portfolio companies to move some engineering work overseas — mostly to India — to cut costs.

But that labor arbitrage never provided all the savings that companies had hoped for, once the rupee had risen to where the cost of office space in Mumbai

equaled or even exceeded that of similar space in Silicon Valley, as it does today.

And the logistical headaches caused by trying to manage workers located many time zones away caused even some large companies to question the value of offshoring engineering work.

While the motivation for large U.S. technology companies to hire foreign workers back then was based primarily on a desire for cost savings — and Microsoft, IBM, Cisco Systems and others all hired thousands of Indian engineers and consultants over the past decade for that reason — the start-ups of today are hiring foreign workers in different places, and for different reasons.

Perhaps the most important reason — along with trying to hire the very best engineers, mathematicians and computer scientists — is that doing so is so much easier than it used to be.

When San Francisco-based Zendesk was looking to open a development office in Europe in 2011, CEO Mikkel Svane and his two co-founders were able to begin their search using contacts they’d made in the software developer community of their hometown of Copenhagen.

The three Danes all moved to San Francisco in 2009, when the help-desk software startup they’d founded two years earlier outgrew the apartment in which they’d launched it.

Yet they’d been able to follow online the work of others who — like them — wrote code in a new programming language called Ruby on Rails.

While two-thirds of its 120 engineers and technical workers are located in San Francisco or Madison, Wis. — home to the Badger State’s largest university — three dozen or so work either in London, Dublin, Tokyo, Berlin, Copenhagen or Melbourne, Svane says.

The company now employs almost 400 workers — up from 90 just 24 months ago — and has tripled its number of customers to 30,000 during that time, according to Svane.

TECH’S ANSWER ‘MONEYBALL’

TO

A start-up’s need to produce innovation on a tight budget against entrenched, betterfunded rivals forces them to search high and low for workers who can deliver great new products — and who will accept a lower wage than they’d get at a large company.

In exchange, those employ-

ees get the chance to work 70to 80-hour weeks in hopes of building something that could be big.

People willing to take those kinds of risks are similar to the immigrants who — like Cirne and Svane — have come to this country for more than 200 years to pursue their own version of the American dream. About 40% of the current Fortune 500 companies are founded by immigrants or their children.

Other research has shown that, on average, every 100 foreign students who remain in this country after receiving an advanced degree in science, technology, engineering or math (a so-called STEM degree) create 262 additional jobs.

Before the days of online forums for computer-programming languages, small U.S. companies that wanted to compete for the best technical talent had to rely either on their own personal networks — as Cirne did — or try to compete with larger rivals for the graduates of advanced-degree programs at U.S. universities.

The percentage of foreign nationals enrolled in advanced STEM degree programs has remained fairly constant over the last two decades, 33% in 2009 from 31% in 1990, according to a report compiled for Congress in May 2012 by the Congressional Research Service.

During that same time, however, the total number of such students surged 64% to 149,000 from 91,000, as university programs sought to keep pace with a fast-growing industry.

The problem for U.S. tech companies is that, as the need to hire more skilled workers has increased, the number of visas for skilled workers hasn’t.

Although Congress temporarily raised the number of annual H-1B visas to 115,000 in 1998, the limit reverted to 65,000 in 2004.

That means a growing number of workers with advanced STEM degrees from U.S. universities have been forced to go back to their home countries to look for work — even while U.S. companies want to hire them.

“I get calls every day from hiring managers and (human resource) execs looking to bring in foreign STEM workers into the U.S. to help them grow their businesses here,” says Charles Small, an immigration attorney in San Francisco for more than a decade.

But given a six-month minimum wait time, and the fact

that the 65,000 cap on H-1Bs for this year was reached on the very first day that the government began accepting visa applications, any skilled foreign worker that a company found today couldn’t start work until Oct. 1, 2014, at the earliest, Small says.

With the Senate moving on a tech-friendly bill, those working on raising the number of H-1B visas now turn their attention to the House, which in past years has voted out of committee several bills that would establish a new type of visa for workers in STEM fields.

There is a new sense of urgency after several other countries — including Canada, Australia and Chile — have loosened their own immigration laws to make it easier for their own companies to hire skilled foreign workers.

“The tech industry will do everything it can to get a bill passed … that makes sure the U.S. remains the center of innovation,” says Dean Garfield, CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council, an industry trade group.

As things slowly move forward in Washington, start-ups are going wherever they can to find more skilled workers.

King.com, a maker of some of the most popular social games on Facebook, has 100 engineers in Stockholm.

Its website lists dozens of open tech jobs in London, Hamburg, Barcelona, Bucharest and several other overseas offices.

Optimizely, a start-up here, hired its first H-1B worker this year, says CEO Dan Siroker, a former Google product manager. Under current visa rules,

the employee can’t start until Oct. 1.

Zendesk now lists all new engineering positions in each of its multiple locations around the globe. That approach has helped the company overcome “the huge challenge of trying to hire technical talent in San Francisco, where the competition is so fierce,” says CEO Svane.

So rather than debate whether more skilled foreign workers will take jobs away from Americans, perhaps Congress should pass a bill that prevents more high-skilled jobs from heading overseas.

John Shinal has covered tech and financial markets for 15 years at Bloomberg,BusinessWeek, the San Francisco Chronicle, Dow Jones MarketWatch, Wall Street Journal Digital Network and others.

BUSINESS

VOICE OF ASIA 20

Friday, July 12, 2013

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

AIG, GE Capital face tougher oversight

W

ASHINGTON, July 9, 2013 (AFP) - The US Treasury on Tuesday designated insurer American International Group and lender General Electric Capital as “systemically important” institutions, requiring tougher oversight because they are large enough to damage the entire financial system if they founder.

The two -- both propped up against collapse in the 2008 crisis by the government -- are the first non-banks to be labeled “too-big-to-fail”.

It means they will have to meet higher capital standards and undergo stress tests to see how they hold up in the conditions that battered the economy in the crisis.

The Treasury’s Financial Stability Oversight Council said it had determined “that

“Today, the Council has taken a decisive step to address threats to US financial stability and create a safer and more resilient financial system,” said Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew in a statement.

Woellert

J

ob openings climbed in May and hiring picked up as U.S. companies grew more upbeat about the economy’s prospects for the second half of the year.

The number of positions waiting to be filled increased to 3.83 million from the prior month’s revised 3.8 million, which was higher than initially estimated, the Labor Department said today in Washington. Openings are hovering close to a five-year high of 3.9 million reached in February. Another report showed more small businesses signaled they plan to add workers.

The figures follow data last week showing employers, emboldened by stronger housing and auto sales that underscore sustained demand, added more jobs than forecast in June. The momentum in the labor market gives Federal Reserve policy makers room to dial back record monetary stimulus aimed at spurring growth and getting more Americans back to work.

“Businesses are beginning to hire in a steady and more meaningful manner than they have in the past,” said Millan Mulraine, director of U.S. rates research at TD Securities USA LLC in New York, who projected 3.85 million job openings in May. “Hiring is not exceptionally strong but it’s steady and at fairly decent levels.”

Stocks rose for a fourth day amid optimism companies will report better-than-forecast earnings for the second quarter. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index advanced 0.7 percent to 1,652.32 at the close in New York.

Struggling overseas economies remain a headwind for American

Tel: 713-774-5140

Energy giant Shell picks new chief executive

“These designations will help protect the financial system and broader economy from the types of risks that contributed to the financial crisis.”

GE Capital and AIG on Tuesday joined 8 banks designated as systemically important and forced to meet tougher standards (AFP/File, Sebastien Bozon) material financial distress at these companies - if it were to occur - could pose a threat to US financial stability.”

The two join eight banks previously designated as systemically important and forced to meet tougher standards.

AIG nearly collapsed in the crisis and the government was forced to take it over in a rescue backed by $180 billion in public funds, to prevent it from pulling down with it a number of other exposed banks and non-banks.

GE Capital meanwhile garnered tens of billions of dollars in liquidity support and guarantees from the government in the crisis.

More Job Openings Signal Optimism About U.S. Growth: Economy By Lorraine (Bloomberg)

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

companies. U.K. manufacturing unexpectedly shrank in May, casting doubt on the strength of the recovery in the second quarter. Factory output fell 0.8 percent after a 0.2 percent decrease in April, the Office for National Statistics said today in London.

IMF Forecast The International Monetary Fund today trimmed its 2013 forecast for the global economy.

It also reduced its projection for U.S. growth to 1.7 percent from an April forecast of 1.9 percent.

“The growth in the U.S. has slowed down, and they’re catching up to that,” Jay Bryson, a global economist at Wells Fargo Securities LLC in Charlotte, North Carolina, said after the IMF released its report. “This is not the U.S. economy of the 1990s that was a locomotive for the rest of the world,” though the U.S. remains “one of the primary engines of growth.”

The U.S. job openings data puts the labor market picture in sharper focus after the June employment report.

June Employment Payrolls climbed 195,000 for a second straight month, while revisions added 70,000 jobs to the employment count for April and May, the Labor Department reported last week. The unemployment rate held at 7.6 percent, while hourly earnings in the year ended in June advanced 2.2 percent, the biggest yearover-year gain since July 2011.

A report today from the National Federation of Independent Business showed a measure of job creation plans rose to the fourth-highest since 2007. The Washington-based group’s index of small-business optimism eased last month to 93.5 from 94.4 in May.

The Jobs Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, showed the number of people hired increased to 4.44 million in May, pushing the hiring rate to 3.3 percent from 3.2 percent.

There are about 3.1 job seekers for every opening, up from about 1.8 when the last recession began in December 2007.

It reached a high of 6.7 in July 2009, the month after the recession ended.

Skills Mismatch “In our view, a mismatch in skills between employers and job seekers is one of the factors that has contributed to higher structural unemployment relative to pre-recession levels,” Cooper Howes, an economist at Barclays Plc in New York, said in an e-mail to clients. The ratio of job seekers to openings “has fallen sharply since the end of the recession and, given that it is already close to pre-recession levels, suggests that there may be less slack in the labor market that first appears.”

In the 12 months ended in May the economy created a net 1.8 million jobs, representing 51.9 million hires and 50.1 million separations.

Sustained demand and the improvement in the labor market are giving Fed policy makers room to begin tapering their record $85 billion a month in bond purchases.

Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said last month the central bank might start scaling back its bond-buying program this year and end it in mid-2014 if the economy achieves the Fed’s growth objectives. Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee’s June meeting will be released tomorrow.

Firings Stable

Total firings, which exclude retirements and other voluntary departures, were little changed at 1.74 million, today’s Labor Department data show.

Another 2.2 million people quit their jobs in May, up from 2.19 million the prior month.

The quits rate held at 1.6 percent. It averaged 2 percent during the previous expansion and went as high as 2.3 percent in late 2006.

Retailers accounted for the biggest increase in available employment in May, while the category encompassing professional and business services showed a decrease.

Recovering home values and higher stock prices are putting Americans in a position to capitalize on lower interest rates and make big-ticket purchases, giving companies the confidence to keep hiring.

Shell’s newly appointed chief executive Ben van Beurden.

Anglo-Dutch energy giant Royal Dutch Shell said on Tuesday the downstream director will replace outgoing head Peter Voser.

Picture: AFP LONDON (AFP) - AngloDutch energy giant Royal Dutch Shell on Tuesday appointed Ben van Beurden, director of the group’s refining and marketing operations, as chief executive to replace outgoing head Peter Voser.

“The board of Royal Dutch Shell plc today announced that Ben van Beurden will succeed Peter Voser as chief executive officer, effective 1 January 2014,” the energy major said in a statement.

for our shareholders.”

Van Beurden joined Shell in 1983 and has held various operational and commercial roles in upstream and downstream activities at Shell.

He has worked for Shell in the Netherlands, Africa, Malaysia and the United States, as well as Britain.

Voser, who has been chief executive since July 2009, will have worked a total of 29 years at the group during two spells.

“Peter Voser will leave Shell at the end of March 2014, marking the end of 29 years with the company.”

Investors welcomed the appointment in early morning deals on the London stock market.

Dutch national Van Beurden, 55, has been Shell’s downstream director since January 2013.

Shell saw its ‘A’ share price jump 0.63 percent to 2,142.50 pence on the British capital’s FTSE 100 index of top companies, which was 0.95 percent higher at 6,511.11 points.

“I am delighted to announce Ben van Beurden as the next chief executive officer of Royal Dutch Shell,” said Chairman Jorma Ollila.

“Ben has deep knowledge of the industry and proven executive experience across a range of Shell businesses.

“Ben will continue to drive and further develop the strategic agenda that we have set out, to generate competitive returns

Shell revealed earlier this year that Voser, 54, would retire in 2014 to spend more time with his family.

The London-listed energy company made the surprise announcement of Voser’s departure in May alongside a drop in first-quarter profits that was blamed on lower crude oil prices.

Motor Homes An improved job market and rising consumer confidence are driving demand at companies such as Winnebago Industries Inc. (WGO) That’s prompted the Forest City, Iowa-based maker of motor homes to take on more workers and increase overtime hours, according to Chief Executive Officer Randy Potts.

In the quarter ended June 1, Winnebago’s shipments of motor homes were the highest in five years, Potts said on a June 27 earnings call, up 55 percent from a year earlier. Order backlogs have grown for six consecutive quarters.

“Labor is always a challenge when you’re growing,” Potts said. “We did find the people we needed to achieve the production rates we had scheduled. We worked a lot of overtime and we have hired a lot of people.”

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FEATURE

VOICE OF ASIA 21

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

Your Horoscope

US immigration system could be red tape nightmare

(For week beginning Friday, July 12, 2013)

Hardik Vyas, Astrologer Cell : 832-298-9950

LAC) told AFP. “Employers are kind of lazy, and if they are interviewing 20 people, and one of them comes up with a hit saying that he’s not eligible, they’ll just say well, let’s not bother to call for a second interview,” he said.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano launches E-Verify Self Check service on March 21, 2011 in Washington, DC (Getty Images/AFP/ File, Alex Wong)

by Leila Macor

L

OS ANGELES - A new system that would require all US employers to check if job applicants are authorized to work risks being a bureaucratic nightmare for immigrants and US citizens alike, critics said.

The E-Verify system, included in a comprehensive immigration reform package passed by the US Senate last month, draws on official databases to decide if an individual has the right to work in the United States.

The reform package -- which must still be approved by the House of Representatives -calls for the US-Mexico border fence to be bolstered, creates a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants, and requires E-Verify, currently an optional system, to be used nationally.

Pro-immigrant groups said they are willing to agree to EVerify as part of an overall reform package.

But, they emphasized, the system stands to be improved.

“The problem is that the government databases on which the system relies have a lot of errors within them,” Joshua Stehlik, a workers’ rights attorney with the Los Angeles-based National Immigration Law Center, told AFP.

“Those errors particularly impact non-US citizen workers, as well as female workers and workers who have non-traditional last names,” he added.

At the moment, E-Verify is used in some 20 US states and by seven percent of employers (about 411,000). Under the proposed reform, all firms would have to use E-Verify within four years of it becoming law.

When an employer uses the system, an applicant’s details are sent for verification to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Of the 20.2 million people who went through the system last year, 1.09 percent were barred from working. Another 0.26 percent were initially turned only, only to be cleared after appeal, according to official DHS figures.

The 0.26 percent error rate amounts to 52,520 people wrongly classified as unfit for work.

Those tens of thousands of US workers must “face a daunting bureaucracy and contest the decision before making a living again,” said the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The mistakes risk costing a job opportunity for the applicant involved, whether immigrant or non-immigrant, Brent Wilkes of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LU-

If E-Verify becomes obligatory, that same 0.26 percent error rate, over all 52 million new jobs filled each year (based on 2012 figures), would equate to 135,200 people having to get through a bureaucratic maze to prove they can work.

A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) insisted it can handle the expansion of the system, adding that the proportion of mistakes “has been declining over time.”

But pro-immigrant groups warned there is also a risk of abuse: “that the system can be misused by employers to retaliate against employees or discriminate against employees,” said Stehlik.

That could happen, he said, if an employer “only uses it to verify the authorization of employees of a certain ethnicity, for example, or uses it in a retaliatory way against the employees who are organizing a union in the workplace.”

And even an error-free database cannot help if employers choose to break the law and not use it, rights groups said.

Some employers knowingly hire undocumented immigrants, because they are cheap, said ACLU lawyer Chris Calabrese.

“That’s the business model,” Calabrese said. “They’re hiring these folks to pay them under the table, not give them benefits, not pay them a fair wage. ... Those people aren’t playing by the rules now.

“Why are they going to play by the rules under the E-Verify system?”

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.

Aries (A,L,E) 21st. March to 20 April YNeed to get things completed prior to starting your next project. You’ve gotten behind and need to get a better grasp of things. You usually work hard but lately you’ve been very lax in matters of importance. Everyone is a specialist or is in need of one. Prove that you know more than your history suggests. Save time and money by drawing on the resources that you already possess. If this strategy has worked for you in the past, then it will probably work again. Strike a happy medium with authorities who are being too rigid about your boundaries. Your insights tend to be ‘spot on’ and may be reliable. Your insights tend to be ‘spot on’ and may be reliable.

Taurus

Need to organize your financial and personal situation. Look over your personal papers, make budgets and write everything down. You can get your point across and make valuable connections. Your personal life will stabilize. Don’t be confrontational. You’ll meet opposition if you try to push your ideas too much. Be observant and save your comments for a better time. You need to focus on your career. You’ll accomplish the most if you travel for business. If you have an idea, present it. Don’t take on too strenuous a task. Minor injury or exhaustion will result if you do.

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Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July Your ability to advance your creative ideas and concepts to those in power. Don’t rush any decisions, play the waiting game. Recent events will make you aware of how precious life is. Exhibit benefits of new venture. Verify accounting procedures, make sure everything is on track. Stay focused on bringing your greatest asset to the forefront, your confidence. Once you feel confident in yourself, you will be able to influence others. Peers may try to question your authority, reply with positive financial feedback. Busy and demanding ‘spending trends’ may raid your wallet but appear to show they are ‘well worth it’.

Leo (M) 23 July to 23 August Personal relationships which will feel more positive than ever. Invest time with family members & you’ll be creating great memories for everybody. Express your ideas with passion & you’ll learn new ways to impress your style. Once you do, you’ll be able to feel more confident in who you are. New friends can lead you to new avenues of social exposure. Be yourself & you’ll be accepted & loved. Focus on a close relationship that could lead to love and marriage. Encourage others to enjoy themselves. A small problem that may cause a big change is likely and adapting quickly while ‘saying as little as possible about it’ might be wise, especially if money is involved at all.

Virgo (P) 24 August to - 23 September Understanding that you have reached a real milestone in art, music or literature. You’ll be impressed with a new discovery & will want to tell the whole world. Be it in a personal relationship or a business dealing, you will reach a very positive goal. Focus your energy full force. You’ll seem to have a keener understanding of how things work. Look behind the scene & you’ll see all of your options. Play your cards right & you may be celebrating true success. Bring people together by showing them interesting new lifestyle or way to work.

While cooperation may be poor, it appears to improve substantially.

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

Scorpio (N,Y) 24 Oct. to 23 Nov. AUse your ability to overcome new personal challenges and a new sense of direction. You may feel as if there are too many things to decide on. Take the time to read, write & express your thoughts on paper. By doing so, you may feel an awakening of ideas, you shared with someone, long ago. That person may remind you of something very important that you forgot. Stress that seemed so intense, lately, may lessen, as the week goes by. Take the time to enjoy all of those favorite things, that you really like to do. Don’t be afraid to express yourself. You need to open your mind & your heart to someone who shares your goals.

Sagittarius

(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

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

The fact that if you play your cards right, you could really become the talk of the town. Don’t allow the exposure to be wasted, speak your mind & gain some important allies. There are so many things going on around you, that you may feel like running away from everything. Emotional & physical stress may make you feel a little down. Don’t allow others to put you in the middle of their problems. When asked to give your opinion, express your feelings strongly & clearly. You can lend an ear to them but you cannot solve their problems for them, let them know that.

Capricorn

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

Rediscovery of higher education & using reliable ideas to accomplish your goals. Miscommunications or misunderstandings may occur, if you don’t choose your words carefully. What solution that had long gone by the wayside, may now become a viable one. Listen to others with expertise to overcome distance & language problems. Your ability to communicate on many levels will help others to understand your motivations. Be sensitive to those who are affected by your acts.

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

Your keen understanding of how effective team work can be. You can enhance business, career & prestige in the community. Higher ups may request your time. Listen to other’s ideas on how to handle the situation & plan your strategy, accordingly. Sometimes you may feel as if you can conquer anything and maybe you can, but remember to thank those who have helped you on your way. They need to feel your respect & your love. They’ll feel it best if you show it through your actions, not just your words.

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

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

The restrictions free week for you. You may just find the answer to your personal & professional problems. Take your direction from the simple things in life. Your cycle will move up & you’ll be able to rediscover yourself & what you need to feel happy.

You need to work hard to achieve your immediate goals. People admire you for your determination.

Sometimes you need to reward yourself for a job well done. This may also be a good time to add to your art collection, as your keen sense of valuables might just find a real treasure.

Attorney and Counselor at Law

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

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

A need to collect & study facts & faces, you may be tested to remember, later. You are due to receive a gift or a bonus. Perform your heart out, enjoy the limelight. Offers you receive may be exciting, but you will need time to digest all of the information you have received. Family members, co-workers will vie for your attention. Listen to them, but try not to get overwhelmed by the requests you receive. Help where you can, but don’t put any of your own plans on hold. Express your inner thoughts & feelings to someone close to you. They will be able to help you deal with something that’s very close to your heart.

Libra

Attention New Home Buyers in Texas

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

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

Make sure to keep your positive flow going. Others may require your attention & understanding in a domestic situation. Be careful not to say something that you’ll be sorry for later. Keep expenses low as higher ups may question them. You may need to do a little public relations to satisfy them.

Show our colors, as long as you have nothing to hide. Chance meeting will allow the resurgence of a new fresh relationship. Share some quality time & realize how special you feel for each other. Your entire outlook will be transformed, from being a victim to being a victor.

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 22

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

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

Web:

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

Sri Meenakshi Temple

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: 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

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

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

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Baitus Samee Mosque 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

Ashirwad - A Blessing Temple 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 Sivalaya Temple 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.

QR

Location:10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX77498.

Phone: 832.541.0059.

Website: www.saumyakasi.org;

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

Shri Satyanarayan Sai Puja Darshan 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.

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

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

Hindu Worship Society

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.

Websites: www.pyptusa.org

Superior One Electric

(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

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

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: 281-317-7331 Website:bethesdahoustontamilc hurch.org

Our Redeemer Church

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

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

Govindaji Gaudiya Math

Houston Tamil Church

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.

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

Sri Guruvayurappan Temple

Sathya Sai Baba Centers

Trinity Mar Thoma Church Prog: Sundays Malyalam service at 9:45 a.m. Every alternate weeks in English at 10:30a.m. Sunday School at 9:15 a.m.

Location: 5810 Almeda Genoa Road.

Contact: 713-9771-1557/ 281261-4603.

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: Location: Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land -TX 77498.

Contact: 281.568.1690 Website: www.saumyakasi.org

To advertise, call:

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

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

Medical School

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Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya

Commercial & Residential

visit us at : www.mdassociatescpas.com

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

Prog: Sundays Satsang, BalSanskar Shala, from 11am to 1pm.

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

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

Telugu Christian Fellowship

NARESH SETLUR, CPA Retail, Manufacturing, Construction, Franchise Accounting

Gayatri Pariwar of Houston

Prog: Location: 3905 Arc St. Houston, TX 77063 Contact: 281-606-JAIN; Email:

Electrical Service

Visit our website www.karanika.net

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

Jain Center of Houston

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

Durga Bari Society

Prog: Sundays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at two locations Locations: Contact: (North) 832-418-3842 or (South) 281-788-4786.

Website:www.saicenterofhouston.org

QUICK REFERENCE SERVICES DIRECTORY

Certified, Quickbooks Proadvisor

ecjsh@jain-houston.org Website:www.jain-houston.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 23

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.

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.

Read Voice of Asia for Community News

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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.

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

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

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www.newyorklife-india.com

EOE M/F/D/V

House for Sale!

• 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.

Quiet neighborhood and Clean subdivision!

Many fast food locations nearby!

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

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013

Houston Community College Request for Proposals (RFP) Project No. 13-45 Project Title: Television Production 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 23, 2013. HCC is an equal opportunity/educational institution, which does not discriminate based on race, color religion, national origin, gender age or disability.

Visit us on voiceofasiatvnews.com

JOB OPPORTUNITY

We are looking for the following personnel immediately: 1. Free lance Videographer. (on call, regular assignments, Knowledge of Editing and Camera a Must).

2. Salespeople for online and print advertising.

(Previous Sales experience a must) 3. Free lance Community Reporters.

(Writers must have published articles elsewhere).

Long term employment possible for right candidates.

Call: 713-774-5140

This is our Classifieds Section 713-774-5140 Sell anything!

From Garage Sales to Selling a Business Call us. Nothing is too trivial.

VOICE OF ASIA 24

FRIDAY, July 12, 2013